Detailing Chat & Questions Thread

[MLB]

Do you just hook it up when you're done washing, run some water through it for a couple of seconds and then rinse the car?

 

[Al_G]

Do you just hook it up when you're done washing, run some water through it for a couple of seconds and then rinse the car?

Yep, exactly that. Best used with an open hose as a final rinse.

Raceglaze also sell refillable units. Cost is about £100. TBH I like mine so much I’ll probably go for that next as it’ll work out cheaper in the long run.

It’s absolutely perfect if you’re wanting to avoid spotting or a contact wash.

Put it this way, if I snow foam my car with Bilt Hamber Auto Wash, jet wash it thoroughly then used filtered water you’d struggle to tell i’d not used a mitt or a drying cloth. Especially if the car is only lightly soiled.

 

[MLB]

I think I've see that the those refillable units before, they're the big blue ones aren't they?

Sounds pretty good, might be my next purchase, especially handy in summer, combined with Adam's shampoo which rinses off without leaving marks after drying on the paint!

Do you have an idea of how many times/washes can you use the one you linked to?

 

[Al_G]

I think I've see that the those refillable units before, they're the big blue ones aren't they?

Sounds pretty good, might be my next purchase, especially handy in summer, combined with Adam's shampoo which rinses off without leaving marks after drying on the paint!

Do you have an idea of how many times/washes can you use the one you linked to?

Don’t quote me but around 70ish I believe. I’d say that’s tops though, 50-60 is probably more realistic unless you’re really careful.

Yes, the raceglaze option is an upright blue tank.

Refillable 0ppm Water Filter (7 litre) RG-Filter-7L

They’re not actually as big as you think, mines only 16” inch in length. The Raceglaze will have a smaller footprint as it stands upright. They do bigger versions though.

Also great for washing your house windows.

 

[Stay Puft]

A bit of beadage.

 

[djp66]

OK guys, go gentle. Always been a bit scared of the whole DA/machine polisher thing and therefore stayed away. All this talk of correction, ceramic treatments, DAs, pads, compounds is beyond me and although I really enjoy reading threads from the beginning, 301 pages is a bit much to contemplate.

So, can anyone point me at an idiots guide to get me started. Also some idea of what a starter kit needs to be made up of.

I have this to practice on before I go anywhere near the Cup or our C Class

 

[rbeazer]

OK guys, go gentle. Always been a bit scared of the whole DA/machine polisher thing and therefore stayed away. All this talk of correction, ceramic treatments, DAs, pads, compounds is beyond me and although I really enjoy reading threads from the beginning, 301 pages is a bit much to contemplate.

So, can anyone point me at an idiots guide to get me started. Also some idea of what a starter kit needs to be made up of.

I have this to practice on before I go anywhere near the Cup or our C Class

View attachment 1462789

Have a look on here.

Car Polisher Machines | Car Care & Detailing Products

Car Polishers While all polishing tasks can be performed by hand, an electric Dual Action Polisher or Rotary car polisher makes the job easier and delivers far better results. We offer a range of dual action and rotary polishers designed for enthusiasts and professionals, including the ever po

www.cleanyourcar.co.uk

Lots of kits. The meguiars ones are always reliable. The das 6 machines are nice and cheap and work great

 

[imprezaworks]

Das or similar. Decent pad (most important bit) and some compound etc.

 

[rbeazer]

OK guys, go gentle. Always been a bit scared of the whole DA/machine polisher thing and therefore stayed away. All this talk of correction, ceramic treatments, DAs, pads, compounds is beyond me and although I really enjoy reading threads from the beginning, 301 pages is a bit much to contemplate.

So, can anyone point me at an idiots guide to get me started. Also some idea of what a starter kit needs to be made up of.

I have this to practice on before I go anywhere near the Cup or our C Class

View attachment 1462789

If you want a video to help you, heres one that explains it quite nicely i find. Gets better towards the halfway point.


Regarding pads and compounds, if you are new to this then there is no harm choosing a soft combination. There's less chance of you doing any damage plus you can always give it another go to get better results. Then once you've got used to using the machine you can move on to more aggressive pads and compounds.

Thats how i started anyway. Seeing as you have a test car you might be willing to dive straight in.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

@djp66 .. Happy to give you some help, if we're ever out of this lockadile lark again.

Been pretending I know what I'm doing for at least a decade so must have figured something out by now

Just gave my Bini a wash, light correction (bonnet only) and then whole car had a coat of Alchemy's Dark Matter glaze by machine, and then a coat of Midnight Sun (which I got a while back c/o @gally ) by hand.

You can almost see where the door ends and the ground starts.....

Tyres and plastics will get a PERL coat tomorrow.

Maybe.

 

[imprezaworks]

Have you used blackhole?

Always keen to try new stuff to aid black lol

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Have you used blackhole?

Always keen to try new stuff to aid black lol

Yep. Possibly got some in the garage.. bought it when I had my black Ph1 when I still lived at the 'rents

 

[imprezaworks]

Sorry ment as a comparison lol

 

[Al_G]

OK guys, go gentle. Always been a bit scared of the whole DA/machine polisher thing and therefore stayed away. All this talk of correction, ceramic treatments, DAs, pads, compounds is beyond me and although I really enjoy reading threads from the beginning, 301 pages is a bit much to contemplate.

So, can anyone point me at an idiots guide to get me started. Also some idea of what a starter kit needs to be made up of.

I have this to practice on before I go anywhere near the Cup or our C Class

View attachment 1462789

1) DAS 6 pro
2) Couple of Chemical Guys orange pads
3) AIO compound (Angelwax Enigma is a good starter)

Job jobbed.

 

[imprezaworks]

Might try some of the enigma stuff.

