Where do I begin?

[camarodude1995]

Hello all, thanks for taking the time to read this post. 

 

I'm a newbie, and have been using Meguairs car stuff on my previous cars. Recently, I purchased a 2016 Camaro and would like to step up my cleaning game. 

 

Seeing how I'm a newbie, I would like to spend no more than $275.00 to begin with, so I figured getting 2 Kits would be the best way to go:

 

I thought using this for the interior: http://adamspolishes.com/shop/interior/cleaning-conditioning/adam-s-perfect-interior-kit.html

 

and this for the exterior would be best: http://adamspolishes.com/shop/exterior/carwashing/adam-s-complete-2-bucket-car-wash-kit.html

 

 

Would you guys recommend something different? If so what? Thanks all!

[Thorsager]

Those two kits would be a good start. A lot of good products. Welcome to the forum!

[falcaineer]

Welcome! Be sure to post an intro in the New Member section, too.

 

For your question, you'll likely get as many answers as there are members! So I'll ask a few more questions to help me and the real experts give you some advice... What condition is the paint overall? Interior overall? Do you have a machine polisher? Will this be a daily or a garage queen? Have you done anything to it, e.g., protection, or are you starting from square one? 

 

Off to bed, so standing by for more info...

[camarodude1995]

1 minute ago, falcaineer said:

Welcome! Be sure to post an intro in the New Member section, too.

 

For your question, you'll likely get as many answers as there are members! So I'll ask a few more questions to help me and the real experts give you some advice... What condition is the paint overall? Interior overall? Do you have a machine polisher? Will this be a daily or a garage queen? Have you done anything to it, e.g., protection, or are you starting from square one? 

 

Off to bed, so standing by for more info...

Thank you for the fond welcome!

 

The paint is a 9.5 out of 10, I don't have a machine polisher, it's going to sit in the garage in the winter time. During the summer I can see myself driving it 3/4 days a week tops! 

 

I'm starting off from square one, I haven't done anything with it yet! Looking for advise as to what I should do with it to give it the best possible protection and continue the nice shiny look. 

[Wy_detailing]

I think that’s a great start, but I would suggest getting some of the new ultra plush drying towels in place of the older great white drying towels in that kit (new plus drying towel is a huge improvement over the previous ones). I would also add in something to protect the paint. Wether it be h2O guard and gloss (a water activated sealant that you spray on the car after washing and still wet) to provide shine, water beading and some protection or Americana wax. That should be in your budget and will help protect the paint and make it look great. Brilliant glaze is also a great product to add shine, but doesn’t offer any protection, something for the wishlist! You could also look at getting products for the wheels and tires instead of protection. Wheel cleaner, tire and rubber cleaner and a few brushes will get you going to start, or even just some ECO-All Purpose Cleaner as you can use it on wheels, tires, fender wells, the engine bay and anywhere else really  

[pirahnah3]

I think you have a great idea on the start of it, however for your money I would do the following 

 

Winter Washing Kit $150  http://adamspolishes.com/shop/kits/washing-cleaning/adam-s-winter-washing-detail-kit.html 

4 Bottle bag interior Kit $89.98 http://adamspolishes.com/shop/kits/interior-kits/adam-s-4-bottle-bag-interior-kit.html 

Interior detailer $12.99 http://adamspolishes.com/shop/interior/cleaning-conditioning/adam-s-total-interior-detailer.html

 

That would bring you just over $250, but with the forum discount code it would knock off 10% and leave you a bit to decide what you want when the next sale comes out. 

 

I personally would go with the winter washing kit and add your own bucket later for the second bucket. To me there is more of a chance to protect and shine everything with this mix, while figuring out what you want to have more of or use more often. The downside to this setup is that while there are towels for everything there are not many and you will find yourself wanting more. I personally would go with more of the borderless grey towels as they are great for most anything and make a good general towel for you while you really get going and decide what you want to have in your arsenal. The interior kit, while similar to the one you linked offers you a bag to cary things around in, and trades out the interior detailer for the Odor Neutralizer (Which is really awesome), hence why I was adding the interior detailer on its own. 

[8675309'SS]

I agree with Jim. There’s also a a great kit available at Costco too, if you are a member.  

