And I thought the world of suspension products was confusing...

I’ve been reading through various threads in this detailing section trying to educate myself but would really appreciate a little clarification and guidance from you guys before I start buying stuff and potentially causing further damage to my paint by doing things in the wrong sequence. Can you guys offer me some step by step advice please?
I have a lot of pinstripes from a trail on my cement grey taco that I am hoping to remove, I also want to add some protection from the beating sun. Times are a little tough so I am trying to keep this project under $100.

This is what I have come up with so far:

1) I’ve watched some AmmoNYC videos on washing, so I am going to hand wash it, top to bottom
-What soap should I buy?

2) Dry with microfiber towels

3) Clay bar it? I’m thinking real clay for the first time…or would synthetic be more idiot proof?
-What kind of lubricant should I use?

4) Polish the scratches, I’m thinking 3D One (right type of product?)
-What pads should I use? (I don’t want to buy a DA polisher right now and plan on using elbow grease)

5) Time for a sealant (right?), I am thinking Turtle Wax hybrid ceramic coat (you guys seem to really like it). And apply it with microfiber towels.

6) Now I’m done? Share pictures of the results in this thread?


Thanks in advance for taking the time to help me out

 

$100 budget is rough as is even attempting any kind of paint correction by hand. Even on a small scratch I wouldn't advise it. It's far less safe than a DA and results are infinitely less consistent.

Soap: Meguiars Hyper Wash, only comes in gallons but is a great soap. I'm more of a fan of Carpro reaet but it's stupid expensive.

Clay lubricant: pretty much any rinseless wash product which can be diluted in all kinds of ways. ONR, Wolfgang Uber etc...

3D One is a good option that can both be a compound and a polish. Again, wouldn't even try to work it by hand. Pads, anything by Lake Country, Buff and Shine, Griots and many others.

There are dozens of decent sealants out there now, more good ones than anyone could try.

 

1. I like soaps that aren't super concentrated that can and/or will strip whatever topper/wax I may have on the paint. I also try to avoid soaps with additives like wax. It's just my personal preference. With that being said, I use

$30 Adam's Car Wash Shampoo (Gallon) - pH Car Wash Soap for Snow Foam Cannon, Foam Gun, Pressure Washer | Powerful Spot Free Liquid Auto Detergent | Safe On Car Wax & Ceramic Coating

Adam’s Car Wash Shampoo. Simple and effective for my needs.

3. I've had great results with

$30 Meguiar's Professional Detailing Clay, Mild, C2000 - Safely Remove Contaminants Bonded on Paint for a Smooth, Glossy Finish - Premium Clay Bar for Car Detailing and Paint Prep, 200 Grams

Meguiar's detailing clay (mild). As far as lube, I use Adam's soap and my foam cannon. I'll foam panels of the truck and clay it. I'll then rise it off and repeat this process on the rest of the truck until I'm done. Again, my opinion, but i think there is no reason why you need to spend extra cash for a "dedicated clay luber." Save the money for something else. The soap in a foam state works just as well and provides plenty of lubricity.

4. 3D One is a great all-in-one product. Pads will depend on what condition the paint is so it's hard to say. However, I will recommend you get several pads as they become clogged and wont be as effective. If you get the chance, I would recommend borrowing a buddy's DA or buying a cheap one from Harbor Freight. It'll save you a bunch of time and it'll yield better results than by hand.

5. Before you seal, clean the paint with isopropyl alcohol (make your own mix, Geyon Prep, CarPro Eraser, etc) and then seal it. Turtle's hybrid as been a huge hit and wouldn't be a bad option. Few other great options would be; P&S Bead Maker (spray on), Jescar Powerlock (not spray on), Meg's sealers are great, etc.

6. Share on

 

All good advice, thank you.
I'm leary of the harbor freight polisher because I'm worried it could cause swirls

 

Why would it cause swirls? Sure it could pickup a piece of debris or a speck of something missed from the clay step (claying WILL cause swirls) but hand polishing would make it swirl up too. Hand polishing is significantly less safe than DA.

 

I would skip out on a polisher given your current budget. Stay with products recommended and buy some quality microfiber from the Rag Company. Also, make sure you have a good wash mitt or what have you. You can always go back later and get a polisher to remove paint defects. At least by focusing on the other products now and technique, you can minimize your later polishing work.

 

You could use a Mother's Powerball to polish out the scratches, but it will take some time and a lot of patience. I used one of those for years to work on spot corrections on my various vehicles. Trail stripes will be a challange to do by hand. It should make them better, but you'll never get a full correction doing it by hand. 3D One is definitely the right polish to start with.

 

I'll preface this by saying I'm bias to certain products and brands, as I assume most people are, so most of my detailing arsenal is Chemical Guy's. Use what you learn from this thread and decide what products fit your needs and your budget.

1) What soap should I buy?
Chemical Guys "Mr. Pink" is always a solid choice. Recently I've started using "Hydro Suds" soap to maintain my ceramic spray (more info on that in answer #5)

2) Dry with microfiber towels
Always microfiber! Make sure you use a CLEAN quality microfiber. I wash my dirty towels using this tp extend their lifecycle. "https://www.chemicalguys.com/microf...MIkMWh2ciu6QIVE4paBR0nNQqAEAYYASABEgLBlvD_BwE"

Make sure you get a good quality wash mitt too!

3) Clay bar it? I’m thinking real clay for the first time…or would synthetic be more idiot proof?
I've used real clay and synthetic. Both have done a great job, I'm not sure if one is more "idiot proof" than the other. I would just recommend watching some YouTube tutorials. After you clay bar make sure you use some sort of surface cleanser to remove any leftover contaminants.
https://www.chemicalguys.com/wipe-out-surface-cleanser-spray/wipe-out-surface-cleanser.html

4) Polish the scratches, I’m thinking 3D One (right type of product?)
Keeping your budget in mind skip the polisher for now. You can always purchase one later on. 3D One is a great product.
Keeping CG in mind I like this stuff
https://www.chemicalguys.com/vss-on...und-polish/vss-scratch-and-swirl-remover.html

5) Time for a sealant (right?), I am thinking Turtle Wax hybrid ceramic coat (you guys seem to really like it). And apply it with microfiber towels.
Turtle Wax Ceramic is great. Meguiar's also makes a really nice Hybrid Ceramic Wax.
I use Chemical Guy's "Hydro Charge" which I apply with a sponge like applicator and then hand buff with a fresh microfiber towel.

6) Now I’m done? Share pictures of the results in this thread?
Admiring your hard work is the best part!

 

Thanks for the thoughtful responses everybody!
I could afford the Harbor freight polisher. Anyone end up having issues with their polisher?

 

If you’re gonna use a DA, get familiar with the different pads that you can use. They come aggressive to pads simply for applying wax. Same with polish, make sure you know what you’re using. Once you get a good understanding of that you’ll find it is actually relatively easy. The one thing I never do is mix my microfiber cloths. I have them specifically for glass, wax removal, wheels,buffing quick wax or detailer, drying , interior. They never do another’s job. On the clay, i like the synthetic clay bars or mitts, super easy to use and if you drop it simply rinse it off. Good luck take your time and you’ll be fine.

 

I actually picked up their Bauer DA polisher a few weeks ago. I just detailed my truck that had medium to heavy swirl marks, which I used the DA and the 3D one a and a cutting pad. It made a huge difference, you would not be disappointed.