Bit by bit detailing

[Harpham]

Just a general question.

I am now in the search for perfection on my Clio 200. Still some swirls present, so I am looking to have achieved full on perfection by ClioSport Saturday.

As the car is clean, tar free etc, would it be worth me/alright detailing a couple panels each time I wash, then relayer up the wax again?
This would then be followed by a proper going over before the event itself.

Just wondering, as it would mean that I can do it bit by bit and can maybe spend an hour extra when cleaning the car just concentrating on the 1-2 panels.
(It would also be alot less tiring/stressful lol).

Would then also mean that the day before CSS wouldnt be a massive full on detail, just a basic clean up and maybe a going over again just to keep the full on shine.

 

[ipodsandguns]

It can be done, but you will always be fighting a losing battle.

Say day 1 you wash and machine the bonnet.
Day 2 the roof,
Day 3 the the wings.
Day 4 front bumper.
Day 5 rear bumper, boot and spoiler.
Day 6 O/S door
Day 7 O/S rear quater
Day 8 N/S door
Day 9 N/S rear quarter
Day 10 Skirts and sills.....


By day 10 and 10 washes later your bonnet needs re-doing

 

[Harpham]

Suppose you're right there, but surely if I chase the 99% correction on the individual panels, then by the time CSS comes round, it'll only have very minor marks, if any, so wont take too much to make the whole thing perfect.
I just cba to spend another whole day on my car so soon after doing it.

Mine would probably go like:
1st wash - Front arches
2nd - Both doors
3rd - Rear Arches
4th - Rear end
5th - Roof + spoiler

(I did the whole front end again the day before FCS, just to perk it up, as when I detailed it, it was right up against the garage door, so really didnt get a good enough finish on it. So this only has very very minor marks on it now and will only need a tiny bit of work doing on it)

 

[Yellow Dave]

In an evening last friday, I did the whole passenger side front wing, door and rear wing from start to finish. took me 3 hours. Will do the same again this Friday but to the drivers side. Rear bumper and bootlid already done.

I'm not really good enough to get it all done in anything but a full day so this way I have some time to myself.

 

[yellowbelly]

It can be done, but you will always be fighting a losing battle.

Say day 1 you wash and machine the bonnet.
Day 2 the roof,
Day 3 the the wings.
Day 4 front bumper.
Day 5 rear bumper, boot and spoiler.
Day 6 O/S door
Day 7 O/S rear quater
Day 8 N/S door
Day 9 N/S rear quarter
Day 10 Skirts and sills.....


By day 10 and 10 washes later your bonnet needs re-doing

I disagree (i think, i am not 100% sure i am reading your post right), If you want to concentrate on a panel/section of the car at a time as you don't have the time to do it all in one go then carry on and do this mate.
Granted it would be alot easier in the long run to do it all in one sitting so to speak, however it's only the time taken to take your cleaning equipment in and out your garage that will tot up as being a waste of time.

I honestly can't see a few days being an issue with regards to the paintworks finish, it's not like each panel is going to appear slightly different. Once you machine polish and protect (well) it will last months so a few days won't really be an issue.

 

[Harpham]

^ Basically, I would be planning to do mine over the next few weeks, in the run up to ClioSport Saturday, taking 1-2 panels after each time I wash (probably happening once per week).

This would hopefully leave me with a pretty much perfect finish and therefore would only need a basic detailing session the day before the event.

 

[yellowbelly]

Little and often leading up to the date then hitting it with one final clean/wipe over the day before would be fine mate

 

[JD]

If you have the right wash method, you will not incur swirls as quickly. So the above post is wrong.

It can be done. You can also wash the car with near contactless washes.

Wash car, day one do roof, protect well. Day two, wash area to be corrected, use DI water on the rest to prevent spotting. And so on.

 

[yellowbelly]

If you have the right wash method, you will not incur swirls as quickly. So the above post is wrong.

It can be done. You can also wash the car with near contactless washes.

Wash car, day one do roof, protect well. Day two, wash area to be corrected, use DI water on the rest to prevent spotting. And so on.

Can you just clarify which post is wrong JD...

 

[Harpham]

If you have the right wash method, you will not incur swirls as quickly. So the above post is wrong.

It can be done. You can also wash the car with near contactless washes.

Wash car, day one do roof, protect well. Day two, wash area to be corrected, use DI water on the rest to prevent spotting. And so on.

Cheers for that JD!!

What I was hoping was to just incorporate it into my weekly wash. So id be washing it as usual, snow foam, 2x bucket method etc... You know the drill. Dry off as usual, then just get the DA on an individual panel to correct.

Then the next week, do the same, but obviously PC the next panel.

 

[JD]

It can be done, but you will always be fighting a losing battle.

Say day 1 you wash and machine the bonnet.
Day 2 the roof,
Day 3 the the wings.
Day 4 front bumper.
Day 5 rear bumper, boot and spoiler.
Day 6 O/S door
Day 7 O/S rear quater
Day 8 N/S door
Day 9 N/S rear quarter
Day 10 Skirts and sills.....


By day 10 and 10 washes later your bonnet needs re-doing

Can you just clarify which post is wrong JD...

