Detailing Truck With Christmas Money; Need Advice

[Drunken Hamster]

This is edited from my build thread that wasn't getting answers fast enough. I have a deadline. I need this stuff to arrive and be done by the end of the 1st.

So, this month I've saved up about $800 usable dollars for myself and was kinda at a crossroads on what to do with it. Save it? All on the truck? All on a PC? Other projects?

Well, I've decided that I mostly wanna do work on the truck, and at least 1 or 2 projects that I don't have materials for, already, if I can.

And so, I want to ask you guys what products I should get for detailing my dented baby!

Seriously. I wanna do the full gig. Wash, clay, polish, buff, shine {aren't those the same?} then seal and wax!

So, quick Q, is it perfectly okay to order the least expensive pressure washer, foam canon, and DA polisher to do this with? And, after that, what actual products should I get soap, clay, polish, sealant, and wax wise? I've heard collinite 845 talked up a lot around here....

Also, I'm planning on basically using the ChrisFix method of 'Super Cleaning' your car. Only, I want to use nothing but top/nearly top tier products {{and inexpensive tools because I'm not made of money}

{{I already got three buckets, a 'bucket head' vaccum cleaner, and am about to order a grit guard and microfiber wash mitt right and such later. EDIT:: I actually have everything I'll need aside from soap(s), clay, polish, sealant, wax, and a DA polisher already in my amazon cart. Make the best recommendations for the cleaners, and the least expensive, but decent recommendation for the DA polisher.}}

And, for possibly later down the line, what steps can I take to correct deep[er] paint scratches and other imperfections on the truck like a couple of chipped areas or the large peeling/fading section on my bumper cap?

 

[ramportin1]

So products your gunna get a ton of different answers brand wise as everybody has there favorites. My quick recommendations on products which WILL cost effectively give amazing results granted your prep work and technique is good. Soap I recommend chemical guys Mr pink for a PH balanced soap, works amazing, tons of suds, very slick and smells great and tons of foam (see pic) also inexpensive. Clay kit I used twice now the mothers gold clay kit with great results and also it's cheap but for your truck id recommend buying extra bottles of detailer kuz you want LOTS of lube. Compound and polish chemical guys V36 and V38, here's a before and after of those using a orange hex pad and a PC, there VSS is a great 2in1 for areas that don't need as much heavy duty cutting. Chemical guys jetseal is friggin awesome, lasts UP TO 12 months, gives a very nice gloss enhance as well and is easy to apply by hand and like everything I'm listing is pretty cheap. Collinite 845 is super cheap wax and though it's a bit tedious to apply it works great as far as protection and a little bit of extra glow. And blacklight is a great glaze that will help hide scratches and imperfections as well as give a great shine. That would be applied before the sealant but is optional.
Your gunna want a lot of quality scratchless micro fiber towels as well. Again there are TONS more products out there that will give great results given the right prep work and technique but these are what I have used and habe been blown away with results

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[Drunken Hamster]

So products your gunna get a ton of different answers brand wise as everybody has there favorites. My quick recommendations on products which WILL cost effectively give amazing results granted your prep work and technique is good. Soap I recommend chemical guys Mr pink for a PH balanced soap, works amazing, tons of suds, very slick and smells great and tons of foam (see pic) also inexpensive. Clay kit I used twice now the mothers gold clay kit with great results and also it's cheap but for your truck id recommend buying extra bottles of detailer kuz you want LOTS of lube. Compound and polish chemical guys V36 and V38, here's a before and after of those using a orange hex pad and a PC, there VSS is a great 2in1 for areas that don't need as much heavy duty cutting. Chemical guys jetseal is friggin awesome, lasts UP TO 12 months, gives a very nice gloss enhance as well and is easy to apply by hand and like everything I'm listing is pretty cheap. Collinite 845 is super cheap wax and though it's a bit tedious to apply it works great as far as protection and a little bit of extra glow. And blacklight is a great glaze that will help hide scratches and imperfections as well as give a great shine. That would be applied before the sealant but is optional.
Your gunna want a lot of quality scratchless micro fiber towels as well. Again there are TONS more products out there that will give great results given the right prep work and technique but these are what I have used and habe been blown away with results

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Nice, thank you. I thought/was told that sealant goes on BEFORE wax, though? Also, is it okay to just spring for the cheapest DA polisher I can get for now? Also, is all of this stuff available on amazon {do you know off hand?}?

Also, what's VSS, a 'hex pad' and a 'pc'?

 

[ramportin1]

Yes you can get everything listed off Amazon for positive, but usually chemical guys stuff is cheaper from there website vs Amazon. VSS is a chemical guys product scratches and swirls. You're correct sealant before wax! But a glaze is not a wax and will go under/before a sealant, it is a gloss enhancer and the blacklight is designed to fill in deep scratches on dark paint to help hide them, jetseal will bond over it.
As far as a DA I would imagine anything is fine but power you'll want to keep a eye on. My PC is great I love it but I would imagine any less power and I would be only orbiting alot (this is where good technique plays a part.)
PC is a porter cable XP.
Hex is a HEXigon designed pad. The cutting/ polishing pads you'll use on your DA. I use Hex logic pads

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[Drunken Hamster]

Yes you can get everything listed off Amazon for positive, but usually chemical guys stuff is cheaper from there website vs Amazon. VSS is a chemical guys product scratches and swirls. You're correct sealant before wax! But a glaze is not a wax and will go under/before a sealant, it is a gloss enhancer and the blacklight is designed to fill in deep scratches on dark paint to help hide them, jetseal will bond over it.
As far as a DA I would imagine anything is fine but power you'll want to keep a eye on. My PC is great I love it but I would imagine any less power and I would be only orbiting alot (this is where good technique plays a part.)
PC is a porter cable XP.
Hex is a HEXigon designed pad. The cutting/ polishing pads you'll use on your DA. I use Hex logic pads

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So lemme get the process straight. Wash, Clay, Polish/Buff, Glaze, Sealant, Wax, and then put it in a climate controlled vacuum glass case?

Also, I currently have NO technique, so whatever makes getting it right easier for now would be better. Any recommendation for an inexpensive polisher with that in mind?

{{So far I've received two MF wash mitts, a pack of 48 basic MF rags, some detailing brushes, a 'tub o towels', and coming on Thursday is a 12 pack of 16"x16" chem guys microfiber towels, a 24x36 one, the pressure washer, the grit guards, and the foam canon. I'll likely order the rest tomorrow, just trying to nail down what else I need and how much. So far I'm $250 deep, lol.}}

 

[ramportin1]

So lemme get the process straight. Wash, Clay, Polish/Buff, Glaze, Sealant, Wax, and then put it in a climate controlled vacuum glass case?

Also, I currently have NO technique, so whatever makes getting it right easier for now would be better. Any recommendation for an inexpensive polisher with that in mind?

{{So far I've received two MF wash mitts, a pack of 48 basic MF rags, some detailing brushes, a 'tub o towels', and coming on Thursday is a 12 pack of 16"x16" chem guys microfiber towels, a 24x36 one, the pressure washer, the grit guards, and the foam canon. I'll likely order the rest tomorrow, just trying to nail down what else I need and how much. So far I'm $250 deep, lol.}}

Process will be a VERY thorough wash, clay bar, wash again to get all residue off, compound which is the heavy cutting with a orange pad for the major scratched/swirled areas (which if it's like my paint was the whole truck will be compounded.) Then switch to a light cutting pad like a white and go to your polish which will cut out any compounding swirls. Then next is optional if you want to glaze (I definitely recommend a glaze on old paint, blacklight would be great.) Then sealant and wax it from there on out to maintain.

