First detail questions

Hello,
I have been away from home auto cleaning and detailing for a couple of years due to injury. I am looking at purchasing a new black vehicle within the next month and want to start off on the right foot.I have listed below all the car cleaning supplies I own. What would everyone here recommend I use to keep the new car looking it's best and protecting it from the beginning? I will be doing everything by hand with no polishers or washers.
Thanks
b



CG Blacklight
CG Jetseal 109
CG XXX Paste Wax
CG Grime Reaper
CG Stripper Scent Air Freshener
Griot’s Dried On Wax Remover
Griot’s Glass Cleaner Clay
Griot’s Engine Cleaner
Griot’s Speed ShineGriot’s Adhesive Remover
Griot’s Bug Off
Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild Shampoo
Dodo Juice Lime Prime Lite Pre-Wax Cleaner
Dodo Juice Born Slippy Clay Lube
Dodo Juice Gentle Grey Clay
Surf City Garage Dash Away
Meguiar’s Endurance High Gloss Tire Gel
Mother’s Gold Car Wash
Mother’s Gold Pre-Wax Cleaner P1
Mother’s Gold Sealer Glaze P2
Mother’s Gold Carnauba Wax P3
Mother’s Chrome Polish
Mother’s Leather Cleaner
Mother’s Leather Conditioner
Mother’s Plastic Polish
Mother’s Clear Coat Wheel Polish
Mother’s Plastic Polish
Mother’s Back To Black
Mother’s Showtime Spray
Mother’s Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
Mother’s FX Synwax
Mother’s FX Tire Shine Spray

 

With the car being black and the fact that you don't have a polisher, the first thing you want to do is to make sure the dealer doesn't touch the car at all when it arrives. Contrary to what they tell you, they don't need to remove the plastic or wash the car to PDI it. Allowing them to wash it will result in a trip to a reputable detailer for some correction work. Promise. It looks like you have everything you need to maintain the car. The LSPs you have won't last very long so that would be one thing I would consider changing, dependant on how often you want to be protecting the paint. Using a coating like Optimum Opti Coat will not only keep the car protected for years, but will allow you to use a pressure washer to simply rinse the car off most of the time to keep it clean. Less hand washing means less contact with the paint means less swirls. What kind of car are you considering?

 

Thank you for the reply.
The car is a 2012 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4. It is currently on the dealer's showroom floor so it has been cleaned. The dealer is a few hours away so I have only seen photos thus far. I also live in a small town and there is no detail shop here. My options are pretty limited which is why I always do my own work.

 

Well Bob, given the car is black and the dealer has washed it and is probably wiping it down with QD and shop rags every few days, you will probably need to use some glaze to fill in the defects or pick up a polisher. Porter Cables and/or Griots are good machines that are safe and will do what you need to. When you go to look at it, take an LED flashlight ( the muilt LED ones sold near the register at most Home Depots etc for $5 work awesome! ) and have a look at the paint. This will make up your decision pretty quickly. If you are interested in the polisher, we can discuss your options.

 

Will do, thanks.
I plan to go out to look at it in a couple of weeks. I have never used a polisher before but with that said I do have the DeWalt one saved in my Wishlist on Amazon CA.

 

You don't want to learning how to use a rotary on your new car. Look into the Porter Cable or Griots DA polishers. Much safer for beginners and should have no problem doing what you will need. Keep us posted.

 

Thanks for the tip as I almost pulled the trigger and ordered the DeWalt yesterday. I was thinking they were the same just different brand/name. I definitely will keep you posted along with photo's. Much too cold here in Canada to even think about washing a vehicle right now with temperatures in the negative double digits Celsius.

What pads and polish will I need to go with the Griot's Polisher? I am assuming at this point that there are minimal lights swirls on the Countryman.

 

Where in Canada are you, Bob? I'm in BC. Am washing in -2 temps right now. As far as polish and pads, it'll be decided by the condition of the car itself. The Meguiars microfibre cutting disc combined with Meguiars 105 or Menzerna FG400 will do an awesome job for cutting and both finish down nice enough to go straight to your wax / sealant. If you want to amp up the gloss a bit more, try Menzerna 85RD (SF4500) on a blue or black B&S foam pad.

 

Thanks. 911
Opposite end of the Country in NL. Balmy -8C here today.
The car is currently in the dealer's showroom so I hope all is well when i get there in a couple of weeks.

