Please help me buy some products!
Discussion
Hi Guys
I have recently started part-time trading in retro-classics.
I have recently sold cars such as a 911, Merc Cosworth, Integrale Evo and am about to get an Audi RS2 ready to sell. I need to buy the best products for each area to makes the cars I sell look their absolute best. It currently takes me about 2 days to get a vehicle ready.
If I take your advice over the next week I will then place an order for all the items. Can you recommend the following:
1) Car shampoo: Currently using Autoglym
2) Clay bar
3) Polish
4) Wax
5) Wheel cleaner: Currently use Wonder Wheels but understand it's too acidic?
6) Wheel sealent
7) Tyre dress
8) Glass cleaner: Currently use Autogly Fast Glass
9) Interior/Exterior plastic cleaner: Currently use Autoglym bumper and rubber care
10) Degreasser for engine bay and wheel arches
11) Engine bay and wheel arch dressing fluid
12) Leather cleaner: Currently use Autoglym cream
Any thing I have missed please feel free to add.
Going by your recommendations I will purchase all of the above on the weekend.
Many thanks in advance
I have recently started part-time trading in retro-classics.
I have recently sold cars such as a 911, Merc Cosworth, Integrale Evo and am about to get an Audi RS2 ready to sell. I need to buy the best products for each area to makes the cars I sell look their absolute best. It currently takes me about 2 days to get a vehicle ready.
If I take your advice over the next week I will then place an order for all the items. Can you recommend the following:
1) Car shampoo: Currently using Autoglym
2) Clay bar
3) Polish
4) Wax
5) Wheel cleaner: Currently use Wonder Wheels but understand it's too acidic?
6) Wheel sealent
7) Tyre dress
8) Glass cleaner: Currently use Autogly Fast Glass
9) Interior/Exterior plastic cleaner: Currently use Autoglym bumper and rubber care
10) Degreasser for engine bay and wheel arches
11) Engine bay and wheel arch dressing fluid
12) Leather cleaner: Currently use Autoglym cream
Any thing I have missed please feel free to add.
Going by your recommendations I will purchase all of the above on the weekend.
Many thanks in advance
All imo, and on a sensible budget (i.e. no mega wax/polish):
1) Car shampoo: Megs NXT is quite good
2) Clay bar: Bilt Hamber for me - it's so easy because you don't need any quick detailer, just water
3) Polish: I like Autoglym Super Resin, but I haven't tried many
4) Wax: I've had good results with Autosmart Wax, but again, not tried many
5) Wheel cleaner: Bilberry and Iron-X
6) Wheel sealent: G-techniq C5 (amazing stuff)
7) Tyre dress
8) Glass cleaner:
9) Interior/Exterior plastic cleaner: G-techniq C4 looks great, but haven't tried it
10) Degreasser for engine bay and wheel arches
11) Engine bay and wheel arch dressing fluid
12) Leather cleaner:
Left a few blank because I either don't use them or haven't bought a suitable product for it.
e.g. Degreaser; I bought a tin from my local car spares shop, but I can't remember the brand.
1) Car shampoo: Megs NXT is quite good
2) Clay bar: Bilt Hamber for me - it's so easy because you don't need any quick detailer, just water
3) Polish: I like Autoglym Super Resin, but I haven't tried many
4) Wax: I've had good results with Autosmart Wax, but again, not tried many
5) Wheel cleaner: Bilberry and Iron-X
6) Wheel sealent: G-techniq C5 (amazing stuff)
7) Tyre dress
8) Glass cleaner:
9) Interior/Exterior plastic cleaner: G-techniq C4 looks great, but haven't tried it
10) Degreasser for engine bay and wheel arches
11) Engine bay and wheel arch dressing fluid
12) Leather cleaner:
Left a few blank because I either don't use them or haven't bought a suitable product for it.
e.g. Degreaser; I bought a tin from my local car spares shop, but I can't remember the brand.
