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autogeek.net's going to make me t3h brokes! :(

QueBert

QueBert

Lifer
After getting my new used car last week I decided I'd step up from the Target/Walmart car cleaning sh*t I've always bought before. I was looking for a nozzle with a soap, err car shampoo dispenser and stumbled upon autogeek.net, so I ordered it. 1 order lead to another lead to another and now I pretty much have enough sh*t coming to start a mobile detailing business. I went way overboard, and the sad thing is there are still a few products I'm pondering buying lol.

At the rate by the end of the month I'll have spend more on this damn site than my car payment is.
 
Decent hose end is like 5-10 bucks. The ones from the parts store work fine. Add a bucket, a mitt, a jug of car wash (meguiars deep crystal is everywhere and works well), and something to dry with (personal preference there).

Done. I dunno what else you'd spend stuff on besides some stuff for the tires and interior surfaces. Personally, I prefer to have neither, and just scrub the wheels and tires as a last step during a wash, and dust off the interior. Bing bang boom.

I cleaned my car up for the first time in a long while last week, and got compliments on the orange-peely factory paint that was waxed at least a year ago. It would appear that NXT + Deep Crystal are slightly magical...I must admit, it does look decent.

Then again, I did buy a grey/silver car for a reason. My Mazda's dark-ish color has a bit of a lovely 'liquid metal' thing going on when it's shiny and clean, but doesn't hide dirt like my previous 'bright silver' Nissan (RIP). Conversely, the Nissan also wasn't gonna wow anyone with a good wash and wax. The important part is that any metallic grey, plus your golds and other common desaturated metallic shades...they don't show scratches, swirls and whatnot. Great cars for lazy people.

I didn't catch what color your roadster is...they seemed to be overwhelmingly black. If yours is indeed black...well, go with god. And take Ganesha and Buddha and some dudes along, as well. You will need them to concentrate their powers on your inevitable swirl marks.
 
a bucket with grit guard, plush microfiber towels, leather cleaner and conditioner. rim cleaner, tire cleaner, Carnauba wax, a vacuum that plugs into the cigarette lighter. a glass cleaning kit, a convertible top cleaning kit. Some other various things too

and a plush seat for the 5 gallon bucket so I can sit on it while I detail the rims lol.

My car's silver, so it'll be real easy to keep it looking good. A bud says with silver I shouldn't worry with buying a buffer for waxing. But hand waxing sucks and the shine's never that great.

As for your drying with, I saw something stupidly overkill but it caught my eye. I don't mind the washing part, but drying always annoys me for some reason.

http://www.autogeek.net/metro-blaster-sidekick.html

I'll probably still need to use a towel here and there but hopefully that'll take care of 98% of the drying.

Oh yeah and a GFCI extention cord so I don't fry myself or whatever.
 
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My car has a lovely dark blue/black paint that almost changes colors in the sun and is absolutely stunning when it's all nice and clean. But it's dark, so the front end is basically filthy by the time I'm rinsing the back. I think I've had my car perfectly clean for about 10 minutes once.
 
nerp said:
My car has a lovely dark blue/black paint that almost changes colors in the sun and is absolutely stunning when it's all nice and clean. But it's dark, so the front end is basically filthy by the time I'm rinsing the back. I think I've had my car perfectly clean for about 10 minutes once.
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Are you washing it in the sun?
 
I know what you mean. I spent $250 a few weeks ago and then spent 5 hours last weekend detailing the car.
 
Why do I always get a feeling that the dudes that get hardons from washing/detailing cars can neither drive or turn a wrench? I hosed the porsche down for the first time in like 2 months at a local DIY car wash; can't think of more annoying activity on the weekend.
 
halik said:
Why do I always get a feeling that the dudes that get hardons from washing/detailing cars can neither drive or turn a wrench? I hosed the porsche down for the first time in like 2 months at a local DIY car wash; can't think of more annoying activity on the weekend.
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I think that's not a fair generalization. Taking care of the paint is just as important as doing an oil change. Why not let a $70k get some attention at being clean and shiny?
 
@%&^@%&!)$&)!&%!!!

Every time I get the itch to wash and wax my car, I'm sadly reminded of the dozens of acorn dents all over it. 🙁 I almost despise my car now.
 
QueBert said:
Ordering the wax soon, I have to figure out which pads to get and which buffer *sigh* I'll be getting the headlight stuff shortly
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Just get a Porter cable DA, get some Meguiars 105 and some Lake Country cutting pads. If money isnt a huge issue, then look into Flex polishers.
 
KentState said:
I think that's not a fair generalization. Taking care of the paint is just as important as doing an oil change. Why not let a $70k get some attention at being clean and shiny?
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I take care of my paint. I wax once a year. Sometimes, between those ~12 month periods, I even wash it.

