[330xtrai]

Hey guys,
I plan on doing my own detailing my paint isnt in the best shape at least the hood, roof and one side of the car. alot of it has been repainted like part of one side and rear bumper and front bumper(which has cracked paint in the middle)
I Plan on getting a Harbor freight DA polisher with Lake country 5" backing plate, I need recomendations on what and where to buy the rest of the stuff different compound/polish, pads, clay, wax/sealant( do i need both or just one read 2 different views), shampoo, mitts, towels, etc if i'm leaving anything out feel free to help out.
hear zaino is amazing but not sure if I should get it and if so what? Also heard just go with meguir's pro grade stuff. Autogeek has 15% for 23 hours from now aka all of tuesday so things from there would be good.
will be getting gary dean's infinite use detail juice for clay bar lube.
been watching videos so hopefully I can get this learned quickly, I will have a lot of time on my hands this summer
Just a beginner a little confused with all the products out there, I heard most is basically the same stuff rebranded anyway like clay and pads.
I also have 3 pretty visible scratches on my door and a bunch of scratches from driving too close to a small tree so tips on that would help.
Thanks guys

[NJ Krish]

Mmmmm I love Zaino for leather cleaning. The smell is amazing. If you go that route, contact the PA retailer since they ship to NJ and they ship really quick! All I did was order Z9 and Z10 and they threw in free applicators too haha.

For compound and polish I use M105 and M205 with my DA. Everyone has their choice in favorite and better working combo.

If you want check out detail images website
http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/

It's very helpful for beginners. You can always buy from them or Detailers Domain located in NJ.

I'm planning to detail in summer once my car is fixed and try out Opti-coat. For your newly painted area I would say get it protected best you can from start!

Also alternatives I am planning to try out instead of clay bar is the NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Wash Mitt. Any detailers that can chime in on how that works compared to claybaring would be awesome since using that product would save so much more time.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by NJ Krish

Mmmmm I love Zaino for leather cleaning. The smell is amazing. If you go that route, contact the PA retailer since they ship to NJ and they ship really quick! All I did was order Z9 and Z10 and they threw in free applicators too haha.

For compound and polish I use M105 and M205 with my DA. Everyone has their choice in favorite and better working combo.

If you want check out detail images website
http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/

It's very helpful for beginners. You can always buy from them or Detailers Domain located in NJ.

I'm planning to detail in summer once my car is fixed and try out Opti-coat. For your newly painted area I would say get it protected best you can from start!

Also alternatives I am planning to try out instead of clay bar is the NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Wash Mitt. Any detailers that can chime in on how that works compared to claybaring would be awesome since using that product would save so much more time.

ok awesome. Yeah for polish and compound I was looking into that and really leaning towards it. Ill probably try the zaino leather stuff because my drivers seat is getting hard and haven't conditioned it in an while.
I was reading a bunch of guides and there is some good stuff.
will check them all out and probably go with the best price or if its the same price ill go with better shipping.

[330xtrai]

ALso any recommendations of wheels cleaner I heard sonax is good. Hopefully getting wheels this season my 159 are getting old and starting to peel and look like crap.
I also would like to know if teh nano skin auto scrub is good enough replacement to clay bar.

[ThEnder]

Lake country is great for pads as well as the backing plate. Smaller pads tend to work better with dual action polishers, as they lack the power to effectively correct scratches with a larger pad. To start, I would recommend getting a cutting pad (scratch and orange peel correction), polishing pad (swirl and marring removal), and finishing pad (gaze and sealant).

I've never used Zaino so I can't comment on that. I've used Chemical Guys, Wolfgang, and PoorBoy's World in the past. PBW is good for the price, but Wolfgang yielded the best results.

I would not try to skip or replace the clay bar step - it's proven and fantastic for surface prep. If you haven't done a detail in a long time, it may be smart to also do a treatment with IronX to remove iron deposits prior to clay.

As for leather, while Zaino may be a great product for uncoated leathers, it will not be effective in your 3er. BMW (and 95% of all modern leather interiors) uses a treated leather that repels oil based cleaners and conditioners like Zaino, leatherique, and others. To properly care for treated leathers, you need to use a water-based cleaner and conditioner because the particles are small enough to penetrate the surface of the treated leather and hydrate the hyde underneath. For routine maintenance wiping down your leather with a damp cloth or a water-based detailer like DP Total Interior Cleaner is plenty effective. For deep cleans, try a product like Leather Masters which is a water-based alternative.

