What steps can I skip?

[hakko]

Hey Guys,

I'm new to detailing and aim to start the process with just a few steps and master them before moving on to others. I don't want to jump in and try all together and make a mess!

So, with this  graphic in mind what steps can I skip?

Today i'm thinking of going with 1-wash and something else. The car surface seems decent and doesn't appear to have much crap on it, so I don't think I need to clay.

I'd like to be able to bring up a decent shine to give me some motivation to keep doing it? What product would you guys suggest for this and what step would it fit into?

Cheers.

I promise i'll post some before/after pics too.. :)

[torque777]

I would two a two bucket wash everytime ....then if you haven't polished and waxed for a bit then definitely clay her and make sure you have no tar on bodywork then you can just polish and wax by hand for now ...I like to use poorboys show glaze and natty paste wax and I also use blit hamper clay ...also use some AG products ...check out also autobrite products and valet pro all very good ....if you want good guides then type in junkman2000 into YouTube ...brilliant videos and you won't go far wrong following him

sent using my own fingers

[DFish]

After you wash the car run the palm of your hand over the paint work, if it's silky smooth then you dont need to clay. If you feel little bumps almost grit like, then you really need to clay.

The only real steps I'd think about dropping would be the restore/enhance, but it all depends on how swirlly the paint is.

They have missed out a step or two though. ;)

Fish

[hakko]

Thanks guys,

My main concern is about not claying? Is it dangerous to to wash and wax without claying?

Thanks.

[torque777]

No its not ....loads of people just wash ..dry ..polish and wax ...and you will still get a nice shine ...its just now that ive got into detailing I like to take it a stage further ...one way to tell if you need to clay is to put your hand into a food bag or freezer bag and gently run your hand over the car and you will find that if your hand drags at all then it will benefit from a clay first

sent using my own fingers

[Mikeygtir]

Agreed with whats already been said..

You'll know just by touching the paint if it needs clayed.. if the car looks gleaming, but feels other wise then its time to clay!

Bear in mind that once you've clayed, you'll need to get polish/wax/sealant (of your choice) onto the paint to protect it, otherwise the time spent claying will have been in vain.

I swear by the AutoBrite product range, but thats just me.. everyones got their fav products

[stealthwolf]

There are so many more steps than that. I'd honestly recommend getting a pro to do it once and provide a good base. You can then wash and dry with ease. Then learn to wax to top up the coat. Then later you can learn to clay and to polish.