I usually use Meguiar's products for everything related to daily detailing and microfiber towels/applicators. However, at times I still get some swirls or streaks.

I plan on having the car professionally detailed before the meet but was wondering what I could use after a car wash directly before the meet to give it that extra spark...interior or exterior.

Thanks!

 

You should PM Cat, Previc or EvilOne, just to name a few that comes to mind right away who do car shows... Hey good luck!

 

Well for a show prep, I would clay the vehicle, inspect it for any serious issues. If none exist I would then do a polish, possibly a sealer and then a wax. The sealer isn't a necessary step but some prefer it. Overall I usually take about 8-11 hours to do my car from a claying to full out wax is done, because I go over it pretty much with a fine tooth comb. If you look at the topic I posted today https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...fit-today.html

You can see that with time and the right tools you can make a show shine on your own.

I have over $500 in product and tools just for detailing my car, so it's not all by hand. By hand is possible but is much more tedious and time consuming than if you get a DA polisher, if you are interested in researching them check out autogeek.net or you can PM me with questions, I am not an expert but I do have a few years of detailing experience under my belt.

 

Thanks everyone so far! I'm envious of your ability to go into such great "detail" with your detailing Fit4Spl. I'm w/o a garage or driveway here in Baltimore so I'll leave that to the experts. Hence why I'm getting it done professionally before the show. I'm more curious as to what products would be needed to shine it up 1 wash after the detail.

 

Autoglym and elbow grease

 

If you're just looking for a nice quick short term solution before the car show and you already plan on having the car fully detailed with a wash/clay bar/polish/wax then all you will need is a good wash before the show. When you get to the show, I strongly suggest giving the car a quick wipe down with some Meg's Quik Detailer and Meg's Quik Wax, both are spray and wipe products with stunning results that will give your coat that nice show car pop.

I love and only use Meg's products and if you're familiar with their line, I urge you to check out their online community at Meguiar's Online.

 

What he said ^^.

 

Thanks, I do use the quick detalier after every wash but get streaks sometimes. Maybe it's because I didn't get all the dirt off... I'll have to check out that link. I really appreciate it.

 

If the results of your personal detailing are deterring you from getting that show car shine on your own, I'd like to help you achieve the results you're looking for in the future. If you're ending up with streaks after your wash->wax you've still got some residue, likely wax, left on the car.

When applying wax, you want to apply thin coats. After applying a thin coat to the area you're working on, you'll want to let the wax absorb and begin the curing process. After a few minutes, you'll see the thin clear layer of wax has turned hazy. Wipe away the hazy excess wax with a clean microfiber. This process of wax, wait, wipe can be achieved continuously by working in small areas of the car. An example would be splitting the hood down the middle and applying wax to the left side first before moving onto the right side. By the time you've finished applying wax to the right side, the left side should be hazy and ready to wipe off. After you've waxed, waited, and wiped you're entire car, go in for "The Final Wipe" with a fresh, clean, microfiber towel and go over every inch, even if it looks wiped and free of residue. Ideally, the next step is to let the wax cure out of the elements for as close to 12 hours as possible. So, we're not perfect and we look at our work the next day and the clear coat has decided to reject some of our wax leaving some hazy residue. If you see a lot of residue, you're applying too much wax or too thick coats of wax and you're simply not wiping it all off. If the surface is clean, grab a clean microfiber and just wipe away the residue, fold the towel, then wipe again. If the surface has been sitting outside or has been driven, grab your quik detailer/quik wax and do a quick spot clean/wax. If you're ending up with streaks with your quik detailer/quik wax, you're either using a dirty microfiber, are wiping with uneven pressure and are missing spots.

I've been meaning to write a detailed (punny) DIY on the topic. Perhaps I should do so in the next few months.

Remember, the wax is only a sealant/protectant of your paint. It's the polishing stage of detailing that is making your paint shine. Wax applied to a poorly polished surface with swirls and scratches will look dull. Wax applied to a properly polished surface will make the color pop! Polishing is not anything that should be done regularly and/or overdone and most consumer auto wax has super mild abrasives that double as a polishing wax, leading people to think that the wax is the most important step in getting that shine.

Oh and, lastly, you have a black car... You can't hide a bad job on black paint so if/when you can achieve a show car shine on a black car, you're doing it right.

 

a must have during the show... california duster, quick detailer an clean microfiber towels

 

You should... Reading your post was like reading a romance novel... Almost R rated...
This guy's got a black car, so he knows what a good shine looks like and for sure has to love what he does...

 

You all are awesome + rep!

 

btw... Sonus Trim & Motor Kote

 

Great info...I'm a little confused by what you mean by "polish". Do you mean the act of applying wax, wait, wipe? Or do I actually need to use a mechanical polisher after the wax, wait, wipe?

 

Perfect! Just what I was looking for.

 

Actually most high end waxes, you do NOT wait till it hazes up. Ultimate Liquid Wax for example (although not ultra high end $24) you do NOT let it dry, you remove it with a microfiber cloth after you have completed the section you are working on. I usually work in 2-3 sq ft sections moving from top to bottom starting with the roof. If you venture into detailer grade polishes and waxes almost NONE of them require or recommend you wait till the wax is "dry" or hazed up.

I do agree the polishing stage is one of the most important, but honest every stage in detailing a car is important, because if you skimp on one part the rest will show.

If you were to start on your own, I would recommend Meguiar's products, of those available on a WIDE spread consumer base they are the best imo. Is there better? oh you bet there is but it gets pricey quick. If you have a solid foundation to work with (a car with no swirls/holograms/chips) then you can easily keep it up yourself with some good product and a simple orbital buffer.

