Budget detail

[BrownBarge]

Just been washing the car and its covered in scatches and it looks unloved, the wheels need a bloody good clean too.

So what products would you recommend on a budget?

Im thinking

Iron-x

Some sort of wheel sealer?

Cutting compound?

A good polish/wax

Ive got loads of different shampoo's ranging from cheapo tesco stuff, simoniz, autosmart etc..

[Phil-W]

AF Tripple, topped up with Collinite 476s

[tunk]

Standard bucket wash, claybar, tcut and some poorboys.

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk

[VRade]

Menzerna 2500 cutting compound + a rotary polisher

 

Menzerna Final Finish.

 

Dojo Juice (relevant colour)

 

Iron X

 

Orange and Black pads from Chemical guys.

 

Nice and cheap (If you have a polisher)

[daveharr23]

I would add de-tar, and clay to that list.

I actually do it add my bit of extra cash on the side. Standard job is:

Wash, and let it dry.

De-tar.

Wash/rinse the residue off.

Clay ( I just use water with a drop of chemical guys shampoo as the lube)

A serious thorough rinse (at this stage the pores of the paint are clean and as a result start to hold small amounts of shampoo)

Dry the whole car with a drying towel.

Machine polish (compound will depend on how bad the paint it. Most cars I've seen will react very well to the medium grade compound.)

At least one layer of wax. The more the better!

And then the usual tyre, trim, glass, wheel cleaners and treatments.

I've spent way too much money on cleaning stuff, never intended to make money out of it. But with the right products, it's very easy to make any case looking amazing.

Forgot to add, if you're new to it all, I wouldn't use a rotary polisher. I've seen people working in professional valeting shops leave horrible swirl marks and holograms on clean paint, simply because they don't know how to use it properly, and they don't care. Use a dual action machine

machine. If there is too much pressure on the head, it just shakes, stops spinning. That makes it virtually impossible to damage the paint.

Edited 23 April, 2014 by daveharr23

[BrownBarge]

Iam a qualified valeter but i did the training way back in 2004/2005 and products have come a long way since then and im no way up to speed with what wax/polishes are available these days. I walk out of halfords puzzled by all the cleaning stuff.

I will be removing all the wheels and cleaning them all round and waxing/sealing them

The cars 11 years old almost and just looks abit shabby close up

[devonutopia]

Just been washing the car and its covered in scatches and it looks unloved, the wheels need a bloody good clean too.

So what products would you recommend on a budget?

Im thinking

Iron-x

Some sort of wheel sealer?

Cutting compound?

A good polish/wax

Ive got loads of different shampoo's ranging from cheapo tesco stuff, simoniz, autosmart etc..

 

The cutting compound and polish are largely the same thing.  Really you want a mildly abrasive form of polish - couple of steps down from actual cutting compound.  I use Menzerna Fast Gloss for those real tough jobs, followed by a refinement with something more kind to the paint in the long run.

 

Iron X will be a good decontaminating gunk before you do any polishing.  Following up with a good claying.

[samuir1974]

Topic might be better placed in "Styling & Car Care" section.... 

[ChrisRs]

As above...Machine Polishing or by hand (Gtechnik P1 is best by hand)

This will get it back to looking new...follow that with sealer and/or wax

[TeflonTom]

topic moved to styling section

[mandp]

I would add de-tar, and clay to that list.

I actually do it add my bit of extra cash on the side. Standard job is:

Wash, and let it dry.

De-tar.

Wash/rinse the residue off.

Clay ( I just use water with a drop of chemical guys shampoo as the lube)

A serious thorough rinse (at this stage the pores of the paint are clean and as a result start to hold small amounts of shampoo)

Dry the whole car with a drying towel.

Machine polish (compound will depend on how bad the paint it. Most cars I've seen will react very well to the medium grade compound.)

At least one layer of wax. The more the better!

And then the usual tyre, trim, glass, wheel cleaners and treatments.

I've spent way too much money on cleaning stuff, never intended to make money out of it. But with the right products, it's very easy to make any case looking amazing.

Forgot to add, if you're new to it all, I wouldn't use a rotary polisher. I've seen people working in professional valeting shops leave horrible swirl marks and holograms on clean paint, simply because they don't know how to use it properly, and they don't care. Use a dual action machine

machine. If there is too much pressure on the head, it just shakes, stops spinning. That makes it virtually impossible to damage the paint.

There's that word `Holograms` again.

I know people have, in the past, asked exactly what that is as regards to paintwork, but as far as I know no answer. Can anyone please educate me.

Many thanks.

Mike.

[Sparkly]

There's that word `Holograms` again.

I know people have, in the past, asked exactly what that is as regards to paintwork, but as far as I know no answer. Can anyone please educate me.

Many thanks.

Mike.

 

Fine hazing left behind by aggressive polish, usually removed by a second stage of polishing with a more refined less aggressive product

 

More uniform and finer than the appearance of swirled paint, it gives the effect of a blurred or double reflection, paint may look acceptable until hit by certain angles of light.  Hologramming can be light to severe in it's appearance.

 

Often seen hiding under a glaze and wax when inflicted by a sub par detail.

 

typed quickly, apologies if this doesn't sum it up to the letter.

[daveharr23]

It's hard enough to explain when you can point at a car and show someone!

Basically (I'm not an expert) it's very fine scratches made by dust out fine grit, like you'd find in a course compound, that is rubbed into the paint. Using a bad sponge on a very dirty car will result in swirl marks, over time it builds up and ends up as holograms.

As for holograms from a rotary polisher, it's the grit in the compound burning /scratching the paint, it's very fine so if the light catches the paint, and you move your head, it's kind of like you can see a moving line across the swirl marks.

I know that doesn't explain what it looks like very well, but it's the best I can do for now when there's no example to point at!

[ChrisRs]

Well said Mark

[Sparkly]

Thanks Chris

[Fr0d]

It will probably need a good machine polish to eliminate swirls and scratches. AGSRP is good to temporary fix to mask them.

 

As a sealer, I personally use Opti-seal, as it is very quick and easy to apply, and the less time I spend cleaning the car the better.

 

It's also good for wheels, apparently.

[Sparkly]

 and the less time I spend cleaning the car the better.

 

Heresy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Fr0d]

 

/gets coat

[mandp]

I think I'll only really understand what a `hologram` is if I actually see one.

Many thanks, though, for the explanation, chaps. Very kind.

Regards

Mike.

[ChrisRs]

I think I'll only really understand what a `hologram` is if I actually see one.

Many thanks, though, for the explanation, chaps. Very kind.

Regards

Mike.

Here you go Mike:

 

    

[BrownBarge]

I noticed yesterday my roof has a white sort of colouring to it, i assume from the sun? Whats best to get rid of that?

Thanks for all the advice guys

[ChrisRs]

Could be oxidation....clearcoat failure.........??

Can you post some pictures?

[samuir1974]

Pictures would indeed help....

[BrownBarge]

Will get some pictures tomorrow. Its similiar to the white effect red cars get :(

[BrownBarge]

Im struggling to get pictures, it just looks like the clouds. I think the paintwork is just knackered and needs a good cut back