Newb Help - Where to start - what to use ?
03-17-2009, 03:23 AM
#1
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Hi Guys,
I have had my car 5 months now and whilst I like to hand wash my car the water here is impossibly hard meaning that the car dries with terrible water marks and streaks and all sorts of crappy deposits left on it, this is despite using lots of fresh water and a leather chamoise, this means usually I just pressure wash off the worst of it then take it to the local car wash, not ideal but the only way to keep Carbon Black looking anything near decent.
The local car was was replaced recently with a new one, I took it the once and never again, ended up with scratches and all sorts of damage on the car so im going to revert to hand washing the car again, however I now have a fair few swirl marks in the paint to go along side those scratches.
I will be paying the local bumper man to repair the scuffs and scratches very shortly, however I still have this massive problem of how to achieve a good finish, the miassive problem being our water, our water has lots of limescale and crap in it as the source comes through a lot of limerock AFAIK.
So...........
My goals are to....
1) Wash the car and attain a decent finish by dealing with the water problem, how do I do that ?
2) How do I get rid of the swirls and bring the paint back to life properly ?
3) What equipment do I need, soaps , polish, buffers whatever......
Im not anal, however I do appreciate a clean shiny car and am quite happy to invest a couple of hours per weekend making my ride look as good as I can.
I live in the UK so please bear that in mind when reccomending soap and polish etc....
TIA , very much appreciated.
I have had my car 5 months now and whilst I like to hand wash my car the water here is impossibly hard meaning that the car dries with terrible water marks and streaks and all sorts of crappy deposits left on it, this is despite using lots of fresh water and a leather chamoise, this means usually I just pressure wash off the worst of it then take it to the local car wash, not ideal but the only way to keep Carbon Black looking anything near decent.
The local car was was replaced recently with a new one, I took it the once and never again, ended up with scratches and all sorts of damage on the car so im going to revert to hand washing the car again, however I now have a fair few swirl marks in the paint to go along side those scratches.
I will be paying the local bumper man to repair the scuffs and scratches very shortly, however I still have this massive problem of how to achieve a good finish, the miassive problem being our water, our water has lots of limescale and crap in it as the source comes through a lot of limerock AFAIK.
So...........
My goals are to....
1) Wash the car and attain a decent finish by dealing with the water problem, how do I do that ?
2) How do I get rid of the swirls and bring the paint back to life properly ?
3) What equipment do I need, soaps , polish, buffers whatever......
Im not anal, however I do appreciate a clean shiny car and am quite happy to invest a couple of hours per weekend making my ride look as good as I can.
I live in the UK so please bear that in mind when reccomending soap and polish etc....
TIA , very much appreciated.
03-17-2009, 08:48 AM
#2
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My Ride: 535d M-Sport '06 Plate - Carbon Black - Black Leather - Pro Sat Nav - Logic 7 - HUD - Bluetooth - Privacy Glass - 172M 19" Alloys - Heated Seats - PDC - Adaptive Headlights - Extended Voice Control - Paintshield Extended - M5 Boot Finisher - Bright White LED Internal Lighting - Dension Gateway 500 Ipod/USB/Aux Integration
Have a look on this detailing site......... Detailing World. Loads of info on there. It's where I got all my info from when I started detailing my car. Aswell as member keith_84UK on here.
Marc
Marc
03-17-2009, 12:19 PM
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My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
Sounds like it's time to clay your paint! 
03-17-2009, 01:13 PM
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Sure, will grab some and smear it all over, thats the problem, I have no clue wtf to do with the stuff lol, I would probably end up with modeling clay for a start !!!
Appreciate the link but was hoping to find out the basics from enthusiasts here to save joining yet another forum
Appreciate the link but was hoping to find out the basics from enthusiasts here to save joining yet another forum
03-18-2009, 07:00 AM
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My Ride: BMW E60 530i , Silver with leather Air Con iDrive 17" Breyton Rims with Dunlop Sp Sport tyres (M-Tech Bodykit and rims WANTED)
Alfa Romeo 147 TS1.6 , Black with Air Con 17" Multi Spoke alloys with Bridgestone RE040 tyres
Toyota MR-S 1.8 VVTI , Lagoon Blue with Red leather Air Con 15" standard alloys with Toyo tyres
Toyota Celica 1.8 VVTI, Lagoon Blue, Air Con, 16" Standard alloys with Kuhmo KU31, EBC Green Stuff
Originally Posted by Phantom Mark' post='819085' date='Mar 17 2009, 12:23 PM
My goals are to....
1) Wash the car and attain a decent finish by dealing with the water problem, how do I do that ?
2) How do I get rid of the swirls and bring the paint back to life properly ?
3) What equipment do I need, soaps , polish, buffers whatever......
Im not anal, however I do appreciate a clean shiny car and am quite happy to invest a couple of hours per weekend making my ride look as good as I can.
I live in the UK so please bear that in mind when reccomending soap and polish etc....
TIA , very much appreciated.
1) Wash the car and attain a decent finish by dealing with the water problem, how do I do that ?
2) How do I get rid of the swirls and bring the paint back to life properly ?
3) What equipment do I need, soaps , polish, buffers whatever......
Im not anal, however I do appreciate a clean shiny car and am quite happy to invest a couple of hours per weekend making my ride look as good as I can.
I live in the UK so please bear that in mind when reccomending soap and polish etc....
TIA , very much appreciated.
Long story short, i summarized as follow and hope this help
1) For the hard water problem, you can try this: http://monzacarcare.com/products/?category...20search%20term
It wasnt cheap i know but you can get the spot free finish (I'll still recommend you to dry you car with MF cloth at the end though)
2)The only way to get rid of the swirls are machine polishing, they are divided into two types. DA polisher and rotary polisher
DA polisher is ideal for the beginner as it wont burn/damage the paint while polishing, on the other hands, rotary are recommended by the pro as it corrects the swirls at much faster rate than the DA polisher.
Meguairs G220 is the DA polisher which Marconfire is using and i am sure he will chime in if you want more details.
People always mixed up polishing and waxing, polishing is actually like the face scrub which gently removes dead skin on your face (Swirls/light scratches in this case),
on the other hands, waxing is the moisturizing gel which to protect the surface of the paintwork.
Full detailing process should be like the following:
Wash-->Clay-->polishing-->sealant(Optional)-->LSP (Last step product eg. wax)
3) For the soap,polish recomendation
There are loads of choices on the market really, and at different price and quality. I've tried so many detailing stuffs on the market and here i would share what i THINK is good.
(Not neccessary mean they are good but you know what i mean mate)
Shampoo: Meguiars hyper wash (Produce loads of suds and this gallon size can last you a long while)
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-...h/prod_326.html
Detailing clay: Sonus green (Gentle and effectively deep clean your paint)
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detailing-cl.../2/prod_37.html
Polish: Menzerna (Used by the professional, get the 3.02 and PO85RD will be well enough for our hard paint bimmer)
Sealant(Optional): CG Jetseal109
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/sealants/che...9/prod_484.html
LSP: Its your choice really, some pro detailers in here using 3000pounds wax for their customer cars, but here are my all time favourite:
Zaino Z2 pro ?15.00 (Probably the best sealant in the world, it gives you super wet finsih, and BLING)
example:
Clearkote carnauba moose wax (Very wet finish aswell at good price, very easy to use aswell!! one of my favourites!)
Collinite 476S (Famous for ultra long lasting, ideal for the winter protection)
Victoria pink wax (Cheap and nice warmy feel)
Raceglaze 55 wax (Great wax at low price, it performs the few hundred pounds wax but only cost one third of that)
Example:
Swissvax best of show (My favourite wax so far, it gives you ultra wet finish, great reflection and last pretty long aswell, but the price is not for everyone though)
example:
My top three LSP will be
Swissvax BOS
Clearkote
Zaino
Cheers
Keith
03-18-2009, 08:04 AM
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Thats really awesome thanks Keith.
Will no doubt follow up with some more questions once I start getting stuff together.
Guides on how to use the machine polisher for example, how to use clay etc would be most appreciate and probably worth a sticky or FAQ section ?
Will no doubt follow up with some more questions once I start getting stuff together.
Guides on how to use the machine polisher for example, how to use clay etc would be most appreciate and probably worth a sticky or FAQ section ?
03-18-2009, 08:27 AM
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My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
Originally Posted by Phantom Mark' post='820196' date='Mar 18 2009, 09:18 AM
yer but then I would get shot to death by all you crazy rednecks 
I know there are, I have relatives there!! 
03-18-2009, 09:17 AM
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My Ride: 535d M-Sport '06 Plate - Carbon Black - Black Leather - Pro Sat Nav - Logic 7 - HUD - Bluetooth - Privacy Glass - 172M 19" Alloys - Heated Seats - PDC - Adaptive Headlights - Extended Voice Control - Paintshield Extended - M5 Boot Finisher - Bright White LED Internal Lighting - Dension Gateway 500 Ipod/USB/Aux Integration
Originally Posted by keith84_uk' post='820125' date='Mar 18 2009, 03:00 PM
Hey Mark,
Long story short, i summarized as follow and hope this help
1) For the hard water problem, you can try this: http://monzacarcare.com/products/?category...20search%20term
It wasnt cheap i know but you can get the spot free finish (I'll still recommend you to dry you car with MF cloth at the end though)
2)The only way to get rid of the swirls are machine polishing, they are divided into two types. DA polisher and rotary polisher
DA polisher is ideal for the beginner as it wont burn/damage the paint while polishing, on the other hands, rotary are recommended by the pro as it corrects the swirls at much faster rate than the DA polisher.
