Hand polish a car on the street

[Svend]

Ye'. Glass was polished, sealed, body was checked over, panel wiped, sealed, buffed, tyres and trim dressed and car checked over for a good a good half hour afterwards. Before called my mate to pick it up for his brother. I don't let a car go until I'm fully happy with the work I've done.

It's my hobby and though I want to get the car done, I'm in no hurry to finish (unless a mate can only leave it with me for only a short time) as I find it relaxing and therapeutic.

[hunker7]

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.

Can you break it down what each stage includes? I assume wash includes claying etc.?

[Svend]

Vacuum interior and clean where necessary, using a brush to get into gaps and crevices like air vents.

Doing wheels first I apply wheel cleaner, allow to dwell then agitate with a swissvax style brush and a wheel woolie (or what ever you have for wheels), rinse and apply Iron-X (or chosen product) spraying in behind spokes, then while it does it's thing, spray a good degreaser or all purpose cleaner onto tyres and into the wheel arches then using a relatively stiff brushh scrub the tyre walls and wheel arch, agitate iron remover and pressure wash whole wheel and wheel arch, apply tar remover to wheel arch and allow it to work then wipe off.

Wash stage. Pressure wash off heavy built up dirt such as lower edges and wheel arches, pre-wash with a snow foam and allow to dwell whilst going round nooks and crannies such as panel joins, windows edges, etc... rinse with a pressure washer, (this is when I apply Autobrite Jaffa clean to door and boot shuts) (this is where I do differently, but up to you how you do it) foam with a shampoo, then using a wash mitt and a bucket of clean warm water, wipe over at two or three strokes at a time and then rinse the mitt in the bucket and wipe next area, keep going till whole car is done, rinse, stray Tar-X (or chosen product) onto lower panels or where necessary, agitate with a cloth and the rinse, apply Iron-X (again which ever product you use), rinse, rewash the vehicle and rinse again, then you can go onto clay, or filter rinse the car and dry, tape up plastics and door rubbers to stop or reduce polish from getting onto them and then one panel at a time apply a little polish to chosen applicator and work in starting lightly then firmer as needed. Panel wife vehicle with either a panel wipe, IPA or Carpro eraser, then when happy with the finish go onto next panel, etc... then either wax or apply sealant.

Dress tyres and trim with what ever you use, I prefer T1 for it's sheen and durability.

Then glass for me, polish with chosen glass polish till happy and clean inside windows. Apply sealant to outer windows if you wish but not necessary if you don't wish to, following instructions for application. Then I wipe down or apply an interior trim sheen to where required.

I prefer to do the interior last as it's the part I least enjoy.

There are many methods of washing a car, it's finding a method that your happy with.

[blueR36]

I am glad i have a driveway, must be a pain doing stuff on the road :S

[hunker7]

Vacuum interior and clean where necessary, using a brush to get into gaps and crevices like air vents.

Doing wheels first I apply wheel cleaner, allow to dwell then agitate with a swissvax style brush and a wheel woolie (or what ever you have for wheels), rinse and apply Iron-X (or chosen product) spraying in behind spokes, then while it does it's thing, spray a good degreaser or all purpose cleaner onto tyres and into the wheel arches then using a relatively stiff brushh scrub the tyre walls and wheel arch, agitate iron remover and pressure wash whole wheel and wheel arch, apply tar remover to wheel arch and allow it to work then wipe off.

Wash stage. Pressure wash off heavy built up dirt such as lower edges and wheel arches, pre-wash with a snow foam and allow to dwell whilst going round nooks and crannies such as panel joins, windows edges, etc... rinse with a pressure washer, (this is when I apply Autobrite Jaffa clean to door and boot shuts) (this is where I do differently, but up to you how you do it) foam with a shampoo, then using a wash mitt and a bucket of clean warm water, wipe over at two or three strokes at a time and then rinse the mitt in the bucket and wipe next area, keep going till whole car is done, rinse, stray Tar-X (or chosen product) onto lower panels or where necessary, agitate with a cloth and the rinse, apply Iron-X (again which ever product you use), rinse, rewash the vehicle and rinse again, then you can go onto clay, or filter rinse the car and dry, tape up plastics and door rubbers to stop or reduce polish from getting onto them and then one panel at a time apply a little polish to chosen applicator and work in starting lightly then firmer as needed. Panel wife vehicle with either a panel wipe, IPA or Carpro eraser, then when happy with the finish go onto next panel, etc... then either wax or apply sealant.

Dress tyres and trim with what ever you use, I prefer T1 for it's sheen and durability.

Then glass for me, polish with chosen glass polish till happy and clean inside windows. Apply sealant to outer windows if you wish but not necessary if you don't wish to, following instructions for application. Then I wipe down or apply an interior trim sheen to where required.

I prefer to do the interior last as it's the part I least enjoy.

There are many methods of washing a car, it's finding a method that your happy with.

Thanks for this mate. Will have a look at products you mentioned. Is it OK if I do washing at home (roadside) and then I have IKEA 10 minutes away, and do polishing there, there is a nice place where no cars are driving?

