How long will kits last and what do I really need?

[Pyrophor2011]

I am thinking about buying one of the kits but interested in knowing how long the products, including non chemical products, last.

 

My car is a 2011 Genesis Coupe with Bathurst Black paint and I just purchased it about two weeks ago. I am interested in the Junkman kit or any other similar kit because I have swirls that need to be removed.

 

Since purchasing the car, the Hyundai dealership has been washing it for me because of some hard water spots that were there before purchase. Turns out, they were making swirls on the car so I have since stopped letting them wash it. However, even when they would wash the car it would be dirty again literally 1-2days later even though I park it in a garage, don't drive it often and when at work I park it in the open, not under a tree or anything. It's like the products they use are attracting pollen and dirt like a magnet.

 

So really, I am wondering if Adams will help with the frequency which I need to wash my car and how long their polish and wax last. I have read about antistatic products and didn't know if they were a gimmick or if Adams has similar features.

 

Honestly, I am trying to figure out how long all this stuff will last because of the initial sticker shock of the kits. Even refills are kind of expensive and I was considering products from the Meguiars Pro or Zaino lines because of that.

 

As far as what I need, I was thinking of just going with the Junkman kit as said above. The seating is leather in my car though and it would probably be a good idea to also get leather cleaner. I am just trying to be conservative here because money is tight right now but I dont want to sacrifice the beauty of my new car for a few dollars.

 

Any help that can be provided would be appreciated, thanks!

[bucky119]

If he's lucky, it will rub off on his grand kids.

 

oh you better believe it! haha

[Team Adam's]

 

I was trying to breakdown how often I would need to rebuy the Adams stuff. With a 16 oz bottle of wash being about $25 and using it once a week it seems like a considerable amount to spend ever 3 months just for wash. Then the detailer and everything else except the polish and wax.

 

Um.... our car wash isn't $25 for 16oz.... its $9.95... where are you getting your prices?

 

http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-31-adams-car-wash-shampoo.aspx

[Pyrophor2011]

Um.... our car wash isn't $25 for 16oz.... its $9.95... where are you getting your prices?

 

http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-31-adams-car-wash-shampoo.aspx

 

I am not sure actually... lol

 

I broke down the stuff that was in the Junkman kit and I thought it was $25. Then again, I have been at work and not had much time to devote to looking this stuff up so it appears I was mistaken.

 

Really, I am trying to get an idea of what I need (or will eventually want) and then figure a rough estimate on how much I will be spending after 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.

 

If I am washing my car every week or even twice a week then wouldn't I need to wax again a lot sooner than 3-4 months?

 

I am about to start watching all the videos I can fit in tonight so I can make a decision and possibly buy something tomorrow.

[Team Adam's]

First, I have contacted customer support but have not even mentioned returning the merchandise. If a refund were my goal, I wouldn't have to come here first to obtain it. The only reason I have contacted support so far is to get support. Even if I wanted a refund, how would I exploit the 110% guarantee anyways? It's my understanding that if I felt the products didn't meet my expectations I could just get a refund. So what is there to exploit?

 

Second, I spent 30+ hours working on my car. If you call that impatient that I would like to know your definition of patience. I spent 30 minutes in just one spot alone going through the various polishes. I also spent weeks leading up to the work just watching the videos to make sure I didn't mess anything up.

 

From my end, I think the difference between you and I are the level of quality we expect. I would offer a guess that our results probably look similar but you aren't picky. On my end, I expect a flawless or near flawless look for the money spent and time invested. The results I got were one notch below near flawless, nothing to scoff at but nothing to rave about. Besides, I am sure the difference is much more noticeable on a damaged car versus a new/undamaged car.

 

As far as hard scratches, there are none. My damage is similar to almost everything I have found in this forum, it just isn't being removed by the PC.

 

When I get the time, I will upload a video of my work/technique for all to see. Other than that, you can keep what I consider to be your rude insinuations and the "loser" animated emoticon.

 

Thanks

 

I think this thread has run its course, and the chippy attitudes aren't helping. Jason, you have some excellent suggestions on how to proceed from here, plus numerous offers to help so the balls in your court at this point.

