List of recommended products

[AZP Installs]

PMed OCD directly.

[OCDetails]

You know, it looks to me like the only place I was giving anybody the idea they could call me and have me detail for them was the contact page on my blog. So I took the information off. OCDetails.com itself is pretty outdated and just about impossible for me to update at this point anyway, but I took down the page about my services long long ago, so that site has been pretty sterile of advertising for years. The new site will be better, but it won't be an advertising platform for me either. The whole reason I put these sites together was because I was tired of answering the same questions over and over again. So I put them on a website so I could just refer people there. It is nothing more than an online portfolio. I actually built a seperate site with pricing on it that I put on my business card for a time, but even that I don't update anymore and haven't touched it for a long time.

 

I'm sorry that your feathers are ruffled because you think I'm flying under the radar, but the site administration has seen my sites and know I'm not selling anything or asking for business. My sites are repositories of information and articles and are meant for reference. Until you see me selling my services, I think you'll just have to live with the fact I'm not selling anything.

 

If you'd like to continue this argument, let's do it in PMs or get a moderator involved so we aren't derailing threads that some people might find useful.

[bradlgt21]

I didn't see it mentioned but a while back you recommended meguires quick interior detailer. I still use it and it works great. So add that to the list to wipe down the interior. All the other stuff I use I get online like autogeek or something like that. Wolfgang while pricey looks great and last forever, it's a sealant to use instead of wax. I use it on my regal blue legacy. I plan on using it on the wifes Satin white impreza next.

 

I don't have enough time to waste waxing once a month so a use sealant and add a coat every few months, so it's worth it in time saved.

[JoeFromPA]

OCD - Thanks for all you do on here.

 

OP - For a brand new legacy, he's my recommended products:

 

Interior:

 

A leather cleaner (Lexol/Zaino/Meguairs/whatever)

A leather conditioner (same brands, etc.)

Aerospace protectant 303

A pack of soft but not thick or absorbent microfiber towels, 1 for each product, and 1 to remove each product/buff dry.

 

I don't think you need carpet cleaners for a brand new car. Just keep the plastics/vinyls covered in Aerospace protectant 303, clean the leather twice a year or as needed, condition it 4 times a year (see what I did there?), and it'll wear great. More serious cleaning can be done as needed.

 

Wheels:

 

A PH-balanced wheel cleaner and a good wheel brush to get to all ends. CLEAN YOUR WHEELS regularly and they will sparkle forever. Leave brake dust on them for a month and you'll start getting discoloration that gets harder-to-impossible to remove.

 

Tire shine is nice, but not a necessity....these things I'm listing are necessities.

 

Engine Bay:

 

I don't feel you definitively need anything here. Maybe just a soft brush and a multi-purpose degreaser like simple green diluted a bit with water. Keep it simple unless you want it to shine like new.

 

Paint:

 

A high quality wash mitt is a must

2 wash buckets - one for soapy water, one to rinse the dirty mitt

A good chamois (I recommend THE ABSORBER) for drying

You can get by without a clay bar, but I recommend getting one and some quik detail spray that goes with it. Clay once to twice a year.

A "level 1" polish that WILL remove slight swirl marks - I only consider this a necessity because you have black paint. You WILL get swirl marks. You CAN remove them by hand, but it's super hard...

 

A Porter Cable random orbital or griots garage random orbital will help you rid your paint of swirl marks, but the entry cost is $150 (includes the pads you'll need). Either commit to it upfront or decide you'll accept the hard-work needed to do it by hand - and that by hand still won't be as agood as with a machine (disclosure: I don't have a random orbital)

 

Pick a single really good synthetic sealant - I like Klasse Sealant Glaze, but only cause I haven't tried any of the other very good ones yet. El Cheapo waxes and off the shelf sealants tend to be more of a mixed bag. Pick a really well rated one, learn how to use it, and it'll last a single car 5-10 years easily. Seal the car twice a year - once after winter and once in the fall - as a minimum.

 

...

