Morning

Took delivery of my scout yesterday. When ordering I declined to offer of the £400 "life****e" that was offered knowing full well that it simply wasn't worth the money. I'm very particular about my cars, my 3 year old Octy went back in showroom condition so the dealer was fully aware of my passion for maintaining my cars.

 

However in all the fun and excitement during the last few days I forgot to tell the dealer not to valet the car before delivery as I'd heard horror stories of cars being scratched etc. 

 

Well, happy to say I didn't need to panic. The car is in pretty good condition. They did miss some dirty around the front windscreen wiper and there were a couple of spots of excess product on one of the rear panel gaps but over all they did ok. I've been round the car and confirmed that there is not a single scratch anywhere so that's a really good starting point to build up a decent level of protection on the paint.

 

Today DPD are delivering my CleanYourCar order which includes clay, decontamination products (Iron-x etc) , glass and wheel sealants and a few other bits an pieces. I'm so looking forward to putting in a couple of days to get the car to the point where I am totally happy but then I am a detailing nerd

 

So am I the only detailing nerd on here?

 

 

I've only had the car a month or so and am already on my second bottle of Quick Detailer 

 

The car hasn't been driven on a wet road yet so a once over with Quick Detailer and it looks brand new.

 

I've still rinsed, snow-foamed and washed it several times.

 

That'll all change this weekend, we're off camping so it's guaranteed to get properly dirty for the first time!

 

My Scout was also well prepped, mine too had lots of baked on dirt in the scuttle tray around the wiper arms, no doubt collected whilst in transit / storage from the factory.

 

My dealer offered me the Autoglym LifeShine for a reduced price of £199, but I too wasn't fooled. There was some white polish residue on the car, so it had been polished with something.

 

Mine is black, so drying it quickly enough to avoid water marks in this weather has been a challenge, thankfully this stuff is a god send, I can fully dry the car in less than 20 mins...

 

 

Not my video, but it demonstrates how effective it is...

 

 

I invested in a proper hose reel for my jet wash, the biggest chore was dragging the thing out and untangling all the wires and hoses, now it is all wall mounted it takes less than a minute to get ready...

 

 

 

 

Edited 26 July, 20187 yr by silver1011

@silver1011 - man your garage is much tidier than mine is at the moment! 

 

I'm going to sound anal here but have you considered using Clay on your scout to remove any contamination? It takes a while but the end result, if you are careful, is paintwork that is as smooth as glass. Use something like Iron-X to remove embedded fallout from the car and that will give you a very good base on which to build up a layer of protection. 

 

QD's are good for quick fixes but don't last too long. someone suggested getting the front of the car done in paint protection film but unless it's done right (which costs ££££) it would look crap!

 

 

1 hour ago, robdav said:

my 3 year old Octy went back in showroom condition

 

Out of curiosity... did that result in any extra trade-in value for you (especially when you consider the amount of money you must have spent maintaining the condition of it over the years), or was the dealer just licking his lips thinking that it would be easier than usual to shift on?

 

I'm not saying that's the be-all and end-all of it - I too appreciate having a well looked after and clean car... I just don't have the time or inclination to be quite as dedicated to it as you seem to be.

 

To be honest the trade in was enough to get me out if the VRS and into the Kodiaq. I Wasn't pushing for a massive amount of trade in as the deal I got on the kodiaq was already awesome.

 

For me it's about keeping the car as good as possible. Trade in isn't too much of a concern. I just like s clean car

 

2 hours ago, robdav said:

@silver1011 - man your garage is much tidier than mine is at the moment! 

 

I'm going to sound anal here but have you considered using Clay on your scout to remove any contamination? It takes a while but the end result, if you are careful, is paintwork that is as smooth as glass. Use something like Iron-X to remove embedded fallout from the car and that will give you a very good base on which to build up a layer of protection. 

 

QD's are good for quick fixes but don't last too long. someone suggested getting the front of the car done in paint protection film but unless it's done right (which costs ££££) it would look crap!

 

 

 

The garage is my excuse to get out from under the feet of the wife and kids, so I'm always looking for things to do in there to justify me being in it instead of doing other more helpful stuff! I'm lucky or unlucky depending on your take on it. Lucky in that it is integral to the house making it easy for me to sneak in and to justify keeping it tidy, but unlucky in that it is quite small. I'd love a bigger garage.

 

I too like a clean car, I don't so much enjoy cleaning it, but rather the end result. As a result anything I can do to make the process quicker and more effective I'm up for. This is why claying the car hasn't, as yet, appealed. I have an eye for detail but removing contaminants I can't feel rather than see is less of a priority. As long as the car looks smart the itch is scratched 

 

I was out in the garage / on the drive last night at 9pm tinkering. The neighbours were all in bed (no lights on), the kids were asleep and the wife was watching some rubbish on the TV. Lovely and warm, really quiet, best part of the day, bliss!

