I'd just like to add that Marc has been nothing but professional and willing to help with all of my questions, from new car prep to preventative maint. for our cars that we all care about. I'm glad we've got a thread like this to get more feedback on.
On that note, Marc, regarding windshield care, what do you recommend? Anything specific for polishing the glass?
Thanks a lot Steve. I'm always a car enthusiast first and foremost and it's just nice to be in a position in which I get paid to help fellow car enthusiasts meet their goals.
As for the windshield question - are there any problems with it? Does it have scratches / lines from the wipers in the glass or does it just need a good cleaning?
For clarity, I'd recommend the hardest compound and the hardest pad (105 on yellow if you have it, if not orange). Glass can only be polished out so much - its not soft like a clear-coat / single-stage is.
I always have Aquapel on my windshield, and when a client brings a daily driver to us - we always put it on their windshield as well. The difference in driving in rain/snow is shocking.
Do you sell products to the public? Just the basics, such as carwash, wheel cleaner, bug removal, products of that nature. I try to keep my DD as clean as possible, and it would be nice to have a professional let me know what works good.
Sorry but I don't. You're free to ask questions here though!
We have an affiliation with DetailedImage.com, and they carry a lot of top-notch products. There are some things they don't currently carry that are some of my favorites, but they're working on bringing more products on board all the time.
The nice thing about ordering online is there are a lot of great great products that you can purchase that you'd normally never see in a store. The problem with ordering online is the selection is so huge and every product labels itself as "the best" that choosing something can be rather difficult.
Product choice is the smallest issue - the biggest thing is the right technique and the right equipment. Products can make a difference in how quickly or easily something is done, but many top quality pros can get good results using nearly anything if they had to. Here's a quick list of things I'd HIGHLY recommend you to have, or to get ASAP:
1. Two 5 gallon buckets strictly used for car washing.
2. Two Grit-Guard bucket inserts for above listed buckets.
3. Car wash soap - dilute properly as listed on the bottle. Most are 128:1 AKA one once to every gallon of water in the bucket. A great over the counter soap is Meguiar's NXT (purple color sold in 64oz jugs) or even Meguiar's Gold Class (though I personally prefer NXT because it seems just a little slicker).
4. Quality wash mitts. If its something you don't wash after each car wash - you need new ones. I prefer the microfiber / chenille "dred-lock" style ones, though I think the lambs wool ones are best (but lack durability and cost more).
5. Quality drying towels. Microfiber drying towels can be pricey (ours are around 13-20 dollars a piece) and you'll need at least two for each time you need to dry your car.
6. A decent quick detailer / spray wax. Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Wax is AWESOME stuff over the counter. Sold in a black bottle, it isn't made to have any cleaning power / drying aids like Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer has. It's made to be used after a thorough washing and drying and will add a lot of slickness and shine to your car. Expect to get around a month of protection from this alone.
7. Tire dressing. The gel type products have the best durability, but are nasty to work with and take too much time IMO. Grab something quick and easy like NoTouch tire shine. After applying, wait awhile and once the foam is about gone, use an old rag to wipe the tire's sidewall - this will give a nice uniform finish and will prevent residue from "slinging" up onto your car.
Those are the must-have categories. Optional, but highly recommended stuff includes a safe but effective wheel cleaner, wheel cleaning brushes, metal polish, trim dressing, bug & tar remover, etc.
If you have a question on any particular type of product, I'll try to recommend several options to include an over-the-counter one (if possible), and something that can be purchased online.