There is no need to wash your car once a week with expensive products. And water still beads after a year of very little washing. If anything, you're just generating more work for yourself by rubbing your wax back off with constant hand washes.
 
phucheneh said:
I take care of my paint. I wax once a year. Sometimes, between those ~12 month periods, I even wash it.

There is no need to wash your car once a week with expensive products. And water still beads after a year of very little washing. If anything, you're just generating more work for yourself by rubbing your wax back off with constant hand washes.
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I have been in the detailing business since 1989. I cant disagree with you any more. Here in California, there is no way a wax will last and properly protect the paint for a year. 1 good rain storm and wax is gone, there is too much stuff in the atmosphere that strips wax. Acid rain will attach to the paint too quickly, along with the paint being open to bird droppings going right through the clear coat etc. Even freshly waxed cars can take damage from bird droppings, the stomach acid is stronger than the wax.
 
You need better wax. Do you use the 'detail shop special'? The stuff that wipes off super easy but does nothing except make the car shiny for a little while?

I can go hit my car with the hose and take pictures of the water beads, if you'd like. You can still feel the wax on it. And I think it's been OVER a year.

This is ignoring the fact that what is likely a majority of people never wax their cars. Ever. They don't even know they're supposed to. 'Yeah, it gets wax sprayed on it at the car wash!'

Obviously I don't advise people to not wax their cars. More saying that you seem to be stuck in the enamel paint days. Or the subsequent 'hey we discovered clearcoat, but holy crap are we terrible at it' period. But nowadays, newer cars withstand the abuse a hell of a lot better. And to add to that, there are modern products that are a hell of a lot more useful than carnuba wax.
 
phucheneh said:
You need better wax. Do you use the 'detail shop special'? The stuff that wipes off super easy but does nothing except make the car shiny for a little while?

I can go hit my car with the hose and take pictures of the water beads, if you'd like. You can still feel the wax on it. And I think it's been OVER a year.

This is ignoring the fact that what is likely a majority of people never wax their cars. Ever. They don't even know they're supposed to. 'Yeah, it gets wax sprayed on it at the car wash!'

Obviously I don't advise people to not wax their cars. More saying that you seem to be stuck in the enamel paint days. Or the subsequent 'hey we discovered clearcoat, but holy crap are we terrible at it' period. But nowadays, newer cars withstand the abuse a hell of a lot better. And to add to that, there are modern products that are a hell of a lot more useful than carnuba wax.
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Trust me, I know what I am doing. I use hand blended Caraunba paste waxes. Your car is not protected after a year, I don't care how much the water beads. I can wipe your car with body solvent, then hit it with water and watch it bead. There are also levels of beading, with proper paint correction and quality wax, the car can be washed and dried without a towel because using a blower or even driving the car will push the water off. The top detailers in the world, like Paul Dalton, do the same kind of correction and waxing that I do. Go check out Miracle Detail on youtube, some killer stuff to look at.
 
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Here are some of my clients cars. None of these would look like this being waxed once a year.

Water beading


2007 Cayenne


2003 BMW Z8
 
I really don't care to argue back and forth about it, but I have to point out:

1) I never said anything about super-duper-prettiness. Just that once a year was fine for protecting a modern finish. And the majority of cars get far less.

2) Carnauba wax sucks. Sorry, it has no place on a daily driver unless someone REALLY likes the masturbation of car cleaning...but they ARE easy to apply and make the car shiny, I guess.
 
Is there a good store to order from online that's in Cali or somewhere closer? I'm use to Newegg where I ordered it Monday morning and typically have it the next day. I found 5 sites with pretty much the same selection as Autogeek, but they were all in Florida too. Ordered something 2 days ago not going to get it until the 5th 🙁 Autogeek does offer 3 day shipping but it ain't cheap.
 
phucheneh said:
I really don't care to argue back and forth about it, but I have to point out:

1) I never said anything about super-duper-prettiness. Just that once a year was fine for protecting a modern finish. And the majority of cars get far less.

2) Carnauba wax sucks. Sorry, it has no place on a daily driver unless someone REALLY likes the masturbation of car cleaning...but they ARE easy to apply and make the car shiny, I guess.
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Once a year is not enough for long-term paint protection, 'prettiness' aside.

A lot of this depends on where you live... Heat, salt, the environment can affect wax and paint quite a bit.
 
QueBert said:
Is there a good store to order from online that's in Cali or somewhere closer? I'm use to Newegg where I ordered it Monday morning and typically have it the next day. I found 5 sites with pretty much the same selection as Autogeek, but they were all in Florida too. Ordered something 2 days ago not going to get it until the 5th 🙁 Autogeek does offer 3 day shipping but it ain't cheap.
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http://detailing.com/store/
 
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