Krikkit said:
All imo, and on a sensible budget (i.e. no mega wax/polish):
1) Car shampoo: Megs NXT is quite good
2) Clay bar: Bilt Hamber for me - it's so easy because you don't need any quick detailer, just water
3) Polish: I like Autoglym Super Resin, but I haven't tried many
4) Wax: I've had good results with Autosmart Wax, but again, not tried many
5) Wheel cleaner: Bilberry and Iron-X
6) Wheel sealent: G-techniq C5 (amazing stuff)
7) Tyre dress
8) Glass cleaner:
9) Interior/Exterior plastic cleaner: G-techniq C4 looks great, but haven't tried it
10) Degreasser for engine bay and wheel arches
11) Engine bay and wheel arch dressing fluid
12) Leather cleaner:
Left a few blank because I either don't use them or haven't bought a suitable product for it.
e.g. Degreaser; I bought a tin from my local car spares shop, but I can't remember the brand.
Brilliant.1) Car shampoo: Megs NXT is quite good
2) Clay bar: Bilt Hamber for me - it's so easy because you don't need any quick detailer, just water
3) Polish: I like Autoglym Super Resin, but I haven't tried many
4) Wax: I've had good results with Autosmart Wax, but again, not tried many
5) Wheel cleaner: Bilberry and Iron-X
6) Wheel sealent: G-techniq C5 (amazing stuff)
7) Tyre dress
8) Glass cleaner:
9) Interior/Exterior plastic cleaner: G-techniq C4 looks great, but haven't tried it
10) Degreasser for engine bay and wheel arches
11) Engine bay and wheel arch dressing fluid
12) Leather cleaner:
Left a few blank because I either don't use them or haven't bought a suitable product for it.
e.g. Degreaser; I bought a tin from my local car spares shop, but I can't remember the brand.
Exactly what I wanted.
Lets hear what all the others say .....
Cheers
I really rate the Auto Finesse range, they also do a lot of their stuff in bulk packs.
I tend to buy all my stuff from www.polishedbliss.co.uk, it is well worth browsing their website to get ideas of what is available and at what prices.
I tend to buy all my stuff from www.polishedbliss.co.uk, it is well worth browsing their website to get ideas of what is available and at what prices.
Whilst it's tempting to want "the best" product for improved end results, over reliance on products just leads to disappointment if your own skills are lacking. Most of the end result is just down to the prep work.
Given that you're prepping for sale then boutique detailing products are an unnecessary expense imho that'll eat into your profit margin very quickly. Whilst you might be able to tell the difference in 50/50 comparison tests, someone looking at the car with a view to buy it isn't going to know if you've used a £15 wax or a £150 one.
By all means use some of the boutique products because you want to and you enjoy using them, but don't think it'll immediately improve the end result or get noticed by potential customers.
If you're going to start doing paintwork correction to achieve a flawless finish before sale and push your use of resilient sealants as a selling point then that's slightly different and opens up a lot more possibilities, but otherwise stick to the basics imho.
Absolutely nothing wrong with honest inexpensive trade products aimed at commercial valeting. Autobrite Direct have a good range of such products available in smaller sizes, so you'd not go far wrong popping down to see them or giving them a call.
Autobrite also do a "Back to Basics" day through Detailing World which is really quite useful and not at all expensive. There's a touch of own product pushing, but also lots of useful tips to be gained if you look past that which should help you cut down on the number of hours you spend prepping.
Likewise the Autoglym range is going to be more than adequate, easy to get hold of locally and often in 3 for 2 deals.
A couple of non AB/AG products that are so good for the price you might want to consider them are:
General degreaser/cleaner: Bilt Hamber Surfex HD - for everything from interior surfaces to engine block degreasing. Also useful around the home.
Leather cleaner: Dr Leather spray. For older non sealed leather then use a clean and feed product, otherwise Dr Leather alone is all you need. Not cheap per bottle but saves in the long run by not having to do repeated applications because it cleans so well first time.
Given that you're prepping for sale then boutique detailing products are an unnecessary expense imho that'll eat into your profit margin very quickly. Whilst you might be able to tell the difference in 50/50 comparison tests, someone looking at the car with a view to buy it isn't going to know if you've used a £15 wax or a £150 one.
By all means use some of the boutique products because you want to and you enjoy using them, but don't think it'll immediately improve the end result or get noticed by potential customers.
If you're going to start doing paintwork correction to achieve a flawless finish before sale and push your use of resilient sealants as a selling point then that's slightly different and opens up a lot more possibilities, but otherwise stick to the basics imho.
Absolutely nothing wrong with honest inexpensive trade products aimed at commercial valeting. Autobrite Direct have a good range of such products available in smaller sizes, so you'd not go far wrong popping down to see them or giving them a call.
Autobrite also do a "Back to Basics" day through Detailing World which is really quite useful and not at all expensive. There's a touch of own product pushing, but also lots of useful tips to be gained if you look past that which should help you cut down on the number of hours you spend prepping.
Likewise the Autoglym range is going to be more than adequate, easy to get hold of locally and often in 3 for 2 deals.
A couple of non AB/AG products that are so good for the price you might want to consider them are:
General degreaser/cleaner: Bilt Hamber Surfex HD - for everything from interior surfaces to engine block degreasing. Also useful around the home.
Leather cleaner: Dr Leather spray. For older non sealed leather then use a clean and feed product, otherwise Dr Leather alone is all you need. Not cheap per bottle but saves in the long run by not having to do repeated applications because it cleans so well first time.
jagnet said:
Whilst it's tempting to want "the best" product for improved end results, over reliance on products just leads to disappointment if your own skills are lacking. Most of the end result is just down to the prep work.
Given that you're prepping for sale then boutique detailing products are an unnecessary expense imho that'll eat into your profit margin very quickly. Whilst you might be able to tell the difference in 50/50 comparison tests, someone looking at the car with a view to buy it isn't going to know if you've used a £15 wax or a £150 one.
By all means use some of the boutique products because you want to and you enjoy using them, but don't think it'll immediately improve the end result or get noticed by potential customers.
If you're going to start doing paintwork correction to achieve a flawless finish before sale and push your use of resilient sealants as a selling point then that's slightly different and opens up a lot more possibilities, but otherwise stick to the basics imho.
Absolutely nothing wrong with honest inexpensive trade products aimed at commercial valeting. Autobrite Direct have a good range of such products available in smaller sizes, so you'd not go far wrong popping down to see them or giving them a call.
Autobrite also do a "Back to Basics" day through Detailing World which is really quite useful and not at all expensive. There's a touch of own product pushing, but also lots of useful tips to be gained if you look past that which should help you cut down on the number of hours you spend prepping.
Likewise the Autoglym range is going to be more than adequate, easy to get hold of locally and often in 3 for 2 deals.
A couple of non AB/AG products that are so good for the price you might want to consider them are:
General degreaser/cleaner: Bilt Hamber Surfex HD - for everything from interior surfaces to engine block degreasing. Also useful around the home.
Leather cleaner: Dr Leather spray. For older non sealed leather then use a clean and feed product, otherwise Dr Leather alone is all you need. Not cheap per bottle but saves in the long run by not having to do repeated applications because it cleans so well first time.
Great reply, thank you for taking the time.Given that you're prepping for sale then boutique detailing products are an unnecessary expense imho that'll eat into your profit margin very quickly. Whilst you might be able to tell the difference in 50/50 comparison tests, someone looking at the car with a view to buy it isn't going to know if you've used a £15 wax or a £150 one.
By all means use some of the boutique products because you want to and you enjoy using them, but don't think it'll immediately improve the end result or get noticed by potential customers.
If you're going to start doing paintwork correction to achieve a flawless finish before sale and push your use of resilient sealants as a selling point then that's slightly different and opens up a lot more possibilities, but otherwise stick to the basics imho.
Absolutely nothing wrong with honest inexpensive trade products aimed at commercial valeting. Autobrite Direct have a good range of such products available in smaller sizes, so you'd not go far wrong popping down to see them or giving them a call.
Autobrite also do a "Back to Basics" day through Detailing World which is really quite useful and not at all expensive. There's a touch of own product pushing, but also lots of useful tips to be gained if you look past that which should help you cut down on the number of hours you spend prepping.
Likewise the Autoglym range is going to be more than adequate, easy to get hold of locally and often in 3 for 2 deals.
A couple of non AB/AG products that are so good for the price you might want to consider them are:
General degreaser/cleaner: Bilt Hamber Surfex HD - for everything from interior surfaces to engine block degreasing. Also useful around the home.
Leather cleaner: Dr Leather spray. For older non sealed leather then use a clean and feed product, otherwise Dr Leather alone is all you need. Not cheap per bottle but saves in the long run by not having to do repeated applications because it cleans so well first time.
To give you an idea of the end product I strive for, a couple that purchased a 911 of me said that they had viewed many cars. A lot of the cars they had looked at were with dealers yet none came close to the standard that mine was presented. They will be prepped in the same was as 4starclassics prep and advertise their cars.
I have sprayed a couple of cars in the past and done a fair amount of machine polishing so paint correction is definately something that is likely to happen on some of the cars.
The products I am looking to get need to be very good yet affordable as I will be detailing circa 2 cars a month so will use a fair amount.
I look forward to more product suggestions but will look into the Autobrite range.
Thanks again
TROOPER88 said:
a couple that purchased a 911 of me said that they had viewed many cars. A lot of the cars they had looked at were with dealers yet none came close to the standard that mine was presented.
Excellent Shows that the hard work paid off, and it's always nice to get complimented on such things.When you consider that car owners will pay hundreds for a full detailing service, not many would expect to get that for free as part of the pre sales prep unless the car's value was extremely high. You've already demonstrated that your existing prep is above and beyond what most dealers offer, so you're ahead of most in that respect without having invested in alternative products.
TROOPER88 said:
I have sprayed a couple of cars in the past and done a fair amount of machine polishing so paint correction is definitely something that is likely to happen on some of the cars.
That does open up the possibilities, for example using the Zaino system or even some of the "nano" sealants such as those from GTechniq or Max Protect. Flawless paintwork under optically clear sealants can look stunning.Given the cost of some of those products however, and that often much of their benefit is in their long term resilience, I'd be inclined to offer it as an additional value added service rather than as part of the normal prep unless the car was exceptional (with plenty of margin to play with). More so when you consider where else the money could be spent on prep for greater impact per pound spent (eg interior leather refurbishment on worn bolsters, wheel refurbishment, etc).
TROOPER88 said:
The products I am looking to get need to be very good yet affordable as I will be detailing circa 2 cars a month so will use a fair amount.
Perhaps also take a look at the rest of the Bilt Hamber range which have been popular amongst classic car owners for some years and recipients of many magazine awards. Whilst being a step beyond commercial valeting products they don't carry the detailing "fashion tax" that many products do and aren't rebranded versions of other companies items. Not a bad product amongst them, and for 2 cars per month they'll not break the bank.Bilt Hamber are also well known for their anti corrosion products. Since you're dealing with older cars, that could be another opportunity to sell up with an extra corrosion protection service.
Hi
To give you an idea of the sort of thing I need from the products, this morning I have started work on the wheel arches of the Audi RS2.
As it was:
And after a fair amount of work!!:
This is what the Merc Cosworth looked like inside when sold:
So you can see the sort of work I will be completing so please let me know what are the best products!
To give you an idea of the sort of thing I need from the products, this morning I have started work on the wheel arches of the Audi RS2.
As it was:
And after a fair amount of work!!:
This is what the Merc Cosworth looked like inside when sold:
So you can see the sort of work I will be completing so please let me know what are the best products!
TROOPER88 said:
And after a fair amount of work!!:
Looking good 
Honestly, that's already way beyond the level of prep most cars would get, retro-classic or otherwise.Is there an axle stand under there? Can't see one and the thought of relying on just a trolley jack /shudders/
Clean with BH Surfex HD and treat with whatever products you wish. My approach to leave them clean and with long term protection would be as follows, but really overkill as part of a pre sales prep unless charging extra:
Take off the arch liners and then clean everything with a 10%+ BH Surfex HD solution, pressure washer and soft brush. Any tar spots can be removed with tar remover / white spirit / WD40.
