My father is a mechanic, and does some woodwork... but the appearance of a car is pretty close to irrelevant to him. Our total cleaning supplies are a half-empty gallon bottle of Turtle car soap covered in mildew because it has sat for so long, a rough bristle brush (wtf?), an old dish soap bucket, and a four year old tub of Turtle Wax. That's it.
My shopping list starts with general purpose stuff - plush and foam hand applicators.
Then I have bug and tar debris remover, a gallon of quick spray and wipe, a gallon of nice citrus cleaner, a grit guard, a serious sponge, a couple wool mitts, and a couple microfiber weave towels - this all for washing.
A clay bar, which will be used with the aforementioned gallon of spray and wipe to clay the car, cleaning everything off of it. Small section here I guess.
The big expense - the random orbit buffer, the backing pads, and the application pads. Together, these three items (which really, that means about 20 pads), come to over half the total cost of this.
The buffer is severely needed for polishing. And speaking of polishing, I've listed out a 1500 series (16oz) and 4000 series (32oz). My car has a lot of swirls in the paint, indicating previous poor car. I figure I'll need the 1500 for this first time, and afterwards, as long as I keep up on the maintenance, just the 4000 to touch it up. The polish smooths out the scuffs and makes the paint look pristine and glossy.
After that comes the sealant. I'm leaning towards Jet 109 over Wet Diamond, but either way, this can be done by hand, but is better done by buffer. It will provide a protective layer over the paint, and will last some 4-6 months. It does nothing to fix the swirls, indeed, it will seal them in. It adds a highly visually reflective layer.
Finally, the wax, which is more often done by hand, AFAIK. The wax I've picked is actually pretty cheap, a third of the price of some of the others, but that's okay, wax lasts 3-6 weeks, so it needs frequent reapplications. It adds a darker, wetter, and glossier look over the sealant, it protects better, but it fades off faster.
This doesn't even touch wheels, tires, glass, trim, or interior.
Then I have bug and tar debris remover, a gallon of quick spray and wipe, a gallon of nice citrus cleaner, a grit guard, a serious sponge, a couple wool mitts, and a couple microfiber weave towels - this all for washing.
A clay bar, which will be used with the aforementioned gallon of spray and wipe to clay the car, cleaning everything off of it. Small section here I guess.
The big expense - the random orbit buffer, the backing pads, and the application pads. Together, these three items (which really, that means about 20 pads), come to over half the total cost of this.
The buffer is severely needed for polishing. And speaking of polishing, I've listed out a 1500 series (16oz) and 4000 series (32oz). My car has a lot of swirls in the paint, indicating previous poor car. I figure I'll need the 1500 for this first time, and afterwards, as long as I keep up on the maintenance, just the 4000 to touch it up. The polish smooths out the scuffs and makes the paint look pristine and glossy.
After that comes the sealant. I'm leaning towards Jet 109 over Wet Diamond, but either way, this can be done by hand, but is better done by buffer. It will provide a protective layer over the paint, and will last some 4-6 months. It does nothing to fix the swirls, indeed, it will seal them in. It adds a highly visually reflective layer.
Finally, the wax, which is more often done by hand, AFAIK. The wax I've picked is actually pretty cheap, a third of the price of some of the others, but that's okay, wax lasts 3-6 weeks, so it needs frequent reapplications. It adds a darker, wetter, and glossier look over the sealant, it protects better, but it fades off faster.
This doesn't even touch wheels, tires, glass, trim, or interior.
But the short answer probably must be that all I can do is wash it and wax it, I don't have the money to do the rest of it right now. I'd guess by the time I get stuff for wheels, tires, glass, trim, and interior, it'll be pushing $1000, which is a major WTF.
Admittedly, the supplies and equipment purchased now will be sufficient for multiple years.
Admittedly, the supplies and equipment purchased now will be sufficient for multiple years.
eldorado99
Lifer
- Feb 16, 2004
- 36,324
- 3,163
- 126
So I'll end up considering a polish for spring. I'd like to buy a sealant and some hand applicators and do that now, after washing it. Yes, it'll just high gloss the swirls already in the paint, but at least it'll help protect anything further.
Either that, or in conjunction with that, I buy a nicer wax than Turtle Wax, and wash/wax every couple weeks through the winter. By the end of the winter, it'll have a ton of wax on it to help protect the paint from the misery of winter.
Either that, or in conjunction with that, I buy a nicer wax than Turtle Wax, and wash/wax every couple weeks through the winter. By the end of the winter, it'll have a ton of wax on it to help protect the paint from the misery of winter.
Or I suppose... well, the Turtle Wax can't actually hurt the paint, so I could just empty out the tub of that over the course of the winter.
In which case, I need a sponge and an applicator tomorrow, so I can begin wash and wax. And then wax. And wax again.
In which case, I need a sponge and an applicator tomorrow, so I can begin wash and wax. And then wax. And wax again.
And then come spring I'll figure out what I want to do with it. I have a long list of expenses I have in mind.
TOTAL EXPENSE LIST:
1) Blizzak WS-70 tires. $750. This does not account for any additional costs associated with TPMS.
2) HID retrofit. The easy way to do it is buying a second pair of headlight capsules to retrofit at my leisure. I could do this for as low as $300, or as steep as $600.
3) Valentine One mount. I haven't even figured out the how of this, cost perhaps $50 or less? It involves needing to patch in a power lead, rout some wires, and come up with a mount.
4) iPod/MP3 interface controller. This goes for $125.
5) Reverse slap shifter operation. Cost is $0.