 

Like I said, once you have the car, we'll look at some pics and decide upon a plan of attack. Given your winters, Opti Coat may be a consideration for your LSP.

 

The LED is a good recommendation, but I would also suggest taking a spray bottle with Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, and a new, clean microfiber towel. This way you can remove any of the wax and filler products they use to hide any scratching or swirls to more clearly see the true condition.

Out of curiosity, are you set on the car and will determine how to proceed to correct it, or are you still deciding on the car, and the true condition may sway you?

I agree that you may definitely want to take a look at some serious nano-coatings for protection, but in the mean time, I do personally love the combo of blacklight and 109! It will offer good protection for a while and look good doing it!

 

Very good point!

 

Hello Artemis53,
I am not set on the car. A few factors will determine if I buy it and one being the condition of the paint. If it is only minor light swirls that can easily be polished out it will not be an issue. If there is any deep scratches then that is another issue. The Mini/BMW dealer is a few hours away so I am going by salesman's word and photo's at the moment. The deal breaker for me will be comfort. If the seat has no lumbar support then it is a no-go. The salesman told me fixed lumbar sport seats. We'll see in a couple of weeks.

Most definitely 911, we'll discuss as soon as I get the car.

 

Just got word from a friend of mine who went to look at the car today and he said a few light swirls on the hood. The dealer is going to buff the car prior to purchase.

 

Noooooooooooooo.........!!!!!!!!! Tell them to leave it alone for a couple of reasons. One. That means they will wash it again and make it worse. Two. If they polish it, I PROMISE it will look worse than it does now by a long shot. If you are willing to invest a couple hundred on a polisher, pads and some polish, we can show you how to get rid of the swirls safely and easily and make it look better than new.

 

Completely agree!!

Tell them to not touch that car again under ANY circumstances for risk of further damage, or you will be looking elsewhere.

Also, if the dealers in your area are anything like there are here, if you can clearly see swirls in the showroom, I can already guarantee you that the true condition of the car is many times worse! My local dealers make it a point to have their showroom cars looking on point! But I have gone before and used isopropyl alcohol and an LED and taken off LAYERS of glaze and wax meant to hide the scratches and saw the true condition.

 

OK, I will call them and say no worries on the swirls as I will take care of them myself.

 

The car is at the Mini/BMW Dealer several hours away from me. It is sitting in the showroom.

 

(119 Fanatic ) your right i work at dealer i cant get no one to clean wash right i do all the new cars and staff clean used stuff .
And some customers tack the new car then bring it to at home to work on LOL

 

Celtic Bob -

Congratulations on your probable purchase !

Have had numerous black vehicles and trucks for decades. You have to really like working on a black painted vehicle to want to keep one long-term... Just saying.....

They will only look great just after they are washed, and almost immediately will have a light coating of dust on them.

I Opti-Guarded my Black Jeep Grand Cherokee last year, and I dont know why I waited to so long to do this. The amount of stuff that lands on it and sticks is so much less with this coating.

All other products that are sealants, waxes, are going to attract and hold more stuff on your paint, than this coating I speak of.

Just finished driving my Jeep over 6,000 miles from the Northwest to Texas and back with a lot of stops to visit family, etc., My first 3,000 mile journey was in dry conditions, and when I got to Texas, I only had a little dust on the sides of it and of course a fair amount of bug splatter on the front end that came off so much easier than it ever has, again, because of this coating.

Coming back, the next 3,000 mile trip, I hit a lot of rain, snow, and nasy roads in Northern California, and Southern Oregon. The Jeep was hammered in all kinds of rain, that reddish brown stuff they use on the roads in Oregon, etc., and when I washed it by hand, it was the easiest wash I had ever done for the amount of stuff that I went through. Probably 70-80% of the dirt rinsed off with water, and the rest came off so easy with some Optimum car wash soap and a microfiber mitt.

As has been so accurately stated above, the less one touches a black painted vehicle, the better it will be for keeping scratches, etc., off the paint. On that note, you might want to consider using some type of an air blower to help dry your new car as much as possible before you touch it with anything else. I choose to use the best possible blower in the market today from MetroVac to dry my Client's vehicles in my Shop, and for my particular needs, this is so much better than the old way of towels, etc..

And also as has been already stated above, your choices of paint protection are not going to yield a very long time before they go away. And then when you re-apply, you run the risk of introducing some light scratches, etc., into that black paint again..

Good luck with your research, where exactly are you? Perhaps there is a good Detailer on this site close by ????
Dan F