Detailing advice needed before I get started

[V6GBJ]

Learned Gentlemen. I've noticed that a well polished (or detailed) car is a lot easier to wash and most of the dirt falls off with a power washer. My SL bought in June, has now lost much of its shine and I want to detail it to the extent that it will maintain a shine for a few months. I've watched some YouTube videos but still uncertain about processes, in particular waxing and sealing. Should I plan to apply a sealant after polishing in order to make the finish last longer ? The SL still has some polish on some panels - should I remove this before further treatment. If so then would a clay bar or clay cloth be the preferred method? The bodywork is shiny and unmarked with no polishing swirls. There seem to be scores of detailing products available and it's difficult for a beginner to make a choice, so any advice on all my questions will be most welcome !

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Not trying to be unhelpful but you are going to get 100s of conflicting opinions and product recommendations.

I think there are a couple of people on this forum who do detailing for a living and
I'm sure they will jump in.

All the recognised manufacturers have decent products - you probably need to take your pick. I like the Carlack range (specially the Carlack 68 which is a non abrasive cleaner / polish, topped with their "Long Life") but am currently trying out the "TurtleWax Hybrid Synthetic Sealant" as the final layer. So far so good and lots of good reviews on YT. I have a silly number of "products" on my shelves in the garage.

There are the fans of ceramic coats who will tell you t get it done (good but very expensive for a good job with a quality product).

However, if you need a decontamination and light polish, I'd pay someone to do it as it is going to be a multiple step, laborious process. [/[/QUOTE]

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Deleted ...somehow duplicated

 

[AMGeed]

As above, you'll get lots of opinions on the "best" wax/polish/sealant and the choice will ultimately be yours.

As for procedure, we probably all have a slightly different method, but if I were preparing a car for the winter and I had the time, I'd do it something like this.

Wash car with decent shampoo using 2 bucket method with a grit guard.
Rinse with hosepipe.
Clay the car with a Meguiars Clay mitt ( £12 from Halfords) making sure the paintwork is always wet. This will remove all wax/polish and leve the paintwork smooth as glass.
Shampoo and rinse again.
Dry with microfibre towels.
Apply a polish of your choice and buff with microfibre towels
Apply a sealant of your choice and buff with microfibre towels
Apply a decent wax and buff with microfibre towels
Finally apply Sonax brilliant shine detailer ( ECP sell it reasonably cheaply) and wipe off.

Wheels off and washed with shampoo, a decontaminant applied like auto finess to remove iron filings, and rinsed dried and a sealant applied. Dedicated wheel sealants are available. I use Autoglym wheel sealant for less brake dust. Finally, Megs endurance gel for shiny tyres.

Others will do it differntly using snow foam and DA polishers but that is how I do it for now. The DA will come out in the spring.

 

[E53AMG]

Save yourself a lot of time and trouble and have it professionally ceramic coated. Lasts upto 5 years and quick blast from power washer and shine restored..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[AMGeed]

Save yourself a lot of time and trouble and have it professionally ceramic coated. Lasts upto 5 years and quick blast from power washer and shine restored..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

I agree, if you have £400 going spare.

 

[LTD]

I agree, if you have £400 going spare.

You’d pay more getting your car swirled at the local car wash every fortnight

 

[AMGeed]

You’d pay more getting your car swirled at the local car wash every fortnight

Probably. But the local car wash is one place I don't visit. OK if you don't care about your paintwork.

 

[Chrishazle]

Having in the past done this to my 968 coupe and been amazed at the end result and longevity, I'd basically agree with AMGeed above with one additional step - called deconatamination and wash before claying. After a good wash and dry you'll be amazed at the amount of purple you see on the bodywork (and wheels, don't forget them!!) when sprayed with something like Iron-X as it reacts with contaminants like brake dust etc! I would also say look closely at the paintwork, if it is in need of swirl/minor scratch removal, consider investing in a DA machine like a Kestrel DAS6 and some suitable pads (Sonax or similar) and some 3M 25mm blue tape to protect panel edges, screenwash jets etc from the DA. Also have a spray bottle of water handy when using the DA as paint correction fluids dry quickly and need to be kept moist.

This is not a quick and low labour thing to do, but the results can be very pleasing - my 1994 Guards Red 968 coupe, when I did it it about 2009, came up showroom fresh and stayed that way, helping a lot when I sold the car in 2011, but taking my time it took me 2 weeks, working 1 panel at a time and about 2 hours per day, to do the whole car!

My choice of products was :
AG shampoo
Iron-X
Bilt Hamber clay (with just water as the lubricant!), 1/4 of the block is enough for 1 car provided you don't drop it - if you do bin that piece and get a fresh one!
AG Bodyshop paint correction fluids (NLA, but there must be similar available) with the DAS6 and Sonax pads. O1B is a hard polish I did not use, 02B is 1200 grit equiavalent and 03B is 2000 grit equivalent.
3m Perfect-it polish applied with the DA (has to be machine applied) which is also a very gentle correction fluid, 3000 grit equivalent, as well as a polish.
AG HD wax.

