Goldfish11
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2004
- Messages
- 846
- Car
- C220 CDI (09/11 - Facelift) & SLK200
I've been researching again. :bannana: :bannana:
So you all want to win the next MBClub(UK) GTG Cleanest Car competition or you just want to really impress the neighbours, or you have to much time on your hands and want to create a Show car finish on your every day run around car? Well I have finally managed to find sources for all the stuff you need in the UK so you can get this products over the internet.
Autopia the US car detailing site describe a process called creating the "Perfect Shine". This Paintcare methodology is the basis of what is required to produce near perfect paint finish with incredible depth of shine. So all credit goes to Autopia (REEESPECT as my teenage son says) for the following but the problem is with postage etc it can be a little expensive to import all you need when you need it.
Further details on the Perfect Shine method can be found on the Autopia site using the link below and selecting the "How to ...." section.
http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?autopia+MBWu4u+index.html+
A better more comprehensive guide can be found by downloading the Autopia e-book.
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/lib/autopia/goldfish.exe
(The Autopia Guide to Detailing is a Windows executable ebook. Click the link to download and save the file to your Windows Desktop. Click the red car icon to run the book. You will need to register your copy to get a password that unlocks all chapters. The author, David Bynon, sends free updates 2-3 times a year.)
To create the Perfect Shine various stages and products are required. The problem has been that many of the products have only been available in the USA so unless you decide to import stuff from the US this approach has been out of reach to the UK enthusiast.
The process has 5 key stages:
1) Ensuring the paint surface is contaminate free 2) Remove Paint Defects 3) Creating the Gloss 4) Sealing the paintwork 5) The final Wax.
1) Ensuring the Paint surface is contaminate free - a) Wash your car TWICE with a good quality gloss car shampoo. Any good quality shampoo will do you can use Meguiars or Autoglym. Do use a new sponge and the 2 bucket method, (1 bucket for your shampoo water and an other bucket to rinse the sponge after each time you have placed it on the vehicle, this stops grit being dragged on the surface of the vehicle creating swirl marks, This should be your standard way of cleaning the car anyway I use a lambs wool wash mitt from meguiars if looked after it will last 12 months) Dry the vehicle with a microfibre drying cloth.
b) Examine your paintwork carefully it should be perfectly smooth use your eyes and touch, you can feel contamination often easier than seeing it. The paint should feel like clean glass. All the following create roughness on the paint and need to be removed.
Tree sap mist
Paint overspray
Industrial fallout
Hardwater deposits
Diesel fuel exhausts
Rubber particles from other cars
Bird & Insect droppings
Insect splatter
c) If you feel or see contamination use a clay system initially, clay removes the mess from the surface. Meguiars do such a system it costs about £12. One source for this is:
http://www.cleanandshiney.co.uk/
(Put "Clay" into search system to find the product, Delivery is included in the price and this compares well with local Motorist Centres.
2) Remove Paint Defects
a) Now the paintwork is really clean you can see all the other major paint defects. Touch up stone chips, scratches etc (Use a tooth pick and/or fine artists paint brush when touching up, don't use the brush in the touch up pot unless you want a big splodge
). You should then leave this to dry as long as possible.
b) Now it is time to also remove things like swirl. Use a good quality polish, a polish is slightly abrasive. Autopia always used to recommend 1z products, they now have there own label product called Sonus which will be replacing 1z on their site in 2005. The 1z - Einszett products are: "Paint Polish" and "Metallic Polish and Wax" the Paint Polish is a moderate abrasive polish and the Metallic Polish is low abrasive polish. These will remove any swirls, use the lowest abrasive polish for the job.
Paint Polish costs - £7.95
Metallic Polish cost - £6.95
The 1z - Einzett Products can be sourced from:
http://www.erazer.co.uk/
3) Creating the gloss
a) Once the paint is defect free it is now time to create gloss to do this you use a fine hand polish. The polish recomended by Autopia for many years is "P21S Paint Cleanser". This can be purchased in the UK for £14.99 from:
http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
4) Sealing the paintwork
a) By now your car should be perfectly polished and looking great but now we move into the Show car tricks. The first thing to do is seal and protect the paintwork, for the Perfect Shine to work an Acrylic sealant is used. The chaps in the USA use "Klasse" products to do this. However they are not available in the UK and Europe, but they are manufactured in Germany. (This bit of research took me ages and was a bit like "All the presidents men" lots of people being "Economical with the truth".) The first product to use is "Klasse All in One". In Europe this is called "Carlack68". This cleans, very lightly polishes and protects the vehicle. You then place TWO coats of "Klasse Sealant Glaze" one top of this, these should be placed on the vehicle with a 24 hour time lapse between them to allow the Acrylic formulae to cure. Klasse Sealant Glaze is called "Long Life Acryl Wax" and is available from Carlack in Europe. The Sealant Glaze creates real depth of shine and enhances protection. The Acrylic finish will protect the paint for between 6 months and 9 months so you only need to do this occasionally 2 to 3 times each year.
