Polish & polishing

[ritch_w]

this ones mainly for kieran - ;)

whats the best polish to use? the galant is indigo blue which i think is slightly pearlescant.

i've been using meguliars gold class INSERT INTO post VALUES (i think thats right...)
is this enough - or should i be using anything else as well?

also whats best for polishing out light scratchs?
and the front bumper spolier looks a bit dull even after polishing probably due to mitsubishis ****e quality paint and spray painting methods - anything to try and make this look a bit better? INSERT INTO post VALUES (i'll get the front end sprayed - but not in winter;) )
ta

[Kieran]

Meguiars gold class is a bit more towards the 'Jack of all trades' type of polish - it's a blend of cleaners, polishes and wax, and is noted for it's highly reflective properties. I use it as a quick and easy 'Top Up' polish myself.

Don't be tempted to 'cut' the topcoat... Mitsubishi use zinc-phosphate coated steel and only a few (THIN) layers of paint and clear coating... something like T-Cut will get through this in no time. Even G-10 compound is a bit too fierce if you don't know what you're on with.

Darker cars show up swirls and scratches very well... I would suggest the following for getting the paintwork looking right...

Buy the following (they're all Meguiar's products) and use them in this order... These directions assume you've got a freshly washed and dry car.

Clay detailing kit - This step is often overlooked, but is vital to getting a good finish and making sure your wax of choice bonds to the paint surface.
Claying a car removes 'on surface' contamination - tar, road film, tree sap, etc. I would suggest getting a second bottle of quick detailer spray (you get only one with the clay kit, and this is only just enough to do a Galant).

To use the clay, spray detailer onto your clean, dry paint surface (don't cheat and try it with water - it isn't as effective at trapping the crap that the clay loosens) and then run the clay across the surface. If you apply downward pressure, the clay will stick to the surface and leave you a nice streak to get rid of. You'll also get smears of clay on your paint if you don't lubricate the clay properly (this is why I say get two).

When the paint has been correctly clayed, you should be able to run your fingers lightly along the surface and it should feel like a sheet of glass. There should be no grittiness or roughness detectable.

Once you've clayed, you'll notice that the car looks dirty again (it's surprising the amount of muck it fetches up!); so you'll probably want to give it a quick once-over with a weak car wash solution and rise/dry as before.

Next step is to deep clean the car surface, and remove old wax, swirls and scratches, oxidation and all the other nasties that consipire to dull your finish. For this, use Clear Coar body scrub - This is a paint CLEANER rather than a pure cutting compound. It uses a blend of chemical cleaners and 'diminishing abrasive' technology - that is to say, it has an *extremley* mild abrasive action, and the abrasives break down as they're worked into your paint. I apply this using a random orbital polisher. Work it in, and use a 100% cotton towel to wipe it away. When you've finished this step, you should be able to run a towel along the paint surface and hear it squeak - a sure sign that the paint surface is nice and clean. Be sure that you apply polish ASAP after this step - immediately is best!

Next, get some meguiar's 'Deep Crystal stage 2' and apply this in the usual way. Deep crystal is a 3 step polishing programme, consisting of a Paint Cleaner (stage 1); a polish (stage 2) and a finishing wax (stage 3). Again, I machine polish this in.

"Why no deep crystal stage 1?" I hear you ask. Simply because it performs the same function as the clear coat body scrub, and the body scrub is a newer, more effective formulation.

Once you've got stage 2 worked in and buffed off, use Deep Crystal stage 3. Stage 3 is the wax layer that locks in the highly polished finish created using Step 2. Again, I machine apply this product using my trusty Nu-Tool random orbital polisher and use a towel & finishing bonnet on my polisher to buff it off.

OK - so you've read all that. Yep, it's a lot of work, but I only need to go to this extreme about once every 4 months. In between, like you, I use gold class.

[Kieran]

:stars: :typy: Christ!!! That was a long post!!!!

[ritch_w]

dude - fantastic!

when you do all of this - how long does it take?

[BraindG]

/cough.. should be an article.. /cough....

[Darren]

And I thought I was being anal drying the thing with a towel :p , I usually do it by screaming down the A1 at INSERT INTO post VALUES (an undisclosed speed) :D . I never knew cleaning a car could be so technical.

Wonder if how much it would cost to get that kind of loving attention on my car.

[Nick Mann]

I really do think Kieran should publish a price list. There are so many of us gaggin' to give our cars a bit of serious Kieran lovin' it would make not only VR4 ownership, but also house ownership, glorious wedding and amazing honeymoon seem like an easy to reach goal!

[Kieran]

I have wondered if I should have a go.. The problem is, to make it work, I'd need to et through a lot of cars in a week - meaning either extra staff or cutting back on the throughness of the work in order to save time...

[Nick Mann]

£70 per car, 3 cars a day.......

:-D

Not saying I would have it done regularly, but Managing Directors etc with 70k cars...?

[Kieran]

I'd be lucky to get through two cars a day, unless I got up really early, lol!
But figures like that are tempting, I have to say!!

[Nick Mann]

Until recently, INSERT INTO post VALUES (market gone bad, so cut backs follow) the MD and financial director had their cars valeted once a month by a mobile company. One of the lads went and asked how much. £75 per car he was told. He showed them his car - a vectra or something similar, and they said 'Sorry sir, but we only do prestige vehicles!'
It took two of them two hours for the two cars.

[SGHOM]

I let nature do my car washing for me !! it's a much more enviromentally friendly process. :-D and perhaps the odd jet wash each spring !! :cool1:

[KiwiTT]

Sorry Kieran ... I have to let the cat out of the bag about "isn't she polished up nicely".

I coming clean .... "Sorry, that was a bad pun"









I get it valeted, once a month.

- $20 per month
- $80 per 3 months
- $150 per 6 months

[zedy1]

kierans shiners hows that for a company name kieran

[Darren]

You could get some dopey YT kids to hoover and do the monkey work while you do the shiney thing. They only get thrupence ha'penny a week and i'm told you can beat them with a stick when ever you like, and the get them to make the tea ofcourse. :-D

[BraindG]

theres some money to be made in this!..
if you get two cars done a day @ £75 = 150 per day
5 days a week is 750
7 days a week £1050

thats 3000/4200 a month... you'd have enough money for a vr4 and insurance for a year after about 3 months work :)

[zedy1]

getting tempted?

[Kieran]

:idea: :D

[ritch_w]

the mans tempted! :-b

[ritch_w]

Keiren,

will extra polishing or doing the full monty as per you instructions help prevent stone chipping?

ta

[zedy1]

dont think it would ritchw

[ritch_w]

thought so - just the dark coloured sport bumpers do take a pumelling

30K sport looks the same as a 200K BMW, crap mitsu paint....... :noshake: