Hi guys. Well after 3 years of no washing or driving my red Audi has gone to bad place. Roof is all faded and paint is all terrible. After reading around I should do this;

• Proper wash
  
• Polish compound
  
• Polish
  
• Wax
  

Main question is, I don't have off road parking, so can it all be done on the road? There is cars driving, so..?

If its not been washed in 3 years your paintwork will need much more than a hand polish

May I ask why its not been washed?

The paintwork will be faded and oxidised..I doubt that even a full machine polish will get it back to an acceptable condition

Bite the bullet and get it inspected by a car detailing company.. A hand polish will be very very difficult by hand, at the side of the road

If its not been washed in 3 years your paintwork will need much more than a hand polish

May I ask why its not been washed?

The paintwork will be faded and oxidised..I doubt that even a full machine polish will get it back to an acceptable condition

Bite the bullet and get it inspected by a car detailing company.. A hand polish will be very very difficult by hand, at the side of the road

well It is not as bad as I made it look. Here is a pic. I used only polish couple of month ago, but wasn't enough, it was better, but not enough. Then I read about compound..

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/837/dsc01115copy.jpg/

Which compound?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_804743_langId_-1_categoryId_165527

IMO it don't need polishing, it needs lowering

like mine :(

IMO it don't need polishing, it needs lowering

like mine :(

turst me, lowering is on my list. This picture isn't original, and of you would see it, then you would udnerstand what I am talking about. First things first.

Ignore

Ignore

I did put link for compound mate.

I think it would benefit from a going over with a machine polisher rather than by hand. Can do the work much faster with less arm-ache.

to get a professional service, it would set me back £80-100. I will make some pictures maybe, just to so you can see what is going on there. I wanna save every buck I can.

I charge £150 for a machine polish

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/253800-chrisrss-detailing-service-in-aid-of-world-challenge/

I charge £150 for a machine polish

http://www.briskoda....orld-challenge/

You are a bit far tho. Well 80 quid was at the place where I did my boot lid (they did a good job). It is just outside London, so prices are lower.

I was looking around for some 'cheap' polishing machines, came across this, http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cp254-car-polisher-230v?da=1&TC=SRC-polishing+machine . I really don't want to spend £££ on some sick machinery if I will use it once a year at best. On youtube I came accross this video :

I am one of them people who rather spends hours washing, cleaning then pay someone to do it, you know.

I am one of them people who rather spends hours washing, cleaning then pay someone to do it, you know.

A lot of people aren't like that though, and would rather do something else and pay someone to do what they don't like doing. We're all different, and that's what makes the world go round!

A lot of people aren't like that though, and would rather do something else and pay someone to do what they don't like doing. We're all different, and that's what makes the world go round!

I know what you mean, but I like the finish product, and I can say "I did that"_{like B&Q ad.} Feels good

Here is a picture of how it looks.

Edited 30 January, 201313 yr by hunker7

here it is

Edited 30 January, 201313 yr by hunker7

You'd be surprised what can be achieved from a hand polish. Sure it'll be harder work compared to machine polishing. I polish by hand. I had a polisher but prefer it by hand. Give the car a good wash, de-tar, de-iron, clay, rewash, dry, compound polish one one panel at a time, re-polish with a finer or regular polish. Then seal or wax.

here it is

You are never going to get all the swirls out by hand ( if that is what you are trying to do), sure something like SRP will fill most of them making the car look better, but this will also wash off.

It depends if you just want a shiny car or one free from swirls (most people do not notice them until they are shown them).

Your wash routine will also have a bearing on this, getting all the swirls out is IMO pointless if you are going to wash the car using just one bucket and a sponge or worse still a brush, as they will be straight back again the next time you wash the car.

You are never going to get all the swirls out by hand ( if that is what you are trying to do), sure something like SRP will fill most of them making the car look better, but this will also wash off.

It depends if you just want a shiny car or one free from swirls (most people do not notice them until they are shown them).

Your wash routine will also have a bearing on this, getting all the swirls out is IMO pointless if you are going to wash the car using just one bucket and a sponge or worse still a brush, as they will be straight back again the next time you wash the car.

Well as you said, most people don't see swirls, even I don't tbh. I use two buckets and microfibre sponge. I guess I can't get colour to be as new when car is 19 years old. I would assume if I do everything properly it should be good enough shouldn't it? I have looked at some videos online, and results are quite good actually.

You'd be surprised what can be achieved from a hand polish. Sure it'll be harder work compared to machine polishing. I polish by hand. I had a polisher but prefer it by hand. Give the car a good wash, de-tar, de-iron, clay, rewash, dry, compound polish one one panel at a time, re-polish with a finer or regular polish. Then seal or wax.

You prefer hand polishing because of the results you get?

I prefer hand polish as I can feel and increase and reduce pressure on the foam pad to where I need it. I get just as good a finish with less mess and more satisfaction.

BMW Black Sapphire paint on BMW X3 by hand using Gtechniq Tri-foam pad and P1 polish.

Before

After

Great results there. Thinking of getting some P1 myself. How long did it take you to polish the whole car?

Start to finish 8.5 hours. 2.5 to wash, 3 to polish and the last 3 hours to apply sealant to body, clean and seal glass and dress tyres and trim.

It took you 3 hours to apply sealant to body, clean and seal glass and dress tyres and trim?