I used a rupes lh15? Which we have had in work since time began. Few marks on the front bumper, the pad was no idea tbh. But within 30 seconds most marks had gone and no burnt paint.

Would I be confident doing the whole car, mmm.

 

[Stay Puft]

Is BMW ‘hard’ paint? My paint is battered so I want quite an aggressive combo to just blitz it. Any recommendations?

 

[imprezaworks]

Think German paint is?

 

[Stay Puft]

All i’ve got is Autofinesse 3 stage correction kit and some random pads, which wasn’t the best last time I used it. I’ve also got Autofinesse Triple but I think that’s a hand polish.

 

[Sir Nancy Flowers]

Is BMW ‘hard’ paint? My paint is battered so I want quite an aggressive combo to just blitz it. Any recommendations?

I consulted a bmw based forum on just this question. I got the following answer give or take:

BMW paint isnt necessarily hard. Some even argued it was soft. I guess that's a matter of opinion!

One thing that was mentioned was that it does have quite a thick clear coat which is very reassuring! Been meaning to do mine which will happen soon enough 😇

 

[Crazylegs]

303 Aerospace Protectant Question - Has anyone used this before? Like it?
Is it good for tyres? How long does it last?

I've used it and it's excellent, I mainly use it in the interior but it's milky white and sprays everywhere so you only need a tiny amount. Getting it off glass is also a task but on plastic (and tyres) it's excellent.

 

[Sir Nancy Flowers]

CarPro Perl - what ratios do you guys use for interior bits? I've got nearly a litre mixed up of 1:3 so hoping that will be good. Gave the whole interior a go with some interior shampoo from autoglym. Brought everything up nice and smells good. Just want to dress it all now

 

[imprezaworks]

Best place to get the 303 stuff. Looks decent on the videos

 

[stonejedi]

Best place to get the 303 stuff. Looks decent on the videos

Polishedbliss and cleanyourcar stock it...

 

[imprezaworks]

Polished bliss out of stock.

I'm tight. It's like a fiver postage and that size bottle will last me ages lol

 

[stonejedi]

Polished bliss out of stock.

I'm tight. It's like a fiver postage and that size bottle will last me ages lol

Cleanyourcar have it in stock,i think postage is 3 pound odd,free delivery if you spend over £100

 

[djp66]

Thanks @rbeazer , @TheEvilGiraffe and @imprezaworks that lot will give me a good place to start

 

[imprezaworks]

Cleanyourcar have it in stock,i think postage is 3 pound odd,free delivery if you spend over £100

 

[Bluebeard]

Tried Autosmart’s own brand Snow foam yesterday.

Hands down the best I’ve ever used. And I’ve used s**t loads.
Really thick, clings for absolutely ages even in direct sunlight, and it loosened all of the green funky stuff that accumulated on my mums very unused MR2.

If you can, get involved!

 

[imprezaworks]

Been meaning to ask our rep for some. How much is it?

The reviews are like yours, great.

 

[Stay Puft]

I had good results with Autofinesse snow foam when I followed their instructions, whereas I was doing water then foam.

 

[stonejedi]

I had good results with Autofinesse snow foam when I followed their instructions, whereas I was doing water then foam.

Avalanche?

 

[davo172]

I had good results with Autofinesse snow foam when I followed their instructions, whereas I was doing water then foam.

I find it total s**t tbh
Candy fluff or bilt hamber😉

 

[MrCube182]

Tried Autosmart’s own brand Snow foam yesterday.

Hands down the best I’ve ever used. And I’ve used s**t loads.
Really thick, clings for absolutely ages even in direct sunlight, and it loosened all of the green funky stuff that accumulated on my mums very unused MR2.

If you can, get involved!

View attachment 1462851

I like Bolt Hamber auto foam, doesn't foam much but cleans like a beast 👍

 

[Bluebeard]

Been meaning to ask our rep for some. How much is it?

The reviews are like yours, great.

I’ve no idea mate. I spent over a grand with him and just as I was repairing the damage to my wallet, I asked if I could have 5L to try.

I will be using it for the next 4 years I think! A tiny little drop in the bottom of my snow foam bottle was perfect. But to use 5L will take me a bloody long time! 😂😂

 

[DomP182]

Not so sure mate, I find a car clean can be depressing as it's when I get a closer look at all the defects and think 'what am I doing piling money into this heap' I still carry on though😂

That's now two out of four of my refurbed wheels to go into crazed cracks, not amused as I've already had one redone because it was a bad job

 

[DomP182]

The centre cap looks a far worse colour match in that photo than real life

 

[BaileyWolves]

Getting stuff ready for the weekend of nice weather going to attempt paint correction and polish

 

[leeds2592]

I think I've see that the those refillable units before, they're the big blue ones aren't they?

Sounds pretty good, might be my next purchase, especially handy in summer, combined with Adam's shampoo which rinses off without leaving marks after drying on the paint!

Do you have an idea of how many times/washes can you use the one you linked to?

Mentioned it in this thread before but a Di vessel is probably the best thing I've bought for car cleaning. Can literally wash a black car in direct sun and leave it to dry without any water spots.

Even if you're using it weekly, the resin will last ages. Just make sure you get a TDS meter so you can take readings to make sure the resins still filtering as it should.

 

[MrCube182]

Damn

Mentioned it in this thread before but a Di vessel is probably the best thing I've bought for car cleaning. Can literally wash a black car in direct sun and leave it to dry without any water spots.

Even if you're using it weekly, the resin will last ages. Just make sure you get a TDS meter so you can take readings to make sure the resins still filtering as it should.

Damnit it now I need to buy a DI Vessel, didn't know what it was until I read that. Great idea

 

[stonejedi]

Those vessels are a nice add on to have especially if you live down south or any hard water areas...