[misturrho]

so i've had my celica gt for a year and a half now and so far i've only gotten 1 wax job and 0 detail. i used to windex the windows and quick wash everyday but cuz of work and school i can't do that anymore. i need to detail my car after it comes outta the shop cuz of my accident. i know i need to clay bar and oil up the leather. any good and afforable brands/products recommendation would be great. also anyone wanna teach me how should i do it and what tools i need, ima a girl and still new at this. thanks.

[soju]

go to autopia.org. wealth of information there.

and if your bodyshops cool, they will detail it for you.

[visuelz]

These are what I use on my TSX and it makes it stand out more than other cars. I use them in the same order as my list.

Rim cleaner - Meguiar's Wheel cleaner or whatever they call it (it's a purple bottle)
Shampoo - Meguiar's Gold Class
Claybar - Meguiar's
Lubricant for claybar - Meguiar's Exterior Detailer
Polish - Meguiar's Polish
Wax - Meguiar's Wax
Polish for exhaust tips - Mother's Aluminum

Leather shampoo - Lexol Leather Cleaner
Leather conditioner - Lexol Leather Conditioner
Miscellaneous interior - Meguiar's Interior Detailer

Engine bay - Meguiar's Exterior Detailer

By the way, I own a buffer and if you are serious about making it look awesome, I'd recommend you buy one too.

[MsKrnDoll]

i also use Meguiars on my g35.

[v8subie]

I get my car professionally detailed, because I'm a spb. Oh yeah.

[jphase]

I use:

Meguire Gold Class shampoo
a wash mitt thing for cars that doesn't scratch the paint
Mothers Clay bar/ Clay lubricant
NuFinish Car polish
Microfiber towels

i want a buffer but...too expensive =/ maybe when i get my own car...

[SupaBayWitIt]

Off topic but.. Hi fellow Celica owner! Are you on NewCelica.org?

[PL<3Y]

so i've had my celica gt for a year and a half now and so far i've only gotten 1 wax job and 0 detail. i used to windex the windows and quick wash everyday but cuz of work and school i can't do that anymore. i need to detail my car after it comes outta the shop cuz of my accident. i know i need to clay bar and oil up the leather. any good and afforable brands/products recommendation would be great. also anyone wanna teach me how should i do it and what tools i need, ima a girl and still new at this. thanks.

Maybe out of your budget, but I use Zaino.

[Lasthope05]

Invest in a machine buffer either DA(ORB) or Rotary. Dont get those cheap $20 sears ones that just vibrate. Spend time the detailing forums and learn practice on scrap panels.

Autopia.org
Autogeekonline.net
DetailingBliss.com
DetailingCity.org
Meguiarsonline.com

Once you read up on a few of these sides you'll see the light and stop using those over the counter products.

[kelvin6]

I prefer Zymol wax, the one in the blue bottle (runs about $13 a bottle). Looks, lasts and smells GREAT! I also like to use Zymol leather cleaner and conditioner on the leather. It doesn't take so long to dry like Lexol and the leather conditioner seems to work deeper than the Lexol conditioner I used to use. I also like to use simple green to clean the engine bay (hey we can't forget to clean the engine bay too).

[Lasthope05]

I prefer Zymol wax, the one in the blue bottle (runs about $13 a bottle). Looks, lasts and smells GREAT! I also like to use Zymol leather cleaner and conditioner on the leather. It doesn't take so long to dry like Lexol and the leather conditioner seems to work deeper than the Lexol conditioner I used to use. I also like to use simple green to clean the engine bay (hey we can't forget to clean the engine bay too).

God...I hate otc Zymol wax. Tried it once and it was horrible to work with and didnt even look that good to me. Their cleaner and conditioner works decent tho. And a word of caution with simple green. Be careful on what you use it one and how long you let it set as it easily stains aluminum and plastics.

By the way, I own a buffer and if you are serious about making it look awesome, I'd recommend you buy one too.

What kind of buffer are you running?

Maybe out of your budget, but I use Zaino.

Z is good but I was never really drawn into the whole plastic car look and the process sucks unless you're using ZFX. Im a nuba fan but I do use sealants for a base. Zainos is also not expensive. The price range is pretty average if you really look at it.

[Launchbackwards]

Z is good but I was never really drawn into the whole plastic car look. And the process sucks unless you're use ZFX.

The process is like any other sealant...no ZFX required, if you apply whisper coats properly.

I honestly don't think people will be able to tell a difference between a waxed car and a sealed car in person, provided they were prepped the same.

OP, for your paint protectant, go with Zaino Clear-Seal or Jeff Werkstatt's Acrylic JETT Trigger. Both of these are full synthetic spray sealants that are simply spray on, wipe off types. Zaino CS is even better, because you can just spray on, spread it around a little, and walk away. More pricey, but well worth it imo.

