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One for wash and one for rinse. It's to separate the grit and dirt from the bucket that is used for washing (the soap bucket)

 

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No problem. I use to work at a detailing shop so I'm just posting what we use to do there.

The way I think of it. The more knowledge you have on how to take care of the care, the less ignorance exists. And in return you get to enjoy the car for longer without negative effects.

I always try to keep the paint on the car clean. It helps with second hand value. Plus noone likes to see a dirty and scratched up car.

The separator is called a GRIT GUARD. You can buy them at any detailing store online. If it's in your standard paint bucket you can get in the local hardware shop.

 

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If you look around there should be private detailers that can detail your car for you at an affordable price. You only really have to do this once a year to protect the paint. It all depends how much you care about your paint.. Those who care will take care of the paint to a high degree. Those who don't will just drive it as it is and keep it clean when possible.

 

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Import_Nation could you post a list of specific products you use. I've been using mother's everything on all my cars.

I use all sorts of products. I try out different kinds everytime. Mother's is a great over the counter brand. So is Meguiars. You can't go wrong with both.

 

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NP man. Here is an example of what you can do with a polisher and polish. It's a small investment considering the lifetime of use you get. Plus you can help friends and family out and make some cash on the side

 

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finished:

 

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Those are fine. Nothing wrong with any of the grit guards I've seen really. They all serve the same purpose. More importantly, make sure you get a good quality microfiber or sheepskin wash mitt.

 

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Depends on what look you want. There is the matte look and the super shiny look. And everything in between.

I personally like the shine of the AutoGlym Tire Dressing. Most tire dressings don't last that long, it's just one of those things you have to deal with.

 

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That car was only a cut polish using Meguiars 105 and a yellow cutting foam pad. It's not hard to get your paint to complete shit by simply washing the car with those cloth or fabric drive through car washes.

Likely one of the safer options if you aren't experienced. Id start with a Porter Cable 7424XP. It's random orbital so it's much more forgiving to lack of experience. I haven't seen the tire shine Ive used misting off onto the paint. I don't use the aerosol type though.

 

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How many sheep skin wash mitts do I need to buy? I'm finding the Meguiars sheepskin mitt for $8.86 on Amazon.

What polishes will I need for a brand new BRZ?

What pads will I need for the 7424XP?

You only really need one sheepskin wash mitt.. I only replace them when they start to fall apart (which does happen for sheepskin). That is one of the advantages of microfiber is that it doesn't fall apart as easily but it isn't as gentle as sheepskin.

I generally use the yellow pad for 105 polish and depending on how hard the paint is orange or white or even black for 205. I usually finish off with a superfine polish in either black pad or blue or red. I also apply wax and glazes with blue or red pads.

http://www.autopia.org/#
Autogeekonline Auto Detailing Forum
Detailing Bliss Forum - News

 

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We Are Car Care -- Car Wax, Car Polish, Auto Detailing Supplies, Car Buffers & Car Accessories Store

 

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Someone applied Opti Guard on a Subaru BRZ

 

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I would ask them to leave it alone. Just do it yourself. What are they going to do? Wash it improperly, than spray some wax on? Menzerna makes some fine polishes. A huge fan of the SF4500.

 

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import_nation, did you really use a yellow pad? In the pad kits I've used, the yellow pad is a cutting pad for serious defects. You usually wouldn't use a yellow pad on a vehicle with basically good paint. The orange pads are typically light cutting pads and are more appropriate for common defects like swirls, hairline scratches and stains. You only get one clearcoat, so go as minimally aggressive as you have to.
I just had this picture in my head of new BRZ owners using a new DA polisher with a yellow pad on their cars and wanted to try to make it clear that that should not be necessary and is not a good idea.


Sent from my Autoguide iPad app

On a brand new car I wouldn't use the yellow. I'd use the white pad. For moderate swirls I'd use orange. For moderate to swirled up cars on old paint I use yellow. For alot of cars that I've detailed I actually find myself reaching for the yellow because the swirls just take too long to remove with orange or white. Of course this is with a DA. With my rotary I usually use orange or white.

 

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What is "DA"?

Also, for claying, how often should you clay? Every time you wash your car, or every couple of washes?

Should you wax after every wash?

Also, what is sealing?

I'm new to the auto detailing hobby, so I'm going to start with one of the dual bucket setups from Autogeek. I plan to get:

Hardware
- Dual Bucket Washing System
- 2 wool wash mitts
- 3 or 4 of the microfiber drying towels
- 1 wheel/rim cleaning brush

Software
- What is a recommended wash/detergent soap?
- What type of wax should I use? Spray on?
- What brand/type of Claying bar should I get?
- Should I get the same brand of Claying bar lubricant?

I'm trying to start with just washing, claying, and waxing, but not go too overboard. I don't mind spending some money up front if it will pay off in the long run (hardware). I'll save polishing for when I get more advanced at car care.

Cheers,
kp

DA is dual action. It's a type of polisher. Google dual action vs rotary. If you are just starting off I'd recommend the Porter Dual Action Polisher (7424xp). I only clay my car before I polish it. You don't need to wax everytime you are done washing. You only wax again when you've felt like the wax on your car has stopped working. Sealant is just a chemical solution that bonds and protects your paint. Google Sealant vs Wax. You likely don't need to polish a brand new BRZ. It's still clean.

- What is a recommended wash/detergent soap? My favorite brands are Optimum Car Wash and Duragloss Car Wash Concentrate
- What type of wax should I use? Spray on? The easiest wax to use is the Optimum Car Wax - its a spray type. It's a long lasting spray wax. Doesn't last as long as paste wax but it's 100x easier to apply. Just make sure the car is VERY clean before you apply wax. You don't want dirt on the surface that you will drag across when applying wax and scratch your paint! Apply with light pressure.
- What brand/type of Claying bar should I get? Get what you can afford. My favorite clay bar is Ricardo. Meguiars sells a claybar kit.
- Should I get the same brand of Claying bar lubricant? doesn't matter. you can even use quick detailer as lubricant

 

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From what I know it's just a blend of wax and lubricants. Spray wax has more wax in it than quick detailer. Quick detailer is more of of a all purpose lubricant.

 

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Yea now that it's a sticky I'll try to keep it updated with other stuff I can think of..

 

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You can apply spray wax on top of spray wax.. I tried the Optimum Car Wax that someone recommended on here. Did some research and found it to be the highly recommended choice.

 

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Do you just use dawn? I was told that you should just add some dawn to your regular car wash soap.

As for the brake dust.. to be honest I haven't found any solution. Especially with german cars, they have aggressive brake compounds that dust like crazy. What you can TRY to do is apply some wax or sealant on the rims so that the brake dust doesn't stick onto the rim as easily. That way when you wash it, it is easier. I've even seen people apply Opti Coat on rims.