Well, I'm completely new to this and have never detailed. I tried to get into it a little while back but never went through. I now realize that I need to make my car's paint nice and shiny lol. Here are the tools I plan to get/use: PC 7424XP M105/M205 Combo (what pads should I use 105 with White Pad and 205 with a Black?) Tarminator Spray for the tons of tar I have stuck to my hood, roof, trunk ONR Collinite 845 (Already Have - what pad should I apply this?) Meguiars Mirror Glaze #16 (Already Have - what pad should I use to apply this?) Meguiars Clay Kit (already have) My paint also has sort of like paint "spatter" from construction and such, will the Tarminator work on this? Should I try using Goo-gone? Any other cleaner? This will be my first detail (I'll be practicing on a few panels of a beater toyota before I attempt it on my car). It has about 6 years worth of swirls and automatic car washes on it (I didn't know any better!). Any tips on how long I should let stuff sit, techniques, videos, the order which I should use the products? Etc...
m105 I'd use a cutting pad(orange) and for the 205 id use a polishing pad(white/teal) Collinite/glaze you can use your black pad. Tarminator should work on your splatter.
Man, so much to learn but I guess there's no better to learn than to just jump in. When it comes to detailing you want to accomplish the greatest results with the least aggressive method possible. I'm just going to rattle off some pointers in no certain order that might help you out come correction day. -Invest in an all purpose cleaner for road grime, stripping old waxes, tar, brake dust, etc. -Clean the wheels/tires/wheel wells first -Don't let Tarminator get on any trim -Let Tarminator dwell for 3-4 minutes then remove with a damp sponge, water pressure isn't usually enough to remove it alone -With ONR wash the car one panel at a time -Clay the car (use the plastic bag method to see how well your doing) -When you begin to compound do test spots in inconspicuous areas, the pad choice depends on what pads you own -Take your time, speed and pressure are key when compounding -Typically the softest pads you have will be the ones you use to apply the LSP's (waxes, sealants, glazes) -The wax will go on top of the glaze -Prime your pads before first use, as in, work some product into the pad before using it on the paint. -Use distilled water to refresh the pad if it seems to dry out -After you polish the car you'll need to wash it once again to remove left over dust and oils, otherwise your waxes and glazes wont bond correctly -Dry the car with the least amount of touching possible (blowers or waffle weave towles are a must) If I think of more, I'll chime in...but read on this forum as much as you can and you'll learn more than I could ever list out!
