Valeting / Detailing / two bucket wronguns

[DVee8]

For Christmas my lads bought me a DA polisher. We took it out of the box for the first time last week.

My oldest lad did his Fiat that came up very well. My lad showed his grandad who said can you do my car?

So last weekend that was given the works. Grandad then showed his car to his brother who said would he do mine? I'll pay him.

So this morning we picked this up.

[DVee8]

It doesn't look too bad but was hanging.

 

[DVee8]

So first it was jet washed 

[DVee8]

The snow foamed 

[DVee8]

Under the bonnet was full of leaves 

So we hoovered and cleaned 

[DVee8]

Then out came the drying cloths then the polisher.

 So jet washed, snow foamed,  washed,  dried , polished and waxed.

The XF was then delivered back to a happy owner.

[BorniteIdentity]

I washed a car today with Fairy Liquid and a brush and it came out a solid 7/10.

🤷‍♂️ 

[Cento16v]

I've just bought a big leaf blower to dry my car after I wash it.

Seems to be a win win, no soggy cloths, no water hiding in shutlines or seals.

What can go wrong 🤔

[Jazoli]

1 minute ago, Cento16v said:

I've just bought a big leaf blower to dry my car after I wash it.

Seems to be a win win, no soggy cloths, no water hiding in shutlines or seals.

What can go wrong 🤔

It rains 10 minutes after you dry it, there should be no need to dry it really. 

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I washed a car today with Fairy Liquid and a brush and it came out a solid 7/10.

🤷‍♂️

I hope you used the kitchen basin and the dish brush. 

[Cento16v]

Blow dry FTW!

That was a lot faster, easier, and more importantly, more fun than a drying towel 😂

[Coprolalia]

Two-bucket fetishists, I'm after advice.

What products should I buy to tart up the comedically pogweaseled Derv-rocco? I have no equipment other than two buckets, a mitt, and some clay bar.

Below is after a basic wash-and-wax shampoo job.

Best shampoo, wax etc?

[Jazoli]

You really need to machine cut the paintwork back with a rotary or DA (recommended) polisher then polish wax and seal, I use meguiars ultimate compound, then the ultimate polish then either bilt hamber double action wax or meguiars ceramic wax to finish.

It takes a lot of effort but once done you can just give it a lazy 2 bucket wash once a fortnight to keep it looking good.

[Talbot]

On 3/6/2021 at 7:42 PM, BorniteIdentity said:

I washed a car today with Fairy Liquid

I'm not sure how much truth there is in this, but I've been told in the past not to use fairy-up-lipsquid to wash cars as there's a fair bit of salt in it, which isn't going to be ideal.

One thing I know for absolute sure is you should never use fairy lipsquid as a screenwash additive.  That did NOT end well.

[BorniteIdentity]

3 minutes ago, Talbot said:

I'm not sure how much truth there is in this, but I've been told in the past not to use fairy-up-lipsquid to wash cars as there's a fair bit of salt in it, which isn't going to be ideal.

One thing I know for absolute sure is you should never use fairy lipsquid as a screenwash additive.  That did NOT end well.

I did spend 5 very idle minutes reading about why I shouldn't use fairy liquid.  Every article seemed to be written by people who had a vested interest in me not using fairy liquid and instead buying their product.  

There were also a few porkies being told.  "BLEACH AND AMMONIA" - wot, in fairy love? Have a day off.

Yes, the only thing that really concerned me was "Sodium Chloride" (as you say) but I had nothing else in stock and, truth be told, it shifted that grey film of filth from the car like nothing I've used before.

I wouldn't use it regularly, fo sho.  But on the basis that nobody has the foggiest what the Kosovan gentlemen are putting on their car (that you give them £10 for the privilege for) I'm not going to beat myself up.

I'm unlikely to do it again though, as I just bought enough demon stuff to last me a lifetime (and it smells lush)

[Talbot]

5 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Yes, the only thing that really concerned me was "Sodium Chloride" (as you say) but I had nothing else in stock and, truth be told, it shifted that grey film of filth from the car like nothing I've used before.

TBF, it's probably far less bad than just driving along a salt/grit covered road, and as long as it gets a decent rinse off as part of the wash, won't be a problem.

Driving in winter, I've had thick layers of salt on the bodywork of a car before now, so a bit of Lairy Liquid is unlikely to cause any issues at all.

[Jazoli]

In summary washing up liquid is safe to use, this guy is a nerd and tests everything.

[Skizzer]

3 hours ago, Jazoli said:

lazy

2 bucket wash once a fortnight

Once a fortnight is ludicrously hyperactive in my world, where twice in a year is considered keen.

[Crackers]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

One thing I know for absolute sure is you should never use fairy lipsquid as a screenwash additive.  That did NOT end well.

Pictures, please sir. 

[Kiltox]

Iceland don’t spend any money on cleaning products for the van yet expect it to shine. Toilet cleaner does the trick....

[Talbot]

6 hours ago, Crackers said:

Pictures, please sir. 

Twas the mid-90s when almost no-one had a camera on them.  Suffice to say that the washer pump created a LOT more foam than I was expecting.  The jets weren't so much water as they were pure foam.

[JJ0063]

Before, during and after on the 335D

I’ve used lots of snow foams over the years and recently got a load of cheap Autoglym Polar Blast.. Jesus it’s thick, it’s like shaving foam. 
 

I used to fuck about with 2 bucket methods etc but in all honesty as a daily driver it’s going to get swirly so I just enjoy a clean car rather than perfectly detailed these days.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 3/6/2021 at 7:36 PM, DVee8 said:

Then out came the drying cloths then the polisher.

 So jet washed, snow foamed,  washed,  dried , polished and waxed.

The XF was then delivered back to a happy owner.

Tidy work. Those XFs are pretty looking things, especially when cleaned up. Are they Ford based like some of the older models? 

[Crackers]

10 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

335D

I need you to stop posting pics of that, it gives me the fizz every time I see it.

What colour is it? It looks like it's got more green in it than I'm used to seeing from Le Mans blue. Don't know what other Blues they did on them though?

[Minimad5]

How much do you folk earn, I'm over here with a piss orange bucket, second hand jetwash and soggy sponge 😅

Worked well on the Rover mind, before:

After:

Would a D.A work on this and revive the paint ? .. or would it kill it and make me shout 'FAWK'

[Split_Pin]

Unless the paint is flaking or otherwise compromised, a DA should bring that back OK. I used mine on @320tourings Oxford which probably hadn't been polished since the 1970s and it came up really well.

Just use a simple polish and keep the machine moving or you'll burn the paint.

[JJ0063]

44 minutes ago, Crackers said:

I need you to stop posting pics of that, it gives me the fizz every time I see it.

What colour is it? It looks like it's got more green in it than I'm used to seeing from Le Mans blue. Don't know what other Blues they did on them though?

Haha, I’m in love with it. 
 

It is just Le Mans, just cleans up well and iPhones take pretty decent photos in the right light. 
 

it doesn’t look as good, or as bright when it’s out of the sun...

 

[DVee8]

This morning I was washing MrsV8's car and number 1 son was washing his Fiat. When our next door neighbour pulled on there drive  we had a chat. She said she was going to sell her car and would no1 like to give it a hoover and a clean

An amount of folding would be handed over.

So what do we have? We'll its a 17 plate Vauxhall Adam. They have owned it around 18months and its not been washed in that time.

 

[DVee8]

Hanging inside with split coke/coffee, it hasn't got any mats in. The carpets seemed to have a mix of grass/ soil,  coke, hair and fag Ash.

The door cards though plastic were marked/damaged where she pushes the doors open with her foot.

The top inside of the hatch was green with rain.

 

 

 

[MJK 24]

Tidy job on the Adam!  What’s the quality of the interior like?  A cut above a regular Vauxhall?  These were sold as a premium car when new I think.