humbucker87

Hey guys,

I was planning on detailing my wife's new used car (2011 Hyundai Sonata with 3k miles) that we are picking up today.

I really want to start off on the right foot since the paint is still pretty fresh.

The biggest question is since its a fairly new car, what is and isn't necessary when detailing, especially with the porter cable.

Out of the following steps which should I do? and are there any I should add?

-Wash -obvious but I'll list it anyways
-Clay -also obvious
-Compound -I don't need any paint correction so do I need to use compound?
-Med Polish -?
-Final Polish -?
-Sealant/Wax -going to do this as well

Thanks for the help.

S2KRAY

Depends on the condition. I have seen new cars delivered after the "prep boys" at the dealership got done with them and they were full of swirls, etc from inexperienced personnel. If nothing else a good cleaner/sealant like Klasse.

deepbluejh

For what is essentially a brand new car, I would wash, clay, use a light polish (optional, if it needs it), then a sealant. Do NOT use any compound or heavy cutting polish on it.

For polishing, I use a porter cable. For applying sealant, I use a small hand applicator instead. This allows you to be very precise and gentle in application.

akimel

As mentioned by S2KRay, it all depends on the condition of the car and what looks good to your eyes. Light colored cars can hide defects a lot better than dark-colored cars.

If the car already looks good and you do not feel that it needs any paint correction, then follow deepbluejh's suggestions: wash, clay, and wax/sealant. If you want to pull out your PC and do some light polishing, then you might try a polish like Meguiar's M205 or one of the less abrasive Menzerna polishes. (What polishes do you own?) If you want to create a swirl-free finish, you may need to use a couple of different polishes.

Another possibility is to use your PC to apply an mildly abrasive AIO product like Optimum's Poli-Seal or Meguiar's M66 Cleaner Wax. Other AIO possibilities: Klasse AIO (already mentioned above), Duragloss 501, Meguiar's D151.

It all depends on what looks good in your eyes and how much time, energy, and money you are willing to invest in the correction of the paint.

humbucker87

Thanks for the help guys.

I currently have the polishes in this kit from detailersdomain:

http://www.detailersdomain.com/theuber-por...umpolishes.aspx

So, Optimum Compound II, Polish II, Final Polish, and Poli-Seal. I guess once I clay the car and really see what I'm dealing with I'll know better what I want to use. Right now I'm leaning towards either Final Polish and Poli-Seal, or just Poli-Seal.

BTW the car is Dark Blue, so next to black in reflectiveness, its not going to hide imperfections very well, and thats one reason I want to start off on the right foot.

RedY2KS2k

Polishing makes a car look good, but removes a tiny amount of clearcoat.

You need to decide what level of paint perfection you require, and recognize that aggressive polishing too often can lead to clearcoat failure.

Your Compound II, Polish II, and Final Polish is aggressive enough that you don't want to repeat it every six months. Learn to care for the paint (proper washing, drying, and "waxing") so that it doesn't get scratched up again. No automated car washes with spinning, scratching brushes; no removing the snow from the hood with a broom; etc.

RedY2KS2k

Sorry, I didn't read your last post carefully. You plan on using the least aggressive polish you can, based on the condition of the paint. Excellent decision.

humbucker87

Hey guys, thanks for all the help.

I did just the poli-seal today and then did wax on top of it for added protection. Turned out great. The PC makes buffing 100x easier.

Biggest pain was taping up before buffing, which might not have even been necessary.

bexiga

I too plan on using a light polish on my 02 Suzuka blue, my paint is in excellent shape, hardly no swirls at all. I'm thinking about Adams finishing polish or Optimum finishing polish. Not sure which one's the least aggressive of the two? I then plan on applying Zaino AIO, Zaino z5 and z2.