 

I have done the above for 3.2 years on my white Legacy GT, with some long stretches in between of non-ideal care, and at 65k miles it's just starting to get to the point where I need to step up my attention and products.

 

My recommendations would run roughly $180 for everything, and that does not include a random orbital. Obviously you can get by with less - this is just the stuff I consider critical to keeping your car in top notch shape under normal conditions. The stuff I recommend would last 4+ years even for use on 2 cars.

 

I have a white car, which doesn't show swirls but DOES show embedded contaminants. After 3 years, it's just starting to look like I'll need a random orbital and more serious products to detail it to "showroom" condition - before this, it always came out that way with what I've said.

 

If I could turn back time, I would've gotten a quality random orbital 3+ years ago though - if money is tight or you aren't willing to make the commitment, then skip it, but otherwise it's a damn good investment for someone who does their own car detailing.

[JoeFromPA]

I don't have enough time to waste waxing once a month so a use sealant and add a coat every few months, so it's worth it in time saved.

 

Just my own opinion, but a single application of Klasse Sealant Glaze, applied after a coat of Klasse All in One, seems to last me a consistent 5-6 months before ANY degradation in sealing is noticeable. I consider degradation to be when water beading substantially decreases and bugs/dirt/etc. starts to become harder to remove from the car when I wash it.

 

PA weather (lot of rain), garaged at night, driven 70 miles a day 5 days a week.

[bradlgt21]

Klasse is a sealant I thought. They should be in the same category. Good Sealants typically last about 6 months. I usually hit it again in 3 just to make sure it's still protected well but I don't worry if it stretches to 6 months because like you said they typically last 5-6 months.

 

Klasse is another good option from what I read, it's protection is great the only negatives I have heard is the look isn't as deep as a wax based product. So I have read about people using both wax and sealant so you get the wax look and don't have to worry about protection running out if you can't wax again for a while.

 

I have only used wolfgang because I heard the look is great much like a wax. Can't really comment on Klasse in comparison since I have never used it. But I love sealants and the look of the one I have been using.

[ajamils]

@ Joe,

 

Thank you for your detailed reply. I have already bought the following

- 303 Aerospace

- Eagle One A2Z Wheel and Tire Cleaner

- Plexus plastic cleaner (for cleaning the clear bra)

- Stoner’s Invisible Glass

 

Was planning on ordering PC last night but after I added the pads and other items in my cart the total was over $300 and at this point, I don't think I wanna spend that much money on just cleaning stuff (since I'm ordering AP soon).

 

So for now, my plan is to get the following:

- Meguiar’s NXT or Gold Class Car (Not sure what's the difference except price)

- Clay Magic

- Meguiar’s NXT 2.0 Tech Wax or Turtlewax Black Box

 

Not sure about the sealant or a leather product yet.

[AZP Installs]

PMed OCD Directly, sorry for the inconvenience.

[GTTuner]

The ONLY thing that will get your Taupe leather spotless is Mr. Clean Magic eraser's.

[JoeFromPA]

Klasse is a sealant I thought. They should be in the same category. Good Sealants typically last about 6 months. I usually hit it again in 3 just to make sure it's still protected well but I don't worry if it stretches to 6 months because like you said they typically last 5-6 months.

 

Klasse is another good option from what I read, it's protection is great the only negatives I have heard is the look isn't as deep as a wax based product. So I have read about people using both wax and sealant so you get the wax look and don't have to worry about protection running out if you can't wax again for a while.

 

I have only used wolfgang because I heard the look is great much like a wax. Can't really comment on Klasse in comparison since I have never used it. But I love sealants and the look of the one I have been using.

 

Brad,

 

Agreed. The downsides to me with sealant glaze is that it's damn near impossible to get it all off - I always seem to miss some (it's near invisible dried) - and yeah, it's not a super deep shine. It's a nice shine though.

[JoeFromPA]

@ Joe,

 

Thank you for your detailed reply. I have already bought the following

- 303 Aerospace

- Eagle One A2Z Wheel and Tire Cleaner

- Plexus plastic cleaner (for cleaning the clear bra)

- Stoner’s Invisible Glass

 

Was planning on ordering PC last night but after I added the pads and other items in my cart the total was over $300 and at this point, I don't think I wanna spend that much money on just cleaning stuff (since I'm ordering AP soon).

 

So for now, my plan is to get the following:

- Meguiar’s NXT or Gold Class Car (Not sure what's the difference except price)

- Clay Magic

- Meguiar’s NXT 2.0 Tech Wax or Turtlewax Black Box

 

Not sure about the sealant or a leather product yet.

 

Hrmm....why both Meguairs NXT/Gold Class AND Tech Wax or Black Box?

 

Get a single quality wax or sealant. Also, toss in a polish or some sort OR black box to makes the swirls lessen.

[JoeFromPA]

AZP - I edited my post and removed my stuff. However, it still shows up in your quote of me. Feel free to remove my quote from your post if you'd like.

[ajamils]

Hrmm....why both Meguairs NXT/Gold Class AND Tech Wax or Black Box?

 

Get a single quality wax or sealant. Also, toss in a polish or some sort OR black box to makes the swirls lessen.

 

Opps, in that case, I'll get NXT 2.0 (used it on previous car and really liked it). As for the sealant, not sure what to get.

[bradlgt21]

You don't need both a sealant and wax unless you really want to. The differences generally are waxes last about a month of protection but give a deep wet nice look. Sealants usually last about 6 months but don't look as deep and nice as waxes. If you use both your car is protected for 6 months and you can get that deep look whenever you want by waxing it again. I personally thought would just stick with a sealant that looks good, unless you want to save some money and spend more time washing and waxing.

[Tomkat1127]

Wow, Some good info and products mentioned in here.

 

I'm no pro like ol' OCDetails there but I've detailed a few cars, trucks and even a semi once or twice....I have won car shows and helped others prepare...

 

My small kit (carry in car sometimes):

Absorber

brush for tires

E1 A2Z wheel cleaner or other on sale item (safe for all wheels)

Armour All (regular or low gloss)

Blue Magic Stain Cleaner or Tuff Stuff carpet cleaner

Blue Magic leather cleaner or conditioner (will have to try those suggested ones)

100% terry wash cloths, bar mops or automotive towels (preferably washed in bleach first, no softener)

Tint Safe window cleaner (Stoner or Invisible Glass)

MQ quick detailer

 

Always at home

Bug and Tar remover (wash and wax after use required)

Clay kit

Mothers wheel polish or better yet Wenol (for hand polishing alum)

Plastic polish

back to black

engine degreaser or Purple Power from Advance (better than Simple Green)

Chrome Polish (windex works well on chrome too)

soft carpet brush

HVAC mold/mildew killer

Wesley's bleech-white

10+ types of polish or wax (swirl removers, carnuba, 3m componds, etc)

 

The other thing I have never bought or learned that would save me the most time and effort is a polisher, DA type that is. I have yet to buy a good orbital from retail stores. Always, heard if you don't know what your doing with a high power machine like a PC DA, that you will cut your paint too deep or burn it.

[ajamils]

So today I did some more shopping and got the following

 

- Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash

- Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax (Will probably return this and use above one, unless advised otherwise)

- Turtle Wax Black Box

- Absorber

- Multiple packs of microfiber cloth

- Microfiber washing sponge

 

I bought Blackbox because Walmart had it for $16 but after reading the reviews I'm having some doubt about the product (specially about the mess it leaves behind)

 

Then I found a almost full bottle of Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 in my garage so now I'm trying to see what else should I use with that. Do I need any sealants or clay ?

[bradlgt21]

I would recommend claying your car. It takes a long time and is very slow boring work but it is worth it. Most cars get shipped via train so the rain dust is high right out of the factory. This dust as well as any other polution gets in the paint. This of it as little slivers in the paint. The clay helps remove all the slivers and junk embedded in your clear coat. Claying your car removes all this stuff and then you follow up with a good wax or sealant to protect it from future damage.