Meguairs G220 is the DA polisher which Marconfire is using and i am sure he will chime in if you want more details.
People always mixed up polishing and waxing, polishing is actually like the face scrub which gently removes dead skin on your face (Swirls/light scratches in this case),
on the other hands, waxing is the moisturizing gel which to protect the surface of the paintwork.
Full detailing process should be like the following:
Wash-->Clay-->polishing-->sealant(Optional)-->LSP (Last step product eg. wax)
3) For the soap,polish recomendation
There are loads of choices on the market really, and at different price and quality. I've tried so many detailing stuffs on the market and here i would share what i THINK is good.
(Not neccessary mean they are good but you know what i mean mate)
Shampoo: Meguiars hyper wash (Produce loads of suds and this gallon size can last you a long while)
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-...h/prod_326.html
Detailing clay: Sonus green (Gentle and effectively deep clean your paint)
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detailing-cl.../2/prod_37.html
Polish: Menzerna (Used by the professional, get the 3.02 and PO85RD will be well enough for our hard paint bimmer)
Sealant(Optional): CG Jetseal109
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/sealants/che...9/prod_484.html
LSP: Its your choice really, some pro detailers in here using 3000pounds wax for their customer cars, but here are my all time favourite:
Zaino Z2 pro ?15.00 (Probably the best sealant in the world, it gives you super wet finsih, and BLING)
example:
Clearkote carnauba moose wax (Very wet finish aswell at good price, very easy to use aswell!! one of my favourites!)
Collinite 476S (Famous for ultra long lasting, ideal for the winter protection)
Victoria pink wax (Cheap and nice warmy feel)
Raceglaze 55 wax (Great wax at low price, it performs the few hundred pounds wax but only cost one third of that)
Example:
Swissvax best of show (My favourite wax so far, it gives you ultra wet finish, great reflection and last pretty long aswell, but the price is not for everyone though)
example:
My top three LSP will be
Swissvax BOS
Clearkote
Zaino
Cheers
Keith
Long story short, i summarized as follow and hope this help
1) For the hard water problem, you can try this: http://monzacarcare.com/products/?category...20search%20term
It wasnt cheap i know but you can get the spot free finish (I'll still recommend you to dry you car with MF cloth at the end though)
2)The only way to get rid of the swirls are machine polishing, they are divided into two types. DA polisher and rotary polisher
DA polisher is ideal for the beginner as it wont burn/damage the paint while polishing, on the other hands, rotary are recommended by the pro as it corrects the swirls at much faster rate than the DA polisher.
Meguairs G220 is the DA polisher which Marconfire is using and i am sure he will chime in if you want more details.
People always mixed up polishing and waxing, polishing is actually like the face scrub which gently removes dead skin on your face (Swirls/light scratches in this case),
on the other hands, waxing is the moisturizing gel which to protect the surface of the paintwork.
Full detailing process should be like the following:
Wash-->Clay-->polishing-->sealant(Optional)-->LSP (Last step product eg. wax)
3) For the soap,polish recomendation
There are loads of choices on the market really, and at different price and quality. I've tried so many detailing stuffs on the market and here i would share what i THINK is good.
(Not neccessary mean they are good but you know what i mean mate)
Shampoo: Meguiars hyper wash (Produce loads of suds and this gallon size can last you a long while)
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-...h/prod_326.html
Detailing clay: Sonus green (Gentle and effectively deep clean your paint)
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detailing-cl.../2/prod_37.html
Polish: Menzerna (Used by the professional, get the 3.02 and PO85RD will be well enough for our hard paint bimmer)
Sealant(Optional): CG Jetseal109
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/sealants/che...9/prod_484.html
LSP: Its your choice really, some pro detailers in here using 3000pounds wax for their customer cars, but here are my all time favourite:
Zaino Z2 pro ?15.00 (Probably the best sealant in the world, it gives you super wet finsih, and BLING)
example:
Clearkote carnauba moose wax (Very wet finish aswell at good price, very easy to use aswell!! one of my favourites!)
Collinite 476S (Famous for ultra long lasting, ideal for the winter protection)
Victoria pink wax (Cheap and nice warmy feel)
Raceglaze 55 wax (Great wax at low price, it performs the few hundred pounds wax but only cost one third of that)
Example:
Swissvax best of show (My favourite wax so far, it gives you ultra wet finish, great reflection and last pretty long aswell, but the price is not for everyone though)
example:
My top three LSP will be
Swissvax BOS
Clearkote
Zaino
Cheers
Keith