28 replies to this topic

[speedy_canacott]

Hello Everyone,

I was looking to detail my car this weekend and would like to know if I've got good enough products, if I'm gonna do it in the right order etc etc...

So if I tell you what I've got and what I'm gonna do then maybe people could share their views???

First, was gonna spray down the car, then wash it with AutoGlym BodyWork Shampoo Conditioner, using the two bucket method.

Dry the car using a microfibre towel.

Clay the paintwork using Meguiars clay bar and Quik Detailer lubricant.

Polish the car using AutoGlym Super Resin Polish, buffing off with another microfibre cloth.

Then use AutoGlym Aqua Wax to wax it, then buff this off with the AutoGlym microfibre cloth that came with the wax.

I also have AutoGlym Extra Gloss Protection, but don't know if to use this with the above or at which point.


Basically I want the car looking great and as shiny/glossy as possible whilst still protecting it/rain beading off it.

Any Help is very much appriciated.

Thanks everyone




"" Oh, and the car is a 1999 Rover Mini Paul Smith LE, in Paul Smith Blue ""

Edited by speedy_canacott, 30 April 2010 - 06:23 PM.

[mattsbmw]

Sounds a good enough plan to me, once you have used the super resin polish, then apply Extra gloss protection (you will ned to leave it on for 1 hour to cure). After buffing off the Extra Gloss protection then use the aqua wax

[samsfern]

ive just bought some aqua wax and extra gloss stuff today, ive heard great things about them, ive been trying all different products at home and at work, im looking to get my black paint to polish up like a sheet of glass, lol. id use the super resin polish, then extra gloss, then aquawax

[crazycoleman118]

i found that the aqua wax was a bit naff personally.... the polish is ok... apaprently your meant to leave the car 24 hours after polishing it as it can contaminate the wax or something (been reading on detailingworld.co.uk) <- very helpful....

i found dodo juice purple haze wax to be very good, keeps my car shiney, and can now just give it a quick snow foam and wash and it'll look like its just been pollished!

samsernie if you want you car like a sheet of glass i'd say invest in a machine polisher if you can afford it... maybe even rent, as that will definatly get rid of all swirl marks.. (left by sponges... if you didnt allready know.. sponge = bad... lambs wool wash mit = good ) if not a good wash, clay bar polish, and wax should get you there aswell...

Edited by crazycoleman118, 30 April 2010 - 10:08 PM.

[Ipod]

Be carfull when using a machine polisher, you can burn your paint if you dont keep the pad moist enough or leave it in one spot for to long..

[samsfern]

i do use a wooly mit thing to wash it, and use meguairs application pad things, then a microfibre cloth, but its because it black, and it gets used everyday, it seems to get loadsa tiny scratches and swirlys in no time after ive polished them out, and people seem to like running their handover it when its parked up, grrr most of it is just me being picky, lol

[crazycoleman118]

Be carfull when using a machine polisher, you can burn your paint if you dont keep the pad moist enough or leave it in one spot for to long..

not if you use a rotary polisher

yeah its annoying when people touch your car just after its been washed...black cars are the worst! although you get the best satisfaction out of it... try clay barring it, and putting on some sealer then waxing it... give it probably 4 maybe more coats of wax... and it should keep the scratches at bay... aslong as people dont try and wipe off the dirt as thats what puts the microscratches into the paint! but most of the time they will be there untill you can get a machine polisher on it as it will take forever by hand

[speedy_canacott]

This is great advise, I think in that case I will do as above but squeeze in extra gloss protection before the aqua wax, I just thought that might lessen the shine but obviously not. I'll post some before and after pictures on this thread if Monday stays good weather down here...

[crazycoleman118]

the wax is what normally gives your paint the better shine i find... the clay bar will take away all imperfections and road film left by whatevever whilst traveling on the roads, and the polish will cut out most smaller scratches... then the several layers of wax is what protects your paint and gives it that awesome shine!...

cant wait to see the pictures

[speedy_canacott]

the wax is what normally gives your paint the better shine i find... the clay bar will take away all imperfections and road film left by whatevever whilst traveling on the roads, and the polish will cut out most smaller scratches... then the several layers of wax is what protects your paint and gives it that awesome shine!...

cant wait to see the pictures

I just can't wait to see how it comes out, I've never done this before but I'm quite a perfectionist so I'm hoping that part of me will keep it going well. Pictures should be on Monday night - weather permitting.

[MiniBonkerz]

Be carfull when using a machine polisher, you can burn your paint if you dont keep the pad moist enough or leave it in one spot for to long..

not if you use a rotary polisher

Try it see if you are gutted when it does burn the paint work

[speedy_canacott]

I think I prefer doing it by hand anyway, gives me more satisfaction once the job's done, plus it's expense that isn't urgent at the moment, my brother in law has one though so could try that one day on a panel and see what it's like, not this time though

What does everyone else do? I've given what i'm doing above and could compare and improve...

[crazycoleman118]

Be carfull when using a machine polisher, you can burn your paint if you dont keep the pad moist enough or leave it in one spot for to long..

not if you use a rotary polisher

Try it see if you are gutted when it does burn the paint work

ive never had a problem ... but ive allways kept moving the polisher... i tend to focus on maybe 2 pannels at a time (seeing as the mini really isnt that big) do a bit on one, leave it then do a bit on another... so that might be why... but surely if the pad isnt moist it wont have any pollish on it anyway... and therefor it would be a bit of a silly mistake?

anyway must stop spamming this thread, sorry

hand polishing does give much more satisfaction... but a very dead arm!

i do the following..

rince down the paintwork with a hose,

snowfoam the car using jetwash and lance, using a mixture of snowfoam and a quick squirt of car body shampoo

rince again, then wash using the 2 bucket method using 2 washmits one for the body, and another for the wheels and trim..

then dry.... with a drying towel, then put tyre gell on, leave to cure, then if my paintwork wasnt so shot... i would claybar the whole car... then polish using autoglym super resin polish,

sealent, (dodo juice stuff)

wax with dodo juice purple haze, this would be about 4-5 coats... i also put some cheap wax on the windows (apart from the front) as rain tends to sheet off but you can get proper window stuff but i never saw the point

then i realise ive wasted most of my evening lol! anyone else?

[Ipod]

moist means wetting the pad a bit, with water so therefor acting as a coolant, to reduce heat transfer to the paint causing the burn

[speedy_canacott]

Be carfull when using a machine polisher, you can burn your paint if you dont keep the pad moist enough or leave it in one spot for to long..

not if you use a rotary polisher

Try it see if you are gutted when it does burn the paint work

ive never had a problem ... but ive allways kept moving the polisher... i tend to focus on maybe 2 pannels at a time (seeing as the mini really isnt that big) do a bit on one, leave it then do a bit on another... so that might be why... but surely if the pad isnt moist it wont have any pollish on it anyway... and therefor it would be a bit of a silly mistake?

anyway must stop spamming this thread, sorry

hand polishing does give much more satisfaction... but a very dead arm!

i do the following..

rince down the paintwork with a hose,

snowfoam the car using jetwash and lance, using a mixture of snowfoam and a quick squirt of car body shampoo

rince again, then wash using the 2 bucket method using 2 washmits one for the body, and another for the wheels and trim..

then dry.... with a drying towel, then put tyre gell on, leave to cure, then if my paintwork wasnt so shot... i would claybar the whole car... then polish using autoglym super resin polish,

sealent, (dodo juice stuff)

wax with dodo juice purple haze, this would be about 4-5 coats... i also put some cheap wax on the windows (apart from the front) as rain tends to sheet off but you can get proper window stuff but i never saw the point

then i realise ive wasted most of my evening lol! anyone else?

Yeah that sounds good crazycoleman118, but I'm gonna give the dodo juice a miss this time as I've already bought the stuff but next time it sounds like that it worth buying.

Thanks a lot