 

I don't think anyone questioned the AMOUNT of time you put in, the implied 'patience' that people are referring to is the learning aspect of machine polishing. Afterall you can spend 5,000 hours polishing with incorrect technique as part of the process and get the same bad results... its how you adapt, learn, and adjust your technique that will yield the biggest change in the shortest time.

 

As much as you would like to think you are, you are not a unique or special snowflake! Paint is paint, polishes are polishes, and aside from variations in condition and surroundings your not attempting anything one of our thousands and thousands of satisfied customers haven't already. If they can get the desired results so can you, its just going to come down to technique.

[mike690001]

Now there's no way you're going to make any complaints on the Flex. It's a powerhouse machine that makes quick work out of swirls. If the Flex doesn't remove your swirls,then your cars came with space age NASA grade clear coat!

 

**Focus pads are easy to destroy if you use them near edges, but on a flat surface, it's not going to happen. I destroyed a set polishing my SRT8 wheels, but there's no way I want Adam to send me a new set because they are now rendered useless. I bought a new set, no worries! Now if you took it out the box and if crumbled in your hands, then definitely there's a problem.

 

Most of the time it's poor technique that destroys the product and equipment. The 110% guarantee is a great plus, but I'd hate to see Adam lose money from too many noob mistakes.

[Bill-V8V]

Try contacting Steve too, he travels for a lot of clinics.

[Junkman2008]

Yeah he knows how to pick em lol

 

If he's lucky, it will rub off on his grand kids.

[bucky119]

Your Grandfather has great taste in automobiles and detailing products :thumbsup:

 

Yeah he knows how to pick em lol

[THE Mook]

All I am saying is no better way to learn about the products if a dealer is nearby, and in this case, Mike being the closest, I know knows his stuff...WOULDN'T KILL YOU TO GO TALK TO HIM!

[Pyrophor2011]

And there lies the whole problem with why you can't really grasp how much of an investment this really is. You're putting the cart before the horse. Everything that you're being told to buy has no meaning to you because you don't know what each product does in the scheme of detailing and thus, you can't put a finger on why it cost what it does, and why it is worth what it cost.

 

Allow me to give you an example. Let's say that you wanted to take up skydiving. Let's say that 90% of all the parachutes you saw on the market cost $50. There were some $500 parachutes out there but you couldn't justify that cost because you couldn't see $450 worth of an advantage in them. You were anxious to get your equipment so you started placing your orders.

 

Then you sat down and started doing some research and after watching some videos on the sport, you found out that those $50 parachutes had a nasty problem of not opening sometimes. However, the $500 parachutes never had this problem. All of a sudden, you found 450 more reasons why you needed to spend more money. Ain't nothing like jumping out of a perfectly good plane and halfway back to earth, realizing that your landing will be your last.

 

This is the kind of information that I put in my videos. I don't just tell you about a product. I show you how to use it, why to use it and when to use it. Once you have an in-depth understanding of each product, you will understand why you need it, what it does and how much of it you may need in the future. You can't get that understanding without watching the videos, doing more research and reading the threads. After watching my videos, you should have a thorough understanding of what you need and why. Ask anyone who has watched them and paid attention.

 

Although I have sent this to you over at the GenCoupe Forum, I'll post it here too. This is my breakdown of my kit, which you are looking at buying. This is a gauge you can look at as to what will need replacing, and the frequency that you may have to do so with each product.

 

 

* (1) Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Car Polisher - One time purchase. Built like an ox and works forever as long as you don't burn it up by running it with too small gauge of an extension cord.

 

* (1) Adam's Premium PC Backing Plate 5.875" - One time purchase.

 

* (1) Adam's PC Swirl & Haze Remover Polishing Pad - One time purchase as long as you clean the pads after you are completely done using them for the day. VERY IMPORTANT. Buy 2 so that you will have one to use if the other is still wet from washing.

 

* (1) Adam's PC Fine Machine Polishing Pad - Same as above, but this is the pad that you will want to have more than one of. Reason one, it takes two days to dry after you wash it unless you have some blazing hot weather to set it out in. Reason two, after your paint is fixed, this is the pad that you will end up using the most to stay on top of your paint damage.

 

* (1) Adam's PC Waxing Pad - One time purchase as long as you wash it after every use, which won't be that often because of how long the wax last.

