Total Newbie guide

[taffyracer]

I want to have a go at detailing my car but I'm so confused by all this wax, polish and seals, so many varieties, what I want is a an easy to understand basic guide of the various steps to take and some basic recommendations for the various products. Am I right in thinking that the 1st step is to clean the car, 2nd to dry it, 3rd to clay then what????

1 Wash car - 2bucket method
2 Dry the car using microfibre etc
3. clay the car
4. ??
5. ??


cheers

[PJ S]

If you are wanting to really clean the paint, then yes, pretty much as you've said.
If you are wanting to correct the paint, then there's more to be done.

Case A:
Wet, wash, rinse, clay, rinse, dry, sealant (3-6 months protection - 2-3 layers), buff, beer!

Case B:
Wet, wash, rinse, clay, rinse, dry, polish (remove swirls, etc - best with a random orbital if you haven't a clue about rotary machine use), sealant (2 layers), wax, buff, bed!
The point of putting a carnauba wax over sealant is the wet look 'depth'. Otherwise you can just end with the sealant.

Weekly routine:
Wet, wash, rinse, dry, detail spray, buff, shopping.

Personally, I don't go in for the clay lube malarky - steady stream of water on the area you're claying is more than sufficient, or spray bottle, keeping the area wet. Only a bit of pressure need be applied to the clay, to prevent marring the surface any more than it already is. Some add a bit of the shampoo to the bottle for extra lubricity.

Wash from top down, and whilst the 2 bucket method is well championed, it's another thing I don't buy into - partly since I have a Foamaster.
If you have a power hose, you can always add on a foam lance.

Microfibre wash mitt, boar's hair brush are the best for not scratching the surface whilst washing.

Edited by PJ S on Saturday 28th July 18:47

[taffyracer]

why do you have to wax and buff again after sealant for option B?

[hutchingsp]

taffyracer said:

why do you have to wax and buff again after sealant for option B?

As PJ S says, that's assuming you want to add a layer of wax after whatever sealant you're using. Different products will look different (not getting into whether they're "better&quot and some people prefer the warmth/depth/whatever you want to call it of a wax but want the durability of a sealant underneath.

[PJ S]

taffyracer said:

why do you have to wax and buff again after sealant for option B?

PJ S said:

The point of putting a carnauba wax over sealant is the wet look 'depth'. Otherwise you can just end with the sealant.

Sealants are pure synthetic, waxes are semi-synthetic - carnauba being organic but too hard to be used in its pure state, so some synthetic polymers are added to make it more supple and usable.
Needs to be refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth.
Carnauba wax is reckoned to give a greater wet look/depth to the finish whereas sealants can look very bright.
So you either trade off one for the other, or do both to get a best of both worlds. Some don't bother with sealant at all, and just use a couple of layers of wax to suffice. Still only get the same 2-4 months before needing to be re-applied whereas sealants only or in tandem with wax give 4-6 months, possibly as much as 9 months.
It all depends on how 'dedicated' you are.

Edited by PJ S on Saturday 28th July 18:54

[taffyracer]

So sealant then wax is best, ok understood, so if i wanted to add a sealant now would i have to remove the existing wax? If so what would I use, a cutting compound?

[hutchingsp]

taffyracer said:

So sealant then wax is best, ok understood, so if i wanted to add a sealant now would i have to remove the existing wax? If so what would I use, a cutting compound?

It depends what you have in the cupboards and what is on the car.

If you're wanting to do it today, I would give a car a wash with Washing Up Liquid - this isn't something you should do regularly, but it is very good at removing wax (think what it does to grease on plates).

Make sure you rinse the car very, very thoroughly as it contains a lot of salt and stuff that you don't want to be leaving in nooks and crannies.

Then go at it with some Autoglym SRP or Meguiars Paint Cleaner (they should have these at Halfords).

Ideally use a Microfiber applicator as it'll have enough bite to remove any leftover product whilst being safe enough not to scratch the paint.

SRP is actually pretty underrated, it won't last anything like as long as a "proper" paint sealant, but at the price, as an "all-in-one" product it's very good.

[PJ S]

As hutch said, use a dish washing liquid this time only, plenty of rinsing, and if using Halford's as a provider of product, get the Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner.
Use this after claying the car.

If you're looking for product to be recommended, then as much as Meguiars is a well established name, there's a number of others that are often overlooked because it can be picked almost anywhere these days.
Others to contemplate are:
Zaino
Blackfire
Wolfgang
Chemical Guys
P21
Poorboys
Swissvax
Menzerna
Klasse
Zymöl - Carnauba only, no sealant

and that's not an exhaustive list by any means!

[taffyracer]

aah my head hurts, so many choices and types! Ok so washing up liquid to remove the wax, then a decent sealant and then a wax, ok sorted!

Edited by taffyracer on Friday 3rd August 07:28

[PJ S]

You know what taf - it might be best to pay someone local to you to detail the car, removing any swirls, etc.
This'll give you a perfect base level, which means you can dispense with the paint cleaner and polishes, and sealant (for now) - all you'll need is a good shampoo, some microfibre cloths/towels/wash mitt, and a wax.
You can wait until you test the paintwork down the line with clingfilm on your fingertips as to when you need to claybar the surface again - the detailer will do this.
If it does, then bar and sealant will be in need of ordering.
A good detailer should be hitting you for £70-100 depending on how much defect removal he has to do.
If you keep on top of things after his work, then you should be quids in/plus, when you come to sell the car on.
It's not a waste of £70-100 - it's an investment, and you could easily spend that and then some, on a random orbit rotary polisher and the various products, and not get anywhere near the level of perfection the detailer will leave you with.

Just an alternative thought for you to think about.

[hutchingsp]

Agree with that PJ says, but if you have the time and inclination to do so, I do think there's a pride when you stand back and think "wow, I did that" (sad to some but hey).

So long as you use good quality tools, by which I mean good quality paint safe mitts, towels, cloths etc. and work at your own pace you really can't go far wrong or do any damage - despite all the waffle it still comes down to washing and waxing the car

[taffyracer]

i had the M3 done a few weeks back before sale and got impatient with this Z4 so got on with it myself, I did enjoy it but after 4hrs I was ready to kill! I am in touch with a detailer and most likely will do that but i'd like to understand more and maybe give it a crack as well, money is not the issue really, it seems to be time, I want it done now(ish) and most can't do anything for weeks

[PJ S]

If you want and are prepared to splurge on the necessary gear, then spend plenty of time reading here

Also this and this

Should keep you occupied for the next few weeks!

Edited by PJ S on Friday 3rd August 20:29