For information on these Carlack products check out:
http://www.carlack.de/
(Carlack deny they make Klasse and say they are a competitor, but say Carlack performs 10% better than Klasse. (I have had some email discussions with them, they are also very happy to answer questions about Klasse which seems strange) However check out the "Company" section on the website and compare this with the Autopia "How to Enhance your Klasse Experience" dates and info seem to match
You can get the Carlack in Germany from the supplier but I tried this and with currency exchange etc it is really difficult. My research has found out Carlack68 is used by aircraft owners to clean and protect aircraft, it protects them from UV at high altitude so your car will be UV proof.
You can purchase 1 litre container of "Carlack68" for £19.95 and 500ml of "Long Life Acryl Wax" for £12 (price to be confirmed) from:
http://www.afeonline.com/
Select "AFE" on the welcome menu and use the search for Carlack and Acryl.
AFE have also brought in a load of "Long Life Acryl Wax" this should be on the website in a few days but if you have problems contact Steve Dickinson at [email protected] The site is going through a technical upgrade and they have had a couple of problems. Alternatively call AFE on the telephone number in the "Contact us" section
Now the way the Acrylic sealant works in the Perfect Shine method is to produce an amazing finish that due to its chemistry can be used to place other waxes on top of this so you can layer the finish without removing the Acrylic coat. Other sealants end up being removed when you place a coat of wax on top because the solvent in the wax reacts with the sealant. Not so with Klasse and Carlack.
The finish should now be amazing but it will be a synthetic finish. Often these are said to be a "Candy Coat" finish and have less depth than a true wax.
5) The final Wax
Now for the Icing on the cake. On top of the Carlack/Acryl Wax finish you put on your Carnauba Wax. This is a show car wax which will produce an amazing depth of finish. Dark cars will look as if you are looking into a reflection in a pool of water, for lighter cars warmth and depth occur.
The wax that has been recommended by Autopia for this is P21S Carnauba Wax. However P21S is guaranteed to work in the perfect shine method because the solvents used are so mild (similiar to those used in lipstick) they will not effect the Acrylic finish.
P21S Concours Look Wax (as it is marketed in the UK) is available for £27.50
from:
http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
You can put as many coats of Carnauba wax as you like but remember this type wax is not very resilient so you will probably need to put a wax layer on once a month.
Conclusion
So that is the five stages, however once you have gone through the process it is easier to maintain. Stages 2 and 3 will not need to be done unless required. Make sure as you go through this process you only use soft terry towls or cotton, but best of all invest in Microfibre.
Dunelm mill shops microfibre cloths for 79pence but there are other sources. Read the How to .... "Microfibre Myths, Truth and Technology" on the Autopia site before purchasing this is really useful.
http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?autopia+MBWu4u+index.html+[/
Now the above may seem like hard work but this is where if you are lazy like me you need a little help. You may get a better finish by hand but it is much easier to use a Power Polish like the Porter Cable 7424 if you want information on this see
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6997
This enables you to do the majority of the above within a day. You do have to wait for Waxes to cure but you can always put on a coat in about 20 minutes or so.
One little bit of bad news, it is advisable not to wax your car if the ambient temperature is under 10C many sealants and waxes do not cure well under this temperature or just take ages.
To maintain
Do use a good quality shampoo to wash your car.
Do not take through a car wash
Do use the "Two Bucket Method" to wash the vehicle everytime.
Do invest in a lambs wool wash mitt.
Sorry for typos but this has taken me ages, I wish this forum had a spell checker.
I look forward to hearing your views and tips but please please please can we avoid the prefered wax or sealant debate. I know by now many of you just love Zymol
Mr Moderator, hopefully all this research will deserve a sticky or even an entry in the how to section
UPDATE: 18 FEB2005
Mike at the the Polishing Company has seen this thread, he has put some special packs for MBCLUB members together which include everything you need for this type of process. He is now importing Carlack68. Please see the thread below for full details. Or see www.thepolishingcompany.com and quote MBCLUBGOLDFISH
So you all want to win the next MBClub(UK) GTG Cleanest Car competition or you just want to really impress the neighbours, or you have to much time on your hands and want to create a Show car finish on your every day run around car? Well I have finally managed to find sources for all the stuff you need in the UK so you can get this products over the internet.
