Looking After a Resprayed Car.

[Blib]

I've just bought a car. It will be my weekend car for hooning about and stuff. I plan to only bring it out in good weather.

Now, this is the first 'Sunday' car I've owned. All my other cars have been daily drivers except one which I didnt really care about and ,truth be told didn't properly look after.

I've looked at the posts on this part of the forum and frankly I am confused. Hence this thread. I've just had my car completely resprayed and it is in top notch condition. I'd like to keep it that way.

My question is this. What would you guys recommend to a newbie at this detailing business to keep his car in a good condition? I'll be honest with you that I can't see myself working 5 or 6 hours on the car but I would be prepared to put some extra effort above and beyond just hand washing into keeping it in good nick.

Which cloths, brushes, products would be suitable for a person new to this game? I suppose I am asking for a heads up on an 'entry level' kit of tools and polishes,clays,shampoos, brushes and cloths etc.

I've had a cursory look in Halfrauds but I can't tell the good product from the not so good. I'm not interested in the interior as the car is an ex-racing machine which is pretty stripped in the cabin.

I hope that you people can point me in the right direction!

Thanks,

Elliott

[PJ S]

Depending on how much you want to get into detailing and if imposing a budget of sort, then here's my suggestion.
You'll want a good washing tool - some people use a B&Q grout sponge, others a Zymöl Sponge, but most tend to opt for a sheepskin mitt - www.sheepskinshop.co.uk
Next, the chemicals:
Bilt Hamber Auto Wash, 4 Star Shampoo, Einszett Perls, are the ones I turn to, in that order.
As the paint is just done, you'll not need to worry at this stage about clay bars and polishes, so you can go straight to wax/sealant. Here again, I use and recommend Bilt Hamber Auto Balm, but have also got DoDo Double Wax to try out and see how it performs. Of course, one costs £18, the other £80. The regular DoDo waxes are £30 ish, but again you can go budget and plum for Collinite Marque d'Elegance for £20 ish.
The BH is essentially a sealant, the rest are waxes, based around carnauba, so for another true selant, you could look at Zaino.

You'll want a number of microfibre towels/cloths to dry the car and wipe/buff the wax/sealant off. Prima Monster Fluffy is one worth considering, as too are Aquatouch, Sonus Der Wonder, and Cobra. In fact there's more, and the ones I use are not known about, and something I might dabble in. Who knows!

You'll also be looking at a MF or foam applicator pads to apply the chosen wax/sealant - Poundstretcher/InStore does one for £1 I think, which seems fine when I used it at the weekend for the DoDo. Others are the German applicator pad (that's how it's known), and the round orange foam of Meguiar's (branded) or the same with no branding - no difference other than price, obviously.
Then again, some have been known to scoop the wax with their fingers, and rub it into their hands, before applying bare-handed - daft as a brush, if you ask me, but then again, it takes all sorts to make the world go round!

Then there's wheel brushes - one of the best supposedly (not yet tried it myself) is the EZ Brush (£17.50), but there are others to choose from.
I use the shampoos above on the wheels - does a good enough job without having to resort to a specific wheel cleaner, but if I had to, I'd probably look at Bilberry and Autobrite.

Finally - well not quite - there's what's called a Quick Detailer. Mostly a carnauba based liquid spray, used to top up the wax layer between wax applications and a lube for those clay bars which require that type of lubrication. As I use the Bilt Hamber Auto Clay, water is all I need to work with it, but I still use the QD to remove bird bombs, tree sap, and general light dirt/dust.

Lastly, buckets, and grit guards, and foaming units. This is where things can go a bit extremely damaging to your wealth. There are a few items typically used for foaming: Gilmour/Pinnacle Foamaster, which attaches to your hose (need good mains pressure to work well), as does the much cheaper (£10 vs £45) Superspray. Not as good, but then it's ONLY a tenner.
From there, you move up to a foam lance, which at similar money to the Gilmour, attaches to your pressure washer, and creates a nice thick creamy yoghurty (non-knitting type I hasten to add and emphasise!) foam, which like all foaming, is designed to remove most of the grime stuck to the car, before you touch it with a mitt/sponge.

As for the bucket(s) - some make do with B&Q's finest orange builder's bucket at 99p each, to wash and rinse the mitt/sponge with, others if they've gone the foaming route may use two, or only one for rinsing, using the lance/foamer to apply the shampoo rather than dipping in and out of a bucketful of shampoo solution.
Going a step further, grit guards are as the name suggests, plastic guards at the bottom of the bucket (sold separately, but NOT in B&Q!) which are designed to trap dirt/debris from the mitt/sponge being wiped across it when getting more shampoo solution and/or rinsing.

You'll notice I haven't even mentioned glass cleaning nor chrome/rubber trim, including tyre dressing - for the latter two, 303 Aerospace Protectant is all you need to know. Even engine bay plastics (once cleaned and dried). Autosol/Brasso for the tailpipes, etc, and for glass - Mr Muscle, Einszett Glass Polish, etc, etc, ad infinitum.

Thank God you've no interior, or I'd be here typing for another 2 hours!!

So, there you go - welcome to the world of detailing. Still wanna join?

[Blib]

PJS thanks so much mate! I appreciate all of your advise. It's exactly what I was asking for . You've given me alot to think of. I knew that this business was involving but now, with it laid out on the page I realise that I have really got to commit to this to do it right.

E.