I would suggest going to autogeek.net and check out the videos/tutorials on the site, also read their forums lots of info on there. I personally went a little much compared to most people as far as my recent purchases which includes;

7" sander/polisher
Megs G110v2 DA polisher
Wool bonet for the sander/polisher
3 stage polishing foam pads
lots of HIGH QUALITY MF towels, do NOT use the shit towels from walmart. (they had a sale of some nice towels $8 for 2 it was a BOGO great towels too)
My towels are sorted into Exterior Buff/Polish, Interior cleaning and General which are for whatever uses I need. I would never recommend using the same MF towel from cleaning your dash to buff off your wax
Megs #105
Megs Ultimate Compound
Megs Scratch X
Megs Color X
Megs Ultimate Polish
Megs Ultimate Liquid Wax
Megs M34 - sorta like a quick detailer but provides a deeper shine imo.
Megs Quick detailer - had this left over
Megs XT 2.0 Tech Wax - also left over (I prefer the Ult Liq to this)
Daytona Speed brush for wheels
Megs Aluminum safe wheel cleaner
Several specialty brushes for tight spots/interior
Tire Brush (only used on tires because of the silicone/etc in tire gels)
(3) 5 gallon buckets
2 Grit Guards - these keep dirt on the bottom of the bucket rather than in your wash mit/sponge
Lambs wool wash mit - IMO better than the microfiber wash mits
Absorber - synthetic car drying towel - better than any other drying towel/mit i have ever tried and they last forever the one I have now is 8 years old, costs like $10
My tire gel is from a local dealer and is no named, I am trying it out but I have a sample of Pinnacle's new tire gel and it's flat out awesome I may change to that.


I think that covers pretty much all of it, as you can see I have a ton of stuff, but I am also very into keeping my car clean and show shined all the time. However you can easily keep a car nice with around $100 worth of product/tools if you have it professionally detailed first so you have a base to work off of.

 

Polishing, in detailing, refers to removing tiny scratches from the paint's clear coat using a polishing compound.

If I were to be doing a full detail on my car, I would wash first, then clay bar, then polish, and finally wax. Washing the car gets rid of dust, dirt, pollen, and crud. Skipping the washing process, I end up rubbing gritty dirt/pollen/dust all over my clear (Ouch!). Clay barring is the process of removing surface-bonded funk that has actually become one with the clear coat. This process involves using a clay bar (a bar of specialized clay) and a lubricant and just going over the entire surface of the car getting rid of those pesky specks of pollen and tree sap that you thought would never wash off. Polishing is essentially the act of removing microns of your clear coat to bring the clear coat down to the layer of the swirl/scratch. Try not to over do the polish. Use the least agressive method first, a nice mild polishing compound, especially as you learn. Finally, you'll finish with the wax, sealing and protecting the surface.

A simple timeline for maintaining your paint:
Wash 3-4 times a month. Avoid automatic brush car washes to avoid swirl marks.
Polish as you see necessary.*
Clay bar 1-2 times a year as necessary.*
Wax every 1-3 months depending on how many coats and as you see necessary. *

*Do not Polish, Clay Bar, or Wax without first washing the car.

I detail on a budget. It is possible. It simply takes more time.

 

Great point! To the OP, get to know your products. Read the directions on the bottle! If you do go with Meguiar's, I know they have individual video tutorials on how to use each of their consumer level products.

 

So if you guys had to make a list of products to buy for under $100 what would you get? (Keep in mind that in Baltimore I do not have a driveway or garage so no electricity) I wash at a spray it yourself type place.

Also, do you think I should clay bar/polish it before I get it detailed professionall? I bought a groupon for the following "a complete auto detailing of your car that includes bug and tar removal, a wheel cleaning and tire dressing, meticulous washing of the entire vehicle, interior vacuum, interior scent application, and buff and wax"

 

That "professional detail" sounds like a typical wash/wax with vacuum. Which means they are not going to clay your car, which it probably needs if you have never done it, and then it will need a polish before doing a wax job. So it really doesn't sound like a detail to me sounds like a car wash. But if you have bought it already then there's nothing you can do unless they offer upgrades. If that is the case see if you can get them to claybar it and polish it before doing the rest.

As for what you could use to keep it nice, http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...-wax-anywhere/ is a new product that I have not used yet, however it is supposed to be a wash/wax anywhere. I've seen it in stores I think it's around $10 for a bottle. If you do have access to wash and dry your own vehicle then you can opt for this instead. http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...mate-quik-wax/ another product I have not tried personally but I have heard nothing but good about it. Again around $10 for this product. http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...ditioner-64oz/ is great for washing your car, this can be had at Target or Walmart for around $6-$8. After getting it washed and waxed this will be your keep it clean product in between washes, http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...detailertrade/ I also want you to understand that while this is perfect for between washes, you have to be careful, you need to inspect the car for any large stuck on debris or other large size contaminants before just randomly wiping it down.

And here are some towels you can get to use as well, last I checked these were around $15 for the 3 pack. http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...-towel-3-pack/ . Other items to look at, http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...-tire-cleaner/ to clean your wheels and tires. And after you have your rims and tires clean, http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...ce-tire-spray/ for your tires and here is a tip, goto a local autozone/pepboys and pick up some of the tire dressing foam applicators they are concave shaped and around $4 for two of them, they make putting on tire dressing less messy and quick.

Anyway, that is a basic basic list, all of this can be hand for less than $100 easily. There are literally TONS more you could do but this list was based on your telling me you don't have access to electrical or a garage.