 

* (1) Adam's Swirl & Haze Remover Polish 16 oz. - If you fix your paint with this product and from that point forward, wash dirt or remove dust from your paint as I direct in my videos, this product should be a one time event in the life of your paint job. If you are constantly using this product, you are doing something wrong. If you watch my videos and use the technique that I use, you will quickly figure out that 16 ounces of this stuff will do quite a few cars depending on how bad their swirls are. Quite a few.

 

* (1) Adam's Fine Machine Polish 16 oz - This is the one polish that you will eventually end up replacing, depending on how much maintenance that you have to do to your paint. If you are not constantly scratching it up, you won't use that much of this polish, but this will be your main maintenance polish. This polish is very light on your clear coat with the the PC. You could use it a thousand times and not have to worry about damaging or eating away all of your clear coat.

 

* (1) Adam's Machine SuperWax 16 oz OR Upgrade to Adam's Americana Premium Carnauba Paste Wax 10 oz for just $30 - Both of these will last a REALLY long time. The sealant is applied in very thin coats and the Americana will last for years unless you go crazy and use it every week. Very unnecessary..

 

* (1) Adam's Detail Spray, 16 oz - You'll be going through gallons of this stuff. That's why I included a gallon in my kit. You will gladly spend money buying this stuff cause you will fall in love with it.

 

* (1) Adam's Detail Spray Refill, 1 Gallon - See above.

 

* (1) Adam's All-Purpose Cleaner 16oz - You'll eventually get more of this, probably gallons. It is great for cleaning a ton of stuff and is strong as hell.

 

* (4) Adam's Single Soft Microfiber Towels - These towels are unreal. As long as you care for them properly and wash for them correctly, you won't need to replace them. You will, however, want to buy more once you feel them. You can never have too many microfiber towels like these.

 

* (1) Adam's Detailing Clay Bar, 200 gram - Depending on how bad your car needs claying, you may or may not need to replace this. If you car stays garaged, you definitely won't be going through a lot of this stuff. Proper preparation of your car BEFORE you clay is key to making your clay last the longest. Also, you only clay when necessary. That will be determined by where you store your car and what the baggie test tells you.

 

* (2) Adam’s Car Wash Bucket with Grit Guard Insert & Lid - One time purchase.

 

* (1) Adam’s Car Wash Shampoo 16 oz - If you wash your car as much as I do, you'll go through plenty of this.

 

* (1) Adam’s JUMBO Professional Car Wash Pad 11" by 11" - Take care of this and you'll only need one.

 

* (1) Adam's Professional Car Wash Pad 9" by 9" - Take care of this and you'll only need one.

 

* (1) Adam’s Great White Microfiber Drying Towel - Take care of this and you'll only need one.

 

* (1) Adam’s Waterless Car Wash 16 oz - You'll end up buying this by the gallon too. Just make sure that you don't use Detail Spray when you should be using this. It is CHEAPER than Detail Spray.

 

* (2) Adam’s Waterless Wash Microfiber Waffle Towels - These are great and you'll want more but they don't wear out.

 

 

 

You have a bunch of videos to watch and your learning curve starts here.

 

Yeah, that is great info.

 

Who wouldn't be tempted by a $50 parachute vs a $500? I am doing my research which is why I haven't purchased anything yet. It appears to me there are several other brands out there that will accomplish the same thing but require more of a learning curve in exchange for a lower price. Of course, if it is a choice between something that works sometimes vs something that always works then I will choose what always works but that's what I am trying to determine at this point... what do I need? That said, I am already sold on the Junkman kit and everything included with it as well as some other items. It is because of the simplicity of the products, the help here and the videos I've watched so far that I have made that choice. (All of the videos here and 9 of the Junkman)

 

So, the only things I am on the fence about right now are detailed below. I am just not sure if I should go with the Junkman or skip right to an all inclusive kit.

 

Glass cleaner (What about just Windex or something?)

 

Glass sealant (Interested in this but wonder if there are cheaper alternatives. At $20 for a 4oz bottle it wouldn't seem like it would go a long way. Not sure about RainX but it's substantially cheaper.)

 

Americana Wax, Brilliant Glaze, Butter Wax and SuperWax (Wondering which if these can and or should be used together and what their results would be.)

 

Green Wheel Cleaner vs All Purpose Cleaner (Do I really need specialty wheel cleaners or will the All Purpose cleaner do fine?)

