*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

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I'm thinking about treating myself to a foam lance but before I do I thought I'd ask some opinions of what's out there. While they all seem to look the same at first glance, there's some subtle differences in what appears to be on offer.

Having bought almost all my cleaning kit from Polished Bliss I'm very tempted to just go with them, but there's a couple of alternatives which are slightly cheaper; Elite Car Care and Clean Your Car.

Any recommendations, chaps?
 
glitch said:
I'm thinking about treating myself to a foam lance but before I do I thought I'd ask some opinions of what's out there. While they all seem to look the same at first glance, there's some subtle differences in what appears to be on offer.

Having bought almost all my cleaning kit from Polished Bliss I'm very tempted to just go with them, but there's a couple of alternatives which are slightly cheaper; Elite Car Care and Clean Your Car.

Any recommendations, chaps?
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Most of the foam lances are identical and all bought from the same distributor within the UK. CYC's are bought directly from a manufacturer in Italy, and seem a shade better quality than the rest are. Also, if you use discount code 'foamlance' you'll get a further £5 off :)

They are pretty much all identical, so just get the cheapest one!
 
RussZS said:
CYC's are bought directly from a manufacturer in Italy, and seem a shade better quality than the rest are. Also, if you use discount code 'foamlance' you'll get a further £5 off :)

They are pretty much all identical, so just get the cheapest one!
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Ta very much!
 
Fett said:
Hand polishing an E60 with 203s is going to be one big ballache. I'd add all that up and think about using it towards a pro job and waiting until you buy a rotary/DA. It's hard paint and can be a bit of a slog with a machine, I'd hate to do it by hand.

Maybe think about Blackhole/White Diamond for now. As far as the Blackfire stuff, I've bought the whole shebang a couple of years ago and still have plenty left...I stopped using it after trying Werkstatt so I'm not a huge fan although it did work really well on my scoob. The GEP has fillers so that could be helpful to you.
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Thanks Fett. :) I did a test on one of the etching marks using a Meg's applicator pad and Meg's Step 1. I managed to remove the mark but it was a lot of work as you say. I was hoping that using a cutting pad and the 203s would make it a bit easier.

Parts of the car have been resprayed so I'm not entirely sure that all of it is the original hard BMW paint. I was surprised how easily the bird muck etched it to be honest because it wasn't on for that long, especially considering it's supposed to be uberhard clear coat.

The car is BMW Carbon Black (Metallic Dark Blue/Black) which is why I was going for the Blackfire stuff based on the Polished Bliss guide. Do you think Werkstatt would be better? PB seem to recommend Werkstatt over Blackfire for solid dark colours but not dark metallics.
 
Panzerbjorn said:
Thanks Fett. :) I did a test on one of the etching marks using a Meg's applicator pad and Meg's Step 1. I managed to remove the mark but it was a lot of work as you say. I was hoping that using a cutting pad and the 203s would make it a bit easier.

Parts of the car have been resprayed so I'm not entirely sure that all of it is the original hard BMW paint. I was surprised how easily the bird muck etched it to be honest because it wasn't on for that long, especially considering it's supposed to be uberhard clear coat.

The car is BMW Carbon Black (Metallic Dark Blue/Black) which is why I was going for the Blackfire stuff based on the Polished Bliss guide. Do you think Werkstatt would be better? PB seem to recommend Werkstatt over Blackfire for solid dark colours but not dark metallics.
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I think Step 1 is a cleaner (you'd have to check), so 203s should have more cut in comparison, so a higher and quicker level of correction. You can use 203s by hand, I use it on small sections where the DA can't reach but to get it looking half decent, just prepare to spend a lot of time with it. Call Rich and ask for a sample of 203s whilst you are ordering a few bits and see how you go.

If it were me, I'd go straight for the Black Diamond, better by machine but still gives a nice result by hand (top with Collinite or go ahead and get the Midnight Sun) and wait until you have a machine...then spend the money on Blackfire and Menzerna gear and make the most of it.

Regarding the Blackfire / werkstatt, I personally prefer werkstatt (on met black) topped with Concorso, it's the best result I've had for looks although the Concorso is not that durable (but the werkstat is, so just top up the Concorso every 6-8 weeks, super quick) but in all honesty I don't think there is a massive difference in many of these products, for me it's 90% prep for a good result. If PB think Blackfire is better on dark metallics, I'd listen to them.

edit: if you want to try a section with 203s, I can send you some if Rich can't.

MikeHiow said:
Not all BMW paint is rock hard - I did an 06-07 darkish blue (not CB) X5 and found the paint to be quite soft.
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I guess there will always be variables in paint, I think the general rule of thumb though is Audi/BMW and some Mercs are the hard germans.
 
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Have just cleaned my car and polished using AG SRP and then EGP... what an awesome outcome! I'm well impressed with that combo. I have been using AG Wheel Sealant, but I'm not convinced on it's effectiveness, so I've just put and order in at clearyourcar.co.uk for poorboys wheel sealant, fluffy microfibre towel and a sheepskin mitt!

Also bought a spray of Autosmart Tardis from ebay too! I can finally get that tar off my wheel arches!!
 
Could we add a poll to this thread 'how often do you clean your car?' I think that would be interesting! I probably clean my car only every 3 months or so, but I tend to do it properly when I do. Read another post that Fox cleans his car every week!
 
MikeHiow said:
Not all BMW paint is rock hard - I did an 06-07 darkish blue (not CB) X5 and found the paint to be quite soft.
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Most BMW paint is hard, so I'm suprised you found it soft. Perhaps it had a respray at some point?

There is an exception to every rule though, trust it to be you that finds it :p
 
With readings averaging 70um - I find it unlikely its been resprayed (The bonnet and wings being the exception at 120 on average - possible, still a bit low for a respray, wouldn't you say?).
 
MikeHiow said:
With readings averaging 70um - I find it unlikely its been resprayed (The bonnet and wings being the exception at 120 on average - possible, still a bit low for a respray, wouldn't you say?).
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Average readings at 70? :eek:

I wouldn't touch anything below 70 to be honest! Though you might cos you might not have to fork out on the repair bill! :p

Ohh and in my experience, if it's had a respray then it'll be at around 300 and it'll be soft as hell unless it's been left for at least 4 months.
 
Fett said:
Snip.
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Excellent advice as ever Fett and a very generous offer, thank you.
I'm a bit reluctant to go down the machine route for a couple of reasons. Firstly not having a garage or outside power means actually getting the machine to the car is a bit awkward and secondly there's the potential risk of trashing my Dad's car.

I do appreciate that the finish is always going to be better with a machine than by hand though.
 
Could anyone tell me how I should be cleaning my, cleaning products?

My mitt and microfibre's could do with a bit of a refresh, can I just bung them in the washing machine on a low temp or are they going to fall apart?
 
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