 

As for sealants I thought my last post covered that, getting a sealant is up to you. Most people do one or the other but if you want to do both that's up to you.

[ajamils]

As for sealants I thought my last post covered that, getting a sealant is up to you. Most people do one or the other but if you want to do both that's up to you.

 

OK after spending some more time reading various forums/articles I finally wrapped my head around that wax and sealant are one and the same (technically). So what I need is a Polish (for extra shine) instead of a sealant(since I already have NXT 2.0).

 

Maybe I'll just get the Meguiar's Ultimate Polish and Ultimate Liquid Wax combo and use the NXT 2.0 on my wife's Avalon

[OCDetails]

NXT and this new Ultimate Wax are two separate animals. NXT would be if you need to also clean the paint and hide some minor swirls. It is an all-in-one type product. The Ultimate Wax is a dedicated sealant which takes the best appearance of NXT and then amps it up a bit. So if your wife's car is looking good already, then I'd use the MUW (terrible acronym for it, but what can ya do?) on both of them.

[ajamils]

NXT and this new Ultimate Wax are two separate animals. NXT would be if you need to also clean the paint and hide some minor swirls. It is an all-in-one type product. The Ultimate Wax is a dedicated sealant which takes the best appearance of NXT and then amps it up a bit. So if your wife's car is looking good already, then I'd use the MUW (terrible acronym for it, but what can ya do?) on both of them.

 

My wife's car is about seven years old and it has been rarely waxed or washed so it requires a lot more TLC than my 3 week old LGT

[OCDetails]

So today I did some more shopping and got the following

 

- Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash

- Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax (Will probably return this and use above one, unless advised otherwise)

- Turtle Wax Black Box

- Absorber

- Multiple packs of microfiber cloth

- Microfiber washing sponge

 

I bought Blackbox because Walmart had it for $16 but after reading the reviews I'm having some doubt about the product (specially about the mess it leaves behind)

 

Then I found a almost full bottle of Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 in my garage so now I'm trying to see what else should I use with that. Do I need any sealants or clay ?

 

The Black Box is definitely kind of messy, but it isn't bad. It leaves a really really really black looking vehicle. I'm doing a black '99 Camaro SS this week and a black Alpina B7 next week and I'm going to use this on one of them for sure, so I'll post some pictures showing what it accomplishes. It will probably be on the SS since I've already polished that out pretty much and it just needs some hiding of the marks that didn't come out. Anyway, it is a fairly decent product that hides a lot. Just keep in mind that it is only hiding them and the swirls will come back after the fillers come out. I don't know how long that will take, but they will come back.

 

You definitely need to clay first. This is my advice on clay. It isn't too tough, really. Go to AutoZone and buy a $15 box of Clay Magic. Cut off a chunk of the clay about the size of your thumb and that should be enough. You don't need to use the whole bar. You should be able to break it into at least fourths if not fifths. I typically don't dry the car after rinsing it so I have a little extra lube on the surface. I've been doing this awhile, but I can wash, clay, rewash and dry a vehicle in about an hour. So yeah, it takes longer than just washing, but it is sooooo worth it.

 

Try this... when your car is dry try rubbing your hand across it. If you hear anything then you need to clay. Your hand shouldn't make a sound when running over your paint. Tree sap, IFO (industrial fallout), bug guts, road tar, overspray, etc gets all over your paint as you drive it and causes it to not be smooth. This is why they ship cars with those plastic sheets on them. If your car is more than a year old then it definitely needs to be clayed because it does built up fast. Even a new car needs it as was mentioned before. Your car will be smooth as glass when you are done. It really won't do much for the appearance other than getting some of the black road tar off, but the feel is massively different and your sealants and waxes will be much easier to apply.

 

Clay will likely remove wax and sealant in spots, so this isn't something you do every time you wash. I would recommend claying at least twice a year if not three times. It should be part of the process when you are repairing the car after winter is over or preparing it for winter in the fall. Maybe once in the summer just to keep it nice, and of course when needed if you happen to get a load of IFO all over the place.

