Can someone recomment a wax/polish for S bodywork?
Discussion
Hi,
Can someone recommend a car-care routine that's,
a) idiot proof
b) suitable for fibreglass cars and whatever type of paint TVR coated them in
The paintwork is pretty good to be honest, but there are a couple of superficial scratches which I'm sure will come out with the right goo applied to them. The colour is apparently starfire mica blue if that makes any difference.
Chris.
Can someone recommend a car-care routine that's,
a) idiot proof
b) suitable for fibreglass cars and whatever type of paint TVR coated them in
The paintwork is pretty good to be honest, but there are a couple of superficial scratches which I'm sure will come out with the right goo applied to them. The colour is apparently starfire mica blue if that makes any difference.
Chris.
I use the R222 products from these guys...
http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
All easy to use and give great results
Longers
http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
All easy to use and give great results
Longers
Long term user of Meguiars here - does a very good job. I tend to do a claying a couple of times a year followed by the 3 step polish and wax. Each subsequent wash is topped up with a coat of wax.
Don't overlook the plastics and rubber too. Autoglym do some good sprays for vinyl and rubber and their glass polish is good for lights and windows.
Autosol metal polish does the trick on the pipes.
Don't overlook the plastics and rubber too. Autoglym do some good sprays for vinyl and rubber and their glass polish is good for lights and windows.
Autosol metal polish does the trick on the pipes.
Longers said:
I use the R222 products from these guys...
http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
All easy to use and give great results
Longers
Gets my vote too ! http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
All easy to use and give great results
Longers
I have just bought a clay bar, I have tried it on a patch and 
How can it be that smooth.
Heres the theory: after years of use you car will collect contaminants on its surface that polishing will never remove, tree sap, sticky soot from traffic etc etc. The clay bar removes all of these leaving a fresh EXTREMELY smooth surface to polish. It looks and feels like a piece of plasterscene that you mold in your hands to get soft. Spray a misting of detailing spray on for lubrication (comes in the meguirs pack) and rub your car with it after a good wash. Then follow up with the sample wax/polish provided in pack or use your favourite wax.
I was sceptical but you have to try this stuff to believe the smoothness it achieve and hence shine. My car is back tomorrow so I'm spending a full day valleting, I'll do a before and after photo.
How can it be that smooth.Heres the theory: after years of use you car will collect contaminants on its surface that polishing will never remove, tree sap, sticky soot from traffic etc etc. The clay bar removes all of these leaving a fresh EXTREMELY smooth surface to polish. It looks and feels like a piece of plasterscene that you mold in your hands to get soft. Spray a misting of detailing spray on for lubrication (comes in the meguirs pack) and rub your car with it after a good wash. Then follow up with the sample wax/polish provided in pack or use your favourite wax.
I was sceptical but you have to try this stuff to believe the smoothness it achieve and hence shine. My car is back tomorrow so I'm spending a full day valleting, I'll do a before and after photo.
As with most things, the results of washing your car depends more on your preparation than the actual products used. Claying is the first step in a “proper” wash- no matter how well you clean your car, some contaminants remain bonded to the paintwork (tar etc). You can test this by running your hand across your paintwork and you should feel that it’s not completely smooth- wrapping some Clingfilm over the end of your finger helps accentuate this.
The process is pretty simple- using a clay bar (a bit like a piece of plasticine) and some clay lubricant you just gently float the clay across the paintwork and, hey presto, a silky smooth surface. Each time the surface of the clay gets dirty you just fold it over on itself for a fresh face- it’s quite surprising, the first time you do it, how much dirt comes off what otherwise appears to be a clean car. There seems to be some debate about the actual mechanics but it does work and it’s remarkably easy, I can do my V8 in about 40mins.
I use a Sonus green clay bar which is a very mild clay as my Tiv only comes out occasionally so it doesn’t need anything else.
FWIW, my full-on clean, done once or twice a year:
1) Wash
2) Clay
3) Wash again (always re-wash AFTER claying) and dry
4) Autoglym SRP
5) PS21/R222 wax (SCH07 raffle prize!)
