Cleaning/Detailing discussion

[Throbbe]

Having threatened to do so elsewhere, I thought I'd start up a thread to give people the opportunity to share tips and ask questions to see if it generates interest. I'll try to answer queries where I can and I'm sure some of the other OCD sufferers will pitch in.

A few basics before we start. A lot of this is going to be subjective, ask a question on product recommendations and you'll get several different answers. Also, you may not notice the difference, and that's OK too. Someone asked me on another forum "I really like the results I get from Autoglym products, but what would you recommend I try". The answer of course is nothing, if you're already happy. By all means try new stuff, but it's very easy to just start buying stuff for the sake of it. Family commitments mean I can't get to many shows, but if people give me advance warning I can always bring products to try out/demo.

Secondly, you'll probably have heard some of us mention Detailing World (http://www.detailingworld.co.uk). To be brutally honest, it's too much for someone starting out. I was lucky enough to join when there were a couple of dozen members and it was easy to judge whos advice was worth listening to. However, there are a number of guides that are worth skimming. A member called Dave KG crops up a lot; he's just one of those guys that loves sharing knowledge and has a nice writing style. You may need to join DW to be able to view these:

Basic waxing and polishing guide (http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4). What's the difference between a wax and a polish, learn more here. Good basic info.

Washing technique (http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4637). It all starts here! No point in having beautifully polished paint if you're going to scratch it every time you wash.

Using a dual action polisher (http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=63859). This is more advanced, but it will help to explain what it is that Don is doing to get those results. :)

OK, over to you.

[Pastor of Muppets]

I love cleaning and detailing my car (and no i won't do yours) i reckon it takes about 6 hours to do a decent job of it and the best bit of advice i can give is use good products. I have been using poorboys since i was introduced to it by the guys over at the ftooc (fto owners club) and it realy is good stuff easy to put on take off and the results are fantastic al you need elsewise is a claybar and a lot of elbow grease!!

[Nevman]

Great idea mate.
Can you recommend the set of items for each job please?
I.e.
Washing,
Polishing/waxing
Scratch removing

And other things that are necessary for newbies to start bringing the bodywork back to perfect.

Thanks.

[AncientOfMu]

Great idea mate.
Can you recommend the set of items for each job please?
I.e.
Washing,
Polishing/waxing
Scratch removing

And other things that are necessary for newbies to start bringing the bodywork back to perfect.

Thanks.

Ok.

Washing. Two buckets (one rinse one suds) Wash Mitt, Shampoo and drying towels. Various brushes for wheels and some decent acid free wheel cleaner.

Polishing/Waxing

Cant go far wrong with Autoglym Super Resin Polish as the polish stage as a newbie. (or even as a experienced amatuer if the situation calls fo it :))

Waxing.. depends on wheather you want a sealent or a carnuba wax. How often you want to apply etc. (Need more info) :)

Scratch removing. By hand a tube of Meguiars ScratchX.

Anything else moves into the realm of paint defect coreection and thats a whole other ballgame.

HTH

Don

[AncientOfMu]

I love cleaning and detailing my car (and no i won't do yours) i reckon it takes about 6 hours to do a decent job of it and the best bit of advice i can give is use good products. I have been using poorboys since i was introduced to it by the guys over at the ftooc (fto owners club) and it realy is good stuff easy to put on take off and the results are fantastic al you need elsewise is a claybar and a lot of elbow grease!!

I love cleaning and detailing cars too (and yes I would do yours :P)

6 hrs to do a clean and hand polish from top to bottom is good going :D.

My last detail took me 32ish hours :D but then that did include machine polishing as well.

[Nevman]

Ok.

Washing. Two buckets (one rinse one suds) Wash Mitt, Shampoo and drying towels. Various brushes for wheels and some decent acid free wheel cleaner.

Polishing/Waxing

Cant go far wrong with Autoglym Super Resin Polish as the polish stage as a newbie. (or even as a experienced amatuer if the situation calls fo it :))

Waxing.. depends on wheather you want a sealent or a carnuba wax. How often you want to apply etc. (Need more info) :)

Scratch removing. By hand a tube of Meguiars ScratchX.

Anything else moves into the realm of paint defect coreection and thats a whole other ballgame.

HTH

Don
Cheers mate.
Great info.
Couple more questions:
Drying towels? Is chamois OK?
What wheel cleaner do you recommend? Until now I've used the acid ones which seems to not be the best choice...
Polish - Yes I'm Polish :) But seriously I am using the one you've mentioned.
Waxing? Never done it before. Which one should I go for? What to use to apply?
I'm currently using the AutoGlym Perfect Polishing Cloth - any good?
I got a few scratches asking to be removed. This Meguiars thingi - what to use to apply and when should I do that? After wash and dry and before polish?

