The Right Order Of Detailing Your Car

[SuperSnake850]

i dont considering myself new to detailing, but i have been thinking about getting the Cyclo Polisher to further increase my skills and knowledge... In terms of using a pollisher i conisder myself a noob, and had some basic questions... i am going to get the Adam's Brilliance Cyclo Machine Kit which comes with a number of diiferent things... i was just curious what the steps are from beggining to end for this kit on detailing my car...

[GerryC]

Start by washing the car. If there is any other wax or sealant on the paint already you should add some APC to your wash bucket to help remove it.

 

Everything from here on should ideally be done indoors, on a cool surface, out of direct sunlight.

 

After washing, use the clay bar and detail spray (lubricant) to remove bonded contaminants from your clearcoat. Spray an area and rub the clay over the surface until you can feel it become smooth. Continually fold the clay so you expose clean areas every time it looks contaminated. Many people leave the rinse water on the car for this step as it helps stretch the DS so you don't end up using too much.

 

Next is polishing. After drying the car completely, start with the orange pads and the PCP to remove your swirl marks and scratches, and then follow that with the white pads and the PFP to make the paint shine. Whether you use the foam or the microfiber pads, the process is pretty much the same. The microfiber pads are more aggressive, so if you have a lot of damage or if you have a hard clearcoat, I would recommend starting with the microfiber pads. In any case, I would always finish with the white foam. The idea is to step down the levels of aggressiveness until all the damage is gone, and the white foam is the finest of the 4 pads.

 

When machine polishing it is important to "learn" your paint, since every car is different. Work in an easy-access area like the trunk or the hood, in a section no larger than 2'x2' and do the entire two-step process to that one square until you can get the paint to your satisfaction. If you are working in a garage, pull the car out into the sun after finishing that 2x2 area to be 100% sure you have figured out what it will take to eliminate all of the damage. Only once you've figured out that one spot should you go and do the rest of the car. Learning the paint first will save you a lot of time and aggravation later on in your detail.

 

Once you have your paint looking the way you want, apply BG, either by hand or using the Cyclo and the red pads, to enhance the finish. Then top that with Americana to protect all your hard work. If you haven't used a paste wax before, it is a little different than a liquid. Paste sets up pretty darn quick compared to liquids, so I'd recommend only applying the wax to one or two panels at a time. By the time you're done applying to the second panel, the first panel is ready to be wiped off. If you let paste wax set for too long it can become stubborn to remove.

 

Adam's has plenty of videos that walk you through each step in great detail, so grab some popcorn and use them to help fill in the blanks. If you have any other questions feel free to ask and make sure to post some pictures of your car 

[Chewy]

Get it by tomorrow and save 15% and get free shipping!  You'll be happy you did!  I'd recommend the microfiber pads for it as well.  

[SuperSnake850]

Awesome!! thanks for the help, i really appreciate it guys.. i will def order today !

[Chris@Adams]

George, Make sure you post up some before and after pics.

[07stanggt]

BEAUTIFUL CAR by the way !!!   I am only 40 minutes north of you in Southern NH and if you need any help you let me know.

[SuperSnake850]

Cool, thanks guys !

[ACRCAR]

Start by washing the car. If there is any other wax or sealant on the paint already you should add some APC to your wash bucket to help remove it.

 

Everything from here on should ideally be done indoors, on a cool surface, out of direct sunlight.

 

After washing, use the clay bar and detail spray (lubricant) to remove bonded contaminants from your clearcoat. Spray an area and rub the clay over the surface until you can feel it become smooth. Continually fold the clay so you expose clean areas every time it looks contaminated. Many people leave the rinse water on the car for this step as it helps stretch the DS so you don't end up using too much.

 

Next is polishing. After drying the car completely, start with the orange pads and the PCP to remove your swirl marks and scratches, and then follow that with the white pads and the PFP to make the paint shine. Whether you use the foam or the microfiber pads, the process is pretty much the same. The microfiber pads are more aggressive, so if you have a lot of damage or if you have a hard clearcoat, I would recommend starting with the microfiber pads. In any case, I would always finish with the white foam. The idea is to step down the levels of aggressiveness until all the damage is gone, and the white foam is the finest of the 4 pads.

 

When machine polishing it is important to "learn" your paint, since every car is different. Work in an easy-access area like the trunk or the hood, in a section no larger than 2'x2' and do the entire two-step process to that one square until you can get the paint to your satisfaction. If you are working in a garage, pull the car out into the sun after finishing that 2x2 area to be 100% sure you have figured out what it will take to eliminate all of the damage. Only once you've figured out that one spot should you go and do the rest of the car. Learning the paint first will save you a lot of time and aggravation later on in your detail.

 

Once you have your paint looking the way you want, apply BG, either by hand or using the Cyclo and the red pads, to enhance the finish. Then top that with Americana to protect all your hard work. If you haven't used a paste wax before, it is a little different than a liquid. Paste sets up pretty darn quick compared to liquids, so I'd recommend only applying the wax to one or two panels at a time. By the time you're done applying to the second panel, the first panel is ready to be wiped off. If you let paste wax set for too long it can become stubborn to remove.

 

Adam's has plenty of videos that walk you through each step in great detail, so grab some popcorn and use them to help fill in the blanks. If you have any other questions feel free to ask and make sure to post some pictures of your car 

Great write up