Detailing-Weapons Of Choice

[michaelk3289]

Lee, your car looks great on those AMG's, actually looks great full stop, that sure is some gloss you got going on

 

[lordlee]

I did sneak a layer of AG EGP over it before the photos. It should be glossier when this bad weather finally goes and I can finally get the paint correction done!!

 

[Alscoob]

That red certainly shines, brilliant finish

To follow on from your earlier post, with a bit of effort you can restore most. Helped a friend out with some usual swirls on his dark blue car. a couple of before / after just to show.

Used my favourites...

Poorboys SSR 2.5 on yellow sfx pad
Poorboys SSR 1 on white sfx polishing pad
Poorboys Blackhole glaze on Lake black finishing pad
Poorboys EXP sealant 2 coats 24hrs apart
All ready for Collinite 476 wax for this time of year (use P21S in summer, more shing but less durable than collinite)

rear wing

Wing done, door not...

Wing done.....

Bonnet 1/2 & 1/2

 

[lordlee]

Excellent work there. BMW?

Thats the sort of result I am looking for with mine although the swirls arent that bad. It looks like someone has cleaned that with a brillo pad!

I am quite excited about using the Scholl kit as I am reading more and more details that have been done using their kit and it seems excellent. I reckon the Clearkote machine glaze will produce a different level of shine than I currently have too.

How long did that take to achieve? Any pictures of the fully finished car?

 

[Superspec]

I won't list what I have, I'd be here all night....

But here's some pics of a couple of cars I've done. The Merc is mine, the GTR a mates.

 

[Koolvin]

• Bucket and sponge (only the one )
• Fairy liquid from the kitchen sink
• Hosepipe (or watering can) to rinse
• Chamois leather than smells funny (that you've had for years, but always returns to life after a soak in water!)
• Windowlene for the glass, kitchen paper nicked from indoors
• The old hoover that you replaced that now lives in the garage
• T-cut to polish and Turtle wax to finish (from Woolworths)
• Some old rags/cloths as necessary

I'm joking, but isn't this what everyone used in the past? :bannana:

You forgot the Mer

 

[Ream]

I won't list what I have, I'd be here all night....

But here's some pics of a couple of cars I've done. The Merc is mine, the GTR a mates.

Nice work, the merc looks lovely.

 

[Alscoob]

Excellent work there. BMW?

Thats the sort of result I am looking for with mine although the swirls arent that bad. It looks like someone has cleaned that with a brillo pad!

I am quite excited about using the Scholl kit as I am reading more and more details that have been done using their kit and it seems excellent. I reckon the Clearkote machine glaze will produce a different level of shine than I currently have too.

How long did that take to achieve? Any pictures of the fully finished car?

Spent about 16 hrs on it, including the washing & clay beforehand & well spotted it is a BMW. Its a good car but just had years of hand washing with a sponge & 1 bucket.

I have used the Clearkote Red moose glaze before & it is excellent.

& the finished car......

 

[rawc43]

i use

2 meguiars buckets plus microfiber mitt
autoglym drying towel
autoglym clay bar
meguiars DA polisher with pro paint cleaner
swissvax cleaner fluid
swissvax mirage wax
swissvax nano express

 

[stew202]

• Bucket and sponge (only the one )
• Fairy liquid from the kitchen sink
• Hosepipe (or watering can) to rinse
• Chamois leather than smells funny (that you've had for years, but always returns to life after a soak in water!)
• Windowlene for the glass, kitchen paper nicked from indoors
• The old hoover that you replaced that now lives in the garage
• T-cut to polish and Turtle wax to finish (from Woolworths)
• Some old rags/cloths as necessary

I'm joking, but isn't this what everyone used in the past? :bannana:

For me - there can be a bit too much OCD with some of the detailing today. Not so much in the actual results, but in terms of people trying to outdo each other as to who's got the best kit/spent the most on £££ waxes etc etc. Quite a bit of hostility between rival detailers sometimes too which is a shame

Some of the newer products/methods are quite good though. IMHO, the best developments in more recent times have been clay bars, quick detailers and microfibre cloths.

I still maintain that with detailing it is 90% effort and 10% products. Even using the stuff in my tongue-in-cheek list above, you could make a neglected car look fanstastic with enough effort. Likewise, applying a £200 pot of wax to a badly prepared car won't do it any justice either.

Just IMHO of course

 

[lordlee]

I agree with that to a point. I feel the need to set a budget in my head of what I see as acceptable to spend and then find the best products that I can for my 'imaginary' budget. Hence all the products I have sit at a reasonable price point and I think do an excellent job. Some people would say that I am **** and spend too much time and money on my car products and some would say I am not OCd enough and could use far better products. At the end of the day its what the individual is happy to spend to achieve a result.
I love nothing more than viewing a 2nd hand car, be it for me or a friend, and thinking what jobs I could do to get the paint, the alloys, engine bay etc looking like new. *wants to go and wash car*