Valeting advice
Discussion
Folks,
I have my car booked in to a body shop next week. They are sorting out some large stonechips on the front of the car and also touching up any other dings on the bodywork for £70 plus VAT, which seems reasonable.
I have also gone for a full valet for £50 plus VAT, which apparently includes the full works such as an engine clean, shampoo all upholstery etc etc, which again seems reasonable.
My question is this- This weekend I was planning to have a major go at my car and finally enter the world of detailing by claying it, polishing, waxing...
Given that the car will be machine polished on Thursday, do you think it is worth claying it over the weekend? I was planning to clay it and then let them machine polish it since I bet if I do it (polishing) I will muck up the finish, and would rather have a decent machine finish as the first attempt...
Any thoughts? Unfortunately the only real access I will have to washing facilities is at my mum's house over the weekend, unless I put it through the local carwash on Thursday, clay it then take it to the bodyshop.
Will it harm the paint/be pointless claying it in advance?
Ta!
I have my car booked in to a body shop next week. They are sorting out some large stonechips on the front of the car and also touching up any other dings on the bodywork for £70 plus VAT, which seems reasonable.
I have also gone for a full valet for £50 plus VAT, which apparently includes the full works such as an engine clean, shampoo all upholstery etc etc, which again seems reasonable.
My question is this- This weekend I was planning to have a major go at my car and finally enter the world of detailing by claying it, polishing, waxing...
Given that the car will be machine polished on Thursday, do you think it is worth claying it over the weekend? I was planning to clay it and then let them machine polish it since I bet if I do it (polishing) I will muck up the finish, and would rather have a decent machine finish as the first attempt...
Any thoughts? Unfortunately the only real access I will have to washing facilities is at my mum's house over the weekend, unless I put it through the local carwash on Thursday, clay it then take it to the bodyshop.
Will it harm the paint/be pointless claying it in advance?
Ta!
Edited by carrotchomper on Friday 25th May 18:02
Have a look on www.detailingworld.co.uk for some serious advice and ideas.
Clean the car first using a wash mitt and some decent car shampoo, not washing up liquid. Dry it with a water magnet towel, eg meguiars (3 for 2 at Halfords) and the clay the car using lots of lubricant. Keep turning the clay and you will be amazed by how much debris comes off of the bodywork.
DO NOT PUT THE CAR THROUGH A CAR WASH. Before it gets valeted next week let us know what chemicals they will be using and post it up on here please.
Hope the link and the above help?
Clean the car first using a wash mitt and some decent car shampoo, not washing up liquid. Dry it with a water magnet towel, eg meguiars (3 for 2 at Halfords) and the clay the car using lots of lubricant. Keep turning the clay and you will be amazed by how much debris comes off of the bodywork.
DO NOT PUT THE CAR THROUGH A CAR WASH. Before it gets valeted next week let us know what chemicals they will be using and post it up on here please.
Hope the link and the above help?
Edited by belleair302 on Friday 25th May 21:20
Lovely, thanks for the advice. I will clay the car this weekend anyway (Provided I do not get rained upon!) to give the valeters a good base to start with. They probably won't be using the worlds greatest materials due to the low price, but I'm sure it will be an improvement on my efforts...
I really hate car washes and have been doing my best to avoid them in the new motor- Have only been once through absolute necessity and ended up with scratches on the bonnet, which warmed my urine nicely.
The problem is that, where I live I generally cannot park anywhere near the house so bucket is not an option, and the only hoses I have access to are at my mum's house- 70 miles away, and also at the Trafpol HQ nearby (£1 in honesty box) but the latter is getting increasingly difficult since you need to avoid shift changes and certain members there intensely dislike non-Trafpol using it!
I really hate car washes and have been doing my best to avoid them in the new motor- Have only been once through absolute necessity and ended up with scratches on the bonnet, which warmed my urine nicely.
The problem is that, where I live I generally cannot park anywhere near the house so bucket is not an option, and the only hoses I have access to are at my mum's house- 70 miles away, and also at the Trafpol HQ nearby (£1 in honesty box) but the latter is getting increasingly difficult since you need to avoid shift changes and certain members there intensely dislike non-Trafpol using it!
The only thing I would ask them to do is use a wash mitt and not a sponge. Also a water magnet towel and not a chamois leather. Beyond that there is not much for the money that can go wrong. Scratches are always the big worry when washing or drying a car!!
The other option is finding a friend with a hose and a driveway. For £50 you can set yourself up with some top washing stuff and they will last you for many months.
The other option is finding a friend with a hose and a driveway. For £50 you can set yourself up with some top washing stuff and they will last you for many months.
Edited by belleair302 on Saturday 26th May 22:42
Well a bit of mutual misunderstanding along the way and the bill has rather, er, spiralled...Decided in the end to respray the bonnet and top of wings because of huge number of stone chips...
However, they are now respraying bonnet/wing tops, and touching in all other dings on the car, valeting and a courtesy car for 2 days for £280 inc VAT after a bit of an argument.
Does this sound reasonable?!
However, they are now respraying bonnet/wing tops, and touching in all other dings on the car, valeting and a courtesy car for 2 days for £280 inc VAT after a bit of an argument.
Does this sound reasonable?!
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