Please help me put together a good detailing kit

REDLINE_76 said:

I know this topic has been covered many times in this forum, but I'm having trouble aggregating all the information into something that is just right for me.

Beginning with what car it is: 1998 VW Jetta, LG5U - Porcelain Blue Metallic. To be perfectly honest, I don't know for sure whether this is single-stage paint or not, but I'm leaning towards yes. I also don't know whether that affects the choice of products.

Overall, the paint is in healthy shape. My main objective is to get rid of swirl marks. I'm happy to say that the paint is far from faded and is not lacking in its metallic aspect.

When the car comes out of storage in about a week I intend to do a full 4 step detail; wash, clay, polish, wax/seal.

Where I need help is in the polish and wax/sealant department. I want to get myself a Porter Cable 7424XP. I need your suggestions on what pads to use. Right now I'm considering orange and white. As for polish, I read an article on eshine.ca that recommended using Poorboys SSR2.5 followed by SSR2 to remove any haze with a lower abrasive polish/pad. I really liked this article, but I would like some opinions on that. Do I really need 2 polishes? Please explain how I should approach this.

Yes, you need 2 polish. a PC cut less than a rotary. your pad combination is good too.

As far as wax/sealant goes, I prefer Carnauba. My question is whether it would be worth it to get a polish/wax mixture. Do these products work or is it better to polish and wax the car in separate steps?

It will always work better if you by 2 product instead 1. it's just logic.

Finally, I'm a bit intimidated by the polishing step. I have seen people polish cars like mine and get all kinds of paint on the pad (I'm guessing that's what happens with single stage paint). How do I know I'm not burning paint? Will I be ok as long as I work the polish in until it's transparent/dry?

I did one car single stage, you have to be careful and dont stay too long on the same spot. move it a bit more faster than usual. But it's not that different than a clear coat paint. Instead of removing the clear, you are removing the paint. At the end, you still dont wanna burn the clear to end up with a dull finish.


Thanks in advance for any help. This will be my first time using a polisher and stuff so I just want to make sure I do things right. Please note that I am on a lower budget so I would prefer to stay away from the $50 bottles of Menzerna out there. I doubt I could benefit from those products at my rookie stage anyway.

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REDLINE_76 said:

I know this topic has been covered many times in this forum, but I'm having trouble aggregating all the information into something that is just right for me.

Beginning with what car it is: 1998 VW Jetta, LG5U - Porcelain Blue Metallic. To be perfectly honest, I don't know for sure whether this is single-stage paint or not, but I'm leaning towards yes. I also don't know whether that affects the choice of products.

Overall, the paint is in healthy shape. My main objective is to get rid of swirl marks. I'm happy to say that the paint is far from faded and is not lacking in its metallic aspect.

When the car comes out of storage in about a week I intend to do a full 4 step detail; wash, clay, polish, wax/seal.

Where I need help is in the polish and wax/sealant department. I want to get myself a Porter Cable 7424XP. I need your suggestions on what pads to use. Right now I'm considering orange and white. As for polish, I read an article on eshine.ca that recommended using Poorboys SSR2.5 followed by SSR2 to remove any haze with a lower abrasive polish/pad. I really liked this article, but I would like some opinions on that. Do I really need 2 polishes? Please explain how I should approach this.

As far as wax/sealant goes, I prefer Carnauba. My question is whether it would be worth it to get a polish/wax mixture. Do these products work or is it better to polish and wax the car in separate steps?

Finally, I'm a bit intimidated by the polishing step. I have seen people polish cars like mine and get all kinds of paint on the pad (I'm guessing that's what happens with single stage paint). How do I know I'm not burning paint? Will I be ok as long as I work the polish in until it's transparent/dry?

Thanks in advance for any help. This will be my first time using a polisher and stuff so I just want to make sure I do things right. Please note that I am on a lower budget so I would prefer to stay away from the $50 bottles of Menzerna out there. I doubt I could benefit from those products at my rookie stage anyway.

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REDLINE_76 said:

I know you sell products. I'm looking for guidance before I buy anything however.

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