Car Polish

[Pav]

Top man, just the sort of explination i was looking for.

Will get some SRP tomorrow.

No probs mate, glad to help.

[Sparky]

I been using Autoglym for a while now

Was thinking of changing to the MEGS 3 step cleaner but may stick with AG now!!

[AlanD]

its really interesting reading here, it seems more people are interested in hiding damage than correcting it and maintaining it at a high level.

its similar to the concept of having an underlying issue like a smoking engine and using a 'stop smoke' additive. The issue is hidden for a while, but its still there.

I have a few friends that are Auto Glym addicts, who lament for hours on how good the SRP is, but the simply truth is its simply a mask for underlying issues. For the cost of 5 or 6 bottles of SRP, one could budget for corrective work, backed up with a good pot of proper wax, and provide years of quality protection rather than simply a 'sealant'.

im sure the other detaillers like Pav could back me up on this one lol

Recently I saw an advert showing a DB3 and a DB9 side by side, with some script about how AG had protected said aston for years, but in the small print went into detail about how the aston had been lavishly restored by aston themselves. It was only when I read the small print did I realise this. Should I have left it at a quick glance, id have assumed that the AG would have been all it took to maintain what appeared to be a great lustre.

[Galliano]

just been to hellfrauds to source some metal polish.

picked up a tub of NXT Generation from Meguires...

just given it a pop on my inlet mani.. HOLY CROW that stuff is good, theres an immediate difference with only slight rubbing! im astonished.

although im still not convinced its worth the £8.49... but ishall see

[AlanD]

you couldnt have put it better Jay. We need to define a clear line between the detaillers out there and those who simply detest cleaning and see it as a chore. Supaguard is grand for that as its basically providing a layer of sealant, as opposed to enhancing the visual appearance of the car. The issue is that most places that apply it just apply it straight or maybe after a brief paint pdi. My main grievance with this is that the canvas its applied to is virtually always flawed when it leaves the showroom. Take leannes new Fiesta anniversary for example, I was able to get £1k off the price by arguing defects with the salesman.

All said though, the typical customer for supaguard isnt exactly wanting optical perfection.

What a round about way of basically saying 'horses for courses' lol

[starletno1fan]

zymol shampoo and megs 3 stage deep crystal. works a treat!

[Liam_D]

TurtleWax ICE FTW!!!!!! Does a awesome job and also smells lush you cant go wrong.

[Galliano]

on the smells note, that metal polish stinks. lol

[Pav]

its really interesting reading here, it seems more people are interested in hiding damage than correcting it and maintaining it at a high level.

its similar to the concept of having an underlying issue like a smoking engine and using a 'stop smoke' additive. The issue is hidden for a while, but its still there.

I have a few friends that are Auto Glym addicts, who lament for hours on how good the SRP is, but the simply truth is its simply a mask for underlying issues. For the cost of 5 or 6 bottles of SRP, one could budget for corrective work, backed up with a good pot of proper wax, and provide years of quality protection rather than simply a 'sealant'.

im sure the other detaillers like Pav could back me up on this one lol

Recently I saw an advert showing a DB3 and a DB9 side by side, with some script about how AG had protected said aston for years, but in the small print went into detail about how the aston had been lavishly restored by aston themselves. It was only when I read the small print did I realise this. Should I have left it at a quick glance, id have assumed that the AG would have been all it took to maintain what appeared to be a great lustre.

Spot On, very true. Its like the old saying, you can't polish a TURD!

If your paint has swirls and imperfections inflicted by improper cleaning (using a sponge mainly), no hand polish such as Autoglym will remove them completely, they simply mask or reduce the appearance them. Most polishes dont do shit to remove scratches or swirls, even T-Cut (which is a nasty abrasive and could do more harm than good in the wrong hands).

As Alan says, if you invest in a session with a pro detailer, they will correct your paintwork properly using high quality and reliable compounds via a machine polisher. Doing this will bring your paint back to better than showroom condition. Then all youll need is some decent (not cheap) wax thats durable. Then if you follow the correct cleaning methods, you shouldn't see another swirl again or at least for a while!

[AlanD]

^^^Man tells no lies!^^^

I have a close buddy who had his (my old) GT4 sat in impeccable condition prior to ownership. He listened intently on what he needed to maintain its finish, and invested in touchless washing gear, and simply one good wax. The car looks every bit as good nearly 2 years on, and has yet to see my porter cable anywhere near it.

