Detailing

Author
Discussion

damianke

Original Poster:

144 posts

141 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Hi, all

I'm thinking of having my V12V properly detailed. There's been quite a bit of discussion about using various products, but what I want to know is about the after care. I use my car as a DD, so it gets pretty grubby, especially at this time of year. I've got the impression (probably wrongly) that it will be cleaned/protected/polished to within an inch of its life by a professional but then it's up to me.

I've no desire to keep polishing it with cloths made from hand-reared alpacas for the rest of its life. Can I just give it a normal wash? Can the East Europeans at the local hand car wash do it weekly as now? Or will this undo all the good work?

Thanks in advance


JimboA

305 posts

171 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
damianke said:
Hi, all


Can I just give it a normal wash? Can the East Europeans at the local hand car wash do it weekly as now? Or will this undo all the good work?

Thanks in advance
You should get quite a few replies!!! Sensible precautions apply to washing it yourself (2 bucket, clean cloths etc) and you can add top-up products. In answer to your second question, yes, the cheap East European will ruin your work. 'Cheap' usually means the use of aggressive cleaning agents that may strip some of your finish... not to mention the cloth that was dropped on gritty ground and is now putting micro-swirls back into the paint that you have paid a fortune to have done.

Edited to add that I must get some alpaca skin cloths... Would go nicely with my chinchilla drying towel.



Edited by JimboA on Wednesday 4th March 13:52


Edited by JimboA on Wednesday 4th March 14:04

paddy328

2,902 posts

184 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
The best thing to do is after the car has been detailed, have a sealant applied such has gtechniq crystal serum that will keep the car looking it's best for longer. It's currently the hardest coating you can apply to the paint and if pretty much all people ask me for now.

The thing is, life can get in the way of keeping a car looking it's best, but if you have no desire to wash it yourself, there is a solution. When you go to the 5 quid splash and dash types, take with you your own wash mitt and drying towels. At the end of the day, whatever comes into contact with the paintwork has the potential to mark it, but should you use the right products, you greatly reduce this risk, especially if it's been well protected. So while not ideal, there is a way to (kind of) get it washed at a hand car wash in a safe way. Just make sure the water they use is clean and not full of dirt from the 4x4 that was in before you.

What colour is the car?

Francis

damianke

Original Poster:

144 posts

141 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies so far; very helpful. It's Carbon Black.


oldnbold

1,280 posts

145 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
My next door neighbour has his car, also a DD, detailed about every 12 months, but then has the detailer back once a month to do a proper wash and clean rather than a full detail. He pays the chap about £50 for the once a month wash, but the paint doesn't get damaged, instead of £10 three to four times a month to the east europeans and scratched paint.

Also when he has it re detailed each year there is much less work in terms of paint correction to be done.

hashluck

1,611 posts

274 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
paddy328 said:
The best thing to do is after the car has been detailed, have a sealant applied such has gtechniq crystal serum that will keep the car looking it's best for longer. It's currently the hardest coating you can apply to the paint and if pretty much all people ask me for now.

The thing is, life can get in the way of keeping a car looking it's best, but if you have no desire to wash it yourself, there is a solution. When you go to the 5 quid splash and dash types, take with you your own wash mitt and drying towels. At the end of the day, whatever comes into contact with the paintwork has the potential to mark it, but should you use the right products, you greatly reduce this risk, especially if it's been well protected. So while not ideal, there is a way to (kind of) get it washed at a hand car wash in a safe way. Just make sure the water they use is clean and not full of dirt from the 4x4 that was in before you.

What colour is the car?

Francis
Or you could not wash it at all smile

But it is black which is a full-time job not a colour so the OP is buggered!

paddy328

2,902 posts

184 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Haha, or sell the car and get a lightning silver car like mr hashluck here and just give it a wipe over instead of washing it. Though he did have the crystal serum applied after i detailed it, so it makes life a bit easier.

Carbon black is stunning after spending a couple of days on it, really deep and dark. As mentioned though, having it cleaned for £50 by a detailer once or twice a month is the best way to go. I only do that for a couple of people though, as you lot seem to live all over the country...

damianke

Original Poster:

144 posts

141 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
The intermittent idea sounds quite sensible. Any recommends in the NW (I'm Wilmslow based)?

Phil74891

1,064 posts

132 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Paddy, what's your view on generally available cleaning sprays? I was in Halfords the other day ordering some bull bars and side skirts for my new Aston Martin SUV, and picked up a 'Turtle Wax Waterless Wash' kit for a tenner.

It's basically some very viscous squirty stuff and a couple of microfibre towels. (Not made from any type of sheep or anything).

