Advice on how to polish my turds required, please

[Junkman]

I'm aware that I probably should subscribe to some OMGOCDSHOWNSHINE forum for this, but thought I risk it here first. If nobody knows/cares, it's at least worth the odd roffler this will cause.

 

I want to polish my shite for the imminent Spring/Mating Season. For this reason, I bought me a machine. It's electric, and it swirls around some artificial woolen discs, 9 inches in diameter. It says on the tin, that it is some quite sophisticated shit from China, because it not only rotates, but also oscillates. It was also hailed by Sam Glover's folks as 'Best Buy'.

 

The problem is now, that I need some chemistry for this. The way I understand it, one is required to ruin the paint even more than it is already, and another to make it shine like a rubbish bin in the rain.

Can anyone out there recommend a product that does the job well and costs less than a full respray?

I have some metallic and some non metallic shite to polish, if that matters.

 

Also, are there any special tricks, or is it just like second-chance education?

[Asimo]

Please answer 'cos I want to know too. In 40 years of owning cars, I have never polished one, ever.

[trigger]

What you need is one of these.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-Tools-264569-Sander-Polisher/dp/B002QS1LZ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393520189&sr=8-1&keywords=silverline+polisher

 

with a decent mop head.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FARECLA-G-MOP-standard-compounding-head-14mm-white-/120720622555?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item1c1b8283db

 

I use Farecla G3 Compound polish.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Farecla-G3-Rubbing-Compound-Regular-Cutting-Paste-1kg-Car-Polishing-BEST-price-/221367045342?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item338a810cde

 

and finish with a good hand polish with some autoglym super resin polish or if it's bad i go over it again with the mop, a new head and some 3M Finesse-It.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-Finesse-It-Finishing-Material-Compound-1L-09639-/110684048126?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item19c5488afe

 

obviously the initial outlay is quite pricey but it last ages and you can always polish you friends cars for cash back if you so wish.

[saucedoctor]

Meguiars 1-2-3. FTW.

Trigger knows a thing or two about this sort of thing.

 

EDIT: Cross posted.

[barefoot]

I didn't join this forum to learn how to polish cars.

I joined so I wouldn't have to.

And wouldn't be embarassed about not so doing.

[Stixy]

What you need is one of these.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-Tools-264569-Sander-Polisher/dp/B002QS1LZ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393520189&sr=8-1&keywords=silverline+polisher

 

with a decent mop head.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FARECLA-G-MOP-standard-compounding-head-14mm-white-/120720622555?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item1c1b8283db

 

I use Farecla G3 Compound polish.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Farecla-G3-Rubbing-Compound-Regular-Cutting-Paste-1kg-Car-Polishing-BEST-price-/221367045342?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item338a810cde

 

and finish with a good hand polish with some autoglym super resin polish or if it's bad i go over it again with the mop, a new head and some 3M Finesse-It.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-Finesse-It-Finishing-Material-Compound-1L-09639-/110684048126?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item19c5488afe

 

obviously the initial outlay is quite pricey but it last ages and you can always polish you friends cars for cash back if you so wish.

 

does it need Waxing  afterwards ? 

[trigger]

Your meant to as it's supposed to seal the paintwork but normally by this stage I'm too pissed off with polishing that i can't be bothered!

[vulgalour]

Trigger is bang on the money with that.  I'd use the Autoglym Super Resin Polish to finish as it's easy to work with and lasts ages without being subject to OCDTAX.

 

If you're concerned about swirling in the paint or burning the paint, do it all by hand and work in straight lines rather than circles.  You may lose the will to live doing this on an entire car, just so you know.

[Junkman]

If I want to use wax afterwards, would I apply it with the machine, or by hand?

[trigger]

By hand, I use Meguiars Carnauba wax with a Applicator sponge when i do wax my car, although you haven't got to bother with the sponge so much.
 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meguiars-Deep-Crystal-System-Step-3-Carnauba-Wax-473ml-A2216-Car-Performance-/331136749637?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item4d1949d045

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My brother spent 20 years man and boy rectifying paintwork and he won't use a DA on anything with old or thin paint, not to cast aspersions on the quality of Solihull's finest craftsmen or anything. It's also quite easy to go through the paint on edges and ridges.

The best thing would be to practice on a small 80's hatchback possibly Japanese.