I detailled a laast gen celica in blue for another good friend, who was warned he had soft paint, and that if he didnt change his wash method (old sponge, probably dropped a few times during a wash, left un covered to the elements during the week) that the car would be bad as ever proper quick. Low and behold he landed back after three weeks wanting it buffed again, only to be told no, as I wasnt satisfied that enough clear coat was left.

morale of the story??? people assume waxes and polishes are key to having a greeat looking car, but forget that a bad wash is as good as cleaning with wet and dry papers! lol

[Galliano]

pav.. seings as your close, once my cars finished how about quoting me on a full detail

clay etc...

lemme know

[addz]

No probs mate, glad to help.

Got some of that stuff earlier on.

Got a polish pad too.

What is the best way to polish a car from scratch, expert reviews as im a novice to this.

[Pav]

pav.. seings as your close, once my cars finished how about quoting me on a full detail

clay etc...

lemme know ;)

Pm'd

[Pav]

Got some of that stuff earlier on.

Got a polish pad too.

What is the best way to polish a car from scratch, expert reviews as im a novice to this.

Polishing is a tiring process when done by hand, be prepared to work up a sweat. You don't need to push srp in really hard, but it does need working to break the ingredients down and make them work properly and bond to the paint. Go easy on how much you apply, a little goes a long way and srp will leave plenty of white residue if you go overboard. make sure you have a microfibre cloth to buff it all of once worked in.

You can layer srp up, the more you layer, the more shine you acheive as more filler is applied. If you have the time and patience, leave a good 10-20 mins between layers for the polish to bond and cure on the paint. An Electric buffer will make your job easier but doing it by hand allows you do get the polish everywhere on the car. I use a cheap electric buffer (£20 dealy) to apply polishes to large areas, it makes the whole process much easier and quicker, but don't confuse it with a professional correction polisher like what Alan uses.

Also, if you've never tried it before, claying the car first makes polishing a whole world easier. I won't go into detail on it, but it basically removes bonded dirt, dust etc that you can't see after washing and leaves the paint feeling much smoother, almost like glass if done correctly. That sets it up perfectly for the polish stage.

[Sparky]

Damn your making me want to clean my car but its pissing down

[Galliano]

your getting one big storm at once...

we currently have a slight drizzle and its been going for the past 6 hours or so

i wanna go use some more metal polish ;)

[Pav]

Damn your making me want to clean my car but its pissing down

I have a garage ;) lol

I finally took the time today to fully detail the Glanza. It had already been polished the other day so I detail sprayed it, gave it a good going over with the electric polisher and Srp, then I gave it the Supernatural Wax treatment, looks beautiful! I'll try and get some decent pics tomorrow if the weathers good. ;)

[paul w]

Just use T-CUT myself if i can be arsed. ;)

[addz]

Just use T-CUT myself if i can be arsed. ;)

Hmm.

Not too keen on T-cut my-self.

[Pav]

Just use T-CUT myself if i can be arsed. ;)

;) Go and say at detailing-world forums, would be like setting off a nuke! lol

[paul w]

I'm just havin a laugh addz! T-CUT is crap

I'm not into all this i can polish better than you stuff ;)

It's like the old my dads better than your dad crap at primary school. ;)

Some very good results in the thread although i have more important things to do with my life than polishing my car all weekend.

[Galliano]

@ Pav.

i still get slated by one of the members on msn, just because i bought my megs and polishing cloth from halfords.

bit of a pathetic tee doubleyou aye tee.

[Pav]

I'm just havin a laugh addz! T-CUT is crap

I'm not into all this i can polish better than you stuff ;)

It's like the old my dads better than your dad crap at primary school.

Some very good results in the thread although i have more important things to do with my life than polishing my car all weekend.

Very well put, sometimes I wonder if there is much/any point in spending huge amounts on these products. But when I see the results they have I feel it is justified. I don't compare my cars finish to anyone elses, sometimes its dirty, sometimes not. I just like seeing a brilliant finish and a well kept car. Most people on here love there car to bits, they're enthusiasts. I don't see why spending money and time detailing your car should be any different to the time, blood sweat and tears, money and effort we spend on modding them. The reality though is that most people have more important things to do, I havent had a chance to detail my car for weeks, only did it yesterday lol

@Galliano, you're right, your msn mate is being a bellend. I buy plenty of cleaning stuff from halfords, does that make me some kind of shmuck? ;) (awaits the comments about extortionate prices and bad service lol)

[paul w]

For a show then... yes a well polished/detailed car should be taken there not a lightly washed one.....but for everyday use i really can't see the point of spending a fortune and time /effort on getting the stuff looking A1 only for a nice wet shitty day to ruin a whole weekends work. I wash my car weekly to keep it in good nick but rarely polish it as the effort is wasted in this country's weather.

[Galliano]

@ Pav

yeah the prices are.. well... more than high. BUT you tell me where else i can source cleaning products in taunton as i have no debit card.. ?! he thinks im a muppet for using megs products but its the best i could afford and it is better than AG