I used it to take some road grime off and it seemed to work very well with not hint of a swirl mark. I do have that sealant on of course.

paddy328

2,902 posts

184 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
damianke said:
The intermittent idea sounds quite sensible. Any recommends in the NW (I'm Wilmslow based)?
I could come up and detail it if you would like, but you would have to find someone else to do the washing of course.


Phil, shame on you going into halfords lol. What exactly are you looking for in the spray? To clean your car or after it has been washed and to remove the light dust from where it is stored? Have you been to see Nick yet?

hashluck

1,611 posts

274 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Phil74891 said:
Paddy, what's your view on generally available cleaning sprays? I was in Halfords the other day ordering some bull bars and side skirts for my new Aston Martin SUV, and picked up a 'Turtle Wax Waterless Wash' kit for a tenner.

It's basically some very viscous squirty stuff and a couple of microfibre towels. (Not made from any type of sheep or anything).

I used it to take some road grime off and it seemed to work very well with not hint of a swirl mark. I do have that sealant on of course.
This is basically what I do once a week but using good quality detailing spray and microfibres. No swirls here (but car is Crystal Serum protected as well)

Phil74891

1,064 posts

132 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
paddy328 said:
damianke said:
The intermittent idea sounds quite sensible. Any recommends in the NW (I'm Wilmslow based)?
I could come up and detail it if you would like, but you would have to find someone else to do the washing of course.


Phil, shame on you going into halfords lol. What exactly are you looking for in the spray? To clean your car or after it has been washed and to remove the light dust from where it is stored? Have you been to see Nick yet?
Paddy, I only went into Halfords to buy a magnetic GB plate - honest!

It's because I live abroard and come to the UK roughly once a month to drive the car as much as possible all over the place, basically looking for somewhere to live. So I end up staying in hotels, and it's not always that easy to find somewhere to wash it properly. Being black it's normally dirty again after about 200 metres, so it's just something to tidy it up a bit. I wouldn't use the spray on it in this state:



Not been able to see Nick yet, will do when I'm over early April.

steveatesh

4,893 posts

163 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Amateurs.
Three buckets, Wookies fist wash mit for body, microfibre for the wheel, other assorted brushes for hard to reach bits etc.

Two layers of snow foam - one at first while I do the wheels with bucket one, power rinse, apply second coat of snow foam then the remaining two buckets with wax wash in one of them, wash with the Wookies fist and lots of water, rinse with pressure wash then pat dry with a clean microfibre towel - important not to rub your P&J wink

5 years and no swirls on Lightning Silver.

now, its been 5 minutes since I had an attack of OCD so just off to prepare myself smile


Phil74891

1,064 posts

132 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Halfords have Wookies Fists.

JimboA

305 posts

171 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
OP,
I told you that you would get quite a few replies and I guarnatee that this is a passion for many... yes
Now, must go and buy a wookie fist...

damianke

Original Poster:

144 posts

141 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
I see your point! The 'Amateurs' comment above rings v true...

hashluck

1,611 posts

274 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Wookies Fist just sounds so very wrong

Jon1967x

7,178 posts

123 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Phil74891 said:
Paddy, I only went into Halfords to buy a magnetic GB plate - honest!

It's because I live abroard and come to the UK roughly once a month to drive the car as much as possible all over the place, basically looking for somewhere to live. So I end up staying in hotels, and it's not always that easy to find somewhere to wash it properly. Being black it's normally dirty again after about 200 metres, so it's just something to tidy it up a bit. I wouldn't use the spray on it in this state:



Not been able to see Nick yet, will do when I'm over early April.
I live staffordshire/shropshire border not a million miles from the M54/A5 which is not far from one of the areas I think you were looking at. I have an outside tap you can use if you're ever desperate and I could even make you a cup of tea and lend you a bucket, jet wash, microfibre towels and a squirt of fairy



I find the better the car is originally detailed and finished the easier it is to wash. The wife's car has gtechniq EXO2 on it and its a doddle to get looking half reasonable.

avinalarf

6,438 posts

141 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
hashluck said:
Wookies Fist just sounds so very wrong
Not if you're Wookies.

Jon1967x

7,178 posts

123 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
steveatesh said:
Amateurs.
Three buckets, Wookies fist wash mit for body, microfibre for the wheel, other assorted brushes for hard to reach bits etc.

Two layers of snow foam - one at first while I do the wheels with bucket one, power rinse, apply second coat of snow foam then the remaining two buckets with wax wash in one of them, wash with the Wookies fist and lots of water, rinse with pressure wash then pat dry with a clean microfibre towel - important not to rub your P&J wink

5 years and no swirls on Lightning Silver.

now, its been 5 minutes since I had an attack of OCD so just off to prepare myself smile
What... no 0PPM water filter followed by compressed air drying? You'll have at least a couple of swirl marks before its 10 years old if you're not careful!