*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

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Once again thanks for this post... it inspired me.. i went out...cleaned my car... did some touchup jobs on the paint work.. now just waiting for my dent removal kit to get rid of the hail stone and door dink damage and i will have a very shiny fiesta..

would it be possible to have any advice on how to clean underneath the bonnet?

Thanks
T1rez!
 
arent the Dr Colorchip stuff suppose to be good for touching up paintwork? There was a huge thread on this forum with a group buy proposed about the product
 
Great thread,

How many people are using a polishing machine rather than polishing by hand?

I have seen some great results, especially when it comes to swirl removal but I don't really want to go spending the £150 plus that the branded ones seem to cost.

Are the cheaper £25 models from a well known car shop worthwhile or should I carry on by hand?

Thanks
 
It is hard work by hand but it is also more fun if you don't do it often. And chances are if you don't do it often you aren't a complete detailing nut case :D so hand polishing will still impress you a lot!

The cheapo polishing machines are meant to be crap. Although for some reason it's only ever the pro detailers that say that :confused: ;)
 
the only cheap polishing machine i'd 'semi' recommend is the silverline...I say semi as it's a rotary rather than a dual action so, if you've never used one before, it's a lot easier to burn your paint with these bad boys and a lot easier to mess it up. So if you plan on getting one read and watch tutorials first and ideally get a practice panel to learn a bit on first

it's also not that cheap really once you've factored in good backing plates/good pads/polishes/inspection light/masking tape/probably more stuff :D
 
Toker said:
meguiars super degreaser

P21S total auto wash

aerospace 303 protectant

raceglaze metal polish

blackfire wet diamond metal show polish

meguiars nxt metal polysh
Click to expand...

Thanks.. but any advice on how to use them.. will i have to remove the engine?

Ive heard some people jetwash/ jetspray their enginebay? will that be ok for an initial wash because theres about 11 years worth of dirt dust?

Thanks
T1rez
 
i'm not keen on jetwashing engines at all, the best practice is to cover electrical components, spray with meguiars super degreaser, agitate bad bits with a brush then rinse it off

P21s can also be used to clean but I don't bother with that

plastics should then be dressed with aerospace 303 protectant and bare metals polished with your metal polish.

painted metals can be waxed or sealed like normal painted panels
 
ok thanks guys i have a rough idea of what im doing and i will get my mate who does it often to come up and give a hand...(so i can use his stuff haha!).. all i have is a fiesta 97..but a shiny one has gotta be better then a muddy one!
 
Toker said:
the only cheap polishing machine i'd 'semi' recommend is the silverline...I say semi as it's a rotary rather than a dual action so, if you've never used one before, it's a lot easier to burn your paint with these bad boys and a lot easier to mess it up. So if you plan on getting one read and watch tutorials first and ideally get a practice panel to learn a bit on first

it's also not that cheap really once you've factored in good backing plates/good pads/polishes/inspection light/masking tape/probably more stuff :D
Click to expand...

Ive had a PC and im curently using a rotary, it doesnt take long to learn how to use a rotary, once you do use one tho, you realise how weak the PC is for major correction.

The silverlines are fine, plenty of power and you have be a serious numpty to muck up your bodywork with one.The only downside with the silverlines is longevity, i certainly wouldnt rely on one if i was making a living out of detailing.
 
boys and girls

my car has fallen foul to the woman's habit of driving RIGHT INTO HEDGES WHEN PASSING ANOTHER CAR DOWN COUNTRY LANES YOU STUPID BINT and has a few light marks down the nearside as a result. what kind of light cutting polish (for hand application) would you recommend at a sensible price?
 
If the scratches are deep you cant really do anything with a cutting polish. What sort of marks are they, can you post a pic?

Most marks are very difficult to get out by hand tbh.Scratchx is ok, alsong as you really work it in, you have to rub it hard (ooh er missus) until it breaks down.
 
Saytan said:
they're not deep gouges or owt like that - i only notice them when i look fairly closely. they dont come out much on photos
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Try some Scratch X by hand and see how it comes up, probably wont get rid of it completely but if you can't see it without looking now It should at least do a decent job of masking it.
 
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