Bummer /\... Sucks waiting, now even a longer wait. Tell Fed EX to compensate you by getting you some Dodo supernatural !! That will teach them to lose your stuff again.

 

What can I use to get light scratches and bring the shine back out on a polished wheel barrel?

 

FedEx found my package at the wrong house..suppose to be delivered tomorrow..and i have the day off again..it better come in the AM..i want to buff

 

Wow! I just spent a lot of time reading on detailing my car. This thread, and detaileimage.com website. Tons of info.

I work at Enterprise car sales and recently purchased a 2004 Infinity G35 coupe. We have a detail shop we use that charges $100 dollars for a clean and wax service. From reading, that might not be best option. The car is Black and in really good shape. My friend who owned it babied this car. Cool part, it is 6 speed with only 50k miles on it. I want to bring luster back into paint. It really does not look all that bad, But looking at detailedimage.com and some of their walk through's, my paint does not have that mirror clean look. I guess due to age.

I thought a simple bottle of wax from autozone was good in the past. WOW, SOUNDS LIKE I WAS WRONG. I am going to buy the porter cable buffer thing.

Can somebody give me a simple list of what I need. I don't want to do a 10 hour clean and buff (I know it takes time and I am fine with that, I just don’t need to make a show car here, just a really good shine to my car). I want it to be good though.

What is a good list of products for a beginner, who wants a good shine, just not show quality for a ferrari.

Buffer and what pads?
A decent shampoo I guess
Should I use a polisher (I know depends on paint, and it really does shine)
Then what is a good wax?

How much would my initial investment be? How long do products stay good for on shelf?

 

Anton_Chigurh I hope your package was found and delivered by now, if not shoot me an e-mail. When packages are lost we'll deal with the problem just contact us you won't need to file a claim we can take care of it. Sorry I didn't read your post sooner but if you have any other questions please let me know.

Greg @ DI

 

Your concerns are valid but unfortunately I won't have an answer for you. Certainly all of those options have their risks because quality work takes a lot of time and experience. Without knowing the quality of work it's really hard to say which option is best and you are always somewhat guessing/hoping. My best advice would be to try and see an example of some work they did on the lot or something they are working on now. Also if you can find a local referral that is usually ideal. I'm sorry I can't guide you better here. Good luck!


Greg @ DI

 

Unfortunately polishing a scratch out of metal is no easy task because of how hard it is. A clear coated wheel can be polished with polishes like you would use on the paint, but a bare metal will need something stronger. However if the mark is anything more than ultra faint it's not something I've seen done with traditional detailing supplies. At this point you'll probably need the assistance of a good wheel shop. I would take some pictures and send it to a few wheels shops and seek out their advice. Good luck!

Greg @ DI

 

I got your PM as well so if you don't mind I'll answer all the questions here and let me know if I miss any.

Glad to hear the information on our site has been so helpful. Yes detailing can mean a lot of different things to different people. It sounds like you are ready to put in some work but you don't want a detailing marathon. In this case I think I have the perfect combo for you which I'll outline below.

Wash and Dry
Most swirls come from this process so quality products and techniques are critical. Check out our (http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/) for this step and other steps to maximize your efforts. Here are two awesome kits if interested with some great shampoos. If you don't want the kit you can just get the shampoo by itself.
http://www.detailedimage.com/303-M2/...asic-Kit-P349/
http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Pack...r-Package-P148

Buffer/Polish/Protection
A buffer will help you get great results in less time. The PC 7424XP I'm going to recommend is very safe and user friendly. Check out the DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP & Meguiar's DA Microfiber Correction Starter Kit 5" Free Bonus, which should be perfect. It helps you polish and protect the paint in a two step process that is highly effective.

I would also pick up about 3x - 6x of the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towels to hand remove the excess polish and wax.

In total the initial investment is around $225+ depending on exactly what you get, however like you stated it's an investment. Over a couple of years this will be a great combination of products to help you restore and maintain your vehicle's finish. The buffer should last for years if you take good care of it and it comes with a great warranty from the mfg. The detailing products will last about 4 - 5 years in peak condition assuming you don't expose them to very high or low temps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI

I do know one of the best detailers in the country who is not right in your area but not crazy far as he is in Columbus, OH. Todd Cooperider from Esoteric Auto Detail is one of the best in the business if you can get an appointment with him. Check out his work here if interested - http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...dd-cooperider/.

 

I got a quick question. I didn't want to start a new thread so figured I'd ask here. I just got my car repainted, and the body shop said they gave it a polish and glaze before I picked it up. However, the whole car is full of swirls that look to be from them doing a quick job instead of taking their time to do it right. It has been about a month since I picked it up, and I read most people recommend waiting 1-3 months before sealing the paint with a sealant and wax. I am planning on using Chemical Guys Citrus wash and gloss to strip the paint, then Menzerna SIP followed with PO85RD. I was thinking of trying the SIP with a green pad to see if that would do the job, then move on to an orange pad if not. Then I was gonna follow up with PO85RD and a blue finishing pad. Would this be a good way to go about removing these swirls / light scratches? Also, since the paint is new, would I still need to clay bar before polishing etc.? After the polishing I was going to go with Menzerna Powerlock and a coat of Dodo Juice Supernatural. Thanks for any help. BTW, color is a black metallic.

 

Thanks! Does the mcguires kit have the wax and polish built in the pack?

 

They found it. It was at another house. Got it and already detailed the car..thanks!

 

Usually body shops use a lot of glazes to help hide imperfections in the paint. Are you seeing a lot of swirls (ultra fine scratches in the clear coat in an arching pattern) or a haze which looks like a trail of holograms? Either way you'll need to have them polished out, but you may not want to have them do it. Your process sounds good to me, but I would recommend doing it all on one panel to make sure it works before doing the whole car that way if you need adjustments you can make them early and save time. A clay bar is probably not critical unless it has gotten very dirty but it can always help ensure the surface is clean, which enhances polishing results. I would also recommend waiting 1 - 3 months before applying the sealant or wax, the body shop may be able to give you a better time frame, but then again you may not trust them after that polishing job. Good luck and keep us posted.

Greg @ DI

 

The Finishing Wax in this kit (http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Pack...nus-Item-P522/) is a polish and wax in one. So it's not super durable but it does add a nice shine and some protection. If you have any questions please let me know.

Greg @ DI

 

Thanks for the help. The body shop told me I should wait 30 days. They did tell me that they applied a coat of glaze to the car, plus the swirls do look like a trail of holograms so must be glaze. Thanks again for the helpful info.

 

Glad to help and let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI