* The Car Cleaning Thread *

mrk · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:15

Stuff like Bilberry Alloy Wheel Cleaner? It won't affect anything else really

I've been using it for a couple of years now. As long as you use it as directed on the instruction panel then it will be fine. I leave it on the wheels for a few minutes before blasting off with the pressure washer.

Speaking of pressure washers.... the Nilfisk 110 I got ages ago is still going strong. So strong in fact that a single second of it accidentally firing on my hand resulted in this:

Shudder to imagine 2 or 3 seconds :S

Raymond Lin · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:32

NVP said:
Anyway, I had to use the car on Saturday night and looking at it now I appear to have killed a giant swarm of flies All over the front and the windscreen.

What would be the best way to remove all these flies without messing up any of my hard work? Any tips?

Cheers

You can get AG bug cleaner, which is just a solution that "dissolve" bugs, you leave it for 30mins before washing it off. Personally i think it is a waste of money. If you have access to a hose, just blast with it water. Then wipe it with a microfibre cloth.

NVP · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:35

Cheers Raymond Lin. Will just hose and dry without shampoo or anything. That wont reduce the life of the Polish/Gloss/Wax will it?

mrk · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:37

Depends on the wax/polish used.

Colinite 476s lasts 6-12 months. It is detergent proof during those periods. Others may vary

SRP/EGP last a couple of months max when used on their own.

NVP · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:48

I used AG Super Resin Polish, AG Gloss something or other and then Meguires Gold Standard Wax or something like that. I still have to order some proper wax.

If I hose & scrub without shampoo do you think I'll need to polish, gloss and wax again just to be safe?

This is the first time I've ever polished, glossed and waxed. On my old cars I just washed

Raymond Lin · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:51

I don't think it does, it's only water and then wipe.

As for time scale in case of how long the polish and wax lastas, I am going to get into a routine of :

Shampoo and clean weekely
Shampoo and wax monthly
Shampoo, clay, polish and wax every 6 months.

mrk · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:51

I would not wash and scrub without a shampoo!

You'll know when the top coat seal is wearing off from your wax because after drying the paintowrk will not feel as slippery/buttery as it did before when the coat was fresher. It will have more friction under your fingers when you run them along the panels.

You won't need to wax monthly either, every 6-12 months for a polish then wax after buffing off the polish. That's my routine and the paint looks deep and new year round.

NVP · 4 Jul 2011 at 14:54

Thanks to you both

mjt · 4 Jul 2011 at 15:08

NVP said:
Anyway, I had to use the car on Saturday night and looking at it now I appear to have killed a giant swarm of flies All over the front and the windscreen.

What would be the best way to remove all these flies without messing up any of my hard work? Any tips?

Cheers

They'll come off the windscreen fine with a sponge.
But with the bumper, I don't think a hose is going to do much; even at a jet wash I couldn't get all of the flies off my front bumper.
Perhaps it depends how long the flies have been there?

Raymond Lin · 4 Jul 2011 at 15:13

mjt said:
I don't think that just a hose will be enough to get rid of the flies.
Even at a jet wash, I couldn't get all of the flies off my front bumper.
I don't think it's going to do much, but perhaps it depends how long the flies have been there?

Just the hose it won't, hence cleaning with a micro fibre cloth. Then again, i time it so I do my weekly clean after i been to my dad's. I go to my dad's on Saturday and Sunday and i wash the car on a Monday so the bugs are not there more than 24/48 hrs. This might change as it get nearer to the winter (as it will be dark at 7pm come September)

PiKe · 4 Jul 2011 at 15:21

Wont be as many bugs then though.

DB_SamX · 4 Jul 2011 at 23:57

First shots taken from my SGS2, so not bad quality.

Washed with Megs Gold Class shampoo (hadn't used it in a year or so and forgot how luxurious it is), wipe, Megs Ultimate Quick Detailer spray, wipe, wax with Megs Deep Crystal Step 3.

Bilberry on the wheels and AG tyre dressing sprayed on tyres.

HamZilla · 5 Jul 2011 at 00:53

sod the car, look at that manor! :eek:

PiKe · 5 Jul 2011 at 09:35

Never rains but it pours does it, found a pinhole ***** in my soft top roof this morning, not happy

Raymond Lin · 5 Jul 2011 at 09:43

A drop of superglue to seal it?

or does this require a new roof?

PiKe · 5 Jul 2011 at 09:59

Going to need to figure out how to DIY it. I'm not paying £700 for a new fitted roof.

CliffyBiro · 5 Jul 2011 at 12:52

I'd never get a soft-top for that reason.

CliffyBiro · 5 Jul 2011 at 13:55

skippi90 said:
What do you guys recommend for removing tar? I've tried Halford's own brand spray on stuff and it's next to useless.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4659/tari.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

Tried some WD40 before ordering some of that Tardis stuff and it came off easily. :D

Is there anything it [I]can't[/I] do?

Raymond Lin · 6 Jul 2011 at 23:37

Raining today when i was at the gym. Parked at the car park and when i got back it was still raining a little. But seeing those water droplets thousands of beads all over the car made me realised how well I've waxed it

Tesla · 8 Jul 2011 at 08:08

Hi chaps.

Bilberry wheel cleaner. Used for the first time giving my new car it's first wash.

Mixed up 1:3 as directed on the bottle for very dirty wheels.

It stripped some paint off of two of my alloys.

Anybody had this problem before? I'm thinking it was a previous repair that hasn't been lacquered correctly? On close inspection a couple of my wheels have been touched up to cover marks.

I am planning on refurbishing one of the wheels in full as I stupidly curbed it last week. "Fortunately", it's the same wheel as the paint came off. (only a very small amount has come off of another wheel).

TIA.

*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

* The Car Cleaning Thread *