6) Mothers Reflections TopCoat (hat-tip to markbigears)
7) Retire for a cup of tea nursing sore arms and mica-blue-snow blindness
All other times I just wash, dry and alternate the wax/topcoat
I’ll probably have a go with some Dodo Juice when the PS21 runs out as I’ve heard good things about this
The process is pretty simple- using a clay bar (a bit like a piece of plasticine) and some clay lubricant you just gently float the clay across the paintwork and, hey presto, a silky smooth surface. Each time the surface of the clay gets dirty you just fold it over on itself for a fresh face- it’s quite surprising, the first time you do it, how much dirt comes off what otherwise appears to be a clean car. There seems to be some debate about the actual mechanics but it does work and it’s remarkably easy, I can do my V8 in about 40mins.
I use a Sonus green clay bar which is a very mild clay as my Tiv only comes out occasionally so it doesn’t need anything else.
FWIW, my full-on clean, done once or twice a year:
1) Wash
2) Clay
3) Wash again (always re-wash AFTER claying) and dry
4) Autoglym SRP
5) PS21/R222 wax (SCH07 raffle prize!)
6) Mothers Reflections TopCoat (hat-tip to markbigears)
7) Retire for a cup of tea nursing sore arms and mica-blue-snow blindness
All other times I just wash, dry and alternate the wax/topcoat
I’ll probably have a go with some Dodo Juice when the PS21 runs out as I’ve heard good things about this
Edited by HarveyB on Thursday 13th March 21:00
Harvey, you been hanging over at Autopia/detailing World? lol
Like others have said, if there's one step not to miss, it's claying the car.
It's all about prep and better the prep, the better the final finish, no matter how much
you spend on products. Also polish and wax are two different products. A polish usually
contains slight abrasives, which helps cut through oxidised surface and a wax is
"usually" pure carnauba and acts as a final layer against the elements.
There are loads of good waxes out there, collinite is great for cars out in all weathers,
R666, dodo, swissvax, zymol, etc all have great followers, indeed over the last 2 weeks,
3 new waxes have hit the UK shelves, Autoglym High definition, Race glase and Supernatural by Dodo Juice.
I've got loads of products, but I still rate Autoglym Super resin (even though its not fasionable, as its A) Too easy to get hold of. B) its Autoglym and C) its well priced) topped with a quality wax.
Go get some clay, some Super resin and a carnauba wax and you wont go far wrong.
Like others have said, if there's one step not to miss, it's claying the car.
It's all about prep and better the prep, the better the final finish, no matter how much
you spend on products. Also polish and wax are two different products. A polish usually
contains slight abrasives, which helps cut through oxidised surface and a wax is
"usually" pure carnauba and acts as a final layer against the elements.
There are loads of good waxes out there, collinite is great for cars out in all weathers,
R666, dodo, swissvax, zymol, etc all have great followers, indeed over the last 2 weeks,
3 new waxes have hit the UK shelves, Autoglym High definition, Race glase and Supernatural by Dodo Juice.
I've got loads of products, but I still rate Autoglym Super resin (even though its not fasionable, as its A) Too easy to get hold of. B) its Autoglym and C) its well priced) topped with a quality wax.
Go get some clay, some Super resin and a carnauba wax and you wont go far wrong.
markbigears said:
As long as you use a nice soapy shampoo or detailing spray you've got to be an ape to screw it up. Nice and gentle dose it.
I'm worried I may be that monkey! Most of my attempts to wash a car end up in swirl marks and soapy drips! Might need an idiots guide to doing it properly. Chris71 said:
Most of my attempts to wash a car end up in swirl marks and soapy drips!
I've found that the Polishing Co R222 products help and are dead easy! Use one of their microfibre towels to dry then apply the Paintwork Cleanser to get rid of any swirl / water marks before waxing. Avoid doing it in direct hot sunshine and you'll be fine 
Chris71 said:
markbigears said:
As long as you use a nice soapy shampoo or detailing spray you've got to be an ape to screw it up. Nice and gentle dose it.
