Hi guys!

Some advice please...

Want to polish mine and the other halfs N and R reg cars and would like some reccomendations on products/techniques...

I am wanting to polish the cars but obviously with them nocking on a little they have lots of light surface scratches etc so is there a good polish with T-cut in it (have used similar stuff before but it was a big trade bottle un-branded from work) or would i be best getting some good t-cut then polish it?

Then i would like to wax it to protect it... maybe something like autoglym liquid hardwax or similar?

Thanks guys!

If you consider the cars are worth it, you may be better off paying a pro. detailer to do the paintwork.

It can cost approx £150 a car, but the results the pros. achieve are remarkable.

look on Detailing World for some in your area, and for free advice.

They are and they aren't in a way... they're worth it but i wouldn't want to pay that kind of money for it and would prefer to buy the products and do it myself.

Might consider a machine polisher as this would probably do wonders for my multi-tonal paint! Just need some decent polish/wax too.

Any recomendations on rainex products? ive heard the wipes are pretty good?

If you are serious about polishing etc, a Porter Cable is probably the best piece of kit ( I haven't one myself, but it's on my to buy list ).

With the pc. and assorted pads and polishes etc you will be looking at approx £200.

As for the Rainex, I use Aquapel, courtesy of a Devonutopia group buy a while back, and excellent stuff.

As with anything, preparation is the key, Rainex is average, but a perfectly clean glass is required. ( T-Cut is good for cleaning glass btw.)

HTH.

( T-Cut is good for cleaning glass btw.)

Will have to see if i can buy one a bit cheaper or borrow one! lol

I have used t-cut on glass myself before... works well with old glass especially as it brings it up almost like new! lol

Ive heard Meguiars products are half decent like the Nxt range...

Wardy isn't a million miles from you, and is amenable to a spot of cleaning.

Give him a pm, he may be able to assist you, as he seems to have a lot of kit, and enthusiasm ( it fades a bit when you get past 70.....)

lol... cool... cheers.

Will get in touch im sure he'll be willing to help me out after i did him a cracking deal on a graphics card! lol

Old Fellys clean up well - http://www.briskoda.net/forums/styling-car-care/first-clean-my-felicia/60796/

In that case I used T-cut, but the badly faded paint called for drastic action.

As others have said, a machine polisher is the best way to sort swirls out, but you can get an improvement with a large dose of elbow grease.

Something like Megs Scratch-X might be a good place to start - if I get to the C&F meet I'll try to remember to bring a bit for you to try.

Top that up with something like Autoglym Super Resin Polish and a decent wax - Collinite or others.

The guides on Car Care and Detailing - Products, Advice and Services - Polished Bliss are well worth a read for general background information.

Oh - and Mr Grumpy usually ends up cleaning cars at meets, so he doesn't have to talk to anyone.

Old Fellys clean up well - http://www.briskoda.net/forums/styling-car-care/first-clean-my-felicia/60796/

In that case I used T-cut, but the badly faded paint called for drastic action.

As others have said, a machine polisher is the best way to sort swirls out, but you can get an improvement with a large dose of elbow grease.

Something like Megs Scratch-X might be a good place to start - if I get to the C&F meet I'll try to remember to bring a bit for you to try.

Top that up with something like Autoglym Super Resin Polish and a decent wax - Collinite or others.

The guides on Car Care and Detailing - Products, Advice and Services - Polished Bliss are well worth a read for general background information.

Oh - and Mr Grumpy usually ends up cleaning cars at meets, so he doesn't have to talk to anyone.

I have T-Cut, I have Scratch-X, I have SRP, I have cloths, I have no friends........

Buy me a pint and I'll stop in the car park with my mates.............

:wave:

Oldest car I've done is a friend's 97 E-Class. Came up well using my usual choice of products, so certainly wouldn't change what I was using just because of the car's age. Depends more on clearcoat thickness really.

What is the other car you're looking at doing?

Steve

Cheers for you input guys... if i get round to cleaning the car before the cat n fiddle meet then i can try it! hehe

The other car is an R reg Pug 306 D in NON-metallic!!! blue. lol

Hasn't been polished since he bought it a few years ago and has only been cleaned a couple of times inside etc which is a shame because it VERY low mileage for a diesel... just a tad over 30,000.

I remember seeing a picture of the E class before it was reddy/maroon?!

If you dont have any means of using a machine polisher you cant fail with Super Resin Polish.

Or if you dont want to use Autogylm stuff then the Megs Stage 1 and 2 stuff works well by hand.

Just use a good wax after

I saw you can the megs stage 1,2 and 3 (thrid being the wax i think!).

Its quite cheap actually even halfords are only charging £7.99 for each one...

I believe that is what you were referring to???

Its here in the middle of the list:

Meguiars

I would do DC1, DC2 and then use a hard wax like colli 476s. Simonize do a hard wax you can get in halfords that would last a good while too though. The DC3 doesn't last very long at all IMHO.

Something like TW safecut might be a good idea if the paint is badly oxidised.

I had an old red car that faded and did

- T/Safe Cut (just the once to get it red)

- AG SRP

- Turtlewax Gloss Guard (I would now do 2 coats 30 mins apart)

To that I would now also add a hard wax top coat.

I would get yourself a couple of foam applicators for the Wax and a decent applicator and hand working pad for the polish stage. I found microfibre cloths make the wax etc nice and easy to polish off too

Cheers all this info is really usefull!

been reading throught the car carea nd detailing website about waxing... interesting stuff!

I forgot to mention before too... whats the best stuff to use on plastic trims?

Ive used stuff at my old work before that was really good and lasted a while... and since then tried all sorts... baby oil, that horrible black stuff etc.

I forgot to mention before too... whats the best stuff to use on plastic trims?

Peanut butter

(Do a search if you don't believe me!)

I'll clean your cars for a new graphics card.

On black trim heat them up with a hair dryer first as it takes the product better.

You can use peanut butter as suggested but at the moment im using the Autoglym stuff

I agree with Mark. Detailing it by hand, I'd use Meg's stage 1 and 2, but forget 3 as it's not that good IMO. Just use a wax of your choice

For trim I use Meg's Vinyl Cleaner (last item on 2nd row), sometimes with their Endurance Tyre Gel over the top.

And yes, that E-Class was a maroon/burgundy metallic.

Steve

On black trim heat them up with a hair dryer first as it takes the product better.

at the moment im using the Autoglym stuff

Ive dont this technique before on an old corsa (im sure you all know how madly those trims round the wheel arches fade).

You mean Autoglym peanut butter?!

I might get murdered byt the other half if i start smearing peanut butter over my car though!! (has an obsesion with the stuff!!)

EDIT: Forgot to ask... smooth or crunchy??!! tehehe

Smooth works better

It's because of the oil in the peanut butter; nourishes the plastic. You can also use a plain nut oil if you prefer.

Steve

Crunchy if you want to spend ages getting the bits out to stay out of the house after SWMBO has gone mad due to you spreading it over.

Better still spread it over SWMBO/Yourself if she is that obsessed and forget about the cars

Crunchy if you want to spend ages getting the bits out to stay out of the house after SWMBO has gone mad due to you spreading it over.

Better still spread it over SWMBO/Yourself if she is that obsessed and forget about the cars

Lol... thats funny!

But im afraid i must correct you there.... i suppose mine would be referred to as HWMBO?!

Save the peanut butter for the sandwiches

Actually it does do a good job, but doesn't tend to last too long in my experience. I suppose nut oil on it's own might work better?

Might give than one a try... will have a look next time im in the supermarket!

Then just have to wait for it to stop raining!!!