*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

Status
Not open for further replies.
[TW]Fox;15307910 said:
Right.

Got my car back this week with its nicely freshly painted front end.

Obviously I'd like to get it all waxed etc but how long must I wait to do this? Does it need a polish with SRP first or straight to the wax/sealant?
Click to expand...

I asked this the other week and got the reply of a month, I left it two weeks until I done my front bumper and doesnt seem to have had any adverse affects, mrk who told you they put on wax? Fresh paint does need to be left for a period before having any layers put on top.
 
When I had my car door done at a body shop some time back they waxed the done areas since after baking it's all sorted finish wise but they recommend not leaving it out overnight in the rain - as a precaution only.

My bumper was waxed too after it got sprayed/baked.

Anyway, onto revival, I need to get my whole car rotary polished it seems because this week I have noticed various scratches from where people have brushed across it probably at supermarkets and at work's carpark, mainly around the pas wing mirror area looks like coat zipper scratches a few cm long. There's also a faint scratch array on the driver side arch where some monkey has manage to brush while parking next to me at some point since my last major wash.

Good thing is that the same guy who sprayed my bumper can do the rotary so I'll get that done in the Spring and also refurb the alloys - then it will be as good as new again and at least all these issues are cheaply and easily fixed, no dings/dents still :D
 
Ordered some more goodies for when the weather gets better.

Kestrel DAS-6 Menzerna Kit Comes with: -
Kestrel DAS-6 Dual Action Polisher
Free 5" Backing Plate
Menzerna Power Finish PO 203S - 250ml
Menzerna 135mm Compounding Pad - White
Menzerna 135mm Polishing Pad - Orange
Menzerna 135mm Finishing Pad - Yellow

And other bits and pieces: -

Canvas Dual Action Polisher Tool Bag
Valet PRO pH Neutral Snow Foam 5 Litres
Dodo Juice Orange Crush Carnauba Soft Wax
Light Blue Microfibre Cloth 16"x16"
Lake Country Mfg 4" Round Foam Applicator
Meguiar's Quik Clay Detailing System
Meguiar's High Tech Applicators Twin Pack
Microfibre 16"x16" Triple
 
Bit of a mega bump but it isn't worth a thread of its own.

Bought a few sample pots to see if I could manage to actually get some results with the rotary I've had for ages. Previously I've only used it for buffing out sanded panels, never managed to get that super nice 'detailed' finish, nor really tried to.

Anyway, this is 1 pass with Meguiars #205 Ultra Finish on a finishing pad.
front-left-before.jpg

front-left-after.jpg


Still a few little marks there, but all in all I'm pretty happy for a first go at it. Apologies for my super crap camera and it's focus fail.
 
RockLobster said:
Ordered some more goodies for when the weather gets better.

Kestrel DAS-6 Menzerna Kit Comes with: -
Kestrel DAS-6 Dual Action Polisher
Free 5" Backing Plate
Menzerna Power Finish PO 203S - 250ml
Menzerna 135mm Compounding Pad - White
Menzerna 135mm Polishing Pad - Orange
Menzerna 135mm Finishing Pad - Yellow

And other bits and pieces: -

Canvas Dual Action Polisher Tool Bag
Valet PRO pH Neutral Snow Foam 5 Litres
Dodo Juice Orange Crush Carnauba Soft Wax
Light Blue Microfibre Cloth 16"x16"
Lake Country Mfg 4" Round Foam Applicator
Meguiar's Quik Clay Detailing System
Meguiar's High Tech Applicators Twin Pack
Microfibre 16"x16" Triple
Click to expand...

Have you had a chance to try the DAS-6 yet?

I'm half tempted to buy one because some numpty jet washed my car a few times this winter :o and it has a few swirlies. Nothing major and I could get them out by hand but for the cost of the Kestrel I'd rather save myself days of hard slog.
 
lordrobs said:
Have you had a chance to try the DAS-6 yet?

I'm half tempted to buy one because some numpty jet washed my car a few times this winter :o and it has a few swirlies. Nothing major and I could get them out by hand but for the cost of the Kestrel I'd rather save myself days of hard slog.
Click to expand...

