Which compound, polish, wax do I buy?

[dfelicia]

I have a '00 21' Malibu ski boat that is new to me, and that was clearly babied by the previous owner. It looks showroom new, and I want to keep it that way.

I also have an '02 F-150 and an '01 VW (plus a minivan that I have no intention of ever washing :-)).

Anyway, in my Amazon cart I have the following so far:

• Meguiar's Professional Dual Action Polisher
• Meguiar's W 9207 7" Soft Buff 2.0 Foam Finishing Pad
• SOFTBUFF 2.0 FOAM POLISHING PAD 7 inch
• Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt
• Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber Cloths (Pack of 3)
• Meguiar's Water Magnet Drying Towel
• Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit

Now I need to add the right compund, cleaner, polish, and wax... but there are sooo many.

Note I am totally new to this. I've never used a buffer, and the last time I waxed a car was 15 years ago (before I got married and had kids). My truck and car are 10+ years old, but in great shape. That said, they both have some scratches that I wouldn't mind diminishing. My boat is pristine, and only needs to be maintained as such - no scratches or swirls to remove, there.

Specifically, do I need "cutting" pads or M105 "ultra cut" compound? Or is "ultimate" all I need? What about the rest (cleaner, polish, sealer)?

Also, anything different in the 5 step process for gel coat (i.e. boat vs. auto)? Should i only be looking to use the buffer and pads on the boat, and use boat polish/wax and not Meg's?

Any advice appreciated...

[Murr1525]

Re: Which compound, polish, wax do I buy?

You may want to check out Autodetailingsolutions.com for a price comparison for things. Esp if you need some towels, etc in bulk.

As far as products:
1. Wash - Gold Class soap, 2 buckets, Grit Guard, good quality mitts and drying towels.
2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay kit is good... Though you will certainly need more QD spray.
3. Clean - The Ult. Compound is preferred as the 'stronger cleaner' for use with the DA polishers, and then you can look at Ult. Polish, #205, or SwirlX as your milder cleaner/polish.
4. Wax - For the cars, Ult. Wax, or Nxt 2.0, Gold Class +, etc are favorites. Probably Ult. Wax if you want the most durability. Just be sure to read up on how to use it.
5. Wax - 2 thin coats are best.
6. Maintain - Ult. Quick Wax for after future washes.

As for the boat, if there is no defects, then you dont really need a lot. Ult. Compound would be able to deal with some minor water spots, maybe even as mild as SwirlX if you kept after it. You could always consider something like the Flagship Cleaner/Wax. You could use the car waxes, but would probably do better with one of the Flagship waxes.

The Flagship Cleaner/Wax followed by the Flagship Wax would likely be a great quick detail.

For the pads, you would want to stick with the polishing and finishing on the car. Gel coat can take a cutting pad, esp if more cleaning ability were needed.

Edit:

And just in case you hadnt seen them:

http://www.meguiars.com/en/marine/products/

[dfelicia]

Re: Which compound, polish, wax do I buy?

Ah, ha! A whole other product line for marine. Heh. Thanks for the quick reply. Now I have some marine cleaner and wax plus "ultimate" series of cleaner/polish/wax for the cars in the cart. I'm > $300, but I figure the investment will have paid for itself after one use on each vehicle. (Local "mobile" boat detailers charge $7 per foot!)

Looking at autodetailingsolutions.com, now. Perhaps this kit is a better deal for me than amazon: http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/g110-kit-4.html (Then I just have to pick up some marine wax and some soap, towels, and mitt.)

[Murr1525]

Re: Which compound, polish, wax do I buy?

http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/meguiars-g110v2-polisher-ultimate-kit.html

I might lean that way... but I'd really have to do some number crunching. UC would be nicer than #105 in most situations with the DA.

Or maybe just the machine/pad kit, and add the products separate. Just have to add up the different combinations I guess.

May need to look at more pads, that is kind of the bare minimum.

Just do what we do and buy everything.... Haven't even covered glass, wheels, interior, trim, metal....