Thanks for the info.

[AncientOfMu]

Cheers mate.
Great info.
Couple more questions:
Drying towels? Is chamois OK?

Personally I wouldnt use a chamois as they trap grit too easily


What wheel cleaner do you recommend? Until now I've used the acid ones which seems to not be the best choice...

I use Bilberry Acid Free wheel cleaner from Valet Pro. HOWEVER if your wheels are reasonably clean and you clean them regularly you shouldnt need anything other than your normal shampoo.

Polish - Yes I'm Polish :) But seriously I am using the one you've mentioned.
Waxing? Never done it before. Which one should I go for? What to use to apply?

Super Resin Polish actually includes some protective stuff in it. For a belt and braces approach you could always add a layer of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection (Which is a sealent not a wax) but will protect the paint very well


I'm currently using the AutoGlym Perfect Polishing Cloth - any good?

They are OK but there are better ones.

I got a few scratches asking to be removed. This Meguiars thingi - what to use to apply and when should I do that? After wash and dry and before polish?

You can apply it with a cloth or a foam applicator pad. Follow the instructions on the tube. and yes before polish.

Thanks for the info.


If you feel in a shopping mood I get most of my supplies from www.polishedbliss.co.uk They have a very good service and generally they dont sell stuff they havnt tried themselves.

And lastly if you want a free consultation in regards to looking after your particular car then I'm sure we could arrange to get together sometime. Just give me a shout.

[Nevman]

And lastly if you want a free consultation in regards to looking after your particular car then I'm sure we could arrange to get together sometime. Just give me a shout.

That would be great mate. It's about 90 odd miles from Basingstoke but I'd love to come one day. Maybe some Saturday next month or so.
I'll be in touch when I get the budget for the supplies sorted :)

[Throbbe]

Well, having said that it's all subjective, Don has posted almost word for word what I would have said in response!

A few quick tips to add.

When you finish cleaning the car, rinse it down with an open hose (ie no spray gun etc) and low pressure to just trickle the water over the paint. This will sheet off (especially if the car is well maintained) and leave less water on the car to dry.

As Don said, avoid using a chamois. I use one of these (http://www.cleanandshiny.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=78). If you do get one you may find yourself initially disappointed. The trick is not to wipe the car down but to lay the towel flat on a wet area, gently pat it and the water will be absorbed. Move the towel on and repeat. Pat drying also reduces the risk of scratching.

Autoglym Super Resin Polish is a much underated product. The mistake everyone makes is using too much product, which results in that annoying dust everywhere. If you are getting dust use less next time, and maybe use a damp applicator to stretch things further. To get a good even coverage I apply the product in straight lines in one direction, then if I do another coat in the perpendicular direction (don't trust anything Mr Miyagi tells you!).

Once the product has cured buff it off. I like to then wait another 10-15 minutes and do it again to catch any bits I missed.

As a very general rule, I'd say use a sealant (like Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection, or Poorboys EX-P) on a daily driver in preference to a wax. I prefer a wax finish, but with a few exceptions they're not that durable, and you'll be reapplying every few weeks. What you can do if you want to get that wet look from a wax, is apply a wax on top of a sealant. I like Poorboys Nattys Paste Wax as a good entry level wax, although P21S is also popular. Collinite 476s and Swissvax Best of Show are slightly and stupidly more expensive respectively, but both carry the Throbbe Seal of Approval.

Polishing out scratches. Another general rule. If you can catch a thumbnail in the scratch, it's too deep to fully polish out. However, polishing will make it less noticeable.

Hope that helps.

[Throbbe]

Oh, and I'll be at a car meet in Guildford on the 9th July if you want to have a chat (but tbh I'd defer to Don as he is far more experienced than me).

[Nevman]

What "car meet in Guildford on the 9th July"?
Sounds interesting as Guildford is not far from Basingstoke.

[AncientOfMu]

What car meet on the 9th of July?


:D see if the misses will let me out. Is it a DW one?

[Throbbe]

What car meet on the 9th of July?


:D see if the misses will let me out. Is it a DW one?

Nope, although a few of the DW guys go along.

No Rice (http://www.no-rice.com/index.php?p=14). VAG based meet, but no real attitude about other makes turning up. As the link says, 'Rice' is a reference to fast and fatuous wannabes rather than jap cars in general.

[HMG1K]

Guys - wheel cleaners... interesting stuff above... Am I thinking Wonder Wheels, as great as it is, is a no-no..?

[Nevman]

I may come to that one.
Do one have to be a member if they want to come?
Or just turn up and have fun?

[AncientOfMu]

Guys - wheel cleaners... interesting stuff above... Am I thinking Wonder Wheels, as great as it is, is a no-no..?


PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not use wonder wheels on your wheels.

Unless you want to be refurbing them in a years time...

[HMG1K]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not use wonder wheels on your wheels.

Unless you want to be refurbing them in a years time...

PHEW!!!!!!!/pan

I did on my last Galant when I got the wheels refurb'd - no wonder they peeled and lifted on the coating...

Luckily it's just the once I used Wonder Wheels on my current Galant! I'm gonna tip it down the drain now that I know!

Don, you know the (as I get technical here /pan ) :inquisiti covers that houses the brake pads (calipers (?) ) - mine are rusty and need a rub and paint... Is this an additional service you offer and charge for on detailing...? If add it to my list when you do my motor please..! :happy:

[AncientOfMu]

PHEW!!!!!!!/pan

I did on my last Galant when I got the wheels refurb'd - no wonder they peeled and lifted on the coating...

Luckily it's just the once I used Wonder Wheels on my current Galant! I'm gonna tip it down the drain now that I know!

Don, you know the (as I get technical here /pan ) :inquisiti covers that houses the brake pads (calipers (?) ) - mine are rusty and need a rub and paint... Is this an additional service you offer and charge for on detailing...? If add it to my list when you do my motor please..! :happy:

I wouldn't be confident to do your calipers I'm afraid. I would have a go at my own but not somebodyelses..

sorry.

[shaun1978]

I know its not the same as painting calipers, but what I usually do is give them a good hard wire brushing to fetch the surface rust off and rub a smear of grease over them , and then buff it back off, makes them look like new, but if they are really rusty I guess they will need paint.

[Nevman]

HMG1K,
I'm actually in process of refurbing mine.
I mean Brembos, not that difficult.
I'll post some pics and info when I finish putting last coat of clear lacquer.

If you can't do it yourself, send an e-mail to this guy
js@biggred.co.uk - John Smith
from http://www.biggred.co.uk/ and they'll do it professionally (I hope) for U.
They've quoted me £290 for the whole set of Front and Rear Brembos so that's not cheap but if you can't be arsed to do it yourself...

[HMG1K]

HMG1K,
I'm actually in process of refurbing mine.
I mean Brembos, not that difficult.
I'll post some pics and info when I finish putting last coat of clear lacquer.

If you can't do it yourself, send an e-mail to this guy
js@biggred.co.uk - John Smith
from http://www.biggred.co.uk/ and they'll do it professionally (I hope) for U.
They've quoted me £290 for the whole set of Front and Rear Brembos so that's not cheap but if you can't be arsed to do it yourself...

No problem Don, and thanks Nevman!

Stupid question, #2 - as mine isn't a VR4 (a standard V6-24V) can I upgrade to Brembos? Not a problem if I cant - just want them to look tidy and not a little rusty through the 'Sport' style alloys.

[suttonp2]

Hi there,

I know this is an old thread but some interesting stuff in it. I was cleaning my car today and my standard FL mag wheels are quite badly pitted with I guess brake dust etc.

I went out and bought "Wonder Wheels U" which is apparently for all types of alloys. Only after buying it did I find reference here to not using "Wonder Wheels" in this thread. Before I try it, does anyone know if Wonder Wheels U is any good or should I change it for something else?

Any advice is appreciated,

Cheers

[giblet]

Wonder wheels is often lambasted since its so acidic. But then again a lot of wheel cleaners are. In my opinion theres nothing wrong with using it once in a while to clean up wheels that are very very dirty, such as ones that have never been cleaned and have a lot of brake dust stuck on.

I use meguiars wheel brightner diluted at 10-1 every so often on dirty wheels, and then try to seal them so next time I can just use a basic all purpose cleaner or even the same shampoo I use on the car

[suttonp2]

Cool, I'll give it a go tomorrow then get some sealant to help keep 'em cleaner in the future. She was Super resin polished today and looks great apart from the wheels (It's a black FL saloon too)

Thanks for the tips

[giblet]

Cool, I'll give it a go tomorrow then get some sealant to help keep 'em cleaner in the future. She was Super resin polished today and looks great apart from the wheels (It's a black FL saloon too)

Thanks for the tips

Have fun, the black comes up really well with just a few hits of srp. I look forward to seeing the pics!

[HMG1K]

I went out and bought "Wonder Wheels U" which is apparently for all types of alloys. Only after buying it did I find reference here to not using "Wonder Wheels" in this thread. Before I try it, does anyone know if Wonder Wheels U is any good or should I change it for something else?

Any advice is appreciated,

Cheers

is a Wonder Wheels U is the 'diet' version of regular Wonder Wheels - it is less aggressive in its solution, so you should be fine.

http://www.carplan.co.uk/index.cfm?category=60

Full details in that link. :d