 

What I need is a project, but I don't have the space.

23 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

What I need is a project, but I don't have the space.

 

I'd love to build a Caterham... but I don't have the space. Or the money .

Luckily my wife is quite understanding about my car ocd so I do get some freedom to invest the time into keeping the car in great condition.

 

I'd love a project too but can't justify it :(

 

Oh.... Let the fun begin! 

Hours of fun, or torture, depending on which side of the car cleaning fence you sit on 

Fun for me... torture for the mrs  

The perfect post! I'm trying my best to keep on top of my new car but unsure the best products to purchase. If you had a budget of £50 what top products would you purchase?

@KKB24 - well I am no expert and I really wouldn't want to steer you in the wrong direction. I would recommend you get yourself on to the clearnyourcar forum and read up on stuff there. Helpful bunch (just like on here) and they know their stuff too. 

Well that sure is a different world in there Rob. Think I'm more confused now than before lol

@KKB24 - ok just take your time with it. Have a look for th basic cleaning guides. They'll go through things like the two bucket method and how to reduce scratches when washing. 

 

I'll try and answer your questions though if that helps

 

4 hours ago, KKB24 said:

The perfect post! I'm trying my best to keep on top of my new car but unsure the best products to purchase. If you had a budget of £50 what top products would you purchase?

This. 

 

https://www.bilthamber.com/double-speed-wax-kit

 

Buy another product to take you over the £60 for free delivery. 

 

Halfords are selling buckets with grit guards for £8 each. Buy two of them ≠ tbm! Two Bucket Method. 

 

Bilt Hamber are my products of choice.

I don't think I'm near that stage yet lol I've bought so far

 

two wash buckets

wash mit 

Drying towel 

Microfiber cloths

 

I am using a car washing kit I got with my old car. I've no idea if it is any good. Any tips on basic washing products first. Finding it hard to get the little black dots off, white car, which is annoying me. I used to get a valeter to do it but since he stopped I cant find one as good. It is driving me crazy. I don't intend to use the snow foam. 

Edited 26 July, 20187 yr by KKB24
Spelling

Little black dots are most likely tar spots. You can get a dedicated tax remover product that will sort that. Carpro or Gyeon are not bad.

Thank you I will have a look at those 

Another recommendation would be to get yourself some glass sealant. Have a look at gyeon view or h2Go. 

 

 

 

 

So I've settled on the following items 

 

Gyeon View glass protector 

Gyeon Q2M Glass Cleaner 

3M wheel and tyre cleaner - regular cleaning of wheels 

Gyeon Q2M Iron - to be used twice yearly from reading on website 

Auto Finesse Satin for tyre dressing 

Poor Boys Super and Slick Shampoo 

Gyeon Tar Remover 

 

I'm having to respray one of the doors due it being hit my another car so I will test out the products on it before it goes in for respray.

 

Would you change/remove/add any items? 

 

Many thanks 

 

@KKB24 - good list of products! Just take your time with the gyeon view stuff as if done wrong could result in less than sparking windscreens.

 

The other point of note is that a decent wash mit goes a long way towards reducing swirling on your paint. A Halfords sponge won't help! 

I’m lucky to have a car, and a bike for fun.

 

And I’m happy so long as I spend more time driving & riding them than cleaning them.

 

I’ll be honest - the bike usually gets washed and wiped after each ride, but I’m not using it daily.  But I’m not anal, so it didn’t get a wipe over during a 2,200 mile trip over 2 weeks. It’s a tool. A well looked after tool.

 

I’m sure my Kodiaq residual value will remain the same with my occasional valet and wash, without requiring hours of rubbing expensive products all over them.

 

Im not knocking a clean vehicle. Mine are.  But they only get cleaned when they’re dirty. 2 weeks ago I felt I should “save water” so didn’t wash my slightly grubby car before a 10 day 1,000 mile trip. But I didn’t see much rain (has anyone recently?) so this evening’s shower has given it a good wash. A Sunday morning car washer I am Not.

 

An occasional wash. A less than occasional internal valet. An annual tar removal wipe down. Windows regularly cleaned. Virtually spotless alloys. I’m happy to enjoy driving it.

My car has been washed 3 times in the 6450 miles that we’ve owned it. I wash it when the sides get dirty enough that it starts getting your clothes dirty when loading the boot or brushing against a door. So not often in this dry weather. 

 

Like BoxerBoy says, for me it’s also a tool, and I’m too busy with other stuff to get too anxious about how shiny it looks. 

Edited 29 July, 20187 yr by MrTrilby

well each to their own guys

 

For me it's a hobby and I enjoy spending time keeping my cars clean. Its not even about part exchange value or how much it would be worth if I sold it, its as simple as the fact that I've always liked a very clean car. 

 

 

A clean car looks better than a dirty car.

 

I take pride in the things I own, and that includes my car.

 

Some people prefer to sit on the sofa and watch TV, or spend time on forums.