Ezkill

Little side topic here for the guys that answered in the thread - A lot of people seem to really like Meg's stuff, my question: Why? Some of their stuff is ok but for the price their is a lot of better stuff available in just about every category. To me they are a bit above the Mothers and Turtle Wax category but certainly nothing spectacular. In that price range almost anything Chemical Guys is better then the competing Meg's product.

Not being rude here just wondering why the stuff is so prevalent on this forum in particular. I've gotten a chance to try some really amazing stuff due to having a good friend that has a detailing shop with a 6-8 month waiting list. He carries thousands of products and I've been able to sample and pick and chose in conjunction with his advice some of the best stuff around. Most of it is not much more expensive but boy does it work well.

Edit - typo.

9114Scab

"chemical guys" ? I'll have to check them out, I am not familiar with them. Thanks EZkill

Ezkill

It's a wax alternative. It has a lot of pros and cons versus wax.

Lasts longer but difficult to remove and replace(repair) when it takes damage. More durable then off the shelf waxes for sure. The finish on it is not very deep and glossy like a quality wax. Many will use opticoat and then finish with a wax to get the gloss they want but in my mind that defeats the purpose.

Harder to apply and repair and not as good a finish versus general durability.

Ezkill

Yep, Chemical guys. We use amazon prime a lot so I find it convenient, cheap and easy to buy.

This is my goto shampoo for instance for general purpose cleaning and for the foam cannon. Smells great. Very slippery and produces great suds in the cannon and bucket.

JRoz

alright this is what I ended up going with after taking 81911's advice on checking out the autogeek forum:

1 Optimum (CW2006Q) Car Wash - 32 oz.
1 Optimum (SW2008P) Car Wax - 17 oz.
2 Meguiar's X3002 Microfiber Wash Mitt
2 grit guards x buckets
3 Glacier Car Care micro fiber cloths
2 Mothers Microfiber Performance Drying Towel
1 Wolfgang Tire & Wheel Cleaner 16 oz.
1 Griot's Garage 15736 Long Reach Wheel Brush - Set of 3

Hopefully this stuff will get the job done, hopefully I didn't go over board, hopefully I didn't cheap out, who wants a wash?

Ezkill

Sorry, many posts here but I'm a little infatuated with car detailing. It's the side hobby for my car hobby

Often overlooked but one of the more important products, get a quality trim sealer with UVB and UVA protection. The trim tends to start to look like crap on any car and it's hard to replace. It can be restored unless it really degrades but I prefer to avoid that situation.

This stuff is great:
Some people use:
My wife's car is an outdoor parked Z4 in the California sun all day. I've seen Z4's newer then hers with the trim literally falling off. BMW trim is probably the worst quality of any trim I've ever seen. Hers looks factory fresh after 6 years. It's a good preventative maintenance item. A bottle like the above will last you 10 years.

JRoz

sweet, thanks EzKill..as far as the soap I bought, should I stick with that or go with the recommendation you had? I plan on doing the two bucket method and not sure if i'm going to use one of those foam cannons

Ezkill

Ok last post before heading back to work haha...

It's a good start Jroz. If you're doing your own washing consider a foam cannon or foam lance depending on wether you use a pressure washer or not. Laying down a quick layer of foam on the car will lift and encapsulate the dirt preventing more scratches and making sure you are already working on well lubed paint.

Takes about 10 seconds to foam a car. Helps a lot.
Also do yourself a favor and designate one wash mitt for the top of the car and one for the lower part of the car(halfway down the door and lower). The lower part is the dirtiest. The gloved used there will trap a lot more grit and road grime. You do not want to go and wipe that glove over your roof even after rinsing it.

Yes these things add a bit of time. They prevent A LOT of scratching. Polishing is time consuming and expensive so best to avoid it. The clearcoat is a somewhat limited resource

Edit: This is actually the one I'm using right now, have to head off and not sure if the other one I posted is as good but it looks about the same.

Philster

Touchless car wash only.

I blot dry with a microfiber cloth any remaining spots.

Only really wash the wheels in a traditional sense. Wheel cleaner, soap, soap, sponges... repeat, repeat. Wax them often to repel brake dust 'n' dirt.

Wax whole car with NuFinish every 'now and then'. I wax the top sides 5x as often as the sides.

She's a garaged car used for special trips only.

JRoz

alright my man you convinced me, went with the foamaster too haha. I plan on washing the car atleast once a week anyways so this stuff should hopefully pay for itself in a month or two

3point8

I think it'll pay for itself. car always looks outstanding after a wash. I drive my everyday of my life so I gots to keep it looking fresh n clean

mwolfe

I have always worried about the low/no water washing products. I always think that the grit on the car is not rinsed off and the swirl marks would be bad.

What has been your experience?

Ezkill

Yes it will pay for itself. Maybe not in the traditional sense but it took me 12 hours or so this weekend to restore my wife's car.

I can't remember the last time I had to polish one of my personal cars.

Minok

Wash.. .hmmm, I should do that. Haven't washed it in about 4 years I think.

GR997S

Get an air blower to dry the car. That way nothing touches the paint during the drying process..