New to detailing what Compound, Polish, Wax, Pads

[85genius]

Just got a pressure washer with snowfoam attachment so gonna do a little bit of light detailing... My car is black and the swirlies in the paint are doing my nut in so I'm just about to order a dual action polisher so just need a bit of advice on what else I need....

Before we go any further I'm both tight and lazy! So cheap and easy to use are most important to me (obviously so long as I get a good finish) but I'm not entering any concourse competitions just want the car to look a bit nicer in the sun and to bring out the sparkle of the ruby black paint

Pretty much decided on the meguires ultimate compound as from reviews seems easy enough for a beginner to use http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/shampoo-polish-wax/meguiars-ultimate-compound-450ml unless anyone knows of any reason not to and something better/cheaper.

For wax/sealent this is where I'm totally lost, there's about a billion options and they all claim to be the best... Ideally if there's an all in one solution that can go on straight after the ultimate compound that will leave my car shiny and protected in one swoop and is easy to apply (and cheap ) then I'll be very happy.

Also looking at pads for the polisher because what I'm buying only comes with one http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4645777 (I'm going for the argos one because its cheap gets good reviews and Argos guarantee is brilliant) been advised on microfibre for the compound but then any others I need for the wax/sealant layer and also advice on which to buy that are a) cheap and b) not total crap

Cheers!

 

[Angelus666]

hey...I'd recommend you look at a the das 6 pro with megs and hex logic pads....they work miracles on our black bmw's. The guys at clean your car are excellent and will offer very good and impartial advice on what to go for. The below is a good starter kit.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing-machines/das-6-pro-dual-action-polisher/das-6-pro-meguiars-hex-logic-kit/prod_1212.html

 

[Bluecat]

I bought the argos polisher too, seems good if a bit noisy, try the meguiars microfibre pads, I got 2 for £18 off ebay. Polish wise most people on here love Topaz also on ebay, about £11 for a litre.

 

[Ducklakeview]

I bought the argos polisher too, seems good if a bit noisy, try the meguiars microfibre pads, I got 2 for £18 off ebay. Polish wise most people on here love Topaz also on ebay, about £11 for a litre.

Topaz ISN'T a polish, it's a wax/sealer hybrid - Try the Meguiars range, I've been impressed...

Mike

 

[billz]

For a wax i recommend Swissvax Shield. Very easy to apply and has a little PTFE in to make cleaning easier. I have a Ruby black Z4 and have just had it Professionally Polished but not flat wetted and have had it sealed with G-Teqnic Serum and Exo v2 washing and drying is a doddle now and should last a few years before i need it doing again

 

[patriot66]

Hi 85genius. You say your looking for cheap and easy to use products that give good results. If so then look no further than Poorboys Blackhole Filler Glaze http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/glazes/poorboys-black-hole/prod_494.html
and Collinite 845 Insulator Wax http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/collinite-no-845-insulator-wax/prod_208.html These are my 'go to' choice and if used correctly these two products will give you results as good or even better than products that cost much, much more.
Furthermore, if you take your time initially preparing the paintwork by washing & drying thoroughly, removing tar deposits with a good tar & glue remover and claying properly with lubricant prior to correcting with your DA you will ultimately get much better results. I apply Blackhole with my DA and a Chemical Guys HexLogic Blue Pad and remove by hand.http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/chemical-guys-hexlogic-pads/chemical-guys-blue-5-5-hex-logic-pad/prod_687.html
I then top it off with a very light skim of hand applied Collinite 845.
Coincidentally this afternoon I've just done my wifes 2011 Freelander2...again !. It is finished in Santorini Metallic Black similar to your Ruby Black. I've just run out and taken a couple of photos and I think they speak for themselves.

 

[billz]

To be honest you will not know how much you will need to polish it untill the Sun shines on it. Ours looked mint with no sun, you could not see swirls or any blemishes as soon as the sun came out that is when all the marks come out. I have got the poor boys and yes it will give a good shine but on the Ruby Black you will still see the swirls and light scratches when the sun comes out. The only true way of getting it anything like will be with a proper cut and polish you may even have to use a rotary to achieve this. I took mine to 2x professional detailers who said it looks as though it only needs a single cut and polish as they viewed it when it was cloudy. When i took it in to the one i chose he called me the next day to say he would need it for the full week and would need to flat wet it to achieve a decent finish. Luckily it was going into the body shop the next week to have this done on the front end as they had left sanding marks in areas of the paint, so he just did the rest of the car. He did tell me it would need a proper full flat and 3 stage polish to get it to be anywhere near perfect but i just could not allow him to have it for the extra 4 days, so i told him to get it as best as he can. It is a thousand times better but still not perfect and it has been done by a reputable Paint corrector in our area.
Do not expect to get it anywhere near perfect unless you have around a week where you can work on it constantly and i would imagine you will need to use a rotary to get anywhere near the finish you are after.
I know what you mean regarding the Sun shining on it as it used to drive me mad, hence why i decided to get it done professionally and i have a feeling you may also have to go this route to get it so it looks as good in the sun as they do out of it.
I did try polishing it with both a DA and then the rotary even though it gradually got better it was not good enough in the sun. Even when i shone the light on it you could not see the marks that the sun brings out.
Sorry for this being a bit long winded but our Zed is the same colour as yours so i do know how you feel

 

[mr wilks]

Black is a bitch but you are on the right path with the Megs ultimate compound to correct swirls .
After that my preferred is 50Cal glaze to add shine & mask https://www.amazon.co.uk/50-Cal-Cover-Up-Filler-Glaze/dp/B00W5Q8HJS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497473146&sr=8-1&keywords=50+cal+glaze
Then seal with Collinite 845 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Collinite-Liquid-Insulator-Wax-845-Long-Lasting-Protection-FREE-Applicator-/261171954102?hash=item3ccf0fc1b6:g:0XwAAOSweW5VAusW

or Fusso Soft99 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Soft99-Fusso-coat-Dark-PTFE-Car-wax-fast-delivery-NO-IMPORT-DUTY-in-EU-JDM-/161750751750?hash=item25a9189a06:g:T7EAAOSwaNBUfiXp

 

[idej_z4]

hey...I'd recommend you look at a the das 6 pro with megs and hex logic pads....they work miracles on our black bmw's. The guys at clean your car are excellent and will offer very good and impartial advice on what to go for. The below is a good starter kit.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing-machines/das-6-pro-dual-action-polisher/das-6-pro-meguiars-hex-logic-kit/prod_1212.html

+1

 

[85genius]

Thanks for all the replies! I've been doing a fair bit or reading (probably created more questions than answers as I keep looking) but think I'm definitely gonna need some kind of filler in between the cutting compound and the sealer. Not expecting to get it perfect but the amount of swirl marks I can see in the direct sun is driving me mad.

Just looking at pads and on the Maguires forum they a recommend some plain yellow sponge for the compound but are the hex ones better? Or should I really be looking at microfiber ones, there's almost as many different pads as there are waxes!!! Read two different da polishing guides and they both seem to be using plain sponge pads

 

[Angelus666]

I really wouldn't look much further than the one I suggested...it's perfectly fine for a beginner. Watch a few of Larry from Ammo's videos before you start out and you'll get to grips with it pretty easily. It's certianly not as hard as people make out if you get the right product/pad combo.

I spent years working through lesser product/pad combination....honestly, you'll waste a lot of time and money as they won't remove the swirls to your expectation level.