Help: Advise for Selecting Correct Pkg of Poorboy's Products

[tenorplayer23]

FIRST, SORRY FOR THE LOG POST - PLEASE INDULGE MY QUESTION(S) THX,

I'm relatively new to the "detailed-detailing" processes and products
that I have been learning about. I have used OTC products by hand in the past and haven't yet used a DA polisher. But, I have watched a lot of videos, read whole lot on websites (here & others) and chatted back and forth with forum members in various places to get up to speed.

I'd like to improve my processes/techniques plus upgrade my products and at the same time, do so efficiency time-wise, as well as, economically.

After reading/studying all this information information, I know the steps and have an idea about what I need, but not sure of the "brand" & quantities, to start. Have kicked things around w/folks, and some have recommended Poorboy's staunchly!

I basically need the "works" type of starter kit, from end-to-end, outside & in.

(FYI, I have two cars: '08 Chev. Impala (Bright Red) and an '03 Chev. Corvette (Millennium Yellow - a real cream puff) - always bright cars for me. The Impala sees all the elements here in NY State and is my DD. It needs more than the Corvette to improve. The Corvette I pamper and it spends a lot of time in the garage. I think the paint is in pretty good shape, but I'm not sure how good it could look. Plus, I take care of a couple of others once in a while, one black and one white. But the Impala and Corvette are the most important.)

I know the detailing process to be the followed & need a recommendation about what products & how much I should buy initially for my two cars.

PB's is a complete line that I have looked through, but would like you guys on the PB forum to advise me on what specific products I should use for the cars & improved process I mentioned above.

A couple of other thoughts:

> I'd prefer US made products, if it makes sense AND to make it even simpler, if there is one brand that has all of the good components, it might be easier to buy all one brand. Just an idea - not sure if that's good or not. PB is USA & pretty complete! Great!

> Many lines have been mentioned to me, each with their own capabilies, marketing spin and best products. If it makes sense to pick and choose from several brands, then perhaps that's a better solution.....but opinions are welcome. There are so many with so many claims/at different price points.

So I need stuff for:

WASHING AND DRYING:

>>> Getting a Gilmour Foam Master Gun
>>> Getting 2 Red Grit Guards (I have the 5 gallon buckets & lids)
>>> Could use 2 better synthetic wash mitts
>>> Need 1 Car Wash Liquid for good suds
>>> Need 1 Tar/Bug Remover & cleaner
>>> Might buy some bucket dolly(ies) (one/two bucket dolly)
>>> Need MF towels for drying (type/quantity recommendation would be good) - many at AG and other places to choose from, too


CLAYING:

>>> Clay bar(s), not sure how much & brand?
>>> Lubricant/detailer liquid spray, at least 1 spray bottle worth PLUS 1-extra gallon because you use so much?? WHAT IS RECOMMENDED PRODUCT FOR POORBOY CLAY LUBE?

DA POLISHER, PADS AND POLISHING PRODUCTS:

>>> DA Polisher: I think 1 Porter Cable 7424XP Kit with correct counter
weights/accessories (lots of people say get a Flex, but I've never touched a DA, so, I think we'll start with PC for ease, safety to the paint and price)

>>> Pads & Backing Plate: Lake Pads/CCS; 4 each of Orange, White,
Gray, Blue & Red in both 4" dia. and 6.5" dia. PLUS appropriate backing plates (5" each for 6.5" dia. pads and 3.5" for smaler 4" dia. pads).

Are these the best diameters and quantities? for my two car needs?

>>> PLUS, 1 each Pad cleaners/conditioners to keep them good.

>>> Polishing Products: (I am least comfortable here. Need something for swirl removal and then final polishing, right, depending on the car and what the condition of paint is??)

> Not sure if this is 2 or 3 products or one All-In-One or a mix if need be,

> So amoung the SSR3, 2.5, 2, 1, Polish, etc.????? Have to have good recommendation for a set, up front (I assume a small bottle of each to start)
>>> 1 Swirl Removing Product
>>> 1 or 2 Fine Polishing Product
>>> 1 Pre-Wax Prep Product (?)
>>> or 1 AIO product?

SEALANT, WAX, SPRAY WAX/GLAZE AND QUICK DETAILER

>>> I think I would prefer a sealant and then have the option of waxing on top of it for better results
>>> So, 1 pre-wax preparation product
>>> 1 sealant
>>> 1 optional wax to put on it
>>> 1 Quick Detailer/Lubricant (as above for claying) and quick detail , drying & clean-ups in between washes
>>> 1 Spray Wax or Glaze for between full detail jobs (wax/sealant applications)
>>> A few applicators to apply wax/sealant products of choice (in addition to machine pads above)

>>> MF towels to remove wax and polish (which ones, how many)
>>> MF towels to buff sealants & apply/buff/cleanup with quick detailers (which ones, how many)

WHEELS/TIRES

>>> 1 wheel cleaner (assume wheels are waxed/sealed with same product above?)
>>> 1 tire cleaner
>>> 1 tire shine and protectant product (new looking finish/shiny)

INTERIOR AND GLASS

>>> 1 vinyl cleaner & protectant for dash, doors, etc. Natural looking; NOT SHINY
>>> 1 Leather Cleaner and Conditioner for seats. Natural Looking; NOT SHINY LOOK
>>> Glass (I have Stoners Invisible glass and wand, so I am OK. Is PB's better??)
>>> MF towels for interior/glass (which ones, how many?)