[ChrisRs]

Heres the X1 that Alan and I polished not long ago with Rotary and DA machines:

[hunker7]

Heres the X1 that Alan and I polished not long ago with Rotary and DA machines:

Looks great. Don't know when I will get round mine, hope I will sort mine out and it will look as it should.

Roof is a bit faded, polishing compound should sort it shouldn't it?

[ChrisRs]

Nothing too aggressive..Never T Cut!

[devonutopia]

I've happily used Meguiars cutting compound (the strongest polish in existence to my knowledge) as the first stage in a heavy polishing exercise. I wouldn't use it for anything not needing big cut though.

[hunker7]

I've happily used Meguiars cutting compound (the strongest polish in existence to my knowledge) as the first stage in a heavy polishing exercise. I wouldn't use it for anything not needing big cut though.

You mean this?; http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_804743_langId_-1_categoryId_165527

[ChrisRs]

Try this..Its a great polish and is a 'diminishing' one.

GTechnik P1

Very easy to use and safer than a 'Compound'..less likely to induce marring and holograms

[Svend]

You can wash the car at home and take it to Ikea to work on (depending on how Ikea take to the idea, they may not like it), but just as easy to do one side on the road side and turning the car around when you want to do the other if your worried about standing in the road.

Gtechniq P1 is a water based non-diminishing polish in that you can stop at any point and wipe off or spritze a small amount of water to keep using as adding too much will clog up the pad. On dark coloured cars it's best to follow up with P2 as holograms can be introduced to the paint work where as lighter coloured cars it's less likely to be seen.

P1 is a great all in one polish (used it extensively for over two years now and is my go to polish) and can been used extensively with only the need of three pads, cutting pad, medium pad and soft pad. You can use others, but what I'm saying is you needn't go out and grab a whole load of varying pads when three will do all the jobs. My prefered use by hand is using the Gtechniq Tri-foam pad, starting initially with the white firmer surface then turning over and using the softer black foam side to finish off.

If your looking for a good sealant instead of a wax, C2v2 is a great sealant and is easy to use and gives great results in performance and durability.

[hunker7]

You can wash the car at home and take it to Ikea to work on (depending on how Ikea take to the idea, they may not like it), but just as easy to do one side on the road side and turning the car around when you want to do the other if your worried about standing in the road.

Gtechniq P1 is a water based non-diminishing polish in that you can stop at any point and wipe off or spritze a small amount of water to keep using as adding too much will clog up the pad. On dark coloured cars it's best to follow up with P2 as holograms can be introduced to the paint work where as lighter coloured cars it's less likely to be seen.

P1 is a great all in one polish (used it extensively for over two years now and is my go to polish) and can been used extensively with only the need of three pads, cutting pad, medium pad and soft pad. You can use others, but what I'm saying is you needn't go out and grab a whole load of varying pads when three will do all the jobs. My prefered use by hand is using the Gtechniq Tri-foam pad, starting initially with the white firmer surface then turning over and using the softer black foam side to finish off.

If your looking for a good sealant instead of a wax, C2v2 is a great sealant and is easy to use and gives great results in performance and durability.

Thanks mate. When I will get ready for this big job, I will put a list with bits I will use for profs to judge I work at IKEA, so they will be ok with it

[blueR36]

P1 is the best polish and safest to use and as Chris says a diminishing one so breaks down so you are left with a mirror finish http://gtechniq.com/shop/3s-for-cars/polishing/p1-nanocomposite-polish/

[dan4291]

What's the process for using P1 then? Work it in with the coarse foam, then the fine foam side (if using a tri-foam applicator), wait for it to cure then buff off? Can you apply wax straight on top of it?

[mandp]

P1 is the best polish and safest to use and as Chris says a diminishing one so breaks down so you are left with a mirror finish http://gtechniq.com/...mposite-polish/

Can it be used on fairly new paint that has no imperfections yet...at least none that I can see?

[Svend]

Guys Gtechniq P1 is non-diminishing.

Yes Dan4291. Apply with coarse white foam side, work then turn over the pad to the softer black foam side to finish. There is no curing time as there is nothing to cure. Simply wipe off you can either panel wipe or wipe over with Carpro Eraser. Though as P1 is water based it leaves nothing behind when you wipe it over, but a good finish is in the prep so a wipe with panel wipe won't do it any harm.

"GTechniq

Perhaps less of a known brand, but certainly coming to the fore in the UK market and beyond is GTechniq - and the popularity of the P1 and P2 polishes is a testament to them, as they are making waxes in a market dominated by Menzerna, 3M and Meguiars. P1 uses non-diminishing abrasives, designed to be the only polish you need capable of severe defect correction or lighter correction. P2 is designed as a finishing polish for the removal of any hologramming and sharpening the finish."

Source:-

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=222286

[ChrisRs]

Can it be used on fairly new paint that has no imperfections yet...at least none that I can see?

Yes. By hand with a soft polishing pad..By machine with a finishing pad

[blueR36]

I stand corrected they have nano particles which do not need to be broken down , so non diminishing . Mirror finish anyway and so safe