 

[kcsun]

As has been said you will have many opinions and options. Are you planning on keeping the car long term - (more than 3 years). If so my opinion would be to keep the car regularly washed during the winter and then have the car professionally detailed and ceramic coated in the spring so that the car is immaculate all summer with only a quick wash and wipe over with detailing spray.

If you are not keeping the car long term I would follow a version of AMGeed answer

kc

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Save yourself a lot of time and trouble and have it professionally ceramic coated. Lasts upto 5 years and quick blast from power washer and shine restored..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

Does it really release all that very fine dirt?

I've used a couple of different sealants (non-ceramic stuff) and they do a good job. After a rinse, foam and rinse, standing back from the car it looks very clean but there is always still a fine layer of dirt.

My son had a ceramic coat done on his E53 AMG - gets a detailer in once per month to clean it and it takes the detailer at least an hour to get the car clean....

 

[Deleted member 126251]

@SL500AMG it is a genuine question - if ceramic works as well as you say, I'll get it done....

 

[E53AMG]

Does it really release all that very fine dirt?

I've used a couple of different sealants (non-ceramic stuff) and they do a good job. After a rinse, foam and rinse, standing back from the car it looks very clean but there is always still a fine layer of dirt.

My son had a ceramic coat done on his E53 AMG - gets a detailer in once per month to clean it and it takes the detailer at least an hour to get the car clean....

Yes when professionally applied your paintwork will be restored as new before the ceramic coat is applied. Good coatings carry a 5 year warranty if professionally applied and provided you wash correctly they will retain the lustre without needing polishing. Think of it like a glass coating, mine was done 2 years ago and still looks like when it was first applied, best decision made.

I do have a professional wash it weekly in Summer fortnightly in Winter.

Our neighbour's friend just bought a C class 2 years newer than my SL and parked it alongside mine, his girlfriend pointed at mine and said " how come that car is the same age but shinier than ours", I smiled as she didn't realise mine was actually older but coated.

Interior protection not as good though..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[Doodle]

I think what Rory is asking is whether even with ceramic coating, it requires more than just waving a pressure washer at it (i.e. you need to crack out the bucket and mitt).

 

[kcsun]

I had mine done at Topaz, very impressed

I had Gtechniq EXO+C1 Crystal Serum put on,

Over the moon with it, You have to have your car detailed first before applying the ceramic coating to get rid of all the swirls and flaws otherwise they are locked in for ever

kc

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I think what Rory is asking is whether even with ceramic coating, it requires more than just waving a pressure washer at it (i.e. you need to crack out the bucket and mitt).

The "sales pitch" I hear, is "no mitt needed" when using ceramic i.e pressure washer and it is clean....... My experience (using sealants) is that the big dirt falls off but the fine stuff stays. In theory if we have a ceramic coat, all that is needed is a pressure washer to keep the car looking "awesome" .....I don't buy that. My comments are based on seeing my son's "ceramic coated" car and the work his detailers put into it on their monthly visit.

I wonder if the "ceramificidinados" are trying to justify the money they spent. Perhaps I'll volunteer to do a wash for my son the next time his car (ceramic coat) is due to be cleaned and see how they compare.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I had mine done at Topaz, very impressed

I had Gtechniq EXO+C1 Crystal Serum put on,

Over the moon with it, You have to have your car detailed first before applying the ceramic coating to get rid of all the swirls and flaws otherwise they are locked in for ever

kc

Yup yup .. but what do you do to keep it clean.......we can take photos of a waxed car that looks like that (very nice). No disrespect but for me, it is "maintaining the look"?

 

[Chrishazle]

I had a quick look on Ultimatefinish's website, thinking about the newly acquired SLK280 in Fire Opal Red - not sure I'm prepared to pay close to 4 figures though!!

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Yep......a fiend had his 1st Porche done (at Ultimate Finish) and was happy but...what did he know?

 

[kcsun]

Hi Rory, mine IS a garage queen I admit, and decides to stay in the warm and dry when the weather is iffy, however, when it does come home not looking its best I have a single bucket with grit guard with Meguiars Ultimate shampoo and a sheepskin mitt, it glides over the car and is rinsed, washed and rinsed in ½ hour (if it was really filthy I would snow foam it first to loosen any hardened dirt). Then microfibre it down and then go over with Mequiars Quik detailer. All done and back in garage in less than a hour. The Porsche I had previously took twice as long but was only clayed waxed and polished by myself. When it was first done the wash times were similar to the SL but quickly took longer and longer even with added coats of wax etc

Hope this helps

kc