Body Beautiful

[warren t claim]

I'm looking to give my non metallic, dark blue paintwork a good going over to remove all the scratches and hopefully restore it's shine. So far I've used £2 Tesco cut and Colour Magic to reasonable success but I'm wondering if there is a more professional product on the market that will give better results. I'm happy to buy a buffer attachment for my drill if necessary but I'm still undecided what cutting and polishing products to buy.

 

Any hints or tips gratefully received.

[Tonka]

Wander into your local Halfords and check out the Meguiar's clay kits, takes time to do but it will get rid of those swirl marks that show up more on dark colours, I've used their scratch remover with great success too.

 

When you own a very big red car like I do that lives outside all the time you find yourself looking for products that do what they say on the tin at an affordable price, I'd be lost without my detail spray!

 

http://www.meguiars.co.uk/home/

[Timewaster]

+1 on the Meguiars clay, however it will remove all the colourwax you have already used.

[Cavcraft]

Meguiars is brilliant stuff. Use the clay bar first it's ace.

[Split_Pin]

I know its old hat, but the basic Autoglym Super Resin Polish with a bit of elbow grease always gives me good results. Buffs off easily and lasts for months Just dont use their 'Extra Gloss protection' if you want to put a sealant on top of it. It goes on like a dream but you will be there forever trying to ge the stuff off again.

 

Meguairs detail spray is good to rectify polishing streaks and watermarks after a wash too.

[Formula Autos]

Supermarket own-brand cream cleaners (i.e. cheaper Jif) works the same wonders as T-cut on faded non-metallic paint (I successfully revived the flat paint on an ex-mayoral car Rover 800 using it). Obviously it's cheaper too.

 

Best to polish the car straight away after you've Jif-ed it though.

[Pete-M]

I used an Autoglym clay kit on the two SD1s and the 635.

 

Kit wasn't cheap at £25ish (from that nasty place that begins with 'H'), but I got a bottle of Autoglym car shampoo and some Super Resin Polish as well in one of those deals they do occasionally. There's a bottle of Autoglym Fast Detailing Spray (or something similar) that I thought was ace stuff, brilliant at shifting stubborn baked on shite in door gaps and around bonnet / boot lids or around a sunroof. I've tried to buy that stuff by itself, but can't find it. Probably just a really good soap type stuff, but it bloody works and it's a great lube for the old clay bar (oo-er).

 

Takes a while to do a barge that size of those, but I was pretty happy with the results. Shine seems to be easier to keep once a car has been clayed and polished properly. Brought the shine back on the 635 pretty well, although that did have a session with the mop. The black bits on the 4.2 Rover really came up well.

 

I will do the Jag when I get time... don't think I've even polished that yet.

[AXrescuer]

Argh I hate T-Cut, it's the devil's semen. As for those Colour Tragic products, well they are, in my opinion, shit.

Farecla G3 and G10 for that perfect finish - first time every time. Costs a little more but is well worth it in the long run. Follow that with some Autoglym SRP and you're cooking!

[Richard]

Once you've got your car shiny what's the best* way to keep it that way?

 

 

*where best = least effort

[pogweasel]

Another vote for autoglym super resin polish, if you've got scratches or fading I would go at it first with autoglym paint renovator first. Put it on with a mop, take it off by hand once it's dried off, use plenty of elbow grease and the result is pleasing.