detailing day project
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From: peoria, Arizona
detailing day project Hey guys, I want to take a day to try to help the paint on my car. I've got alot of tiny tiny scratches, swirl marks as well. I was wondering what the best stuff to use is, that i can get at a local parts store. I've heard about clay bar, but does that help swirl marks? Also, I dont have a buffer, nor have the money to put out for one. I want to bring the paint back to life. School me on detailing.
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Amarillo, Texas
You can make an improvement with store-bought products by hand, but you will also be limited.
Wash, claybar, polish, wax.
From a parts store, you'll be limited to something like:
Claymagic claybar
Meguiar's Scratch-X or Mother's Scratch Remover
Whatever wax you want
Wash, claybar, polish, wax.
From a parts store, you'll be limited to something like:
Claymagic claybar
Meguiar's Scratch-X or Mother's Scratch Remover
Whatever wax you want
Get a microfiber sponge, claybar, microfiber towels, applicator pads, and a 3 step system of your choice from autozone.
Wash the car with some good car wash soap.
Clay the car while its still wet.
Rinse or wash the car again.
Dry it well.
Use 3 step system.
Honestly once you start to price out detailing products and the amount of time you'll be spending doing the work by hand, you might as well get a PC and some detailing products.
Wash the car with some good car wash soap.
Clay the car while its still wet.
Rinse or wash the car again.
Dry it well.
Use 3 step system.
Honestly once you start to price out detailing products and the amount of time you'll be spending doing the work by hand, you might as well get a PC and some detailing products.
Without a buffer you are limited and probably will not see the results you really want. Washing and claying will help get the paint completely clean, but the swirls will always be there. Here is what I would recommend.
Wash (if it has wax on it, wash it with dawn to remove it)
Clay - this will remove any contaminants that have bonded to the paint
Glaze - a glaze with fillers will mask a lot of your swirls, it essentially fills them. While when you buff you are removing small layers of clear which will remove the swirls. The glaze is not permanent obviously, if you want to remove them you will have to save some money for a buffer or pay someone to do it.
Wax or Seal it
Wash (if it has wax on it, wash it with dawn to remove it)
Clay - this will remove any contaminants that have bonded to the paint
Glaze - a glaze with fillers will mask a lot of your swirls, it essentially fills them. While when you buff you are removing small layers of clear which will remove the swirls. The glaze is not permanent obviously, if you want to remove them you will have to save some money for a buffer or pay someone to do it.
Wax or Seal it
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Verdad Gallardo I know they sell adapters and for power drills for when you want to restore headlights so you can use buffing pads, I have one. I would never use it on my paint though, I don't think it would be worth it. You are seriously better off saving 200 dollars and picking up a porter cable, some pads and something like hd uno which is fairly cheap and will give you good results. You will not get what you want from doing it by hand or by a cordless power drill. I know it sucks, but to do it properly and get good results you gotta get the right stuff. A glaze is probably your best bet if you don't want to spend money, its fairly cheap and will mask the imperfections in your paint.
Edit, sorry for the double post, however, how can you recommend this? He doesn't have a buffer and he wont make a dent in wetsanding marks without one. It is a pain to remove wet sanding marks even with a porter cable and it can take hours with a pc. Ideally you want a rotary and you would need wool pads and a compound.
