Yamaheart

As far as getting most of these products, where should I go for better deals, i.e Autozone, Pepboys or Kragen(o'riley).

I have read some of the threads up in here. There are so many products and steps to do. Let me summarize these steps, please point out my errors..

1. Wash car
2. claybar car, as for claying what lubricant I must use?, the one came with it, or I can use it with any quick detail spray?
3. Swirl, scratch remover
4. Wax/polish
5. Sealant, I have never use any sealant, I just thought WAX is also a sealant.

Please advise. Thank you

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

It depends what type of products you want. Most of the high end stuff (AKA most of the stuff that the forum sponsors here use and list in their show-and-tell threads) will not be found as an over-the-counter product.

Greg@DI

Your process is basically correct and you are on the right track. Compounds, Swirl Removers and Polishes are terms that can be somewhat interchangeable. In general all of these products can be put in the category of a polish. Polishes have either chemical or abrasive particles that help them clean and shine the paint. Generally polishes with abrasive particles are what you are looking for to permanently and safely remove swirls. If you are polishing by hand I generally just recommend a one step process. If you have a quality buffer with pads a two step process with a light and medium cutting polish works great. Polishing should always be done after the clay bar and before the sealant or wax. Sealants are essentially artificial waxes that last much longer. If you want to just do one step most people pick the sealant and that is what I generally suggest. If you want added protection and shine you can layer a wax on top of the sealant. If you need more tips don't hesitate to ask or check out our detailing guide.

To revise your process here are the steps I'd recommend:

Wash/Dry
Clay
Polish
Sealant
Wax (if desired)

You can find good deals at basically all of those stores you mentioned. Often times they are blowing out the detailing supplies at this time of year, if they have much left in stock. I would also encourage you to consider purchasing from a detailing sponsor here on Club Lexus like my business www.DetailedImage.com. We offer 10% off most items (excludes sale items, packages, tools) with the coupon code 10offCL.

Here are some great deals on each of the steps we discussed:

Wash/Dry
DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package

Clay Bar
DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube

Polish
Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205

Sealant
Poorboy's World EX-P Sealant
Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger (a bit more expensive but my personal favorite)

Wax (Optional)
Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax

All of these items should be a great value even compared to products available locally. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Greg @ DI

Raralith

Chemical Guys in Inglewood, near Los Angeles, has a lot of the high end products and over the counter; I believe DI sells some of their stuff too. The people there are pretty helpful, and they do demo's of their products too. The first time I went there, one person probably spent 40 minutes going over all their products on my car, some I didn't buy, some I did. You can get everything there too, but I didn't get any swirl/scratch remover as you really need tools for that.

DunWkg

The vendors that support this forum will have much of what you need or want. In addition to being very helpful and full of useful and accurate information.

For brick and mortar stores, add WalMart and Target to your list. Although the products will vary seasonally and most of what they have is consumer grade products. WalMart will have some excellent sales, but you need to stop often to catch them and it will vary from store to store. Target is really limited compared to WalMart, but will have some good sales after the holidays.

Your list of stores will get you many of the consumer grade products you want. Sometimes you need to venture about the store to find detailer or professional products, but AutoZone, Advanced Auto Parts and O'Reilly's make up my regular stops. No PepBoys around here. None of them will have the high end stuff available from the forum vendors.

Happy hunting!

Yamaheart

thank you alll....

redline201

iTrader: (13)

I buy all my stuff from Greg @ Detailed Image. They have awesome customer support. They are on the east coast so shipping to me is quick. And most important to me is Greg takes the time to answer every annoying and redundant question i ask.