ok guys, got a few questions for ya. first off, i am brand new to detailing. i of course have washed and waxed and used brand whatever to polish my dash, but really thats about it.

so here is what i want to accomplish. i have a brand new '08 scab FX-4, that is white/dark grey 2-tone. i have read some of the posts on here, and have started to get a basic idea of whats going on. but, so far i havent seen a lot of info that was specific to white vehicles.

all i really want to accomplish is keeping my truck looking nice, but not show room. its not my daily driver, but i do A LOT in my truck (hunting, fishing, kayaking, hauling around my various toys....) so there is no way this thing is gonna stay mint. i just want to keep it as nice as possible.

so here it is. what are the best (and easiest for a newbie) products to use that can all be hand applied. i was thinking 1. wash, 2. clay, 3. sealer, 4. wax. can steps 3 and 4 be combined? i also would prefer to not spend an entire sat or sun on this, as i can work up to 90 hours a week, and value my free time!! so what do you all recommend for a white truck that is easily and relatively quickly applied? thanks a lot for your advice and patience

 

Instead of a sealer I would recomend pb white diamond. Its a glaze which does nothing for protection but does a ton for shine. If I remember correctly. Then just follow up with your wax and you should be good to go. And congrats on the new truck!

 

Have you read the detailing sticky yet?

 

Welcome...

There are LOTS of threads about White paint in this section...

Do this, try a search on White Paint, or Poorboys White Diamond or White Diamond....

There are many ways to bring out white, granted it doesn't pop like darker colors but you can make it look dripping wet and very reflective.

Read the sticky for sure. Then dive back in.

If you are serious and full boar...you are going to need to make an investment in the proper tools, pads, products. Speaking of products, there are MANY great product lines out there, Megs, Adams, Chem Guys, Menzerna, ClearKote, Poorboys (My personal favorite), Pinnacle, Wolf Gang, Optimum etc, you get the idea...there many ways to clean a dove (tired of using "skinning a cat")

For white I can tell you there are good product combinations out there.

Good luck.

RollingRock...

 

I'd do White Diamond and than a sealant + wax.

 

If you were going to do this by hand and pick one product line this would be my plan

Wash
Clay
Polish with PB PP
glaze with White Diamond (WD)
Seal with PB EX-P
Top with your fav LSP (Last Step Product)
Poorboys Nattys white would be a good choice


If you have a DA same order as above just makes it tons easier and better results.

You could also mix and match products for instance:
Wash
clay
Polish with Megs #9
Glaze with White Diamond or ClearKote Vanilla Hand Mouse
seal with PB EX-P
LSP with Collinite 845


Just kick around some ideas for you....

 

Easy and quickly applied by hand? New truck? Looks nice but not necessarily showroom?

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Meguiars NXT 2.0

After every wash, wipe it down with Meguiars Ultimate Quick Detailer.

 

uuhhhh... why not do both???

Personally, if I was going to use WD (which I havent yet, and probably wont since I have enough crap as it is...), I would still follow up with EX-P then Nattys Blue...

 

You guys are getting pretty advanced on this person - reread his original post. Not saying that my suggestion is great, but it fulfills all his criteria and combines step 3 and 4. All your suggestions, good as they may be, are a lot more work. He's looking for a quick wash and wax job.

 

Then I say, skip all these suggestions, and read the sticky.

 

I agree -- most people just want their truck to look shiny and clean. Let's face it -- the "Average Joe" will have no interest in doing the multiple step procedures that are discussed around here. With all due respect, many of the detailing regimens we use around here are a little over the top......

I do them and play around with it because I enjoy the process, and have enough vehicles in my stable that I can afford to have one of them down for several days while I putter around in the garage detailing it. But the average guy wants to spend about three hours max and then move on with his life!

 

The sticky gets a lot more involved than that too. However, it is VERY good for learning principles and techniques. It tells you HOW to wash, clay, and wax (and do various intermediate steps as necessary or desired), and discusses the correct tools and techniques for the job, whether you do it by hand or with a machine. It was written before the introduction of NXT 2.0, which appears to be a big improvement in its final appearance - a LOT less "saran wrap" looking.

EDIT: Prime example - a couple weekends ago my stepdaughter and I did a "detail" on her 01 Catera. She bought it last fall and had done nothing to it except take it through tunnel washes. It's a light grayish beige, whatever that color is called. We washed it, clayed it, used ScratchX where needed, and finished with NXT 2.0 by hand. We also did a full interior "detail", polished the wheels, shined the tires, and did the windows inside and out. To you elders and pros here, that was just a "wash and wax" job and nothing more. Total time spent? 6 hours. She is pretty **** about appearances in general, not just her car. She was VERY satisfied.

You may issue me demerits for no pics.