 

Leather & Interior Cleaner (Not that it is expensive but I could see myself going through quite a bit depending on how often I clean the inside of the car. Anything that you would recommend more than this product for cleaning the interior? Because I have so much leather it might just be the way to go.) (As far as leather cleaner I have been using these on my leather couch: Weiman)

 

Carper and Upholstery Cleaner (This is one I cannot see myself using and for two reasons. First, I have stock all-weather flood mats in the entire car including the trunk. Second, the carpet I have is black. Although, $11 isn't much considering I would hardly be using this product.)

 

Leather Conditioner (I get the concept but Adams website suggest 3-4 applications per season which seems excessive. My interior is leather, according to the manufacturers website, although it could be faux. With window tinting and a front visor plus being parked in a garage, I wouldn't see a need for this product.)

 

In & Out Spray vs Super VRT (The Genesis Coupe I have has quite a few exterior plastic spots, the largest being the grill (think it is plastic anyways). I could possibly see using either of these products but do I really need both or am I misunderstanding their individual purpose?)

 

Undercarriage Spray (I really cant see needing this product vs the all-purpose cleaner.)

 

Metal Polishes (Atm, I see no need for these products as the Genesis Coupe really has no exposed metal aside from under the hood. Maybe if I were to get machined tires or something.)

 

Blaster Sidekick vs Vac N Blo 500 vs Air Force Master Blaster vs California Duster (I would assume only by it's name that the Vac N Blo can also has a feature to blow air, is that correct? The only reason I am interested in the Sidekick and Air Force Master Blaster is so that I can remove dust easier. I believe the Sidekick would be too cumbersome for that kind of task so I would leave it to the Air Force Master Blaster vs the California Duster, the duster beating solely based on price alone.)

 

Some info about my car if it helps:

 

My car is, a Genesis Coupe. It has brown leather seating (possibly faux). I believe the doors are leather wrapped as well as the steering wheel. I believe the dash is plastic, I am not at the car though so would have to double check. I have stock all weather floor mats. The exterior is painted black and I have 30%/15% window tinting. I have stock wheels which are gray and I believe they are just painted. I am thinking about having the wheels professionally painted gloss black or changing the rims altogether to maybe an XXR 518.

[Junkman2008]

I will be answering this in your PM over at GenCoupe when I get some free time tonight.

[Pyrophor2011]

Thanks junkman!

[chrisguga]

I recently purchased adam's stuff and had a pretty damaged vehicle. I usually a slow learner but the process was pretty seamless... It didnt take long to see the results I wanted, surely it wasnt the first day or week but anyway...I sense one of two things here. 1. some serious impatience and something being obviously neglected./a serious scratch that goes beyond the clear or 2. there is some trolling involved, possibly to exploit the 110% guarantee on the large purchase. No offense.

 

my 2cents.

 

Strong first post.

[Bill-V8V]

Welcome to AF Jason,

 

 

 

Mike in Orlando or Steve in Atlanta are probably the closest dealers to you. Not that they are actually close.

[MAYBEN]

welcome to the Ultimate Club!

[Tru-Blu]

Thanks AJ! Means a lot coming from a master like you.

 

[AudiViruz]

I was in your shoes!!! and after trying some of Adams products I fell in love that's right In love with the products!!! I wish I'd bought the Ultimate Kit. But now I have everything I need and want and just took advantage of the Father's days sale and bought a bunch of gallon refills!!!

[Pyrophor2011]

Ok, after much consideration I decided to purchase the Ultimate PC kit with a few modifications. I dropped the caddy and metro vac to pickup the focus 4" kit, glass sealant, 1 gallon shampoo and extra bucket.

 

That really hurt the wallet but I am sure it will be worth it. I will find out next week myself.

 

Thanks for all the advice here and I look forward to reporting back.

[Junkman2008]

Keep us posted. Your questions and concerns in this thread will be a good source for other who are new to detailing, considering the line and have a lot of the same questions that you had.

[THE Mook]

You got the Ultimate Kit!!!! Nice choice man! Junkman, way to help get someone off on the right foot!

 

Mook

[Doug123]

Great choice! Some of us got our "ultimate kit' kind of setup a few pieces at a time, and paid more for it that way. In retrospect, I should have gotten a big kit, but I was nervous and had to try some of the stuff out and see.

