So I have a 04 MCS that has been hand washed and quick detailed.
I have a 00 Suburban that has never seen teh light of a polish/wax job
I have a 98 Dodge POS Caravan with Scratches all over.

So I need to cover all sorts of detailing issues from serious scratch removal to polishing swirls and minor scratch removal to a good waxjob.
As such, what tools, items, supplies should I get/buy to get the job done right? Wifey bought me a PC 7424 polisher and NXT wax for Fathers Day (saw it in the closet) and I already have an assortment of brushes (wheel, undercarriage, detail), wash mitts and a claybar that was part of the quick detial kit. Nick T replied on what pads I should get for the polisher, anyhting else?

thanks,
Robert

 

You should spend some time reading threads in the Detailing forum for starters!

 

Can you do anything for a 98 ,6 going on 7 year old caravan

 

fourkeelers - - -

As 911Fan posted, spend some time reading the NAM Detailing forum and also Autopia’s forums. Additionally, an excellent tutorial can be found here.

Most detailers use different tools, depending on their methods and techniques. For example, the only brushes that I use are small ones for the various nooks and crannies. Nor do I use a washmitt. There are some common items such as a vacuum, two wash buckets, microfiber and cotton towel, etc.

A couple of suggestions: Do your learning and practicing on the two older vehicles. No need to do the whole car, just practicing scratch removal on one side of the hood makes it a whole lot easier. Until you have gained some skills, don’t try to do very much to your ‘04 - - it’s hard to do any serious damage while learning, but it is very easy to cause marring that will be a lot of work to reverse later.

Good luck and have fun!

 

Depending on how long you have had your MINI, I would not wax it until four or five months after the build date. Since the paint is actually still fresh for up to five months after it comes from the factory, you can easily put swirl marks in the paint even when had applying. Once you are ready to wax, I would combine some different waxes by layering if you wanna get real crazy. Here's what I plan to do with my MINI in the next month or so.
Step one: Wash with dishwashing detergent, to get my old wax off.
Step Two: Apply Mother's Pre -wax cleaner to get more wax and oxidation off. (It would be good for you to do the claybar before this step.)
Step Three: Apply Mother's Sealer and Glaze to get rid of minor scratches and swirls
Step Four: Apply Meguiar's NXT wax for extra gloss
Step Five: Apply Mother's Pure Carnauba Wax for protection and extended life of gloss.

Then, use the great gift God gave to us called MICROFIBER. Take your time, be meticulous, take breaks for beer/Jones/Coke/whatever.Consume as much info as you can on the web, there are a lot of great sites, but figure out what works for you best. Enjoy taking care of your baby!

 

I've got a 30 minute DVD for sale that will be available here on NAM shortly that's all about detailing the MINI (using NXT). I put the video together from a Meguiars Detailing Garage Clinic, and I cover all the basics of detailing the exterior of your MINI. Great way to see how it's done by the pros, and learn how not to do it by the newbies. LOL

In the future, I will also have a full on detailing video--covering buffing our scratches to using the PCDA, etc..

Richard