Autopia the US car detailing site describe a process called creating the "Perfect Shine". This Paintcare methodology is the basis of what is required to produce near perfect paint finish with incredible depth of shine. So all credit goes to Autopia (REEESPECT as my teenage son says) for the following but the problem is with postage etc it can be a little expensive to import all you need when you need it.
Further details on the Perfect Shine method can be found on the Autopia site using the link below and selecting the "How to ...." section.
http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?autopia+MBWu4u+index.html+
A better more comprehensive guide can be found by downloading the Autopia e-book.
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/lib/autopia/goldfish.exe
(The Autopia Guide to Detailing is a Windows executable ebook. Click the link to download and save the file to your Windows Desktop. Click the red car icon to run the book. You will need to register your copy to get a password that unlocks all chapters. The author, David Bynon, sends free updates 2-3 times a year.)
To create the Perfect Shine various stages and products are required. The problem has been that many of the products have only been available in the USA so unless you decide to import stuff from the US this approach has been out of reach to the UK enthusiast.
The process has 5 key stages:
1) Ensuring the paint surface is contaminate free 2) Remove Paint Defects 3) Creating the Gloss 4) Sealing the paintwork 5) The final Wax.
1) Ensuring the Paint surface is contaminate free - a) Wash your car TWICE with a good quality gloss car shampoo. Any good quality shampoo will do you can use Meguiars or Autoglym. Do use a new sponge and the 2 bucket method, (1 bucket for your shampoo water and an other bucket to rinse the sponge after each time you have placed it on the vehicle, this stops grit being dragged on the surface of the vehicle creating swirl marks, This should be your standard way of cleaning the car anyway I use a lambs wool wash mitt from meguiars if looked after it will last 12 months) Dry the vehicle with a microfibre drying cloth.
b) Examine your paintwork carefully it should be perfectly smooth use your eyes and touch, you can feel contamination often easier than seeing it. The paint should feel like clean glass. All the following create roughness on the paint and need to be removed.
Tree sap mist
Paint overspray
Industrial fallout
Hardwater deposits
Diesel fuel exhausts
Rubber particles from other cars
Bird & Insect droppings
Insect splatter
c) If you feel or see contamination use a clay system initially, clay removes the mess from the surface. Meguiars do such a system it costs about £12. One source for this is:
http://www.cleanandshiney.co.uk/
(Put "Clay" into search system to find the product, Delivery is included in the price and this compares well with local Motorist Centres.
2) Remove Paint Defects
a) Now the paintwork is really clean you can see all the other major paint defects. Touch up stone chips, scratches etc (Use a tooth pick and/or fine artists paint brush when touching up, don't use the brush in the touch up pot unless you want a big splodge
). You should then leave this to dry as long as possible.b) Now it is time to also remove things like swirl. Use a good quality polish, a polish is slightly abrasive. Autopia always used to recommend 1z products, they now have there own label product called Sonus which will be replacing 1z on their site in 2005. The 1z - Einszett products are: "Paint Polish" and "Metallic Polish and Wax" the Paint Polish is a moderate abrasive polish and the Metallic Polish is low abrasive polish. These will remove any swirls, use the lowest abrasive polish for the job.
Paint Polish costs - £7.95
Metallic Polish cost - £6.95
The 1z - Einzett Products can be sourced from:
http://www.erazer.co.uk/
3) Creating the gloss
a) Once the paint is defect free it is now time to create gloss to do this you use a fine hand polish. The polish recomended by Autopia for many years is "P21S Paint Cleanser". This can be purchased in the UK for £14.99 from:
http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
4) Sealing the paintwork
a) By now your car should be perfectly polished and looking great but now we move into the Show car tricks. The first thing to do is seal and protect the paintwork, for the Perfect Shine to work an Acrylic sealant is used. The chaps in the USA use "Klasse" products to do this. However they are not available in the UK and Europe, but they are manufactured in Germany. (This bit of research took me ages and was a bit like "All the presidents men" lots of people being "Economical with the truth".) The first product to use is "Klasse All in One". In Europe this is called "Carlack68". This cleans, very lightly polishes and protects the vehicle. You then place TWO coats of "Klasse Sealant Glaze" one top of this, these should be placed on the vehicle with a 24 hour time lapse between them to allow the Acrylic formulae to cure. Klasse Sealant Glaze is called "Long Life Acryl Wax" and is available from Carlack in Europe. The Sealant Glaze creates real depth of shine and enhances protection. The Acrylic finish will protect the paint for between 6 months and 9 months so you only need to do this occasionally 2 to 3 times each year.
