Smackdn775

What are some of the tools used to apply all these ingredients on the vehicle? If I dropped all that money on all those products and then had to purchase another several hundred dollars on equipment the wife would have a cow. What are some good products that can be applied by hand?

chickenwire

Wax and sealer can be applied by hand, just takes a little longer and makes the muscles a little sore (if you're in the kind of shape I'm in, anyway!)

Polishes need the energy of a dual action buffer but you don't have to break the bank for one of those and the pads. Check out autogeek.net

Merlin

If you're looking to get started in the polishing arena you may wish to "start out" inexpensive.

There are a few Dual Action (DA) machines.



MACHINES:

The Harbor Freight 6" DA polisher is not a bad machine (get the extra warranty) $
The next step up is the Griot's Garage 6" DA Polisher (lifetime warranty) $$
Then you can go from there to a Rupes Mark II 21 (long throw) etc. $$$
With all of these machines I prefer a 5" backing plate for cutting & polishing control.
For the top two I recommend the Meguiars Soft Buff DBP5 DA Polisher 5" Backing Plate
(Rupes makes a "special" proprietary 5" backing plate)

PADS:

Compounding
Carpro 5" Flash Pad
Meguiars DMC5 DA Microfiber Cutting Discs, 5 inches

Polishing
Carpro 5" Gloss Pad
Scholl Concepts 5 1/2" Finishing - Neo Spider Pad "Honey"

General Pads
Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Pads 6 Pack
2) Orange
2) White
1) Black
1) Blue
or
Lake Country Hydro-Tech 5 1/2 x 7/8 Inch Foam Pads 3 Pack
1) Cyan
1) Tangerine
1) Crimson

COMPOUNDS & POLISHES:

I might suggest "consumer" products to start learning how this all works.
1) Meguiars Ultimate Compound
1) Meguiars Ultimate Polish
These are two over-the-counter (fairly safe) products that produce good results.

For minor swirl removal I might suggest...D300 with the Megs microfiber discs
1) Meguiars D300 DA Microfiber Correction Compound 16 oz.

Compound first to remove swirls (paint correction)
Polish second for clarity and improve gloss & shine.

CAUTION:

Polishing paint can be habit forming...be careful you don't get "addicted to the shine".


For that "extra" final Kick-it-up-a-notch polish I might suggest using Carpro Essence.

TuxBlackFX4

Lots of good info here. I would say though, that probably the best beginner polisher to be the cyclo. Zero vibration, great results. Sealant and waxes by hand is easy, and you can even be pretty effective with light polishing (but it'll work your *** off).

Zunos

To 1

pilotpip

I just got my truck a couple weeks ago. The paint is pretty good but I would like to get a sealant on it before winter. Between the short days, and a my 7 month old daughter I don't have a ton of free time to put the effort in right now. Next spring I'll do it right including correction (which means purchasing a DA polisher), then sealant. How are griots garage's products? I have a 13 screw in dark blue metallic.

Autogeek's site has been a good resource too, haven't posted there yet but seems like a friendly group ready to help a newbie. Just when you think you have an obsession, some of those guys take it to another level.

Smackdn775

I just bought my truck a month ago and am a newb at all this sealing and waxing business. I washed, dried, clayed, washed again, dried and sealed with colinite 845 all by hand in about 6 hours. Not too bad other than the wife getting on my case for taking so long outside. Told her to hook me up with a DA to make things go quicker!

pilotpip

What color is your new ride? I was asking about other products because I've heard the colinite doesn't make the dark paint pop as much. This is my first dark paint on a vehicle in a very long time and it's getting something better/easier to work with than turtle wax!

Cody4359

I claybarred and use griots garage paint sealer last year when the truck was new. Very easy to apply and remove, very good at shedding water and road tar washed off with normal washing. I would say I got 6+ months of good protection. There are a few pics in my thread. I ended up tossing it or losing it because I kept getting it mixed up with the leather treatment or vice versa.


Yesterday and today I applied klasse all in one and high gloss polish. Maybe I applied it wrong but after about 10 miles of driving yesterday and rewashing today I had a bunch of tar and it was a little stubborn to get off. Got it all cleaned up and topped it off with collnite 845. Well see how long this stuff lasts, but I'm pretty positive I'm going back to griots paint sealer

chickenwire

There is a Collinite product that is intended for dark vehicles - search the forum and you'll find a thread dedicated to Collinite. That being said, many members claim the 845 works just fine on their darker paints.