 

For thought: If you wanted to go in a completely different direction, though, you could get yourself set up with the components for a rinseless wash, a clay bar, wheel cleaner and wheel brushes, glass cleaner, and interior detailer, and a HGG to start out with.  You could then get a few mystery boxes, here and there to add to your arsenal.  Mystery boxes usually have a great return when you buy 2+. Also the mystery boxes typically contain things like car shampoo, tire shine, VRT, detail spray, glass cleaner, etc.  (Often those things that are in the bigger car washing kits.)   There is the gamble component to this method, because the mystery boxes could contain anything. Whether you choose to go in this direction all depends on how you decide you want to tackle your ride.  Mine is a garage queen. It got stripped clayed, polished, and sealed after I brought it home.   I typically just clean the wheels and perform rinseless washes now for maintenance.  Interior gets interior detail spray and glass cleaner.  I will add a few extra steps if it’s going to a car show. But it only needs a bucket wash 2-3 times a year. Your situation might be different. 

[Rich]

No machine? No problem.  You can get fantastic results without a machine. I just recently got into machine polishing after almost 14 years with Adam's and still doing my rides by hand.  You have lots of time to decide if machine polishing is the way you want to go.  

Get some Revive Polish for those light scratches / swirls.  Stuff works wonders.  Brilliant Glaze goes great with Revive.  Americana Wax is great, Patriot is a step above, but even if Buttery Wax is all that's in your budget right now you'll be fine.  Just be sure to keep a good wax on your ride (if you're not sealing your paint yet).  Have you tested your paint with the old "plastic baggie" trick yet?  Put your hand into a baggie and rub it lightly over your paint. If you can feel grit on your fingers through the baggie, then it definitely needs clayed.  Adam's Visco Clay and Detail Spray work great together. Those are just the real first step basics.  Best advice I can give you  is to watch the videos.  I haven't looked for a while, but somewhere, there's an Adam's video (or two) just for taking care of your ride by hand.  Congrats on the Camaro!  They're great cars to enjoy.  And welcome to the forum! 

[ax023]

Everyone here already covered the basics. But, you can get on your way with a few bare essentials.

 

For the wash:

Strip Wash (you won't be using it often, since it's designed to remove all waxes and leave a clear coat.. definately not your weekly maintenance shampoo. So some people opt for getting normal shampoo, NOT wash-n-wax, and diluting some All Purpose Cleaner in it.)

Car Shampoo

and a high quality was mitt.

(to save some dough, you can always buy some buckets at home depot for a few bucks)

Detail Spray as drying agent

 

For the shine:

Paint Sealant for sure

Buttery Wax

(btw, a machine polisher is a life saver when applying waxes and sealans. Saves your forearm from falling off lol)

2-4 single (or double) plush MF towels for buffing the waxes off.

(after applying sealant and wax, use a soap that has wax in it to reinforce the applied wax for your maintenance washes)

 

For the wheels:

All Purpose Cleaner (or if your budget agrees with you, dedicated tire and rubber cleaner and wheel cleaner)

VRT (Vinyl/Rubber/Trim) for some tire protection and minor shine and black color depth.

I dont know if you care for extreme shine (I don't), but VRT adds some black color depth moreso than shine.

 

Roughly $150-$180

 

I would say those are your bare essentials to a happy shiny vehicle. Of course, you can get dedicated products for everything. But I would safely say you very solidly get by with these items.

 

[camarodude1995]

On 1/7/2018 at 11:18 PM, Rich said:

No machine? No problem.  You can get fantastic results without a machine. I just recently got into machine polishing after almost 14 years with Adam's and still doing my rides by hand.  You have lots of time to decide if machine polishing is the way you want to go.  

Get some Revive Polish for those light scratches / swirls.  Stuff works wonders.  Brilliant Glaze goes great with Revive.  Americana Wax is great, Patriot is a step above, but even if Buttery Wax is all that's in your budget right now you'll be fine.  Just be sure to keep a good wax on your ride (if you're not sealing your paint yet).  Have you tested your paint with the old "plastic baggie" trick yet?  Put your hand into a baggie and rub it lightly over your paint. If you can feel grit on your fingers through the baggie, then it definitely needs clayed.  Adam's Visco Clay and Detail Spray work great together. Those are just the real first step basics.  Best advice I can give you  is to watch the videos.  I haven't looked for a while, but somewhere, there's an Adam's video (or two) just for taking care of your ride by hand.  Congrats on the Camaro!  They're great cars to enjoy.  And welcome to the forum! 

 

Thank you for the notes, I have not done the plastic baggie trick! I must do that today!!!

 

I will need to get a buttery wax purchased, I have not waxed the car yet, and it sounds like paint sealant is important too from what I'm learning.

 

This is definitely a fun process!

[pirahnah3]

I love the buttery wax, granted it doesnt last as long as some of the others but goes on easy and comes off just as easy.