MY CLEAR CORVETTE ROOF

>>> 1 "something" to clean and protect my clear Plexiglas roof properly
(whatever it is.....should I use the exterior sealant chosen above OR a product like Plexus?

ANY INPUT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE FOR ME WOULD BE TERRIFIC, BASED ON YOU USE EXPERIENCE. I PUT TOGETHER A STRAW MAN LIST, PROCESS WISE ABOVE, SO I'D APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK RELATIVE TO THE STEPS & THE PB'S PRODUCTS NEEDED. :?:

Thanks very much in advance for your help.

Hope to hear a lot shortly.

See ya.

Bob

 

[BigLeegr]

Re: Help: Advise for Selecting Correct Pkg of Poorboy's Prod

WASHING AND DRYING:

>>> Getting a Gilmour Foam Master Gun
>>> Getting 2 Red Grit Guards (I have the 5 gallon buckets & lids)
>>> Could use 2 better synthetic wash mitts
>>> Need 1 Car Wash Liquid for good suds
>>> Need 1 Tar/Bug Remover & cleaner
>>> Might buy some bucket dolly(ies) (one/two bucket dolly)
>>> Need MF towels for drying (type/quantity recommendation would be good) - many at AG and other places to choose from, too

Foam guns can be found at Detailcity and AutoGeek
Gritguards, dollies and mitts can be found here, DC and AG.
Soap recommendations would be SS+S and SS+W (obviously)
Tar remover would be Bug Squash
For drying, I use a plush towel although many prefer a waffle weave.

CLAYING:
>>> Clay bar(s), not sure how much & brand?
>>> Lubricant/detailer liquid spray, at least 1 spray bottle worth PLUS 1-extra gallon because you use so much?? WHAT IS RECOMMENDED PRODUCT FOR POORBOY CLAY LUBE?

I would say you would go through at least 1 bar per car if you haven't ever clayed them before. Make sure you cut them into 3 pieces before you use them, as if/when you drop it on the ground, it's finished. You don't want to be using that on your paint anymore.
Recommended lube is Spray and Wipe. You wouldn't need a whole gallon to clay your car, but S+W is a great product so a gallon isn't beyond likelyhood of using up.

DA POLISHER, PADS AND POLISHING PRODUCTS:
>>> DA Polisher: I think 1 Porter Cable 7424XP Kit
>>> Pads & Backing Plate: Lake Pads/CCS; 4 each of Orange, White,
Gray, Blue & Red in both 4" dia. and 6.5" dia. PLUS appropriate backing plates (5" each for 6.5" dia. pads and 3.5" for smaler 4" dia. pads).
Are these the best diameters and quantities? for my two car needs?

That should def. get you going! (Although I'm thinking you may not need as many of the blue and red pads, as you don't use them as hard or as fast, so they'll likely last longer.)

>>> Polishing Products: (I am least comfortable here. Need something for swirl removal and then final polishing, right, depending on the car and what the condition of paint is??)
> Not sure if this is 2 or 3 products or one All-In-One or a mix if need be,
> So amoung the SSR3, 2.5, 2, 1, Polish, etc.????? Have to have good recommendation for a set, up front (I assume a small bottle of each to start)
>>> 1 Swirl Removing Product
>>> 1 or 2 Fine Polishing Product
>>> 1 Pre-Wax Prep Product (?)
>>> or 1 AIO product?

For swirl removal you'd need SSR2.5 with an orange pad, most likely. Then you'd need to follow it up with either SSR2 or 1. SSR1 shouldn't be used with anything stronger than a polishing pad, so if you don't think you can finish down the 2.5 well enough, you may want to err on the side of caution and get SSR2 as well and do an extra step.
The "pre-wax" product here would be the SSR's. If you wanted another for a later detail, you could use ProPolish or an AIO. The AIO's are PwS and the PwC products. Which you choose would be dependant on your preference of looks (sealant vs. carnauba).

SEALANT, WAX, SPRAY WAX/GLAZE AND QUICK DETAILER
>>> I think I would prefer a sealant and then have the option of waxing on top of it for better results
>>> So, 1 pre-wax preparation product
>>> 1 sealant
>>> 1 optional wax to put on it
>>> 1 Quick Detailer/Lubricant (as above for claying) and quick detail , drying & clean-ups in between washes
>>> 1 Spray Wax or Glaze for between full detail jobs (wax/sealant applications)

Again, if you had already done the "deep" detailing before and were just "topping up" your sealant, you may not need much pre-wax prep. If you were in a rush, an AIO would do some cleaning as well as leave some protection. If you had time for multiple steps, try PP and you sealant (EX or EX-P depending on your preference of looks).
As for the wax, people seem to like the Natty's red for all colors, white for light and blue for darker.
QD-Spray and Gloss for a drying aid, QD+ for a booster and S+W for cleaning between washes. QW+ would be the spray wax for between wax touchups.