For information on these Carlack products check out:
http://www.carlack.de/
(Carlack deny they make Klasse and say they are a competitor, but say Carlack performs 10% better than Klasse. (I have had some email discussions with them, they are also very happy to answer questions about Klasse which seems strange) However check out the "Company" section on the website and compare this with the Autopia "How to Enhance your Klasse Experience" dates and info seem to match
You can get the Carlack in Germany from the supplier but I tried this and with currency exchange etc it is really difficult. My research has found out Carlack68 is used by aircraft owners to clean and protect aircraft, it protects them from UV at high altitude so your car will be UV proof.
You can purchase 1 litre container of "Carlack68" for £19.95 and 500ml of "Long Life Acryl Wax" for £12 (price to be confirmed) from:
http://www.afeonline.com/
Select "AFE" on the welcome menu and use the search for Carlack and Acryl.
AFE have also brought in a load of "Long Life Acryl Wax" this should be on the website in a few days but if you have problems contact Steve Dickinson at [email protected] The site is going through a technical upgrade and they have had a couple of problems. Alternatively call AFE on the telephone number in the "Contact us" section
Now the way the Acrylic sealant works in the Perfect Shine method is to produce an amazing finish that due to its chemistry can be used to place other waxes on top of this so you can layer the finish without removing the Acrylic coat. Other sealants end up being removed when you place a coat of wax on top because the solvent in the wax reacts with the sealant. Not so with Klasse and Carlack.
The finish should now be amazing but it will be a synthetic finish. Often these are said to be a "Candy Coat" finish and have less depth than a true wax.
5) The final Wax
Now for the Icing on the cake. On top of the Carlack/Acryl Wax finish you put on your Carnauba Wax. This is a show car wax which will produce an amazing depth of finish. Dark cars will look as if you are looking into a reflection in a pool of water, for lighter cars warmth and depth occur.
The wax that has been recommended by Autopia for this is P21S Carnauba Wax. However P21S is guaranteed to work in the perfect shine method because the solvents used are so mild (similiar to those used in lipstick) they will not effect the Acrylic finish.
P21S Concours Look Wax (as it is marketed in the UK) is available for £27.50
from:
http://www.thepolishingcompany.com/
You can put as many coats of Carnauba wax as you like but remember this type wax is not very resilient so you will probably need to put a wax layer on once a month.
Conclusion
So that is the five stages, however once you have gone through the process it is easier to maintain. Stages 2 and 3 will not need to be done unless required. Make sure as you go through this process you only use soft terry towls or cotton, but best of all invest in Microfibre.
Dunelm mill shops microfibre cloths for 79pence but there are other sources. Read the How to .... "Microfibre Myths, Truth and Technology" on the Autopia site before purchasing this is really useful.
http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?autopia+MBWu4u+index.html+[/
Now the above may seem like hard work but this is where if you are lazy like me you need a little help. You may get a better finish by hand but it is much easier to use a Power Polish like the Porter Cable 7424 if you want information on this see
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6997
This enables you to do the majority of the above within a day. You do have to wait for Waxes to cure but you can always put on a coat in about 20 minutes or so.
One little bit of bad news, it is advisable not to wax your car if the ambient temperature is under 10C many sealants and waxes do not cure well under this temperature or just take ages.
To maintain
Do use a good quality shampoo to wash your car.
Do not take through a car wash
Do use the "Two Bucket Method" to wash the vehicle everytime.
Do invest in a lambs wool wash mitt.
Sorry for typos but this has taken me ages, I wish this forum had a spell checker.
I look forward to hearing your views and tips but please please please can we avoid the prefered wax or sealant debate. I know by now many of you just love Zymol
Mr Moderator, hopefully all this research will deserve a sticky or even an entry in the how to section
UPDATE: 18 FEB2005
Mike at the the Polishing Company has seen this thread, he has put some special packs for MBCLUB members together which include everything you need for this type of process. He is now importing Carlack68. Please see the thread below for full details. Or see www.thepolishingcompany.com and quote MBCLUBGOLDFISH
Last edited by a moderator:
