Starting out to polish a car properly

[Hair Flick]

After years of using cloths and spending hours and hours manually doing the job I want to start doing it smarter.

I appreciate I could search but I want to find current recommendations of kit to buy.

What would be a good selection of varying prices for an electric polisher

What polishes/waxes to use

and for washing I've seen a lot about waterless washing, how does this work exactly?!

thanks

[Red 4]

Depends what you want to achieve really - the list is pretty much endless but, for enhancing your car/ machine polishing I'd say;

If you want a DA (dual action) polisher either a DAS-6 (£110ish) or a Meguiars G220 (£150ish). Search fleabay for unwanted xmas gifts, you may save a few quid. Don't forget polishing pads to fit on the machine !

Rotary machines are more powerful and faster but you increase the chance of burning the paint/ strike through.

Use a clay bar and lube to remove bonded contaminants from the paint surface prior to polishing.

When polishing you are removing the "dead" paint/ fine scratches. You'll need a compound (cutting) agent. These vary in how aggressive they are/ how much paint they remove. Again, it depends on how good/ bad your paintwork is to begin with.

Meguiars compounds are pretty good - the level of cut is stated on the bottle, although everybody will have their own preferences as to brand. Follow this with a glaze (hides imperfections and swirl marks) if you wish or go straight to wax if you are happy with the finish. (Megs waxes are pish in my opinion - I use Farecla or something similar).

You can get carried away with all the sales nonsense about waxes and spend £££. I would defy anybody to tell me what wax a car was wearing !!! Collinite is good if you want longevity from a wax.

[Hair Flick]

Thanks! I am on ebay now!!

It is confusing as to what to do but am I correct in the following?

1.) Wash the car
2.) Clay bar the car to remove road film, use a detailing spray then wipe the clay over the sprayed area (ie don't dry clay the car)
3.) Wash the car
4.) Polish the car using a selected grade to cut, light grade for light scratches/swirls
5.) Glaze the car to hide all imperfections and make things look liquid
6.) Wax the car to seal in the glaze

Does waxing not remove the glaze?

[richtowns]

Hair Flick said:

Thanks! I am on ebay now!!

It is confusing as to what to do but am I correct in the following?

1.) Wash the car
2.) Clay bar the car to remove road film, use a detailing spray then wipe the clay over the sprayed area (ie don't dry clay the car)
3.) Wash the car
4.) Polish the car using a selected grade to cut, light grade for light scratches/swirls
5.) Glaze the car to hide all imperfections and make things look liquid
6.) Wax the car to seal in the glaze

Does waxing not remove the glaze?

i couldn't agree more, my car was a compete state and being bored last Sunday decided to give it the treatment, took about 6 hours in total and i don't think a machine can substitute good old elbow grease. The black paint looked so deep using Maguires liquid wax, but then it snowed the night after

[Hair Flick]

richtowns said:

i couldn't agree more, my car was a compete state and being bored last Sunday decided to give it the treatment, took about 6 hours in total and i don't think a machine can substitute good old elbow grease. The black paint looked so deep using Maguires liquid wax, but then it snowed the night after

It would either me the snow or the birds!

[Red 4]

Hair Flick said:

Thanks! I am on ebay now!!

It is confusing as to what to do but am I correct in the following?

1.) Wash the car
2.) Clay bar the car to remove road film, use a detailing spray then wipe the clay over the sprayed area (ie don't dry clay the car)
3.) Wash the car
4.) Polish the car using a selected grade to cut, light grade for light scratches/swirls
5.) Glaze the car to hide all imperfections and make things look liquid
6.) Wax the car to seal in the glaze

1. Yes.
2. Clay bar to remove bonded contaminants - tar, sap, etc. Keep the area lubed while you rub the clay over it. The area should go smooth/ slick. A trick is to put a plastic bag over your hand and run it over the clayed area. The clayed area should not have a "gritty" sound as you pass over it and should be smooth.
3. If you want to. Not always necessary.
4. Yes.
5. You can. If you've polished properly it won't be necessary. Again, depends on what level of finish you want.
6. Yes, or use a sealant.