I honestly recommend the porter cable even though it is not exactly the cheapest but still far from very expensive. It has enough power to dig through angles but not enough power to burn your clear while your learning, it will last a LONG time and can help you learn a long the way

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[Drunken Hamster]

Process will be a VERY thorough wash, clay bar, wash again to get all residue off, compound which is the heavy cutting with a orange pad for the major scratched/swirled areas (which if it's like my paint was the whole truck will be compounded.) Then switch to a light cutting pad like a white and go to your polish which will cut out any compounding swirls. Then next is optional if you want to glaze (I definitely recommend a glaze on old paint, blacklight would be great.) Then sealant and wax it from there on out to maintain.

I honestly recommend the porter cable even though it is not exactly the cheapest but still far from very expensive. It has enough power to dig through angles but not enough power to burn your clear while your learning, it will last a LONG time and can help you learn a long the way

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Okay, cool. Is there anything I can/should do about the peeling/chipping pieces {{only on the upper front bumper cap, and the rear lower passenger side of the bed where it was hit}}? And what can I do to my chrome to fix up where it was scratched like hell in order to get melted magnetic bumper stickers off?

Also, should I try to or outright fix the dents before paint correction and detailing, or worry about it later? And, should I attempt to fix the front fender dent, or replace and paint a new one, instead? {{It's a big dent. The size of a concrete parking post, and it was placed almost the full length of the fender just ahead of the driver's door.}}

 

[Drunken Hamster]

Process will be a VERY thorough wash, clay bar, wash again to get all residue off, compound which is the heavy cutting with a orange pad for the major scratched/swirled areas (which if it's like my paint was the whole truck will be compounded.) Then switch to a light cutting pad like a white and go to your polish which will cut out any compounding swirls. Then next is optional if you want to glaze (I definitely recommend a glaze on old paint, blacklight would be great.) Then sealant and wax it from there on out to maintain.

I honestly recommend the porter cable even though it is not exactly the cheapest but still far from very expensive. It has enough power to dig through angles but not enough power to burn your clear while your learning, it will last a LONG time and can help you learn along the way

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Okay, I'm on amazon loading up my cart. What size pads and backing plate do I get? What about this V32 and V34 stuff? And what about the other pad colors here?? {{Also, the porter cable is the 7424xp, correct?}}

Oh, and on the ChrisFix video I watched, he used dawn for the first wash to degrease the paint, and then also used soapy water [presumably dawn] while he was claying instead of the detailer spray because it could have grease/oils in it that would undo all the degreasing he did in the wash step. Should I follow this at all, or just do it for the wash/clay, and then on the re-wash use the PH balanced stuff??

And finally, what would maintenance procedure be? Hit with detailing spray and wipe to keep clean once a week, and wash with soap once a month? New wax every 6mos and new wax and sealant once a year? And, again, what can I do to polish/buff/fix up my chrome scratches? OOH, and my black plastics and trim pieces?

{{And how many bottles of all of this do I buy!?}}

 

[ramportin1]

You got the right PC yeah, you don't need the V32/34 I wouldn't get those. The pads are 5" and here's a picture of what pads used for what, almost all pads use the same color scheme all though I've heard that SOME don't, but idk for sure I use Hex logic pads. Doing a dawn first wash isn't a bad idea. The PH balanced soap like mr pink is for after your done and they will not strip or harm your sealant and wax or anything so that's important, definitely don't wanna do a ton of work then accidently strip it off lol. The 16oz bottles are plenty you can do multiple vehicles with one 16. Maintenance after depends on your weather and driving, how dirty the truck gets etc. My truck gets filthy in just a few days so my truck is hand washed every time, no wipe downs kuz it gets to dirty to wipe.
Just take your time, don't rush anything with detailing and enjoy the results. It gets super addicting

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[ramportin1]

Fixing chrome scratches is out of my knowledge so I don't know that one.
VRP or back to black works great on the faded black plastics

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[ramportin1]

And I only use the PC for the compound/polish. The rest I do by hand with microfiber applicators (pic) which I also bought from chem guys

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[Drunken Hamster]

You got the right PC yeah, you don't need the V32/34 I wouldn't get those. The pads are 5" and here's a picture of what pads used for what, almost all pads use the same color scheme all though I've heard that SOME don't, but idk for sure I use Hex logic pads. Doing a dawn first wash isn't a bad idea. The PH balanced soap like mr pink is for after your done and they will not strip or harm your sealant and wax or anything so that's important, definitely don't wanna do a ton of work then accidently strip it off lol. The 16oz bottles are plenty you can do multiple vehicles with one 16. Maintenance after depends on your weather and driving, how dirty the truck gets etc. My truck gets filthy in just a few days so my truck is hand washed every time, no wipe downs kuz it gets to dirty to wipe.
Just take your time, don't rush anything with detailing and enjoy the results. It gets super addicting

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Okay, so it looks like I want at least the orange and white. I'd also like to apply the glaze, sealant and wax by DA if possible or if it'll make it easier, or faster without tarnishing the result. So, should I also get a blue and black, or just do it by hand with those microfiber sponge looking things?

How many pads/MF sponge applicators should I buy? And, on the lube while claying, should I do detailer spray after using the dawn on the first wash, or should I stick with soapy water like ChrisFix did?

Fixing chrome scratches is out of my knowledge so I don't know that one.
VRP or back to black works great on the faded black plastics
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I looked at the pics on VRP, it looks too shiny for me, especially on tires. Might get the "vintage series natural shine, satin shine dressing" and use it on both my tires and my plastics/vinyl.

 

[ramportin1]

Okay, so it looks like I want at least the orange and white. I'd also like to apply the glaze, sealant and wax by DA if possible or if it'll make it easier, or faster without tarnishing the result. So, should I also get a blue and black, or just do it by hand with those microfiber sponge looking things?

How many pads/MF sponge applicators should I buy? And, on the lube while claying, should I do detailer spray after using the dawn on the first wash, or should I stick with soapy water like ChrisFix did?



I looked at the pics on VRP, it looks too shiny for me, especially on tires. Might get the 'vintage' or whatever series.

I would definitely use detailer spray or a clay lube for claying vs soapy water. The pads you might wanna buy a couple of each orange/white. I say that because depending on how hardcore you go at it the PC can eventually get hot and start to melt the glue that holds the pad to the Velcro lol I did this that's how I know. BUT that was after about 10ish hours of going to town and no breaks except to eat. I would recommend buying a bottle of pad conditioner as well as a bottle of pad cleaner so you can save the pads, those just a small spray bottle of each will be plenty.
As far as glaze and sealant and wax using the DA I really can't speak on that because I have never done it. I have only done everything by hand besides compound/polish which I use the DA for that of course.
If you get the MF applicators they are cheap and I bought I think a pack of 12 from chem guys for I don't remember how much but it was cheap.
You'll notice the detailing biz always ends with buying lots of **** lol! I knew absolutely zero about detailing, literally just stumbled across this detailing section of the forum and within just a few months spent more then I'm willing to admit on products [emoji23] it's a addiction. But the results are worth it

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[Drunken Hamster]

I would definitely use detailer spray or a clay lube for claying vs soapy water. The pads you might wanna buy a couple of each orange/white. I say that because depending on how hardcore you go at it the PC can eventually get hot and start to melt the glue that holds the pad to the Velcro lol I did this that's how I know. BUT that was after about 10ish hours of going to town and no breaks except to eat. I would recommend buying a bottle of pad conditioner as well as a bottle of pad cleaner so you can save the pads, those just a small spray bottle of each will be plenty.
As far as glaze and sealant and wax using the DA I really can't speak on that because I have never done it. I have only done everything by hand besides compound/polish which I use the DA for that of course.
If you get the MF applicators they are cheap and I bought I think a pack of 12 from chem guys for I don't remember how much but it was cheap.
You'll notice the detailing biz always ends with buying lots of **** lol! I knew absolutely zero about detailing, literally just stumbled across this detailing section of the forum and within just a few months spent more then I'm willing to admit on products [emoji23] it's a addiction. But the results are worth it

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Well I'm easily about to be $600 deep in total. ****.

