[exo-ak-dk]

Hi there

I've been thinking about this for a long time and are now ready to take the necessary steps to transform my car, so it looks new, everytime i wash it and remove all those nasty swirl marks.

I know how to wash my car the simple way...but the results don't impress me.

As i dont know how to polish or clay and etc....(all the complicated stuff).

I just want inputs on Which products i need to buy for my black saph. E90

And which polisher/pads to buy without doing damage to the car!!

So which way is the best to start with for a beginner without hurting the car.

So which products, machines and etc.?

[jopa489]

You might want to start with DI's Auto Detailing Guide to learn the products, tools, and techniques. It's difficult to recommend a list of products (and there's a lot of them) until you're a bit more familiar with the processes.

[cstavaru]

I am not an expert, but here is my conclusion after weeks of research:

Minimal stuff I would buy:

- A dual-action polisher (the gold standard in USA seems to be PorterCable 7424xp). Do NOT use a rotary polishing machine as a beginner as you can damage the paint !

- Lake Country CCS polishing pads: some cutting pads (orange, green), some polishing pads (white) and some finishing pads (black).

- Clay bar - any good brand - the most acclaimed seems to be ClayMagic.

- Zaino Z-PC (first polishing step after washing and claying - it is a mild polish and also finishing polish - swirl mark removal ability depends of what polishing pads you use), Z2-Pro (final sealant), ZFX (optional but accelerates the Z2-pro curing time so you can add up to 3 layers in a day as opposed to one layer every 24 hours), Z-6 (quick detailer - removes dust, residue between polishing stages and between washes) and (optionally) some good carnauba-based wax to layer on top of the sealant in order to give a "wet" look to the car. For BMW which has a hard paint, Z-PC may not be enough to remove deeper swirl marks, so a Menzerna Power Finish (PO203S) would be helpful too while at the same time being safe.

- Towels, foam applicators for wax, etc.

Optional:

- Z5 Pro - acts like Z2-Pro but it is also a filler which can hide fine swirl marks on dark-colored cars
- Z8 - enhances the gloss
- Z7 - car shampoo
- Z16 - tire dressing

Oh, and don't forget to read the sticky threads And don't forget to watch YouTube polishing videos - there are plenty
Oh, and google "Paul Dalton"

[chemgeek]

Buy this. It even comes with an instructional DVD. The orbital machine is a re-badged Porter Cable, but the hand grip is much, much nicer and easier to use than the Porter Cable version.

After you learn and use the products you get, if you want to change, you can always buy different pads, polishes and waxes people recommend. At least a kit like this gets you all the basics (clay, lubricant, polish, wax, orbital machine, polish pad and wax pad).

They stand behind their products too. If you ever dissatisfied with anything, they will do their best to help you out or ship you a new product.

[enforcerman]

I'd recommend the flex. Its more expensive, but it does a better job than a porter cable and is no more dangerous than the porter cable. I say this because I bought a porter cable, used it for 2 months, then got a flex and man, i LOVE the flex.