Sonax is great for wheels but expensive and overkill for maintenance washes, a good wheel brush like the daytona speedmaster plus a decent soap will do fine for routine cleaning.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by ThEnder

Lake country is great for pads as well as the backing plate. Smaller pads tend to work better with dual action polishers, as they lack the power to effectively correct scratches with a larger pad. To start, I would recommend getting a cutting pad (scratch and orange peel correction), polishing pad (swirl and marring removal), and finishing pad (gaze and sealant).

I've never used Zaino so I can't comment on that. I've used Chemical Guys, Wolfgang, and PoorBoy's World in the past. PBW is good for the price, but Wolfgang yielded the best results.

I would not try to skip or replace the clay bar step - it's proven and fantastic for surface prep. If you haven't done a detail in a long time, it may be smart to also do a treatment with IronX to remove iron deposits prior to clay.

As for leather, while Zaino may be a great product for uncoated leathers, it will not be effective in your 3er. BMW (and 95% of all modern leather interiors) uses a treated leather that repels oil based cleaners and conditioners like Zaino, leatherique, and others. To properly care for treated leathers, you need to use a water-based cleaner and conditioner because the particles are small enough to penetrate the surface of the treated leather and hydrate the hyde underneath. For routine maintenance wiping down your leather with a damp cloth or a water-based detailer like DP Total Interior Cleaner is plenty effective. For deep cleans, try a product like Leather Masters which is a water-based alternative.

Sonax is great for wheels but expensive and overkill for maintenance washes, a good wheel brush like the daytona speedmaster plus a decent soap will do fine for routine cleaning.

Thanks for the recommendations!
Was going to use clay but some peopel are claiming that that nanoskin stuff work just as well as clay and wanted to see if anyone experienced it.

[psnt1ol]

Switched to Nanoskin autoscrub (pads and mitts) a few years ago. Never looked back since. Clay still comes in handy in certain specific situations but those times are far in between.

Just like Clay...Marring can be an issue for some. I always polish after so it is not a big deal IMO.

[SLOWER]

The nanoskin mitts are awesome.

I think the Meguiar's 105 and 205 are great products, especially for a beginner. That Detailed Image guide posted above is a great resource. Follow it and you can't really get into trouble.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by psnt1ol

Switched to Nanoskin autoscrub (pads and mitts) a few years ago. Never looked back since. Clay still comes in handy in certain specific situations but those times are far in between.

Just like Clay...Marring can be an issue for some. I always polish after so it is not a big deal IMO.

Oh good to hear that I think I'll get a bar of clay to get the hard to reach areas and a mitt. Yeah I'm gonna be polishing anyway my paint is scratched like crazy in some areas lol

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by SLOWER

The nanoskin mitts are awesome.

I think the Meguiar's 105 and 205 are great products, especially for a beginner. That Detailed Image guide posted above is a great resource. Follow it and you can't really get into trouble.

Oh awesome Yeah I'll follow the guide and I watched a few videos doesn't seem hard just time consuming which I don't mind.
Any sealant or wax recommendations?
Mitt and drying towel recommendations?

[ThEnder]

Sheepskin or microfiber wash its are great. Sheepskin is a little softer but requires a lot more care.

Waffle weave towels are best for drying, microfibers for interior detailing and buffing.

Whatever you do, do not use terry cloth towels as they will scratch your car.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by ThEnder

Sheepskin or microfiber wash its are great. Sheepskin is a little softer but requires a lot more care.

Waffle weave towels are best for drying, microfibers for interior detailing and buffing.

Whatever you do, do not use terry cloth towels as they will scratch your car.

Ok Yeah that's was I was thinking. I'm going to order the stuff today and hopefully start detailing it once the stuff comes.
If anyone has any other recommendation s for anything feel free to post thanks guys!

[psnt1ol]

Best drying towel I ever had is Microfiber Madness "Dry me Crazy"....1200 GSM worth of drying pleasure.