[Squire_Dawson]

Just be careful how hard you press on the electric-polisher, it doesn't need much more than very light pressure, and keep moving it around in small, overlapping, circular motions. They can remove the polish you've applied and even the paint.

 

I use Autoglym Super Resin but find it can leave white cloudy marks on some areas.

[Grundig]

  

 

      +

 

 

 

I kid you not 

[plasticvandan]

Tcut and turtlewax,or Mr sheen if just doing it for a buyer,lasts about 4 days ,or if the paint and body is really shit,oil or wd40 and a rag

[Junkman]

My brother spent 20 years man and boy rectifying paintwork and he won't use a DA on anything with old or thin paint, not to cast aspersions on the quality of Solihull's finest craftsmen or anything. It's also quite easy to go through the paint on edges and ridges.

The best thing would be to practice on a small 80's hatchback possibly Japanese.

 

The guinea pig of my experimentation is a 1988 Mitsubishi Smith & Wesson, is this acceptable?

[EssDeeWon]

HaHa I remember my dad polishing his black mk2 Granada 2.3 LX in the 80s using Mr Sheen, it worked a treat and didn't smear, being jet black it was a bugger to keep clean.

 

I usually use Maguiars spray on wax, its about £10 but lasts ages and you can do an average size car in 20 minutes.

 

For a proper polish up which is due soon I will use Autoglym Super Resin Polish, plenty of elbow grease and a few alcoholic cans to hand on a nice day. Just finish off with T cutting any little marks it may have picked up then wait for it to rain.

[Asimo]

No wonder rat-look is so popular.

[sporty-shite]

How do you apply with a mop? Should it be wet or dry?

[trigger]

I always use water, wet the mop head and panel with a spray bottle, it helps to stop the paintwork from getting to hot and burning through, it's bloody messy though!

[Jim Bell]

Top advice.

 

I shall unleash some of this on the pinking Mazdatron.

[outlaw118]

^^^WHS^^^

I've onky ever mopped solid paint; A Pogweaseled Alfa 146, and a white Mazda 323F (you know, the one with the flipflop lights), and they both came up a treat. But as Trigster said, don't wear anything that will bother you if it gets splattered with flying compound.

 

Autoglym super resin is my preferred wax of choice, and if I'm feeling especially productive Autoglym extra finish (or summert) Gold label stuff is OARSUMZ.

[FredTransit]

I didn't join this forum to learn how to polish cars.

I joined so I wouldn't have to.

And wouldn't be embarassed about not so doing.

too right, well said! Some of our stuff is 23ft long. My lifes WAY too short to polish something that big. Aside from which, they cant be too clean. See my thread about Transits on Set and what happened to the Mk1 SWB and Mk2 luton.....

The exceptions are the ambies, they always have to be clean.

BTW, Wilkinsons do some top stuff and theres always Mr Sheen. In emergencies wipe sparingly with deisel.....

[spike60]

 

mr sheen.jpg

  

 

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duster.jpeg

 

 

I kid you not 

 

This used to work very well for about a week on my dark blue Scimitar, dunno if being plastic made any difference. Probably not.

[chaseracer]

WTactualF are you lot on, exactly?  All the true shiter needs to 'clean' a car is...

 

 

As you were.

 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

WTactualF are you lot on, exactly?  All the true shiter needs to 'clean' a car is...

 

This is still better than the time they had a thread about buying expensive blocks of clay from China to rub all over their cars. 

[fordperv]

Trigger is bang on the money with that. I'd use the Autoglym Super Resin Polish to finish as it's easy to work with and lasts ages without being subject to OCDTAX.

I found that farcela wax top is excellent to use instead of autoglym srp. my car visually glows when I use it, it's also very easy to work with

[FredTransit]

http://www.autoshite.com/topic/16076-transits-on-set/page-3?do=findComment&comment=532590

 

why I dont polish!!

[drum]

A half polished turd

 

 

Ten year old T cut

[Sigmund Fraud]

I recall that an excellent detailing* topic was posted on here by Johnny69 in the distant past... Can anyone find it ?

[Junkman]

I find having a well-polished and waxed example of a worthless old car makes the ownership experience a lot more enjoyable. Instead of just writing you off as poor, people start assuming you're completely eccentric and wonder why you bother, making you seem strange and mysterious.

 

^^

This.

Plus the hire purchase slave neighbours watching me polish my turds for hours on end. Priceless.