 

 

As for returning the wash and wax box, I wouldn't do that. I haven't used the Ultimate Wash, but if it is as good as the other products in their Ultimate line, you will probably really like it. Having that wax is a bonus too. It is awesome stuff. Gold Class is the best I've used off the shelf to date, but I'm sure the Ultimate Wash is even better.

[ajamils]

The Black Box is definitely kind of messy, but it isn't bad. It leaves a really really really black looking vehicle.

 

I'm not sure if you have seen the Silica Black color of our LGT, it has really fine white sparkles and it not dark black (like my Accord) so I'm worried that the black pigmented wax in black box might cover that and the car will have a different color (maybe I'm paranoid )

 

You definitely need to clay first. This is my advice on clay. It isn't too tough, really. Go to AutoZone and buy a $15 box of Clay Magic. Cut off a chunk of the clay about the size of your thumb and that should be enough. You don't need to use the whole bar. You should be able to break it into at least fourths if not fifths. I typically don't dry the car after rinsing it so I have a little extra lube on the surface. I've been doing this awhile, but I can wash, clay, rewash and dry a vehicle in about an hour. So yeah, it takes longer than just washing, but it is sooooo worth it.

Ya, since this will be the first wash since I bought the car, I plan on using the clay.

 

As for returning the wash and wax box, I wouldn't do that. I haven't used the Ultimate Wash, but if it is as good as the other products in their Ultimate line, you will probably really like it. Having that wax is a bonus too. It is awesome stuff. Gold Class is the best I've used off the shelf to date, but I'm sure the Ultimate Wash is even better.

 

The reason why I was thinking of returning Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax is that I also bought Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash so I don't think I need two car wash solutions. Or do I ?

 

Also, I might be wrong in thinking but since I plan on polishing and waxing the car, do I really need a car wash that has wax in it ?

[OCDetails]

Ahhh... gotcha. I thought you were talking about a combo kit with the wash solution and a sample of the wax. I saw a box like that the other day which had them both, so I didn't realize you were talking about a wash that had wax in it. Yeah, definitely get rid of that. I never suggest anyone ever use a car soap which contains wax. They cause problems with sealants bonding.

 

The Black Box is best for cars with solid black paint. This is an example of what I used it on.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/DSCN0918.jpg

 

Not one speck of metal flake or anything else on that paint. Really horrible orange peel, but very very black.

 

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what it would do with one that has metal flake. I've only ever used it on solid black. Likely it would dull the metal flake just because it would tint the surface. The main idea of this product is to fill the swirls and scratches with a black filler, so you may even be able to see that still. Given that possibility, you should probably return it. Or you can test it and see what it does, but then you won't be able to take it back if it turns out badly. I would test it just because I know I've got other vehicles I could use it on, but if I was only concerned about what worked on my particular vehicle, then I'd get rid of anything that didn't work out well. It's up to you on how creative you feel. Definitely take back the wash with wax in it though. That stuff isn't necessary since you have the Gold Class wash.

[ajamils]

At this point, since I'm dealing with a brand new car, I don't feel very creative . So to be on the safe side, I will return the Blackbox and pick up Ultimate Polish and Ultimate Liquid Wax and give it a whirl this weekend and see how things go.

[Tomkat1127]

So this thread has sparked my interest in getting a polisher. Should I get a standard (DA type?) or a random orbit?

 

Northern Tool has already had some decent prices and great service for me. They have this new brand that seems to be OK.

 

What do you all think of this:

Klutch Sander/Polisher — 11 Amp, 7in. for $80 and free shipping.

 

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200442254_200442254?cm_ven=Housefile&cm_cat=FREESHIPPT_052611&cm_pla=052611Bconsumer&cm_ite=P6&cm_lm=tomkat1127@gmail.com&state=KY&hotline=&marketcode=

 

OR

 

one of the random orbit Porter-Cable polishers for around $130

http://www.cpoworkshop.com/porter-cable-delta-polishers/porter-cable-delta-polishers,default,sc.html?srule=price-low-to-high&start=0&sz=12