Cleaning and paint help!

[Chappers17]

Alright Guys,
I have bought a RS Clio Trophy 220 in black. After picking it up I have seen swirl marks in the paint and I want them gone.
What's the best stuff to clean the car with and what's a good wax/polish to use.

Frazer

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

Alright Guys,
I have bought a RS Clio Trophy 220 in black. After picking it up I have seen swirl marks in the paint and I want them gone.
What's the best stuff to clean the car with and what's a good wax/polish to use.

Frazer

You’ll need a DA polishing machine if you want to remove the swirls.

 

[Chappers17]

You’ll need a DA polishing machine if you want to remove the swirls.

Yeah I need to be on the look out for those. I'm think of getting a pressure washer and bits as well to avoid having to tough the paint too much

 

[Knuckles]

Yeah I need to be on the look out for those. I'm think of getting a pressure washer and bits as well to avoid having to tough the paint too much

Have a read through some of my old cleaning threads if you want tips on products and processes on Decontamination, protection, correction and minimum contact cleaning.

 

[Chappers17]

Have a read through some of my old cleaning threads if you want tips on products and processes on Decontamination, protection, correction and minimum contact cleaning.

Thanks buddy!
I'll have a look! No doubt I'll pick up some tips!

 

[K4M_clio]

I used meguiars scratch 2.0 it has helped with swirls but wants doing again, definetly an improvement though

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

Yeah I need to be on the look out for those. I'm think of getting a pressure washer and bits as well to avoid having to tough the paint too much

It’s definitely worth investing in something like a DAS6 pro http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis.../das-6-pro-dual-action-polisher/prod_673.html

You’ll use it loads. Even after you’ve got the swirls out you can use it a couple of times a year to get the paint proper glossy with glazes and very fine polishes.

They’re proper easy to use and there’s loads of tutorials on YouTube.

 

[JamesBryan]

I used meguiars scratch 2.0 it has helped with swirls but wants doing again, definetly an improvement though

Megs Scratch 2.0 is more of a cutting compound, so you're more than likely to be inducing swirls just by the nature of it.

Think of it like T-Cut.

You'll need a finer finishing polish to safely remove swirls.

 

[Chappers17]

I used meguiars scratch 2.0 it has helped with swirls but wants doing again, definetly an improvement though

Thanks buddy! I'll have a look

 

[Chappers17]

Megs Scratch 2.0 is more of a cutting compound, so you're more than likely to be inducing swirls just by the nature of it.

Think of it like T-Cut.

You'll need a finer finishing polish to safely remove swirls.

Thanks for the help buddy! I'll have a look see what I can find. They just bugging me now. And with better weather coming seems the right time to get them sorted

 

[JamesBryan]

Worth getting some decent microfibre cloths as well, because cheap ones will cause light swirling and marring.

You want soft and plush ones for paintwork.

These are nice and soft: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BK79YUO/?tag=cliospnet01-21

 

[Chappers17]

Worth getting some decent microfibre cloths as well, because cheap ones will cause light swirling and marring.

You want soft and plush ones for paintwork.

These are nice and soft: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BK79YUO/?tag=cliospnet01-21

Thanks man! All these tips hopefully will help. Want to keep the Clio looking good

 

[JamesBryan]

Thanks man! All these tips hopefully will help. Want to keep the Clio looking good

Don't wash them in anything that has fabric softener in either, it'll bugger them up.

Either get some dedicated microfibre wash or use bog standard non-bio stuff (liquid, not powder).

 

[Chappers17]

Don't wash them in anything that has fabric softener in either, it'll bugger them up.

Either get some dedicated microfibre wash or use bog standard non-bio stuff (liquid, not powder).

Awesome. Didn't know that before!

 

[JamesBryan]

Awesome. Didn't know that before!

Yeah, although you can revive them with white vinegar sometimes.

 

[123dan]

Best to just reiterate the basics.. Two buckets for washing, lambswool mitts (I use two, one for the cleaner half of the car and one for everywhere else), drying with a large soft microfibre cloth rather than a chamois, clay bar decontamination before using any sort of polish (I use the simple Meguiars kit), I don't use a polishing machine but get good results just doing it by hand with a small application pad, simple wax/sealant treatment (even ArmorAll Shield does a decent job).

 

[Chappers17]

Best to just reiterate the basics.. Two buckets for washing, lambswool mitts (I use two, one for the cleaner half of the car and one for everywhere else), drying with a large soft microfibre cloth rather than a chamois, clay bar decontamination before using any sort of polish (I use the simple Meguiars kit), I don't use a polishing machine but get good results just doing it by hand with a small application pad, simple wax/sealant treatment (even ArmorAll Shield does a decent job).

Thank you buddy. Just need to get rid of the existing swirls in the paint

 

[123dan]

Thank you buddy. Just need to get rid of the existing swirls in the paint

That's ok, it depends how deep you want to go into cleaning/valeting/detailing. You can remove swirls with just a good clean, clay and polish by hand and then add some protetion with a wax including liquid waxes. I use Autoglym Super Resin Polish, nothing special but it does the job applied with a simple soft applicating pad and then buffed with a soft polishing cloth. In my opinion the clay is the most important step as that is removing all the contaminants that are causing your swirls in the first place, my Clio had been polished without decontamination first and it was that polishing that caused all the swirls!

 

[JamesBryan]

That's ok, it depends how deep you want to go into cleaning/valeting/detailing. You can remove swirls with just a good clean, clay and polish by hand and then add some protetion with a wax including liquid waxes. I use Autoglym Super Resin Polish, nothing special but it does the job applied with a simple soft applicating pad and then buffed with a soft polishing cloth. In my opinion the clay is the most important step as that is removing all the contaminants that are causing your swirls in the first place, my Clio had been polished without decontamination first and it was that polishing that caused all the swirls!

SRP does contain a few swirl fillers, so you won't get a 100% true finish but it's good enough for the hobbyist car cleaner.

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/282885567619

 

[Chappers17]

Thanks for the advice guys!
I just want to look right and not like some of the black cars you see, when the sun hits them all you see is the swirls.
Probably more my own fault for getting a black car (something I said I didn't want again but it looked so good).

 

[mantis946]

If you’ve got the facelift trophy, be warned the gloss black on the alloys scratches from a stiff breeze, be sure to use the softest brushes you can when cleaning them. I found this out the hard way

 

[Chappers17]

If you’ve got the facelift trophy, be warned the gloss black on the alloys scratches from a stiff breeze, be sure to use the softest brushes you can when cleaning them. I found this out the hard way 😧

Thanks man! So far I've been using a mitt on them! Shame about yours though

 

[Chappers17]