Naa I haven't sorry my outside tap is still frozen. :mad: Hopefully I will be able to do it when the weather clears up.
 
Anyone got any recommendations for any detailers in the Berkshire area? Looking for a good polish mainly. Car is riddled with loads of little scratches. (And a couple of massives ones :()
 
what are people recomendations for a black car wash and wax? i've got a good half a bottle of werkstat acrylic left over but could use that for the misses' car...

Think I've also got some (couple of year old) tech wax, does this stuff go off?

Finally whats a good exterior trim treatment?
 
A bottle of megs gold class should be fine and you can use your tech wax if u want.

I find Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel is very good at restoring bits of trim and tyres :)
 
My bonnet looked awful, solvent pop in the clear, long story. Figured I'd fix it at last.

Before:
before.jpg

You can see the reflection is dull and fuzzy, no clarity.

Nothing some of Mirkas finest abrasives can't sort out.
sanded.jpg


Three stages of buffing and now it does have some clarity.
after-1.jpg

after-2.jpg


Job's a good'un :)
 
id love to do that on my fiesta.... fill in the chips, sand down the orange peal, then polish it up like that.... hmmm hmmm very nice :)
 
wohoo said:
Well i agree and disagree, on my Panther black ST and Dturbo, yes it would really show that a polish/glaze/sealant/wax combo had been used, but on my current perfomance blue ST you just cant tell the difference, so i just polish and wax.

As i said in the initial post everyone has their personal pref's.I find wax after the sealant dulls the finish a tad.
Click to expand...
well, I totally agree with you.
 
allllec said:
Anyone got any recommendations for any detailers in the Berkshire area? Looking for a good polish mainly. Car is riddled with loads of little scratches. (And a couple of massives ones :()
Click to expand...

Head over to detailingworld. There should be plenty in that area who are willing to travel.

[TW]Fox;15774983 said:
I got a DAS-6 for Christmas as well. Is it any good? Came without pads and stuff, what do I need to buy?
Click to expand...

If you plan on detailing your BMW 530i then you will require the Menzerna polish no matter what. (imo)

Pads you have a bit more freedom with. You can use Menzernas again.

I recommend you get the sample polishes though just to make sure you're really up for the job.

Paint gauge won't go amiss either.
 
Jez said:
Clarkey that looks amazing, can you talk us through how you did it? My cars need that doing to them badly.
Click to expand...

1. Soak wet sanding paper 2000/2500/3000/4000
2. Clean the bonnet thoroughly.
3. Dry it down.
4. Clay
5. Start sanding with 3000, see how it goes, you can go down to 2000 if you need to. Then finish off with 3000 then 4000.
6a. Using a rotary do your usual polishing thing. Polish with a light cutting pad. Then finish off with a finishing pad/
6b. Using polish do it by hand instead!

Finish with a wax or sealant.
 
4nonymous said:
1. Soak wet sanding paper 2000/2500/3000/4000
2. Clean the bonnet thoroughly.
3. Dry it down.
4. Clay
5. Start sanding with 3000, see how it goes, you can go down to 2000 if you need to. Then finish off with 3000 then 4000.
6a. Using a rotary do your usual polishing thing. Polish with a light cutting pad. Then finish off with a finishing pad/
6b. Using polish do it by hand instead!

Finish with a wax or sealant.
Click to expand...


What he said, but 3000 would have been a waste of time for the kind of cut I needed. I used 1500 then 2500. Wool mop and G3 to get the sanding haze out, this needs to be done at high speed with a lot of pressure, not for the faint hearted.
Once that's done it will be glossy but look like a mess with super swirling and buffer trails. Now onto Meguiars #105 on a foam compounding pad. After that it will look pretty darn good but buffer trails will still be evident. Finish it off with a finishing pad and Meguiars #205.

To be honest, I wouldn't recommend sanding unless it's in really bad shape and you would consider having it repainted anyway. Mine was crappy and I wasn't bothered if I sanded through the clear, it would have just been sent to the paint shop. I've done this a few times now though, so have an idea how much you can get away with (have struck through before).

What kind of defects do you have that you would want this kind of treatment on?

just for the sake of it, here's a nice reflection pic of that bonnet while it was sunny.
DSCF1802.jpg
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom