Which applicator for which product for which surface
 

OK my Mini should be here in a few days and I have gathered all the supplies. This will be my first shot at this level of detailing. So I have all this stuff and am now trying to determine what applicator is correct for each product. Here is what I have:

Adams detail spray
Clay Bar
Black Wow
Dawn
Mystique
Amigo
Epic
Hydro
Clarity
Nero

and my applicators:

1- Unnamed microfiber polish towel
1- Paradise glass cleaning cloth
1- Paradise Monster fluffy
3- Paradise platinum dual micro fiber towels
3- Paradise skinny applicator
1- Waffle weave drying towel
1- Wool mit

So a couple of the items are obvious like the Clarity with the glass cleaning cloth and the wool mit with the Mystique or Dawn. But I am uncertain about the rest. Opinions?

With the clay, you are just wiping up the remaining lube that's left behind...so you can use either regular MF or a Monster Mluffy (I tend to use the Fluffies because I love them so much :) ). But the regular MF, the fluffy or the dual sided ones work fine for that.

Black Wow - use the edge of the skinny applicator and really work it in good.

Amigo and Epic - use a skinny applicator to apply, then either a dual-sided or fluffy to remove.

Hydro - spray Hydro on wet car, dry with waffle weave.

Nero - I use whatever, I usually use the fat applicator but because you have the skinny, that'll work fine too.

Well , I went ahead and bought a PC. The SHowcarsupplies web site didn't have any white pads so I bought 2 black pads. I am going to use it to apply the Epic and the Amigo. So, the black pads. Will they be ok for these two products? There was no description for the white and orange so not sure if I should get those.

to add -

Adam's Detail Spray should be used as a clay lube and a quick detailer.

As a quick detailer you can use a thin mf towel

As for Dawn soap you may not have to use it as you will be claying and polishing the car, that should remove the prior wax on it.

Thanks for the tips guys.

The black pads are used for applying waxes like Epic. The white, orange, and yellow pads are polishing pads which are used for removing defects and they are listed in order of least to most aggressive. So for applying Epic and Amigo, yes the black pads are correct. Because Amigo is a combination polish/glaze, you could use it with a white pad for a tiny bit of correction and improvement in paint.

I'm sorry about the lack of description. People usually purchase or have already purchased my DVD by the time they get the PC. The DVD describes the Meguiar's system so this conversion table was created to substitute Prima.

Thanks for supporting my company. Feel free to PM me, email me, or call my toll free number for help in answering these kinds of questions!

Richard

Great! thankyou. $440 dollars in detailing supplies later and I think I am set. Haha for now anyway. Don't even have the Mini yet. Though I think I did exactly opposite what you said to do, which is "Think before you leap". I just kinda started accumulating all the products I thought I wanted to try instead of waiting to see what I have and buying what I need. Now to start accumulating microfiber towels which apparently you cant have enough of. Thanks again. :)

I have just finisshed watching the DVD. I have a lot more confidence in being able to do it correctly now. I do have a couple questions regarding Amigo compared to the #7 show car glaze used in the DVD. First, it has been recommended in another post that I wash,apply Amigo than apply the Epic wax. Yet in the video the wax was applied and than the amigo so I'm not sure which way to go there. Secondly he applied the #7 by hand. Would it be better to apply the amigo by hand or with the PC? and lastly I noticed he applied the #7 after all the tape had been removed. Is the tape only for the wax or do I need to protect my trim from the Amigo also. Thanks again. Looks like it's time to go looking for some of that tape :)

#7 was used as an optional beautifying step in the video. Normally you would do it first, then put the wax on to seal it. This is how you would use Amigo. If you put the glaze on after the wax, the glaze will wear off within a day.

I would apply Amigo with the PC. It's easy and fast. Amigo is different than #7 because it's got polymers as well..so it's kind of a hybrid glaze. Point is since it's not a pure polish I'd apply it by machine since it will go one more evenly.

The tape is used to protect the trim and to prevent getting polish residue into the cracks and crevices. Just a good idea though many people hate it. Whenever I see a freshly detailed car, if I see white residue in the cracks, it just feels so incomplete and amateurish! :grin:

...

Not sure why you deleted your post, but you make a valid point. I made this video with my then partner back in 2005 who worked for Meguiar's. In fact, that's how I met him. At their very first "Open Garage" which was for our MINI club we got to be friends. I learned on the Meguiar's system and became proficient. A couple years later, we went our separate ways and I was introduced to Prima and liked it even more. I had begun several times to create just a Prima video, but it's not easy. When we made this video, we worked on the complete detail morning til night. Off camera I was polishing and scripting, and on camera I was videotaping, directing, acting as script supervisor, etc.. I found that when I was in front of the camera, trying to wear all the hats became even more stressful...I love being in front of the camera when I know there is an experienced camera operator! Anyways, I found it next to impossible to detail a car and create a how to video by myself..and the Prima specific video never materialized.

Well that makes me feel better about the Prima products. Sometimes I can be overly critical and didn't want to come across that way when I actually enjoyed the video.