Can you polish your car too often?

[DanFreemanPhoto]

May sound odd, but as Im starting to get a bit into detailing (sigh, I know!), I was just wondering if polishing your car too often had any negative effects?

I ask only because a couple of weeks ago I gave my 182 its first treatment with AG SRP (after a good wash first!). Recently I bought a clay kit, so I would liek to give that a try, but is it too soon to polish the car again? Obviously I will need to polish the car after claying, but I fear I may start doing it too often.

If this is too often, whats a good time between polishing?

 

[Rich]

Polishing by hand with SRP will remove little to no clearcoat and you could probably use it oncer a week for a cars lifetime with no noticeable amount of clearcoat removal.

Polishing with any real kind of polish or compound especially by machine is where you can over polish paint. Something you really should not do more than once a year, and strong heavy cut compounds not more than once in a cars life time.

The main key to caring for your paint is a safe wash technique so there ios not need to polish all the time.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=291933

I polish a car once or twice a year and then wash and maintain the finish with a purte no abrasive waxes and sealants.

In the short of it go ahead and clay, but bear in mind the car will look worse for it and you may need a more abrasive polish to just after than just SRP to get the same depth and gloss back.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Thanks for that Rich, super helpful as always

P.S Why does a car look worse after claying?

 

[Rich]

Claying removes any waxes and polishes on the paint which lots contains fillers that hide any defects (minor scratches and swirls), taking it back to squeaky clean paint. This gives you a true indication of what you paint is like.

Clay will just remove the embedded stuck on grime washing alone won't though lots of people on here will tell you it will make your car shiny !!! Also the nature of what you are doing shearing off this contamination and dragging it across the paint is going to create some slight dulling especially noticeable if you car is very well polished.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Right, I'll have a go today as the weather looks good for it, and I'll let you know how I get on!

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Finished both claying and polishing. Tbh, I didnt notice the car looking 'worse' after claying. The bar did look quite dirty at the end though, and there were quite a few noticeable spots and other bits of crap that it took off too

A few pics after polishing

The only thing that looks naff is the tyres

Whats the best product for getting tyres looking new again?

 

[.GAZ.]

tyre shine..

 

[Beef-Mc]

I'm, using Megiars duragloss, but the blackfire stuff seems to be better.

 

[BREMBO]

Looking good mate

Rich when you say keeping on top of a safe was technique what do you mean? waxing, sealent?

 

[clioandy105]

the stuff you want is meguiars endurance high gloss tyre gel, 7.99 from halfords, amazing stuff, gets your tyres looking new again, lasts ages!

 

[Beef-Mc]

the stuff you want is meguiars endurance high gloss tyre gel, 7.99 from halfords, amazing stuff, gets your tyres looking new again, lasts ages!

I must be putting mine on wrong, it just looks toss for some reson.

 

[Rich]

I can't Megs endurance not to splatter everywhere - horrible tat.

Blackfire Long Lasting Tyre Gel or Poorboys Bold and Bright for me.

A safe wash technique in the fact of not inducing swirls Brembo, decent lambswool mitt, two bucket method and a good drying towel. Most swirl marks are wash induced - most from the drying part.

 

[rosskerr]

how do you get rid of swirls?

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I got rid a of a lot of mine (although they were VERY minor) with Autoglym Super Resin Polish. It wont get rid of more serious swirls as I think SRP is quite gentle.

To avoid getting them in the first place, dont use a hard sponge, use a lambswool mitt as Rich suggests

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Also, see here: http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28

 

[Rich]

how do you get rid of swirls?

SRP will hide as many as it removes as it is very mild, working by hand to do swirl removal is very hard work, a machine polish is the easiest route and the most successful if you are looking for real defect correction.

 

[BREMBO]

Thanks Rich

SRP is awesome!

 

[rosskerr]

ahh.. right.. well.. what if you where 17 had the car a few days and knew nothing about this stuff lol.. auto glym?

 

[Chris_786]

^^ if you can afford it.^^
i prefer megs tbh

 

[Rich]

ahh.. right.. well.. what if you where 17 had the car a few days and knew nothing about this stuff lol.. auto glym?

I have been using Autoglym stuff since 17!

When I was a poor student, Autoglym Super Resin Polish, Shampoo and Bumper car and bottle of there tyre dressing used to see me through.

Most Autoglym products apart from the shampoo I find better than the Meguiars Consumer range equivalents.

 

[Curley]

ahh.. right.. well.. what if you where 17 had the car a few days and knew nothing about this stuff lol.. auto glym?

I got my first bottle or SRP at 17... spent £80 on stuff on a visit to halfords.

19 now an i dread to think how much i've spent looking at my products.. grands?.. worth it though

 

[alex-avfc]

As already said, SRP is mainly a filler so hides swirls rather than removes them, but does a damn good job of it and leaves a nice finish. Proven to be one of the best hand polishes

Rich have you seen that new Meguiars polishing compound coming out in 09, can be used by hand, "Ultimate compound" something like that?

Oh and for tyre shine I;d go for Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel (if you want gel), though I quite often use a trade product by Autosmart called Highstyle

 

[MikeLYR27]

Would a good machine polish get rid if very minor stonechips as well as swirls etc??

 

[Rich]

Not unless you touch them with paint and wet sand first no.

Alex no not seen it. Any links ?

 

[RichCup]

Saw this stuff in a megs catalogue I think. You get it in bulk sizes and iirc it's pink?

Edit - It was this I was thinking of, not sure if it's the same?

"With this one liquid, you can cut, polish, and wax. 1 or 2 step process; simply switch to the least aggressive tool/pad combination on the 2nd step and re-apply PRC for the ultimate solution to high volume paint reconditioning."

 

[alex-avfc]

RichCup- not seen that before, looks interesting though. Megs Detailer product range is pretty highly rated

Both Rich's lol...this is what I was on about, was being talked about quite a bit on DW

http://www.meguiars.com/whatsnew/2009Preview.cfm?page=2009_consumer_products

ULTIMATE COMPOUND

Safely restore color and clarity to abused and neglected finishes with Meguiar's® Ultimate Compound. Our revolutionary formula cuts as fast as harsh abrasive compounds but without scratching… even on clear coat finishes. This dramatically reduces the time and effort required to remove defects and makes traditional rubbing and polishing compounds obsolete! This is the fast, easy way to remove oxidation, scratches and swirl marks. The secret is Meguiar's exclusive micro-abrasive technology developed from our state-of-the-art professional body shop and detailer products. Whether working by hand or with our DA polisher, this is truly the ultimate compound!

I guess like AG paint renovator?

 

[Rich]

Will be more advanced than AG paint Renovator which is a very old formulation, will take a look now - ta.