need help on what to buy for detailing???

Sorry Craig, I'm possibly not the person to recommend the correct products but thought I just say congratulations on the longest username I have ever seen.

Must be like a essay every time you log on

I find the old classic, Natty's Blue Paste is really good for black cars and also give quite a deep gloss shine.

Menzerna also have a good range of polishes that are also easy to work with and give great results.

HTH

best i've found is blackfire diamond

process used

hosed car over to wetten and get off loose dirt etc

wash with gold class shampoo - http://www.meguiars.co.uk/cgi-bin/sp...?pc=G7116&tp=0

using lambswool wash mitt - http://www.meguiars.co.uk/cgi-bin/sp...?pc=A7301&tp=0

hose down with water

washed again repeating above

hose down with water

then dry off with Supreme Shine Microfibre - http://www.meguiars.co.uk/cgi-bin/sp...?pc=X2010&tp=0

then cake wheels in this > http://www.meguiars.co.uk/cgi-bin/sp...?pc=G9524&tp=0 vigarate all around with some old sponge and rinse with hose

the some bit of sponge to apply the tyre gel - http://www.meguiars.co.uk/cgi-bin/sp...?pc=G7516&tp=0 - smells lush, like blackcurrant fruitella (use gloves if you don't want black fingernails for the next week, lol)

then using an applicator pad > http://www.meguiars.co.uk/cgi-bin/sp...?pc=X3070&tp=0 apply the trim detailer > http://www.meguiars.co.uk/cgi-bin/sp...pc=G10810&tp=0 to all the black bits - grille, side skirts, wiper arms, aerial etc


next would be Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish applied and buffed off with a normal tesco's microfibre, then Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection, applied and buffed off with a normal tesco's microfibre then poorboys natty wax applied and buffed off with a normal tesco's microfibre, and then on with nattys blue wax - you'll have no arm left after all that but it looks good!

also, after the alloys + tyres have been done and dried, and tyre gel applied - make sure alloys are dry and use a normal megs polish on the rims applied and buffed off with a normal tesco's microfibre, then apply a coat (or two) of poorboys wheel sealant to seal them from gathering brake dust on them, and they stay shiny for longer

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/4325/img52762zy1.jpg

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/1944/img52942um2.jpg

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/2718/img52982dt6.jpg

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6897/img53012iu6.jpg

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/1677/img53102jn9.jpg

im not a professional only had my car a year and got to know things in that time, so some things might not be agreed on. also i dont have a rotary so im sure you could get better results with one of those

drew

Great results!

2500rpm is to fast for use on a car, 900-1500 is the norm. I'd recommend you buy a porter cable instead and follow the guides on the internet or vids on youtube. Wax/Sealant wise its up to you and you budget, i prefer waxes on metallics and sealants on solid paints. Here's Zaino on my black S3.

Some awesome results above folks, cracking images! Okay, starting from the top, you obviously have a decent basic kit, and now want to push the boat out and take things to the next level. It's best to break this down into stages. Starting with the wash and clay stage, there's little you need to change. Gold Class is a fine enough shampoo, but when you have run out, switching to Poorboy's Slick n Suds or Meguiars Shampoo Plus would offer even more gentleness at equivalent or better price points. Drying off would be better doone with a leaf blower (I kid you not - it will keep your paint swirl free for longer, as friction is dramatically reduced). Meguiars Clays are good, so no need to change them if you like them.

One other thing to consider would be adding a foaming stage to your wash process. Using a foam gun to blanket the car in foam for 5-10 mins before power washing means a lot more muck will come off before you mitt wash the car... which again cuts down the risk of inflicting marring or worse. Foam guns to consider are either a Gilmour Foamaster II, which will fit a standard garden hose and deliver good bubbly foam (providing your water pressure is reasonably good). Use it with Meguiars Hyper Wash for best results. See here...

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb119wash.html

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb243wash.html

Here is an example of the Gilmour in action...



However, to get really thick clinging foam you need a dedicated lance that fits onto a pressure washer; these lances produce loads of ultra thick clinging foam, and can be used effectively with Hyper Wash and all other degreasers, all purpose cleaners and shampoos. Here is an example of the Auto-Brite lance for Karcher fitments in action...



Moving onto the polishing stage, you don;t really give a clear indication of the condition of your paint. If it is good, and all you want to do is boost gloss, then a glaze will be required, and these can be applied by hand or machine. However, if the dullness is caused by fine defects (swirls and scratches), then a proper machine polisher would help no end - I've made some suggestions on the other thread you posted asking about pads and polishers. If you go down the machine route, Menzerna polishes stand head and shoulders above all others for correcting (and perfecting) hard VAG paints. RD3.02 is used to correct moderate to severe defects, while 106FA and 85RD are milder finishing polishes used to nip out very light defects and maximise gloss. See here for further information...

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/polish.html

If you can offer up some more in depth advice on your paint condition, then I can be more specific in terms of the best way of improving it. Pictures taken under full sun or artificial lighting would help. I should finish off by saying the tool you currently have is a buffer rather than a polisher; buffers are fine at buffing and removing product residues, but as you've sussed, you need a polisher fitted with foam heads to properly polish paint.

Finally, when it comes to choosing the protective system, on metallic black you have various options depending on whether you like a shiny, reflective finish or a wetter, glossier look, so I would recommend taking a look at this guide...

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=41386

... and choosing accordingly! Plenty of food for thought, have a read and a think and fire away with any more questions!

Could be down to two things. Firstly, it could be severe clay marring, although this would not be even over the car; some areas would look worse than others. Secondly, it could be orange peel, which is a form of paint defect caused by overapplication at the spraying stage. Both can usually be sorted (the former is very easy to remedy through polishing by hand or machine, the latter often needs wetsanding out then polishing, so is a more serious propersition) to a high standard. However, it would be good if you could post some pics up showing the paint under full sun or decent artificial lighting, just so we can be sure.