DIY Detail: What to buy
 

I have car wash soap, wash mit and bucket

I plan to detail the exterior my main goal is just to bring the shine out a bit. make it like showroom condition if I could.
what supplies should I get and where should I get them from?

does supplies has to be from a specialized detail store
or does walmart and canadian tire caries a good detailing/polishing material. does walmart or crappy tire carries clay kit ?

the car is year 2004, the paint is still in pretty good shape I think, aside from the usual bumper / hood paint chipped and dings

I just read some detailing tips from mequiars website
do you guys suggest using clay or a good polish will be good enough to bring out some shine. Could I make it like showroom condition without clay?

Canadian tire has all the things you need.
If you really want to get a good DIY detailing job done, go for the clay. You'll get a lot of microscopic dirt out of your paint job that normal washing doesn't cover, and you won't be polishing and waxing over it.
Along with that, grab any polish and carnauba wax, or even a one step polish/wax. If you want to make life easier, get an orbital polisher.

Edit: Wash, clay, rinse, polish, wax!

Canadian Tire has sale on Autoglym stuff, which is better than Meguiar's/Mothers/Turtle Wax.

Go get the Custom Wheel Cleaner, Super Resin Polish, High Definition Wax for your cleaning/polishing products.

The Mother's Claybar kit is quite good, so is the Meguiar's - they're just overpriced.

If you really want good products for a good price, go see Ken @ Autowerkes in Maple Ridge. He'll hook you up and give you the best advice on how to use what where.

Showroom condition imo will require alot of work. Will you be doing this by hand?
I say if you're gonna detail it to get it to showroom condition, go all out. Wash, clay, cut polish for all your swirls, finishing polish again to burnish to a high gloss, then add your sealant or wax for protection.

I'd highly suggest buying a porter cable or something similar
Note: The price CAN add up

I've always wondered... For those porter cables, how often and what is the treatment/maintenance for the pad?

Give me a call and come by my shop in Maple Ridge. I'll get you all set up. As for the pads gearshifter, if you put your pads in a couple gallons of water with some APC for about 20 minutes right after using them, the polish residue should rinse out if you massage the pads under warm running water. Squeeze the excess water out and place velcro side up on a cooling rack or wire shelf until dry.:)

i was just going to say talk to 911, helped me out when i needed a bunch of cleaning stuff.

Ken, have you heard or gotten any feedback of the durability of the Chemical guys wet mirror finish sealant?

if you put together a reasonably priced starters kit for the entry level detailer, i'd be interested in learning what's in the kit and how much it costs.

If you don't here from me by Monday evening, pm me and remind me but thats a good idea. What would you want in the kit?

Great idea if you can pull this off. I am fed up of buying individuals products one at a time. Would be great if somebody like you who is experienced can put a package together that is decently priced to let us have some fun :thumbsup:

i'm really interested in getting a starter package from a pro, and get decent results

Are you guys talking just a starter wash kit or do you want clay and an LSP in there as well?

Wash. Clay. Wax. Drying towels ?
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I think you should sell 2 kits. One for simple DIY car wash/wax type of end-users. The other kit for people who want to achieve a show-quality finish on their cars in which you provide all the essentials and from there, allow them to mix & match.

Just my opinion though. Perhaps I complicated it more than necessary. :D

basic DIY kit for regular use:

soap
grit guard
wash mitt
wheel/tire cleaner
interior detailer
wheel brush
towels

then some other things to consider:

add to the above as an option:

a claybar/lube that offers good value for money
a wax/polish that can be applied easily by hand OR polisher and offers good value for money

personally, I could also use something that would be appropriate for washing a soft top, as well as an appropriate brush.

and also wondering if you had a recommendation on a good handheld vaccuum for cleaning the carpets.

-edit- I had glass cleaner in my list, but to be honest, the best glass cleaner period i've ever used is simple windex. i've used lots of cleaners, some claiming they are specifically designed for automotive glass. windex still does a better job. and it's cheap.

the cheap little small jobmate vaccum. Good enough for diy, its wet/dry too

good idea thanks