This one.

 

[Gally]

All of them are wrong...

 

[yellowbelly]

Go on Gally......

 

[ipodsandguns]

I can understand my post being regarded as wrong as in my people opinions it would be but Im yet to see a swirl free finish after 3 or 4 very care full washing stages.
If your after achieving a decent finish then fair enough but I dont think its a great way to get a perfect finish at all.

 

[yellowbelly]

^^^ If you are getting swirls after a few washes then you are doing something wrong....

 

[ipodsandguns]

I can promise you get some form/light level of swirl or marring when you wash any car with any form of protection.
Each time you wash the car you can wax it in the most extreme, expensive wax once buffed off you will be left with the same micron level of protection. Wax doesnt protect the car from paint damage inflicted by dirt, it stops dirt/soilage bonding aswell as protecting from UV rays and acid rain.

Unless you have some new mitt that can levitate dirt off the car with out touching it rather then stroking the mitt across the car I will not stand down and say that a car can be washed perfectly damage free.

Why would any heartfull owner ever detail a car twice in life time if a wash could be performed with out inflicting any damage.

 

[ipodsandguns]

I can promise you get some form/light level of swirl or marring when you wash any car with any form of protection.
Each time you wash the car you can wax it in the most extreme, expensive wax once buffed off you will be left with the same micron level of protection. Wax doesnt protect the car from paint damage inflicted by dirt, it stops dirt/soilage bonding aswell as protecting from UV rays and acid rain.

Unless you have some new mitt that can levitate dirt off the car with out touching it rather then stroking the mitt across the car I will not stand down and say that a car can be washed perfectly damage free.

Why would any heartfull owner ever detail a car twice in life time if a wash could be performed with out inflicting any damage.

 

[JD]

I agree that you will marr the paint over time. But I could wash my car, drive through a quarry and wash it again ten times and inflict very, very, VERY minimal swirls. I also urge you to look into C1 and Aquartz for a start before suggesting you will definitely have swirls after every wash.

I would also suggest you look into things like the two bucket method, grit guards, a decent wash mitt, a decent shampoo, snow foam, pressure washer, deionised water, vehicle dryers etc etc etc. I.e. all the stages a true detailer goes through to ensure a swirl free wash.

The last thing I want to do is come over as an internet warrior who's just got his keyboard out, but hopefully the above will aid you in your own wash techniques.

 

[ipodsandguns]

When I say damage will be inflicted I dont mean intense swirling as per pre-correction. But light damage.

Also I do take all the usual precautions a detailer would. I do have quite an armoury and have done for a good few years now.
Im just speaking from my own experience as a well experienced novice.

 

[Gally]

3/4 washes! What are you doing man!

I seen a 100% corrected car after a year and from some angles you couldn't even see the swirls!

 

[Daniel]

Why would you need to re-wash the panels that have been detailed?

Day 1, wash and detail bonnet.
Day 2, wash and detail front wings (leave bonnet alone)
Day 3, wash and detail doors (leave front wings and bonnet alone)
etc etc.

Then the day before CSS, quickly go over the whole car.

Sorted.

 

[Android]

I think it sounds like hassle!

Take a day out and just do the whole car.
Then just before CSS give the car a quick going over with finishing pad & Menz final finish?

 

[badgerbite]

Why would you need to re-wash the panels that have been detailed?

Day 1, wash and detail bonnet.
Day 2, wash and detail front wings (leave bonnet alone)
Day 3, wash and detail doors (leave front wings and bonnet alone)
etc etc.

Then the day before CSS, quickly go over the whole car.

Sorted.

I do mine like this, but over two days (front to back). I take my time and enjoy the process, instead of busting my ass trying to do it all in one day lol.

 

[Harpham]

Can I just make the point that this wouldn't be done in consecutive days, guys. Id want to be doing it over the coming weeks, rather than spending a full day before the event detailing the car.

(Although I will still end up spending the full day detailing before CSS, as id give it a basic going over)

 

[Kane.]

Why don't you want to do it all in one go btw ?

 

[Harpham]

Just that id rather do it over a bit of time, which means I dont blow a whole day doing it and it'll mean that I can take my time on each panel, rather than thinking "ooh I best hurry up, as ill need to be done by this time".
Also, less stress, less pain and more motivation each time.

Ill still end up spending the day on it before CSS though

 

[Spee]

Just jet wash it and go for a blast!

 

[Kane.]

I see where you're coming from, I prefer getting it all done in one tbh. Start at 6am, even after 8 hours it'll only be 2pm, day not wasted

 

[Gorms]

Harpham i know what you are getting at here. I normally wash my car once a week and tend to seal/wax one area after each wash. The other weekend i done the roof and windows and this weekend will do the front end. I only do this as i normally get a little bored and end up doing a rushed job. I think one panel at a time is a little ott.

As for the swirl/damage to paint discussion, im yet to get my G220 out the box for my 200 and i have had it two years now. Its not perfect but its not that bad either, as i have always tried to avoid causing any more damage than necessary. Preventative maintenance is far better that corrective maintenance.

 

[JD]

If you search for my S3 thread, that was done over 13 weeks... It can be done.