I also prefer Zaino Z9 and Z10 for leather treatment. Like most quality interior treatment products, they will leave a subtle matte finish.

http://www.werkstat.com/acrylic-jett-trigger.php

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/mercha...Product_Count=8

I've been trying out Chemical Guys products, if you want to get all your stuff from one place as well. All of their stuff is great:
http://www.chemicalguys.com/

[Lasthope05]

^^
I understand that but the zainos preaching is multiple coats makes the car even better. So doing multiple coats in one day without zfx is near impossible. You will be lucky to put two coats down properly within a 12 hr span.

I believe the whole multiple layers to be BS tho as there is a point of diminishing returns. A second coat is fine to ensure even coverage but and a 3rd if you are anal but anything after that I belive does squat. Its all in the eye of the beholder.

Its is true that 95% of a cars beauty is the prep work. The other 5% is product.

OP, Grab some Menzerna SIP/106FF or Megs M105/M205 and a PC with some pads and go to town first and lay whatever sealant/wax you want after.

[Launchbackwards]

Yes, the multiple layering of product is total BS. I usually only do one good coat and call it a day. I don't understand the 12 hour gap you're mentioning though.

[Lasthope05]

Yes, the multiple layering of product is total BS. I usually only do one good coat and call it a day. I don't understand the 12 hour gap you're mentioning though.

Your into detailing but you dont know this? Its the basics about sealants. Since sealant are synthetic and are either polymer based or acrylic based they need proper time to cure and cross-link to become durable. The industry standard in cure time is 12-24hr cure time per application.

[misturrho]

im okay with the 1st half of the conversation.. the 2nd half just went over my head. i have a friend who has the buffer and stuff, he washed and waxed once for me and it's great. but i dont wanna keep going back to him cuz he's too busy dusting his si everyday

ok so....... i kno i need to oil up my interior and he told me to get like a oil bar/soap thing. exterior... i need to buy wax and the buffer. is it hard to buff? cuz my friend complained about my car and i need to clean my pipe/exhaust/muff blah. it's gettin a lil rusty at the tip cuz i dipped that booty in some puddles

[Lasthope05]

im okay with the 1st half of the conversation.. the 2nd half just went over my head. i have a friend who has the buffer and stuff, he washed and waxed once for me and it's great. but i dont wanna keep going back to him cuz he's too busy dusting his si everyday

ok so....... i kno i need to oil up my interior and he told me to get like a oil bar/soap thing. exterior... i need to buy wax and the buffer. is it hard to buff? cuz my friend complained about my car and i need to clean my pipe/exhaust/muff blah. it's gettin a lil rusty at the tip cuz i dipped that booty in some puddles

First off buffing a car is totally different than waxing a car. Waxing just gives your car a coat of protection and mild looks. Buffing/polishing your car is were all the shine comes from and how you get rid of scratchs/RID/ and swirls.

You dont need no oil soap or anything for your interior. All you need for a very gentle cleaner is Woolite(original) and water mixed 10(water):1(woolite). Grab yourself a decent OTC interior protectant like Megs Natural look of a matte look or Megs NXT protect for that shine.

Exterior wise if you are only looking to wax a car than all you would need as a Shampoo, Claybar, Paint Cleaner, Wax and a few microfiber towels.

If your trying to get a little more indepth with it than its going to cost you more money. A PC7424 polisher runs for $100 plus the pads is an addition $50-60. Polishes would be in the $50-60 range for 1-3 different products depending upon price. Its only give or take a little more than $200 to start off with the basics.

[Launchbackwards]

Your into detailing but you dont know this? Its the basics about sealants. Since sealant are synthetic and are either polymer based or acrylic based they need proper time to cure and cross-link to become durable. The industry standard in cure time is 12-24hr cure time per application.

I don't need a lesson on cure time. I'm saying you don't have to wait 12 hours to apply multiple coats (apply on, and wipe off) simply to ensure good coverage. In the real world, it really won't matter that much anyway, since that "industry standard" is largely affected by temperature and humidity. You should tell a detailer in the Arizona desert that he has to wait 12 hours for a sealant to cure.

[ghost]

Not sure what we use in the detail department but there's green compound for cutting, pink for polishing, and cream for hand wax.

All comes out with a mirror finish so i'm guessing it's good stuff

[Lasthope05]

I don't need a lesson on cure time. I'm saying you don't have to wait 12 hours to apply multiple coats (apply on, and wipe off) simply to ensure good coverage. In the real world, it really won't matter that much anyway, since that "industry standard" is largely affected by temperature and humidity. You should tell a detailer in the Arizona desert that he has to wait 12 hours for a sealant to cure.

You could go on the boards and ask them yourself. Its a known fact that they need proper time to cure. They may flash and dry within 10 minutes but on the molecular level they and still free floating till correctly crosslink and bond to the paint. Hahaa. You could give a call to Sal himself of Zainos and he'll tell you. If your applying more on before the base coat even cures than all you are doing spreading the base coat around instead of having it spread and bond on top of a cured base.

A sealant and wax are two different beast. A wax you can easily layer in 30 minutes but waxes have no durability what-so-ever(unless its collinite). Why do you think sealants have such great durability lasting easily over 6 months? Because chemical makeup and bonding to the paint which cure times are most important. It is not a resin/epoxy where heat plays a huge role but a synthetic polymer.