mc2hill

Welcome Joey!

Welcome Jeremy!

Welcome Nick!

Welcome Kevin! Love you cars, especially the Camaro - great stance on that one. If you are just looking for 'beauty' products for that one, try Brilliant Glaze, topped with Americana. This is what I use the garage queens I detail and it gives a great shine.

Welcome Marc!

Welcome Sean. I really like both your rides!

@JakeRogue First off, Welcome to Adam's Forums! I am with @ResJudicata, try the Rinseless Wash next. It is dilutable, and you can make up your own waterless wash, clay lube, or use it in a bucket for the wash. It only take 3.5 gallons of water to do a rinseless wash, and can be done anywhere (I did my friends 1912 race in an airplane hanger, just before it was the center piece at a DuPont Registry event). Fill one bucket with 2.5 gallons of water and add 1 ounce of Rinseless Wash (the wash bucket), and in a 2nd bucket place the Grit Guard and the remaining gallon of water (enough to just cover the Grit Guard) to use as your rinse bucket. Now wash away! Another way to do it is the 'bucket of towels' method. Just use one bucket with 2.5 gallons of water + 1 ounce of Rinseless Wash, and place 6-8 plush MF towels. Squeeze the towels so they are soaked with RW, fold the towel into 4's and wipe the car with a clean towel section. Just be sure to only clean a small sections, then move to a clean section of the towel. For both methods, after cleaning a panel or 2 (e.g. both doors on one side) wipe with a towel dampened in the RW wash bucket (squeeze it out so it is slightly damp) to remove excess solution, spritz with Detail Spray, and wipe dry with you favorite drying towel.

First off Welcome to Adam's Forums! I cannot help with #2, but the answer to #1 is Yes! You do not have to use a machine to apply Paint Sealant, but it can allow you put down a thinner layer than applying by hand. Many years ago this product was called Machine Super Sealant, and if you did not apply it thinly, it was difficult to remove. As for applying waxes by machine, Butter Wax would be just like PS, but you would need a smaller diameter pad (and probably a smaller machine) to fit into the canisters of Americana or Patriot wax.

I have one of the Adam's green MF glass towel, and a few grey ones from another vendor. The work great for me, with just a little cleaning liquid. I have given them to friends to clean mirrors and windows around the house. They work well for eyeglasses/sunglasses and screens too.

If it is large orbit polisher (not a Porter Cable type D/A) they want to run with the pad as level to the surface as possible - no tipping back/front or side/side. It took me some time to learn this technique, but the pad will still stop spinning where it catches a body line. Best solution for that is change to a smaller pad. I did most of a Porsche Cayenne with a 3" pad due to all the rounded body lines.

I have had a luck with foaming carpet cleaners and foaming tire cleaners. No scrubbing needed and the foam brings the dirt to you!

Most Tar removers will work on this, but you have to be patient to let it dwell a few minutes before working with the plastic razor blade. The last time I did this I used Stoners Xenit and it took the road paint off my mother-in-law's car.

I have been successful in cleaning foam pads and block with Tide Free & Gentle. I use a small container and fill with the Tide, put in the foam applicator, and let it sit for a few days. When I rinse it off the foam applicator is clean, and the Tide can be rinsed down the sink. This is the ONLY way I have found to get Paint Sealant out of pads. A client uses this stuff to clean parts on his brass cars (he has even had large stainless steel boxes made for big parts!), and it makes a great hand cleaner too.

I like very thick hand sanitizing gel - essentially a easy way to let Isopropyl Alcohol dwell on the sap. I let that sit for a minute or so, then remove with a 'work' MF towel. If it is stubborn apply the gel, then carefully use a plastic razor blade to remove it.

Welcome Craig. You are starting where most of us did. If you have any questions please ask away - this is friendly, knowledgeable bunch of folks.