Advice on how to polish my turds required, please

[trigger]

Wtf is 'snow foaming'?

 

[beko1987]

I can never get my foam that thick

[trigger]

That DW forum is most strange, there's people on there with 6-12 month old cars going on about how clean they are and what products they've used, christ it's a new car FFS! It's hardly going to be filthy dirty with years of ground in dirt and boogies.

 

I think some of them really need to get out more.

[drum]

Inspired by this thread, this morning I have power washed the series 3 and washed the disco, alfa and maestro with aldi's wash and wax.

[Richard]

I think some of them really need to get out more.

 

Some of us need to get out more too, in fact some of us are some of them and vice-versa. It's no different from any other hobby really.

[FredTransit]

Ha if you ever wanted one of your old trannies cleaned I'd love to help Fred!

that would be a whole forum, let alone thread!! what do you recommend for green stuff on the roof? On a white van I use bleach cleaner but not on a colour.... TFR is good too.

[chaseracer]

I think some of them really need to get out more.

I'm rather relieved they don't...

[cort16]

I use a polishing mop head on my da sander and it works a treat. Some of the paint finishes on new cars can be dreadfull and quite orange peely.

[Junkman]

Some of the paint finishes on new cars can be dreadfull and quite orange peely.

 

What.

On earth.

Is a new car?

[Mr Lobster]

That thread on the guy going to town on the new Astra is brilliant despite none of the pictures working.

 

I think my favourite bit is where he finds a half millimetre sized dot of paint on the roof that isn't visible to a normal person and considers taking the car back to Vauxhall and rejecting it because of it. I would have LOVED to have seen that discussion in the dealership.

[r.welfare]

Can any of the cleaning oracles tell me the best way to get nice thick snow foam. I have one those proper snow foam cannon jobs you connect to your power washer, and I am using Bilt Hamber foam.  But I can't seem to get anything other than runny stuff that quickly drips off, no matter which way I turn the knob on the cannon.

[beko1987]

I get the same issue. I put it down to me being tight and only putting a cm of solution in my bottle rather than half and half as some do it.

 

I would say check your gauze but haven't done mine yet so can't harp on about it too much! I do always have mine turned all one way (the way that doesn't just spray water)

[Guest Breadvan72]

Ha if you ever wanted one of your old trannies cleaned I'd love to help Fred!

 

 

 

I think that old trannies are much better when they are dirty.  

 

Er, sorry, wrong Forum?  

[oldford]

I can make a mop head last 3 complete car polishes provided you don't keep catching it on the trim and cutting chucks out of the foam.

If you get the mop head spinning, you can use a nice sharp blade to cut the used top surface off.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I'm a member of the Detailing World forum but use it only as recommendations for the best value kit.

I find cleaning cars on a sunny Sunday quite therapeutic after working every other day of the week; time to myself, etc.

 

The fun for me comes from transforming a tired, shabby motor into something you don't feel embarrassed to visit your mother in 

Today I did a quick restoration job on my latest ebay purchase, a £135 Astra diesel.  I didn't take pictures as I was really pushed for time but needless to say, the transformation was a revelation.  It took me two hours, basically due to the kit I have-

 

I use a Meguiars DA, which is a dual-action polisher- about £100 now I think and excellent for a beginner, you will never damage the paint with a modern DA, no matter what state it's in.

With this, I used two pads, both are 'Hex-Logic' types from a supplier called Chemical Guys.  They are around £7 each and of different grades, identified by their colour.

As far as product goes, I have probably the most commonly-used stuff, Meguiars #105 (which is a cutting compound, like T-cut I suppose) with the cutting pad (in my case, Orange Hex-Logic).

This is applied and then removed, as many times as you want to 'correct' damage in the paint.

I then switched to the softer pad, in my case a white Hex-Logic and started polishing, using Meguiars #205 Ultra Finishing Polish.  And that is it !!

 

This was the only steps I used on my £135 Astra and that is all abused, scratched and neglected paint needs to improve an old clunker.  The pros on the DW forum would laugh at this but it needn't be two days' worth of painstaking work- I trying to say that you can use this equipment and products to whatever level is appropriate.