>>> MF towels to remove wax and polish (which ones, how many)
>>> MF towels to buff sealants & apply/buff/cleanup with quick detailers (which ones, how many)

You can never have too many! I use different ones depending on my mood. Go for an assortment pack and see which ones you like best. Typicallly the cheaper ones aren't as "enjoyable" to work with.

WHEELS/TIRES
>>> 1 wheel cleaner (assume wheels are waxed/sealed with same product above?)
>>> 1 tire cleaner
>>> 1 tire shine and protectant product (new looking finish/shiny)

Cleaner can be Spray and Rinse or APC. I don't use S+R because my wheels don't get that bad. Bold N Bright is a combo cleaner and protectant. If it's too shiny, just wipe it before it dries and you can matte it down.

INTERIOR AND GLASS
>>> 1 vinyl cleaner & protectant for dash, doors, etc. Natural looking; NOT SHINY
>>> 1 Leather Cleaner and Conditioner for seats. Natural Looking; NOT SHINY LOOK
>>> Glass (I have Stoners Invisible glass and wand, so I am OK. Is PB's better??)
>>> MF towels for interior/glass (which ones, how many?)

Natural Look for the vinyl. Wipe it to get the level of shine you like. (not very shiny to begin with, though.) Leather Stuff for leather (Again, not really shiny) Glass you can use either S+W (even diluted a bit) or diluted APC. ( I think the APC was something like 300:1, but I can't remember right now (I mixed it up soooo long ago, and a bottle lasts quite a while. )

MY CLEAR CORVETTE ROOF

>>> 1 "something" to clean and protect my clear Plexiglas roof properly
(whatever it is.....should I use the exterior sealant chosen above OR a product like Plexus?

This, I'm not too sure of. Steve should have a better idea. Good Luck!

 

[tenorplayer23]

Big Leeger: Thx. very much for the detailed reply (so to speak) .

If there are anymore opinions re: best product per my application or any comparative info vs. all the other brands with some PB +/-'s, that would also be helpful. I've seen so much out there brandwise, it's difficult to get a factual reading on how much difference there really is between products &/or how much spin has been applied.

Some things that have popped up, for instance:

> XXXXX popularity for polishing/finishing (especially for Corvettes).......does it matter much? How's PB compare?

> Corvette forum members have a great passion for XXXXX. It must be pretty good, but looks awfully "complicated", not that you can't learn the system, but that the # of steps for optimal results seems excessive........ How's PB compare?

> Then, of course, the sealant vs. carnauba preference discussion. At least I have a direction. I'll take sealant & its shine characteristics & add some wax in order to get durability.

Anyway,end me your opinions on my app. req'ts & product compare. Love to hear them. :smt102

Thx.

See ya.

 

[ronkh]

IMHO

xxxxxx polishes were not really made to be used with a r/a. So you won't get the working time needed for a r/a.

As far as xxxxx is concerned. It is more of a cult with users.
I don't know about you, but when I work on my cars I don't want to have to play chemist as well. I'd rather spend my time making my cars look great !!

if you want to see the PB looks, check the weekend detailing thread. Mostly the last few pages. They contain a bunch of pics of people using PB products. With everything from a rotary, to a d/o.

I am not a pro. I'm just an owner who has a compulsion to keep my cars good looking.

I personally like the look of wax over sealant. The sealant gives a clear shine. Wax adds the look of depth, warmth and shimmer/wet look.

 

[BigLeegr]

Then, of course, the sealant vs. carnauba preference discussion. At least I have a direction. I'll take sealant & its shine characteristics & add some wax in order to get durability.

Actually, sealants are typically more durable than waxes. You would add wax to get more gloss and "warmth."

 

[tenorplayer23]

Thx for the input.

BTW, can you tell me what your abbreviations (r/a & d/o) stand for? I'm used to DA-dual action or random orbital for a Porter Cable, for instance & the term Rotary or circular polisher/buffer (not something I'm going to be trying any time soon).

Also, any perspective on the durability of the EXP sealant for my daily driven Impala (I assume it would last ~ a long time on the vette)?

Thx again.

See ya.

IMHO

xxxxxx polishes were not really made to be used with a r/a. So you won't get the working time needed for a r/a.

As far as xxxx is concerned. It is more of a cult with users.
I don't know about you, but when I work on my cars I don't want to have to play chemist as well. I'd rather spend my time making my cars look great !!

if you want to see the PB looks, check the weekend detailing thread. Mostly the last few pages. They contain a bunch of pics of people using PB products. With everything from a rotary, to a d/o.

I am not a pro. I'm just an owner who has a compulsion to keep my cars good looking.

I personally like the look of wax over sealant. The sealant gives a clear shine. Wax adds the look of depth, warmth and shimmer/wet look.

 

[ronkh]

Hmmmm, musta miss typed. I meant d/a.(dual action)

2 coats of ex-p and a few coats of wax get me through a CT winter with numerous trips to Rochester every
year. As I said, I love to layer a wax over sealant.