 

Plus with the sale on, great savings for these excellent products. I hate to waste my free time with sub standard products, so that's why I am using Adams. I think you will find (like the rest of us) that this stuff just WORKS and works well.

[adamstothemax]

I recently purchased adam's stuff and had a pretty damaged vehicle. I usually a slow learner but the process was pretty seamless... It didnt take long to see the results I wanted, surely it wasnt the first day or week but anyway...I sense one of two things here. 1. some serious impatience and something being obviously neglected./a serious scratch that goes beyond the clear or 2. there is some trolling involved, possibly to exploit the 110% guarantee on the large purchase. No offense.

 

my 2cents.

[chrisguga]

I have patience. I spent 5 hours last night getting just the trunk and tail lights 95% perfect. What I also have is a good job that I'm fortunate enough to get a lot of overtime pay, a yard that I like to keep looking nice, and a beautiful wife that doesn't appreciate me spending 5 hours per night out in the garage. Just like at my job, I am after results. I don't toil hour after hour out in the 95 degree heat because I find it therapeutic.

 

Having said that, I will likely sell my PC and pads privately and buy the Flex kit from Adam's. My focus pads are falling apart and I may send those back under the guarantee. The Velcro portion of the green pad is already starting to fall off and I can see the green portion punching through it. I will snap a picture when I get home from work. These things have maybe 3 hours of off and on work.

[Junkman2008]

To be fair, regardless of technique, one spot shouldn't take 30 minutes. That is the approximate amount of time I spent between SSR, SHR and FMP. Even with the worst technique, aside from applying no pressure at all, I would have expected much more from that amount of time. To be completely honest, I don't have that kind of time or patience. What I expected was to spend 4-5 days working on my car to get it pristine and keep it there. No amount of time or effort, trial or error, got me there.

 

If you don't have the kind of time needed to actually learn how to do this, then you're stuck dealing with the kind of people who damaged your paint in the first place. Remember those guys? That's what got you motivated to do this yourself in the first place.

 

I will say this. A professional can pick up a rotary polisher and be done with your car in 4-5 hours, not days. Of course, that buffer in your hands would be a disaster to your paint. What you must realize is that you are using the safest polisher on the market that will actually fix paint. By NO means is it powerful, but with the correct technique it is very effective. Powerful is in a totally different league and will make child's play of your paint damage. In the wrong hands, however, it will make pennies out of you bank account after you pay to have the car repainted.

 

Also, in your videos you go on about how simple the process is. You can't compare to Tiger Woods and refer to this as a simple process. I followed everything in the videos to the letter, I am not sure what else there is to the technique.

 

One word:

 

Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice.

 

Get my drift?

 

What is beyond me and something I should have realized from the get go, is the idea that you remove swirls and keep them off is impossible. Even with these high quality products, towels and pads dust is still everywhere and you will damage the vehicle. I started with brand new towels, washed them once and still had swirls after, even with a closed garage.

 

It's not the products that keep the swirls at bay, it's how you touch the paint! Only when the paint is touched can a scratch appear. If you incorrectly remove the dust, I don't care if the towel you used was blessed by the Pope himself, you will create paint damage. You have a misunderstanding of what actually creates damage if this doesn't make sense to you. You fix the damage that is in your paint presently and then you avoid doing the things that created that damage from that point forward. What you are saying is similar to saying that it makes no sense to loose weight and eat correctly because you live next door to McDonald's. You don't have to eat there because you can choose to eat something healthier. The same goes for your paint. If you choose to address it in a manner that has been proven to reduce the creation of swirls, then the amount of swirls that you will have to address will be reduced to a minimum amount of work.

 

I look at my paint and see this everyday. Swirls and scratches are darn near extinct in my paint. The same can happen with your paint to but it requires a commitment on your behalf.

[Pyrophor2011]

Welcome to AF Jason,

 

 

 

Mike in Orlando or Steve in Atlanta are probably the closest dealers to you. Not that they are actually close.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike was the one I had been talking to but I agree, neither are "close." Due to work and other circumstances, I wont have time to work on the car for a couple months. To stretch things out, I will probably wait at least 6 months before giving it another full shot.

 

I would still like to take that time between now and then to figure out what might be going on and be ready for next time. I will try a second shot on a small section of the hood next weekend if I can get a hold of a camera.