I'm worried I may be that monkey! Most of my attempts to wash a car end up in swirl marks and soapy drips! Might need an idiots guide to doing it properly. You will need:
1 x washmitt
2 x buckets with crudcatchers
1 x wheel sponge
1 x Chamois/Waffle Cloth
1 x Decent shampoo (your choice) I use Autoglym.
1 x Megs clay kit
1 x Megs 3 stage system (3 separate bottles - paint cleaner, polish and wax)
3 or 4 good quality cotton towels
A couple of microfibre cloths
A roll of Hellfords polishing cloth.
1. Wash the car using the wash mitt and the 2 buckets. Fill one bucket with the shampoo mix and the other with plain warm water. Put the crud catchers in the buckets. Alternate between buckets when washing to make sure that the mitt is clean each time you put it back into the foam. This stops you dragging bits of grit and crap that you have washed off the body into the mitt, back over other parts of the car. I use a sponge on the wheels and inner bits of the arches to avoid over contamination of the mitt as they tend to be the muckiest bits.
2. Dry with the chamois/waffle cloth
3. Following the directions in the pack, clay the car. Just make sure that you apply the spray liberally and don't 'go over the edges' onto dry areas as the clay will leave white streaks which are a bugger to get off. Use the cotton towels to dry as you go along.
4. Follow the 3 stage process of paint cleaner, followed by polish and then wax. You might want to do a couple of coats of wax. Apply with the polishing cloth and buff off with the microfibre.
Other tips:
Ensure a constant supply of tea (or beer if you're not going out for a drive after)
Don't listen to the radio while you work as it takes a long time and you'll drain the battery.
Try not to be in direct sunlight when doing any of the steps but particularly the polishing.
Two pairs of hands are better than one - con a mate to help.
If anyone passing by says 'you missed a bit- hahahaha' you are legally allowed to insert a tyre iron into the first available aperture.
dougc said:
Chris71 said:
markbigears said:
As long as you use a nice soapy shampoo or detailing spray you've got to be an ape to screw it up. Nice and gentle dose it.
I'm worried I may be that monkey! Most of my attempts to wash a car end up in swirl marks and soapy drips! Might need an idiots guide to doing it properly. You will need:
1 x washmitt
2 x buckets with crudcatchers
1 x wheel sponge
1 x Chamois/Waffle Cloth
1 x Decent shampoo (your choice) I use Autoglym.
1 x Megs clay kit
1 x Megs 3 stage system (3 separate bottles - paint cleaner, polish and wax)
3 or 4 good quality cotton towels
A couple of microfibre cloths
A roll of Hellfords polishing cloth.
1. Wash the car using the wash mitt and the 2 buckets. Fill one bucket with the shampoo mix and the other with plain warm water. Put the crud catchers in the buckets. Alternate between buckets when washing to make sure that the mitt is clean each time you put it back into the foam. This stops you dragging bits of grit and crap that you have washed off the body into the mitt, back over other parts of the car. I use a sponge on the wheels and inner bits of the arches to avoid over contamination of the mitt as they tend to be the muckiest bits.
2.[bold] Dry with the chamois/waffle cloth [/bold]
3. Following the directions in the pack, clay the car. Just make sure that you apply the spray liberally and don't 'go over the edges' onto dry areas as the clay will leave white streaks which are a bugger to get off. Use the cotton towels to dry as you go along.
4. Follow the 3 stage process of paint cleaner, followed by polish and then wax. You might want to do a couple of coats of wax. Apply with the polishing cloth and buff off with the microfibre.
Other tips:
Ensure a constant supply of tea (or beer if you're not going out for a drive after)
Don't listen to the radio while you work as it takes a long time and you'll drain the battery.
Try not to be in direct sunlight when doing any of the steps but particularly the polishing.
Two pairs of hands are better than one - con a mate to help.
If anyone passing by says 'you missed a bit- hahahaha' you are legally allowed to insert a tyre iron into the first available aperture.
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