My first attempt at detailing

OpenToSuggestions · 1 Sep 2012 at 20:16

Hey all.
Had my first go at detailing this week. All the kit I have bought and some items i.e. Snow foam were not purchased due to the cost at this early stage.
The test car is my old one that my brother now has

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I did the following:
Rinsed off with pressure washer
Washed twice with two bucket method
Used tar remover
Clayed
Dual action polisher with medium and soft pads, and medium and low cutting polishes
Thin layer of wax.

Just looking for comments really

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Before:

After:

I am having some issues with image resizing so please be patient with me

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Draeger · 1 Sep 2012 at 20:24

The photos certainly appear to show good results. Well done!!. What cutting polishes did you use?.

LeMson · 1 Sep 2012 at 20:42

Looks shiny in the last pic, so well done

OpenToSuggestions · 1 Sep 2012 at 20:42

Thanks

Rather than trying to explain I will just link you to the item I bought

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http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis...ion-polisher-menzerna-intro-kit/prod_721.html

The roof and bonnet needed tackling hard. I did not use the hard pad as I do not know how thick the paint is and also I have read that Jap cars tend to have soft paint.
On hindsight I would have gone over the roof again with the softer pad and softer polish just to be completely sure I'd got all the faded paint off.
It is quite strange how some panels have faded so much more than others, yet they were all equally as red when the car was bought 7 years ago!
As I was trying to make do with the bigger pads I have given the yellow (medium) pad a good battering around the more intricate areas.

Hades · 2 Sep 2012 at 02:12

That looks miles better. Good work

subaru_swift · 2 Sep 2012 at 14:13

looks nice in the photos, but seeing you are from stoke you can do mine & i will tell you after

hint hint

joking aside job well done there me thinks,,,,,

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Sep 2012 at 16:51

subaru_swift said:
looks nice in the photos, but seeing you are from stoke you can do mine & i will tell you after hint hint

joking aside job well done there me thinks,,,,,

I live in Loughborough most of the time but my parents live in Uttoxeter, but nobody has heard of it so I just say Stoke on forums

.

I am certainly looking to do another car soon. I have another lesson soon to cover alloy wheels and stone chips

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rexehuk · 2 Sep 2012 at 16:54

Looks good

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Did you mask off the seals etc before polishing? Very easy to discolour them, not that it matters as much on an older car.

The top looks great, really brought the colour back.

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Sep 2012 at 17:50

rexehuk said:
Looks good .

Did you mask off the seals etc before polishing? Very easy to discolour them, not that it matters as much on an older car.

The top looks great, really brought the colour back.

I did but I forgot to order the proper stuff, so I used masking tape. Tbh the only bits that mattered where the chrome bits on the grill really, the black external trim I did not bother with so much.

If I did it again, I'd tape the trim up properly with the proper tape

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Blackhawk47 · 2 Sep 2012 at 17:54

Get an 'after shot' in the sun please.

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Sep 2012 at 18:36

Blackhawk47 said:
Get an 'after shot' in the sun please.

The car was extemely swirly and now the swirling is almost gone, but not completely gone. As this was my first time I did not want to take off lots of paint as I was testing the water with the dual action polisher.
I would take a photo in the sun but it seems to be hiding this week! I was just glad of no rain yesterday so I could finish the polishing off

. I have a single crappy energy saving lightbulb in the garage so polishing in there means I am polishing blind as I cannot see which bits need going over again due to the poor lighting. I can't polish outside in the sun as the polish gets baked on then.

I do agree that a true comparison of before vs. after should both be done in sunlight though.

rexehuk · 2 Sep 2012 at 18:45

Nout wrong with masking tape

can leave a bit of residue sometimes though. I may give the polisher a go on my 350 once it comes... although I'd be a bit apprehensive.

Simon · 2 Sep 2012 at 19:08

Looks good. Need more pics !

subaru_swift · 2 Sep 2012 at 22:01

OpenToSuggestions said:
I live in Loughborough most of the time but my parents live in Uttoxeter, but nobody has heard of it so I just say Stoke on forums .

I am certainly looking to do another car soon. I have another lesson soon to cover alloy wheels and stone chips .

Uttoxeter is a nice place mostly & it is only a few mins down the a50 for me.

GreenMint · 2 Sep 2012 at 22:14

OpenToSuggestions said:
I live in Loughborough most of the time but my parents live in Uttoxeter, but nobody has heard of it so I just say Stoke on forums .

I am certainly looking to do another car soon. I have another lesson soon to cover alloy wheels and stone chips .

I work in Loughborough and live near there, car needs a clean badly, get in touch

OpenToSuggestions · 3 Sep 2012 at 00:09

In loughborough I have a flat on campus for a wardening role with no drive so all my detailing will be in Uttoxeter back home. I certainly need cars to improve my skills on but it consumes a whole weekend and the price of consumables means I can't do freebies

. I really want snow foam and need a paint depth gauge for me to be able to have the confidence to tackle swirls harder.

rexehuk · 3 Sep 2012 at 08:58

OpenToSuggestions said:
In loughborough I have a flat on campus for a wardening role with no drive so all my detailing will be in Uttoxeter back home. I certainly need cars to improve my skills on but it consumes a whole weekend and the price of consumables means I can't do freebies . I really want snow foam and need a paint depth gauge for me to be able to have the confidence to tackle swirls harder.

Haha.

Tell me about the price of consumables... and it's so easy to get caught up and just go mad. My spend for the 350 cleaning currently comes in at around £200+.

That's snow foam, wash mitts, polishes etc and also grabbing some EXO as it's well worth the money.

OpenToSuggestions · 3 Sep 2012 at 09:03

So far I've spent around £220 and as I haven't got any small polish pads I've pretty much shredded one trying to do the fiddlier areas! I could easily have spend £500 but that is just too steep at this early stage. I reckon an additional £25 too in clay, polishes etc.

GreenMint · 3 Sep 2012 at 09:06

Shame, coulda come and done it for the day, its been too long since mine has been done and I'm thinking just get ir detailed or at least cleaned + more and interior valeted, although a detailer may see me & hurt me for the state its in!!

eatcustard · 3 Sep 2012 at 14:00

Remember Jap cars have soft paint, so you dont need a course cutting polish