have any of you bought some of the detailer kits out there? I'm a detailing n00b and was thinking about getting one to make things a little easier in the beginning. this is the one i was looking at the most...but i think there are kits for Meguiars and Zymol as well.

comments/sage wisdom appreciated

 

Yes, that one rocks! I started out completely clueless, but did a lot of research on this forum and around the Internet and decided on the Zaino kit. It worked beautifully this weekend on both my new 06 MINI and my husband's fairly neglected 2001 Jeep Wrangler. Their customer service is also excellent, and shipping is amazingly fast.

You'll still need to get several other things, though--something for the interior, something for wheels/tires, something for exterior trim, something for glass, a bucket or two, and some good towels--wash mitt, buffing towel, drying towels. agranger's stickied thread on detailing is fantastic.

If your car is new, you probably don't need to also get a paintwork cleanser (my car didn't seem to need it), but if your car is not new and the paint been neglected, you may want a paintwork cleanser as well--my husband's Jeep could really have used it. That step goes right after the clay bar. agranger recommends Sonus, which you can get from Autopia online.

I found that everything I needed besides the Zaino kit I could get at Autopia or Autozone. The one thing that wasn't in the kit that I wish I'd gotten from Zaino was their tire stuff.

 

Can't go wrong with Zaino.

But there's also the Sonus/Klasse combo. Griot's selection of kits. These folks and others offer detailing how-to help.

Like blue baby mentioned, you will need good tools as well. Autopia and Griot's have an excellent selection.

Choose something that's in your budget and stick to it. some folks are happy with the mr. clean kit. there's turtle wax ice. Meguiare's Nxt. Eagle One Nano wax.

My preference is for the paint sealants - Zaino, Klasse, etc. - as I am a lazy son of a gun.

Carnuba wax does offer a very deep shine, but more maintenance.

Most importantly, have fun!

 

Brand kits save you time and are great for those who don't have information on the best products like we have here.

But remember, just because a company is good at one thing doesn't mean its great at everything. The kits are never the best answer, just an easy answer. The best answer takes a lot of experimenting, or at least a lot of forum reading.

But you can't go wrong with that basic zaino kit, it has all the basics and just a few extras.

 

Another good reason to get a kit is that various tubes of goo are designed to work together.

That being said, I have, like others, a whole bunch of goo from different vendors.

And how could I forget Autoglym?

 

I bought a kit of things from Griot's and it worked out perfectly, it had everything I needed for basic up-keep.

 

thanks for the tips guys

 

And, if you want to go the Meguiars route, you can't go wrong with AutoDetailingSolutions start up packages.