6) Repair RR wheel curb rash. Cost of probably $50.
7) Possibly black out certain portions of the car. $0 (if nothing is done) up to $100 for sufficient supplies and types.
8) 45% window tint. This reduces final tint to 35%, the MA legal limit. Cost is about $200.
9) Overall detailing care - estimated to around $1000.
10) Summer tires - involves new wheels, might involve TPMS, and new tires. This is probably $1200 to $1500.
:awe:
1) Blizzak WS-70 tires. $750. This does not account for any additional costs associated with TPMS.
2) HID retrofit. The easy way to do it is buying a second pair of headlight capsules to retrofit at my leisure. I could do this for as low as $300, or as steep as $600.
3) Valentine One mount. I haven't even figured out the how of this, cost perhaps $50 or less? It involves needing to patch in a power lead, rout some wires, and come up with a mount.
4) iPod/MP3 interface controller. This goes for $125.
5) Reverse slap shifter operation. Cost is $0.
6) Repair RR wheel curb rash. Cost of probably $50.
7) Possibly black out certain portions of the car. $0 (if nothing is done) up to $100 for sufficient supplies and types.
8) 45% window tint. This reduces final tint to 35%, the MA legal limit. Cost is about $200.
9) Overall detailing care - estimated to around $1000.
10) Summer tires - involves new wheels, might involve TPMS, and new tires. This is probably $1200 to $1500.
:awe:
1 - tires last about three years.
2 - do it once and it's done.
3 - do it once and it's done.
4 - do it once and it's done.
5 - do it once and it's done.
6 - unless I hit another curb, which is unlikely (I've hit about three curbs in my entire time driving), it's a one and done, but the supplies involved will remain viable and useful for further.
7 - I could go back and black further parts, but the supplies will again be sufficient to do more parts.
8 - do it once and it's done.
9 - the supplies will last for years. The ongoing costs for replacing worn pads or the occasional depleted item is probably $100/year.
10 - tires will last about three years.
2 - do it once and it's done.
3 - do it once and it's done.
4 - do it once and it's done.
5 - do it once and it's done.
6 - unless I hit another curb, which is unlikely (I've hit about three curbs in my entire time driving), it's a one and done, but the supplies involved will remain viable and useful for further.
7 - I could go back and black further parts, but the supplies will again be sufficient to do more parts.
8 - do it once and it's done.
9 - the supplies will last for years. The ongoing costs for replacing worn pads or the occasional depleted item is probably $100/year.
10 - tires will last about three years.
So the recurring theme is that this is predominantly one time expenditures.
Yes, collectively, it's quite expensive, but in the long-run, it'll all stick around.
Tires will become $750/3yrs and $800/3yrs. Care supplies will run $100/year. That's it, everything else is a once and done.
Yes, collectively, it's quite expensive, but in the long-run, it'll all stick around.
Tires will become $750/3yrs and $800/3yrs. Care supplies will run $100/year. That's it, everything else is a once and done.
In an unrelated note, I've had two power failures at the house recently, one was just for a few seconds, long enough to wake my phone up in the middle of the night to full-bright (it charges every night on my nightstand), the other was longer during the day, enough to kill the router.
In both cases, the UPS on the server had enough battery life that the server was not auto-shutdown, and was perfectly content when I got home.
In both cases, the UPS on the server had enough battery life that the server was not auto-shutdown, and was perfectly content when I got home.
Oh, and again, I'm not looking for criticism at the idea of "you're a student you don't have money to spend".
I'll take criticism on the idea that summer tires are unnecessary, I have functional A/S tires, or that a buffer is ridiculous, or...
You get the idea. :awe:
I'll take criticism on the idea that summer tires are unnecessary, I have functional A/S tires, or that a buffer is ridiculous, or...
You get the idea. :awe:
As for summer tires, it seems it will be 245/45R18, due to the far wider selection at that size than the more perfectly fitted 235/45R18. And the tires will probably end up being something besides Star Specs, because those are just such expensive tires.
Cheap max performance: $145/ea for Hankook Ventus V12.
Great max performance: $178/ea for Dunlop Sport Maxx TT.
Great extreme performance: $214/ea for Dunlop Star Specs.
The Star Specs are what I want. Theoretically, they yield a bit on wet traction in favor of dry, in practice, they're supposedly about as good as the maxes.
The Hankooks give up quite a bit in testing to the TT's, which makes me think the TT's are better... but those are $120 more for the four. And if I go that far, why not go all the way and get the Star Specs? :hmm:
Great max performance: $178/ea for Dunlop Sport Maxx TT.
Great extreme performance: $214/ea for Dunlop Star Specs.
The Star Specs are what I want. Theoretically, they yield a bit on wet traction in favor of dry, in practice, they're supposedly about as good as the maxes.
The Hankooks give up quite a bit in testing to the TT's, which makes me think the TT's are better... but those are $120 more for the four. And if I go that far, why not go all the way and get the Star Specs? :hmm:
Okay, okay, forget summers for a bit.
Winter!
X-Ice2 testing results seem to put it notably behind the WS-70, more subjective results indicate it gives up some snow ability in favor of clear road manners. I'm still a bit indecisive there.
Winter!
X-Ice2 testing results seem to put it notably behind the WS-70, more subjective results indicate it gives up some snow ability in favor of clear road manners. I'm still a bit indecisive there.
Public transportation is a whole lot easier.
I've been over this, I'm not going over it again.
Rubycon
Madame President
- Aug 10, 2005
- 17,768
- 485
- 126
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