Adam's newbie - have some questions!

[jvs0302]

Hey everyone, I just picked up a 2010 Brilliant Black Jeep SRT8. It has low miles and the paint is in excellent condition. Aside from a few scratches and chips up front, the paint itself has very, very light swirls at most.

 

This will be a daily driver for me, and I do ALOT of driving for work. About 2,000 miles per month. So my question is: what is the best detailing routine for me?

 

I am most concerned about protecting my paint from the elements and harsh conditions out on the road. So a sealant is a must.

 

I was going to just consider using a hand polish and the spray super sealant. But then I got into researching machine polishing and am really considering going that route.

 

I have a couple questions and would appreciate any input you guys could offer:

 

- since the paint is already in excellent condition, could I get away with just hand polishing with revive and using the spray sealant?

 

- if I decide to go machine instead, does the machine super sealant have an advantage over the hand applied spray sealant?

 

- results are most important, but I also need to consider the amount of time detailing with take. I have two very young children and the wife is never thrilled if I spend an entire weekend in the garage - it just ain't happening at this point. I have read maching polishing saves time versus hand polishing. But for a newbie like me, is this still true? I feel like it would take a very long time to learn the technique versus just going by hand. I just wonder if maybe its not the right time to make the switch to a machine. Again my paint is already in excellent condition, so I don't think I would be sacrificing too much in the form of results.

 

I think that is it to start. I have been doing alot of research and watching all of the videos over the past week. This place is a WEALTH of knowledge and I am looking forward to learning from the best!

[jvs0302]

Just realized I should have probably posted this under the General Detailing section, since I am comparing hand and machine polishing.

 

Mods feel free to move if you have to, thanks!

[Beemer]

I ordered a 2010 Camaro in 2009 and made the dealer swear on a stack of blue books that he wouldn't wash it. I took it home and immediately hand polished and sealed the paint. I took very good care of it for the last 2.5 years polishing and sealing every chance I got. Car rarely saw rain and was never dirty for very long.

 

Last month I switched to the PC kit from Adams. Since my paint was already in nearly perfect condition I wasn't expecting a big difference with the PC.

 

However - I was blown away by the depth of shine I've been able to obtain with the PC and the Fine Machine Polish, sealant, glaze and wax.

 

It was a lot of work to do the strip wash, clay, PC, seal, glaze and wax and it took two days but it was definitely worth it. And maintaining that shine is super easy. I don't see myself doing any more than "spot fixes" within a year or so.

 

Disclaimer: The hand polish system I was using was NOT Adam's. It IS, however, a high quality and much lauded system. You may be just fine with the Adam's hand polishing system.

 

I'm glad I went with the PC.

[mjhpadi]

Doing detailing by hand will take longer then the machine. Also the first time you detail your vehicle will be the longest, since it should be washed, clay bar, a polish like Revive, or Swirl and Haze Remover, then the sealant and finally Buttery Wax or Americana. So it will take a bit of time to do all the steps. Also I have only used the spray sealant and I am very pleased with it, but the Machine Super Sealant will last longer. I use a PC and I like it a lot. Also I had not used any machine before purchasing, and now I would not want to be without the PC or a Flex. It is more expensive to go the machine route, but once you do, you will never regret the investment. The added flexibility that machine detailing offers is well worth the money. However, once you do your vehicle, it will be very easy to maintain and renew the shine. Also you will find yourself using a lot of detail spray, so do yourself a favor and buy the gallon refill early in your detail supply purchasing.

[ChargerMatt]

Detailing by hand will take MUCH more time than using a machine. It also will not be able to correct like the machine will. I am relatively new to machine polishing and I can say it is significantly faster.

 

As for the sealant logevity, the MSS lasts longer than the QS. How long? Longer. That's my best guess.

 

A good routine for someone that does the kind of driving would be to do quarterly applications of MSS and QS every week or two on the front end to prevent those bugs from nestling up to your base coat.

 

 

Also, I recommend posting pictures of the condition of the paint as it will let us give you a better gauge of what you need.

[gencoupe3dot8]

John,

What are you goals for your DD? Your statements are somewhat in conflict, as you say that results are important, but you don't have alot of time. And you would like to consider hand polishing?

 

I would say for a DD you may need to adjust expectations, and that glaze or fillers may be part of your future, not 100% correction. I think waterless wash, glass cleaner and detail spray will need to be in a bag in your vehicle.

MSS/MSW should be your LSP (at least for a base, topped by BG and APW).

 

Happy detailing,

Mike

[mc2hill]

You could start with the Revive and QS and see if they help you meet your goals. If you decided to move up the machine later, these products are still useful.

As the others said, the PC can really move your paint to the 'outstanding' level, but the first correction may take a while.

For comparisoni, the MSS will last up to 6 months while the QS lasts 3-4 months.

