$300 for Detailing Supplies

[plc268]

What the deal with the blower in the first place. What's wrong with a California jelly blade and a lint free microfiber towel or a genuine chamois?

A lot of people swear by the water blades, and they do work. I have one myself. However, it'll never touch my mustang. It's fine for cars where you're not concerned with possibly messing up paint, but I wouldn't use it on nice cars.

I haven't used a blower myself, but I do use my air line to blow water out of crevices. I'd imagine a leaf blower would work well for this as well, and blow the majority of the water off too.

Sponsored

 

[CompO5.sl0w]

Use one of the Microfiber Madness IncrediSponge for washing. I've had multiple wash mitts/sponges and none of them have lasted longer than a full season of washing. This thing has lasted two years so far and looks brand new after tossing it in the wash machine every couple washes.

1x $14.99
http://www.carpro-us.com/microfiber-madness/microfiber-madness-incredisponge/

-------
This is the best drying towel I've ever used. I've tried chamois (Which is the worst drying towel I've ever used), Waffle Weave and Microfibers. Waffle Weave's aren't bad but don't really hold water as well. Buying 2 wouldn't be a bad idea either.

1x $23.99
http://www.carpro-us.com/microfiber-madness/microfiber-madness-dry-me-crazy-25-x-17/

-------
You'll need some masking tape for when doing polishing/waxing etc. This makes clean up ALOT easier so product doesn't get on the black plastic. I've found this actually works better than the standard Blue Painter's Tape and is cheaper. Get two of these for the hell of it.

2x $7.00
http://www.carpro-us.com/brushes-applicators-tools/carpro-automotive-masking-tape-1/

-------
IMO, screw clay bar. They don't last very long and as soon as you drop it on the ground it's pretty much useless. Get one of these and you'll thank me later. If you drop it, simply wipe any dirt that may have gotten on it off.

1x $29.99
http://www.carpro-us.com/brushes-applicators-tools/

-------
Use this for Deconing the Paint or Wheels. Primarily you can use this on the wheels often to loosen up the brake dust before cleaning. This can also be used on the paint to rid of any contaminants like rail dust, brake dust etc.

1x $32.99
http://www.carpro-us.com/paint-decontamination/carpro-iron-x-lemon-scent-1-liter-32-oz/

-------
Get a few grit guards. These are a "Must Have" IMO.

2x $17.99
http://www.autogeek.net/gritguardred.html

-------
If you end up getting a polisher and pads, give about 10 of these. These are great for cleaning pads.

1x $3.99
http://www.autogeek.net/snappytool.html


You're going to get into all kinds of different polishers, waxes, sealants, coatings, etc. So to be honest there's no one end all be all product. It's up to you what you're willing to spend and learn to do. If you plan on detailing a decent amount, I'd skip the Porter Cable and Harbor Freight brand and jump right into the Flex or Rupes polishers. They offer a lot more power which allows you to get the job done significantly quicker. The Flex 3401 is the perfect beginner DA IMO.

Also, look into paint coatings over traditional waxes/sealants. I'm always available here or via PM if you have any questions :cheers:.

 

[Spartan_Stang]

Thank you for all the responses!
[MENTION=18483]CompO5.sl0w[/MENTION] I am not looking to really get into detailing as a hobby, I just want to keep a clean car and take car of the car so it looks good for many years to come! Thanks for the input! This has turned into great thread!

 

[Pa-fatboy]

What the deal with the blower in the first place. What's wrong with a California jelly blade and a lint free microfiber towel or a genuine chamois?

Nothing wrong with using a drying towel. Both Chemical Guys and Autogeek sell good ones. They also have videos to show you how. I use both, usually, parts of my car are drying before I am finished washing all of it. In order to minimize water spots, I dry using both, kinda whatever I'm in the mood for and what the temperature is and humidity.

The way to use a drying towel is to fold it into quarter size, and lay it on the car and press down, not rubbing with it. Using unused quarters refolding it to dry it that way. Then, if you want, you can blow air on the parts that hold water, catching the runs with the drying towel.

For my Harley, I typically jump on it after a wash and do a quick 4 mile lap around. Does the same as a blower. Remove streaks by waxing, always after a wash. then hours of chrome polishing. #funweekend

 

[rozay]

Dude you don't need a bunch of stuff... check out detail Auto fetish youtube. He know his stuff and learned a ton from his videos. You dont need a ton of things to get a great clean car.

Get a quality wash mitt ,grit guard,mf towels, foam canon,wax or sealant or both (Wolfgang) ,I tend to go more toward meguiars professional detailing products because I know it works. If you will polish the car get a rupes da polisher(it expensive) or harbor freight da polisher, meguiars m205, don't think you'll need m105 as its a compound and don't think you will have f*cked up paint for that.
Also a clay bar or now they make clay towels and mitts

 

[plc268]

Nothing wrong with using a drying towel. Both Chemical Guys and Autogeek sell good ones. They also have videos to show you how. I use both, usually, parts of my car are drying before I am finished washing all of it. In order to minimize water spots, I dry using both, kinda whatever I'm in the mood for and what the temperature is and humidity.

The way to use a drying towel is to fold it into quarter size, and lay it on the car and press down, not rubbing with it. Using unused quarters refolding it to dry it that way. Then, if you want, you can blow air on the parts that hold water, catching the runs with the drying towel.

For my Harley, I typically jump on it after a wash and do a quick 4 mile lap around. Does the same as a blower. Remove streaks by waxing, always after a wash. then hours of chrome polishing. #funweekend

What I try to do when I'm drying, is soak up most of the water on the horizontal surfaces first (hood, roof, trunk, bumpers), then get the rest of the car. I don't worry about getting it completely dry, just dry enough to break up the big droplets. You gotta work fast though, especially if it's hot out and you don't have the luxury of shade.

When I get to that step, either using quick detailer spray or liquid wax spray (they're interchangeable, imo), I go over the entire car. It reduces the chance of water spots form to almost 0, and on top of that it allows me to get any spots that I may have missed during the wash.

Then after that, comes the windows (make sure you dry off your wiper blade... a lot of people miss that and end up having a run down your hood when you go to lift them). And finally I dress my tires and maybe the plastic trim if I feel like it.

That's my basic maintenance wash. Every couple of months I'll wax, and if I have a whole day to kill, clay it.

 

[RoninRed]

Just quickly scanning I saw no one mentioned something to keep the car clean from your dirty water, and I'm not talking about the water from your sponge after you use it, I'm talking about the water itself you'll use to wash the car down after soaping it up. Look up pure water products filters. They keep sediment and chlorine as well as many other harsh particles from gliding across your paint causing micro scratches over time. I use a two stage filter for sediment and chlorine and I have zero water spots after my wash. That way i don't have to worry about what the water from the pipes left on my car when it's drying down with a towel. I'd hate to scrape even the smallest particles across my paint.

Sponsored