If I was doing the above by hand, with T-cut or G3, it would have taken a whole day..

[fred]

All you need is 3 quid and an Albainain

[fred]

I'm a member of the Detailing World forum but use it only as recommendations for the best value kit.

I find cleaning cars on a sunny Sunday quite therapeutic after working every other day of the week; time to myself, etc.

 

The fun for me comes from transforming a tired, shabby motor into something you don't feel embarrassed to visit your mother in 

Today I did a quick restoration job on my latest ebay purchase, a £135 Astra diesel.  I didn't take pictures as I was really pushed for time but needless to say, the transformation was a revelation.  It took me two hours, basically due to the kit I have-

 

I use a Meguiars DA, which is a dual-action polisher- about £100 now I think and excellent for a beginner, you will never damage the paint with a modern DA, no matter what state it's in.

With this, I used two pads, both are 'Hex-Logic' types from a supplier called Chemical Guys.  They are around £7 each and of different grades, identified by their colour.

As far as product goes, I have probably the most commonly-used stuff, Meguiars #105 (which is a cutting compound, like T-cut I suppose) with the cutting pad (in my case, Orange Hex-Logic).

This is applied and then removed, as many times as you want to 'correct' damage in the paint.

I then switched to the softer pad, in my case a white Hex-Logic and started polishing, using Meguiars #205 Ultra Finishing Polish.  And that is it !!

 

This was the only steps I used on my £135 Astra and that is all abused, scratched and neglected paint needs to improve an old clunker.  The pros on the DW forum would laugh at this but it needn't be two days' worth of painstaking work- I trying to say that you can use this equipment and products to whatever level is appropriate.

If I was doing the above by hand, with T-cut or G3, it would have taken a whole day..

 

So your polishing kit is about the same price of the car you are polishing?

This is intriuging in a odd but thoughtful way

[dugong]

That VXR gentleman is the reason why my predecessor coined the phrase 'Shiny paint, shit tyres'. 

If the panels have paint on them, they're not rusty and the car's solid underneath, what's the problem? The same goes [in my opinion] for people who get hung up on paint, and think that you haven't 'done a car up' if it hasn't been resprayed. 
People's perception of 'being a true enthusiast' and 'having pride' come into it too. Your cleanliness symbolises your dedication, or something. Nonsense.

 

I get this off neighbours, too - 'You're into cars, why aren't you cleaning yours at the weekend? My son cleans his car every weekend and it's spotless'. Yes, and he runs his Clio 182 on Linglong tyres.  Horses for courses. My car corners, his looks pretty. Priorities, yo!

 

My cars certainly don't get washed every weekend  but they're not neglected. In terms of what I'd spend my money on first, mechanicals and longevity are way, way higher up my list. Water filters, lambswool mitts, snow foam - it just seems like pointless gilding - although I accept there is a cathartic element to it. I prefer a spotless interior to a gleaming exterior, because I spend all my time in the car, rather than looking at it. I'm all for decent polish if it preserves the paint and ignores charities. 

I agree with Rusty_Rocket about what's been said about the detailing sites, though - they're useful for product references. 90% of people would be content with a basic kit from one of the better-known manufacturers. I know I would be. 

Everyone is different. Except Vauxhall owners. They need to behave. 

[Ratdat]

It's so tempting to join that forum and post up a long detailed thread with copious pictures detailing me taking my Prairie to the Polish/Lithuanian car wash for a six quid splash and dash.

[Rusty_Rocket]

 

The fun for me comes from transforming a tired, shabby motor into something you don't feel embarrassed to visit your mother in 

Today I did a quick restoration job on my latest ebay purchase, a £135 Astra diesel.  I didn't take pictures as I was really pushed for time but needless to say, the transformation was a revelation.  It took me two hours, basically due to the kit I have..

 

 

So your polishing kit is about the same price of the car you are polishing?

This is intriuging in a odd but thoughtful way 

 

Yeah I suppose in this case, the detailing stuff was more expensive than the car 

The gear has paid for itself a couple of times in the two years I've had it though.  I bought it originally to try and avoid a front-end respray on a Fiat Panda I had.  That car was a CAT-D and had been painted badly on the front end.  The finish had 'bloomed' and had no gloss to speak of, with lots of runs and orange-peel texture.  It basically wanted a pro paint job, which I was reluctant to pay for  

Enter the DA and some time spent correcting the finish and I could finally sell the car without apologising for its paint job.. it was also worth approx £500 more than before the 'treatment'  !

[Guest Breadvan72]

It's so tempting to join that forum and post up a long detailed thread with copious pictures detailing me taking my Prairie to the Polish/Lithuanian car wash for a six quid splash and dash.

 

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE do it!  I would buy you a year's supply of kwalidee popcorn for the privilege and pleasure of watching that thread develop.  

[Guest Breadvan72]

I would join in and debate with you the relative merits of Latvians and Azerbajanis, and whether it's worth paying the extra quid for them to flick a scabby duster over the dashboard.and spray it with some shiz that smells worse than stripper perfume. 

[beko1987]

Ah that will be a horrible thread. I'll be there on the DW side lambasting you for even contemplating the swirlomanians, and there on the AS side laughing...

 

I'm hoping to wash my stepdads car later. Will be a quick job of rinsez foam, wheels, arches, tight work, rinse, 2 bucket wash, rinse, dry and maybe some wax, depends when they get back from shopping.

 

Want me to do a thread the AS way? Can't get a pez station shot though as A I'm not insured on it today and B I'm not buying it...

[beko1987]

Yeah I suppose in this case, the detailing stuff was more expensive than the car

The gear has paid for itself a couple of times in the two years I've had it though. I bought it originally to try and avoid a front-end respray on a Fiat Panda I had. That car was a CAT-D and had been painted badly on the front end. The finish had 'bloomed' and had no gloss to speak of, with lots of runs and orange-peel texture. It basically wanted a pro paint job, which I was reluctant to pay for

Enter the DA and some time spent correcting the finish and I could finally sell the car without apologising for its paint job.. it was also worth approx £500 more than before the 'treatment' !

I like you! I keep meaning to get a DA. Find the rotary heavy sometimes and have not found a pad I get on with yet (although only tried Menzerna and some home baked make).

[Rusty_Rocket]

Beko, if you're used to a rotary, you'll get on with a DA straight away. You can be as brutal or gentle with it as you like and still get good results.

Only thing is, the rotary is faster and better at dealing with serious damage. DA is a good all-rounder though.

[Joey spud]

I take pleasure in a bit of vehicle cleaning too.

 

The work vans are leased for 5 years and every few months i will go silly and clay it,hit it with some G10 on a mop and then meguiars its orange arse.

I also go around it touching in the paint chips,treating all the trim to some non shiney armorall and of course give the wheels and trims an acid wash to get the brake dust off.

 

This is most rewarding when the van is getting near the end of its lease and it still looks like a year old one.

 

Sad i know ...

[Mr Livered]

I'm hoping to wash my stepdads car later

We all have different hopes and dreams I suppose.

 

I'm hoping for some food and wine, and music later. A shag perhaps. I have five dirty cars but cleaning one of them didn't occur to me.

[beko1987]

Lol its raining now so my longings have turned to kebabs (one of which is food). The missu is alseep ATM though so both will have to wait.

 

Rusty, I rarely need to deal with heavy damage, just swirls and heavy oxidisation. I played with one at Waxstock once and it did seem gr9. I'll save up and get one later in the year I think, keep the rotary for any damage.

[beko1987]

Good man Joey! Saves you getting raped at the end of the lease for it looking like shit too.

 

My stepdads car goes back soon, I'll wash and wax it as he will get charged £50 if it goes back filthy! When he clipped a fence post I got the scuff out of that too, saved him £££.

[Guest Breadvan72]

I like my cars like I like my women: fast, dirty, and not too young.