This better make my neighbor say "Damn, *****, you ****'s got dents in it and it STILL looks better than mine! How much for you to do this to my car?" and then I'll say "$200" and he'll be like "Fucck...... It'll look like this, tho?" and I'll be all "Yeah. 100%. Just gimmie the $200 and a day to do it." and then he'll go "Okay."

Very specific fantasy, I know, but this ~$600 better be worth it....

I need the cleaning and conditioning brushes, too, right? Or just rub it in, rinse it out?

Last thing, what's the maintenance on re-applying/applying new wax and sealant? 3 mos wax, 12 mos sealant?

 

[Pull Ya]

Don't forget pad cleaner
https://www.autopia-carcare.com/xmt-polishing-pad-cleaner.html#.WkK4ulWnGG4
Jay

 

[Drunken Hamster]

Don't forget pad cleaner
https://www.autopia-carcare.com/xmt-polishing-pad-cleaner.html#.WkK4ulWnGG4
Jay

Already got some in my cart. Just wondering if I need the cleaning and conditioning brushes for the pads or not. IDK the method or process on pad care.

 

[Drunken Hamster]

Whelp, I said **** it and got the brush with the larger bristle area. Makes no sense getting both brushes when I can't make out any difference between their bristles in the pictures and can't find any hard source saying which is which, which is better, and which I need.

Effed up thing is, Amazon is saying 2-28 business days shipping for $4.99 on the cleaning solution. So I'll be flying brush and soapy water only to clean these pads for gods know how long.

Either way, I'll have everything else by Friday, and the pressure washer and foam canon by Thursday, so I'll have some busy days with washing, prepping, bedlining, then washing and detailing. By the skin of my teeth, I should end up getting it all done in time to return to work on the morning of the 2nd. And hopefully have clothes washed and all, too.

In all, I won't have gotten done everything I wanted to do, but the truck will be detailed, and, if I'm lucky, I can do some organizing as well, since I desperately need to in order to rid myself, my house, and my shop of excess junk.

I'll post results in my build thread. Wish me luck so I don't **** it up!

 

[Drunken Hamster]

Progress of just wash+MF towel dry {pain in the ass to do.}

 

[Drunken Hamster]

Process will be a VERY thorough wash, clay bar, wash again to get all residue off, compound which is the heavy cutting with a orange pad for the major scratched/swirled areas (which if it's like my paint was the whole truck will be compounded.) Then switch to a light cutting pad like a white and go to your polish which will cut out any compounding swirls. Then next is optional if you want to glaze (I definitely recommend a glaze on old paint, blacklight would be great.) Then sealant and wax it from there on out to maintain.

I honestly recommend the porter cable even though it is not exactly the cheapest but still far from very expensive. It has enough power to dig through angles but not enough power to burn your clear while your learning, it will last a LONG time and can help you learn a long the way

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I know this is the second time I'm quoting this, but how long do I wait between each step? Like, after I wash/clay/wash/dry, do I buff, then go straight to polish? Then after those straight to glaze, straight to sealant, straight to wax? Or are there drying times?

And how much of each should I have left over after doing the whole truck?

 

[Pull Ya]

You can go from one step to the next--depending on your energy level. After I install a sealant I usually let the truck sit overnight to give the sealant a chance to "bond" onto the paint. I put the wax on the next day. I think if you take a beer break between steps you will be OK with the exception of the sealant as explained above. With most sealants and waxes the least amount of product you use to better results you will get.
Jay