[jvs0302]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I am going to attach a few pics of my paint. These were taken today in the sun after a few wipes of a quick detailer spray. Even in direct sun there are only faint minor swirls at most.

 

I guess my number one goal at this point is protection, since the paint is not really in need of a correction. It definitely is not flawless, but it is in excellent condition as is.

 

Based on my pics, if I were to go the machine route, would you still use the Swirl and Haze polish? Or just go Fine Machine polish and then Machine Sealant.

 

Also, I have watched the vids, and I understand the process of machine polishing large panels. But how do you do tight spaces with multiple curves and bends, such as front and rear bumpers, etc.. I guess its these areas that make me feel like hand polishing would be easier.

 

Thanks again for all your help guys, really feeling welcomed already

[ChargerMatt]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I am going to attach a few pics of my paint. These were taken today in the sun after a few wipes of a quick detailer spray. Even in direct sun there are only faint minor swirls at most.

 

I guess my number one goal at this point is protection, since the paint is not really in need of a correction. It definitely is not flawless, but it is in excellent condition as is.

 

Based on my pics, if I were to go the machine route, would you still use the Swirl and Haze polish? Or just go Fine Machine polish and then Machine Sealant.

 

Also, I have watched the vids, and I understand the process of machine polishing large panels. But how do you do tight spaces with multiple curves and bends, such as front and rear bumpers, etc.. I guess its these areas that make me feel like hand polishing would be easier.

 

Thanks again for all your help guys, really feeling welcomed already

 

It looks like it's in great shape, congrats.

 

I suppose you could get by with the hand-rub SHR/Revive. But having never used it, I would wait for someone more knowledgable about the abilities of the duo.

 

If you went the machine route, I would only do FMP then MSS.

 

And as for tight spaces, Adam's FOCUS 4" Polishing Pad Kit. Some folks takem them off the PC/Drill/Flex in order to get the tighest of tight spaces.

[jvs0302]

It looks like it's in great shape, congrats.

 

I suppose you could get by with the hand-rub SHR/Revive. But having never used it, I would wait for someone more knowledgable about the abilities of the duo.

 

If you went the machine route, I would only do FMP then MSS.

 

And as for tight spaces, Adam's FOCUS 4" Polishing Pad Kit. Some folks takem them off the PC/Drill/Flex in order to get the tighest of tight spaces.

 

Thanks Matt, I am going to go with the machine route. The question now is Flex or PC. I think for me, the PC will be perfect, since I dont have a major correction on my hands. It will be sufficient to apply the FMP and MSS, plus I like how you can use the 4" pads with it, as opposed to the Flex which I believe does not have an adapter for the 4" pads.

 

The only negative I see on the PC is that it may take longer to achieve your result as opposed to the Flex. But I am assuming this only applies to a major correction? Thoughts?

[Beemer]

Thanks Matt, I am going to go with the machine route. The question now is Flex or PC. I think for me, the PC will be perfect, since I dont have a major correction on my hands. It will be sufficient to apply the FMP and MSS, plus I like how you can use the 4" pads with it, as opposed to the Flex which I believe does not have an adapter for the 4" pads.

 

The only negative I see on the PC is that it may take longer to achieve your result as opposed to the Flex. But I am assuming this only applies to a major correction? Thoughts?

 

That's exactly why I went with the PC over the Flex (that and $100).

 

I may be sorry if my NEXT car is a mess but it was perfect for this one....

[jvs0302]

That's exactly why I went with the PC over the Flex (that and $100).

 

I may be sorry if my NEXT car is a mess but it was perfect for this one....

 

Haha I'm with you on that one too, but I plan on keeping this truck for a long time, so I hope to maintain it in excellent condition!

 

Just placed my order! Definitely hurts a little but I look at it as an investment. Can't wait to get my stuff!

[THE Mook]

Don't expect to do anything with Hand Polishing but make it look better. If you want Perfect, or as close to Perfect as possible, a machine is your friend. Paint like that, I would recommend the Flex Polisher.

 

It's in really good shape now. Congrats on that! Since that's a daily, once you get it to the point where you are polish-happy with it...I imagine either Revive or FMP, I would go with either QS or MSS, then layer BG and APW over the top!

 

Mook

[jvs0302]

Don't expect to do anything with Hand Polishing but make it look better. If you want Perfect, or as close to Perfect as possible, a machine is your friend. Paint like that, I would recommend the Flex Polisher.

 

It's in really good shape now. Congrats on that! Since that's a daily, once you get it to the point where you are polish-happy with it...I imagine either Revive or FMP, I would go with either QS or MSS, then layer BG and APW over the top!

 

Mook

 

Thanks for the input Mook. I am definitely going for maching polishing with FMP and MSS. Any reason you suggest the Flex over the PC for my situation?