Coat exposed bodywork inside the arches with BH Dynax UC for a clear but hard wearing coating. Any cavities can be filled with BH Dynax S50. Hose unions, nuts and bolts given a spray of BH Ferrosol.
If there's quite a lot of surface corrosion on suspension parts then rub down and treat with BH Hydrate 80, overcoat with BH epoxy mastic and then BH Dynax UB. If surface corrosion is only minor (such as in your photo) just coat with Dynax UB; it'll arrest any existing corrosion and the dark brown colour will hide it. Spray Ferrosol on the suspension springs and wipe off the excess.
Rubber parts can be sprayed with 303 Aerospace Protectant.
The plastic wheel arch liners can be further cleaned with BH cleanser-fluid using a soft shoe brush and then coated with BH auto-balm (personal preference, works for me
).jagnet said:
Looking good Honestly, that's already way beyond the level of prep most cars would get, retro-classic or otherwise.
Is there an axle stand under there? Can't see one and the thought of relying on just a trolley jack /shudders/
Clean with BH Surfex HD and treat with whatever products you wish. My approach to leave them clean and with long term protection would be as follows, but really overkill as part of a pre sales prep unless charging extra:
Take off the arch liners and then clean everything with a 10%+ BH Surfex HD solution, pressure washer and soft brush. Any tar spots can be removed with tar remover / white spirit / WD40.
Coat exposed bodywork inside the arches with BH Dynax UC for a clear but hard wearing coating. Any cavities can be filled with BH Dynax S50. Hose unions, nuts and bolts given a spray of BH Ferrosol.
If there's quite a lot of surface corrosion on suspension parts then rub down and treat with BH Hydrate 80, overcoat with BH epoxy mastic and then BH Dynax UB. If surface corrosion is only minor (such as in your photo) just coat with Dynax UB; it'll arrest any existing corrosion and the dark brown colour will hide it. Spray Ferrosol on the suspension springs and wipe off the excess.
Rubber parts can be sprayed with 303 Aerospace Protectant.
The plastic wheel arch liners can be further cleaned with BH cleanser-fluid using a soft shoe brush and then coated with BH auto-balm (personal preference, works for me ).
Hi Honestly, that's already way beyond the level of prep most cars would get, retro-classic or otherwise.Is there an axle stand under there? Can't see one and the thought of relying on just a trolley jack /shudders/
Clean with BH Surfex HD and treat with whatever products you wish. My approach to leave them clean and with long term protection would be as follows, but really overkill as part of a pre sales prep unless charging extra:
Take off the arch liners and then clean everything with a 10%+ BH Surfex HD solution, pressure washer and soft brush. Any tar spots can be removed with tar remover / white spirit / WD40.
Coat exposed bodywork inside the arches with BH Dynax UC for a clear but hard wearing coating. Any cavities can be filled with BH Dynax S50. Hose unions, nuts and bolts given a spray of BH Ferrosol.
If there's quite a lot of surface corrosion on suspension parts then rub down and treat with BH Hydrate 80, overcoat with BH epoxy mastic and then BH Dynax UB. If surface corrosion is only minor (such as in your photo) just coat with Dynax UB; it'll arrest any existing corrosion and the dark brown colour will hide it. Spray Ferrosol on the suspension springs and wipe off the excess.
Rubber parts can be sprayed with 303 Aerospace Protectant.
The plastic wheel arch liners can be further cleaned with BH cleanser-fluid using a soft shoe brush and then coated with BH auto-balm (personal preference, works for me
).Thanks for the comments!
I do use an axel stand or spare wheel when jacking each corner.
From what your saying it sounds like I need to try the range of Bilt Hamber! I will order a load on the weekend.
A couple of others have mentioned the gtechniq stuff so will also look at that.
Thanks again for the advice, it is much appreciated! I will let you know how I get on.
Cheers
TROOPER88 said:
From what your saying it sounds like I need to try the range of Bilt Hamber! I will order a load on the weekend.
You won't be disappointed. I do love my BH collection.TROOPER88 said:
Thanks again for the advice, it is much appreciated! I will let you know how I get on.
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