Or

the ultimate non-scratch drying solution - Metro Master Blaster. 8 hp, filtered warm air, and 2 settings. I have one and it is awesome.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by psnt1ol

Best drying towel I ever had is Microfiber Madness "Dry me Crazy"....1200 GSM worth of drying pleasure.

Or

the ultimate non-scratch drying solution - Metro Master Blaster. 8 hp, filtered warm air, and 2 settings. I have one and it is awesome.

that towel sounds amazing ill probably get one.
That dryer seems even more awesome but its really expensive for now. Maybe once I finish dental school in a few years lol.

[330xtrai]

Ok so This is what I'm ordering for my detailing supplies from autogeek trying to get 10% and free shipping as autodetailingsolutions.net has those offers. Will give detailers domain a try if they have all this stuff in stock since they are about 30min from me.
Is this good or am I missing anything other than the DA which I will be buying the harbor freight one.?
should I get the CG citrus and gloss (for first wash/removing everything) & the Mr.pink (for maintenance washes or just stick with one?

[psnt1ol]

Originally Posted by 330xtrai

Ok so This is what I'm ordering for my detailing supplies from autogeek trying to get 10% and free shipping as autodetailingsolutions.net has those offers. Will give detailers domain a try if they have all this stuff in stock since they are about 30min from me.
Is this good or am I missing anything other than the DA which I will be buying the harbor freight one.?
should I get the CG citrus and gloss (for first wash/removing everything) & the Mr.pink (for maintenance washes or just stick with one?

You got some redundancies in your product selection IMO. Klass AIO is not needed if you have M205. My current favorite finishing polish is CarPro Reflect and prior to that was Menzerna SF4000.

Stay with only one shampoo. Claying and compounding will remove all previous LSP. I personally prefer a soap that rinse clean with no residue. I recommend CarPro Reflect or Ultima Paint Guard Wash.

Recommending more pads. The one you will be using the most are the white and orange. 4 - 5 of each would be a good start but really ..... the more the merrier. You want to switch to a new pad every panel or two. Unless you clean and wash them every panel, its hard to do the whole car with what you have. You would seldom use the blue pad or the yellow so maybe you could trade them for additional white pads.

Going a few years back ...You choice of compound (M105) would have been the liquid of choice. There are so much more products in the market currently that works just as well or better with none of the drawbacks that associate with M105. Menzerna FG400 , HD cuts, and Meguiars M101 just to name a few. If you are using MF cutting discs then I say Meguiars D300.

You should look into a clay lube for the autoscrub. I suggest NanoSkin Glide. They were designed to work with each other. Just remember to break in the sponge on your windows prior using it on the paint.

I am a "Coating" convert and I haven't use a wax or sealant for the last 2 years but if I have to choose a one....I still would choose Menzerna Powerlock over Klasse sealant. Nothing wrong with Klasse its simply New school vs Old school but IMO Powerlock is easier to apply. Do it with your DA with a black pad on low speed.

For an awesome wash mitt....look into the Micro madness Incredimitt.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by psnt1ol

You got some redundancies in your product selection IMO. Klass AIO is not needed if you have M205. My current favorite finishing polish is CarPro Reflect and prior to that was Menzerna SF4000.

Stay with only one shampoo. Claying and compounding will remove all previous LSP. I personally prefer a soap that rinse clean with no residue. I recommend CarPro Reflect or Ultima Paint Guard Wash.

Recommending more pads. The one you will be using the most are the white and orange. 4 - 5 of each would be a good start but really ..... the more the merrier. You want to switch to a new pad every panel or two. Unless you clean and wash them every panel, its hard to do the whole car with what you have. You would seldom use the blue pad or the yellow so maybe you could trade them for additional white pads.

Going a few years back ...You choice of compound (M105) would have been the liquid of choice. There are so much more products in the market currently that works just as well or better with none of the drawbacks that associate with M105. Menzerna FG400 , HD cuts, and Meguiars M101 just to name a few. If you are using MF cutting discs then I say Meguiars D300.

You should look into a clay lube for the autoscrub. I suggest NanoSkin Glide. They were designed to work with each other. Just remember to break in the sponge on your windows prior using it on the paint.

I am a "Coating" convert and I haven't use a wax or sealant for the last 2 years but if I have to choose a one....I still would choose Menzerna Powerlock over Klasse sealant. Nothing wrong with Klasse its simply New school vs Old school but IMO Powerlock is easier to apply. Do it with your DA with a black pad on low speed.

For an awesome wash mitt....look into the Micro madness Incredimitt.

Ok thanks
so ill get the carpro reflect as the finishing polish and what would be your one recommended cutting polish for now?
for soap Ultima Paint Guard Wash is good.
Ill get 4 white and orange and I can get 4 more pads what should I get?
for the clay lube I was going to get garry dean's iudj but I think I'll go with nanoskin glide because I have 15% at autogeek that came in my email yesterday.
I wouldnt mind going into coating over wax/sealant if you could go more into detail with that. like ceramic coating like Beeds etc?
I need another wash mitt something on amazon or autogeek because i have a gift card from a book trade in from amazon. that wash mitt is sold by neither.
Oh and do I need pad cleaner or how would you recommend cleaning pads?
Thanks again!!

[ThEnder]

Originally Posted by psnt1ol

Stay with only one shampoo. Claying and compounding will remove all previous LSP. I personally prefer a soap that rinse clean with no residue. I recommend CarPro Reflect or Ultima Paint Guard Wash.

I would disagree with the single soap suggestion. The citrus wash pretty harsh and a great wash to use prior to polishing because it will strip down any products on the paint but the same qualities will cause it to quickly wear down the sealant during maintenance washes.

Mr. Pink is good for maintenance washes, but I also like Mcguire's Gold Classe which is a bit cheaper and usually available locally. Both are very soft washes that will not strip down the sealant.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by ThEnder

I would disagree with the single soap suggestion. The citrus wash pretty harsh and a great wash to use prior to polishing because it will strip down any products on the paint but the same qualities will cause it to quickly wear down the sealant during maintenance washes.

Mr. Pink is good for maintenance washes, but I also like Mcguire's Gold Classe which is a bit cheaper and usually available locally. Both are very soft washes that will not strip down the sealant.

oh ok thanks I was thinking that as well but wasnt too sure since I'm pretty new to this. Would you also recommend going with different polishing stuff as well.
Just trying to get a variety of recommendations.

[ThEnder]

Originally Posted by 330xtrai

oh ok thanks I was thinking that as well but wasnt too sure since I'm pretty new to this. Would you also recommend going with different polishing stuff as well.
Just trying to get a variety of recommendations.

Yes, unless your paint is in really bad shape I would get the Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover, Finishing Glaze, and Deep Gloss Sealant and skip the rest.

If the damage is bad enough to require a 2 step polish then you can at least skip the Klasse AIO since that's designed as a 1-step product instead of a finishing product after other polishes.

The AIO would be a good product to use the next time you polish since you should have already corrected the major defects this time around.

You might also want to think about picking up a good quick detailer and spray wax to use during your maintenance washes. Spray wax is a great way to extend the life of your sealant and keep the car looking sleek. Just apply while you are drying.

[330xtrai]

Originally Posted by ThEnder

Yes, unless your paint is in really bad shape I would get the Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover, Finishing Glaze, and Deep Gloss Sealant and skip the rest.

If the damage is bad enough to require a 2 step polish then you can at least skip the Klasse AIO since that's designed as a 1-step product instead of a finishing product after other polishes.

The AIO would be a good product to use the next time you polish since you should have already corrected the major defects this time around.

You might also want to think about picking up a good quick detailer and spray wax to use during your maintenance washes. Spray wax is a great way to extend the life of your sealant and keep the car looking sleek. Just apply while you are drying.

Ill try and take some pictures to show how bad. the only extremely bad part of my paint is my roof which has a bunch of scratches from a dry tree that I drove by and it just scratched up my roof and my passenger side has 3 kinda deep scratches like 2-3 inches each. And the rest of the car is swirl city lol.
Any recommended detailing spray/spray wax?

[ThEnder]

Originally Posted by 330xtrai

Ill try and take some pictures to show how bad. the only extremely bad part of my paint is my roof which has a bunch of scratches from a dry tree that I drove by and it just scratched up my roof and my passenger side has 3 kinda deep scratches like 2-3 inches each. And the rest of the car is swirl city lol.
Any recommended detailing spray/spray wax?

I just use Megs detailing spray and quick wax since I can pick it up locally. There are better products available from AutoGeek if you want to spend the money.