I own a 2005 Redline Enthusiast 350z that was bought in November 2007. I have always washed (at the automatic drive thru car washes mostly) and waxed (almost every 2 - 3 months) regularly. I know not an excuse, but I live in an apartment and dont really have too many options for washing and waxing. Especially in the hot horrid Houston summer ..p h e w w w w !!

As far as the condition of the paint goes, it is not too bad. Doesnt have too much oxidation. The hood has some white pits from road debris. Some minor scuffs. Definitely full of swirls and webs. A scratch on the bottom of the driver side from when I went over the curb pulling into a McD drive thru (go figure!!), slight oxidation on the headlights.

Going through the 'Cleaning and Detailing' section of my350z forums have opened up my eyes to a whole new world that I didnt even know existed before. I didnt realize how much more there was to getting and maintaining that shine and shizzle - claybaring, polishing, etc etc. All fancy new terms to a noob like me :-D

Now I am really interested in getting into this stuff and bought myself a PC 7424XP (used to wax by hand before, what a PITA!!). Now in order to get started I need to buy the rest of the kit.

The question I have next is:
1. What size pads - 6.5 vs 5.5 vs 4? (I think maybe 6.5 is what I should be getting)
2. Browsing through the forums made me realize that Lake Country pads are the way to go. Question is which type - Hydrotech / Wool / Foam / CCS ?
3. Should I get the whole pad kit or just a select few colors (I think I have it narrowed down to Purple, Orange, White, Blue, Black)? Are two of each enough?
4. As far as polish products I am having a tough time deciding between Menzerna and the Poorboy lineup.
5. Definitely going to get the 303 Aerospace for the interiors.
6. Depending on the size of the pad what size backing plate should I get? 6" for the 6.5 pads?
7. Also, depending on pad and backing plate sizes, what counterweight should I get?
8. Do I need blue tape?
9. What do I get for the tires? Saw some recommendations in superblack's howto postings for P21S. I will get the Ez Detail brush as well.

I realize these questions have been asked a gazillion times already in various forms. So I do apologize for yet another similar post. But I have been going through all the forums and DetailedImage listings and am L O S T

 

1. Don't ever go to car washes that touch your car - that'll screw up your paint quick!

I started doing this last summer and it'll make your car look great!
I believe that I got all 6.5 pads - harder to burn your paint and wider coverage. I would just put whatever backing plate they recommend for that size pad.

I believe I have pad-wise - white, blue (cyan?), orange and maybe 1 or two others.
You need to buy pads depending on how much you need to cut into the clear coat, I didn't have to much on my 03 (good wax and often will help). Its' really up to you, but if you need some guidance on the pads just email detailed image. They're really helpful and obviously know a lot.

I think I just have 1 of each color pad and it's good for my needs, just get some cleaning powder for the pads.

I have Blackfire sealant and I love it, but pretty much anything you buy from DI will be great.

303 is great for interior/enginebay

Your random orbital buffer already has a counter weight, you don't need another one.

The blue tape is just painters tape and you will need to mark off all the trim and what not.

I've always just used cheap tire shine, but just got a TUF shine kit. I'll see how it works...

Just read through all the treads and talked with DI and you'll have more info than you know what to do with.

 

Thanks fr the reply. Helps a lot.

Do you remember what type of pads you bought - foam / ccs / hydro tech ??

Also any advise on Menz vs Poorboy for polish?

 

If you have to go to the car wash try to go to the "touch free" ones.

1. There is no one right size, the 6.5" helps you cover more area faster but the 4" size has a little more polishing power. I usually recommend the 5.5" pads (5" backing plate) as a good happy medium.

2. I personally like the Lake Country regular pads. The hydrotech pads do finish down just a little bit better but they are slightly less durable.

3. and 4. I'd highly recommend the Meguiar's and Menzerna. They tend to offer the most cutting power and finish down the best as well. The Meguiar's products are much more affordable and work extremely well so that is why we often recommend them and they are purchased more frequently. I'd highly recommend this kit DI Packages PC 7424XP with M105, M205 and 5.5" pads which has the pads you need and the backing plate.

5. In general if you get 6.5" pads you get the 6" backing plate and if you get the 5.5" pads you get the 5" backing plate. We have more specifics in our polishing section of our detailing guide if interested.

6. 303 Aerospace Protectant is a great product for vinyl, plastic, most leathers, rubber, etc.

7. You can stick with the stock counterweight for almost any size pad but if you get the 6.5" pads some people prefer to get the 6" counterweight.

8. Blue tape is not necessary we just recommend a low adhesion tape like our Meguiar's Professional Masking Tape.

9. SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect is my favorite wheel cleaner but the P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner is next. The DI Brushes E-Z Detail Brush is a big help as well.

For the tires you can clean them with just about any good APC or pick up the TUF SHINE Tire Cleaner. Then apply your favorite dressing, I personally like the TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat because it's so durable but the tires must be thoroughly cleaned before hand. For traditional tire dressings I'd recommend the Poorboy's World Bold 'n Bright Tire Gel.

Don't forget to save 10% off with the coupon code 10off350Z. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI