HELP

[Sir_Dave]

Im currently a bucket, sponge & chamois man, but my girlfriend wants to buy me a 'polishing kit' for my birthday (last June btw lol), strangely her TT needs some scratches removing ...

I have no idea what to buy, but it will need to polish an '03 Audi TT, '07 3 series, '52 mini & old sh1tty saxo/clio/other french heap - so id like something that will do all of them if possible.

Have £140 to spend & will need polishes & stuff as well.

Ta

 

[richy22]

U can buy a DA polisher on i4detailing for about £110 which will give you all the pads and stuff you would need to polish cars. Butttt!....I wouldn't rwcommend that tbh, not if your a nooby.

 

[richy22]

Rather then hit you with the "use the search" phrase that you might be hit with il try and offer my limited experience/advice!

Soo if you didnt want to go down that route then you can always something like these

A decent (ish) wash mitt

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Synthetic_wool_Wash_Mitt_1.html

Shampoo

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Duragloss_901_Car_Wash_Concentrate_1.html

Drying towel

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Miracle_Dryer.html

Polish (this will help hide swirl marks but not scratches too much)

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Autoglym_Super_Resin_Polish_1.html

Sealent

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/AG_EGP500_1.html

Then some Microfibre applicators for polish

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4D_Detailing_Product_Applictor_Pad_1.html


And some Microfibre cloths to remove they above

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4DETAILING_Microfibre_3Pack_1.html

or

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4DETAILING_Ultra_Plush_Microfibre_3Pack_4.html


Most of that stuff is generic stuff you could use on anything...but again other peoples oppinions will vary (thats just to give you some kind of idea!!)


Then you could move onto tyres/wheels

Stuff for cleaning wheels

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Bilbery_Safe_Wheel_Cleaner_2.html

Bottle for the above to go in and a sprayer

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4D_Handi_hold_detailing_bottle_1.html#aI4D_2dHHB

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Meguiars_Chemical_Resistant_Spray_Head_1.html#aD110542

Tyre shine stuff

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Tyre_Gloss_1.html


I only linked up to one place just so it was easier to look at. There's soooo many options and products to be had. I started out with most of the above and my little collection grows as I feel comfortable/want to try other bits out.

 

[Sym0n]

Rather then hit you with the "use the search" phrase that you might be hit with il try and offer my limited experience/advice!

Soo if you didnt want to go down that route then you can always something like these
...

That's not too bad a list TBH, although I'd swap the above for:

Mitt.

Sealant or this one (when they're back in stock, as I'm really not a fan of EGP).

For applying polish and sealant (once again when back in stock).

Just my personal preferences though, plus I wouldn't fear using a DA. I don't get all this test panel b****cks. I'd never used one before and took it straight to my Ph1...and then my mates Coupe 20v and now Gray's roof and bootlid lol. Fair enough for a full on n00b it's a big jump from a bucket and sponge and quite a big expense, but if you get into detailing and want to stand a chance of removing defects then a machine is, IMHO, the only way. Once you have the basics down on how to use your products and more importantly how they work then a DA is the next logical step and will take no real getting used to either.

 

[kev1]

Sonus SFX4, Britemax #5 and Duragloss #105 are great, easy to use sealants too IMO

Duragloss #105 followed by Duragloss #951 aquawax on my festa:

 

[Sir_Dave]

Thanks for that guys, although maybe I under sold myself a little bit as i dont think of myself as a 'detailer' lol, more interested in driving than cleaning tbh.

I already have Chemical Guys shampoo/wash mitt/bucket/gritt guards, miracle dryer towels, meggs claybars, application pads & autoglyms full range of polishs/waxs that i've built up over the years. I just need some kind of polisher now to remove some of the the swirls/worse scratching that SRP isn’t able to fill.

I’ve searched on here & DW but it might as well all be in Chinese lol.

 

[treemanx]

Why do you call yourself a bucket/sponge/chamois man when your obviously not?

 

[JD]

Dave, might be worth your money getting someone to do it for you. It's circa 100 quid, and for 150 quid plus products plus time taken to get use to the machine, you might as well spend the money on someone who knows what they are doing.

Slightly biased opinion, as it would be someone like me who would do it for you, but I have five years experience and (no offense to those that contact me asking questinos) buying + using with just a weeks experience really doesn't make sense to do it yourself, damage and experience wise :S.

Jamie

 

[Sir_Dave]

Why do you call yourself a bucket/sponge/chamois man when your obviously not?

I am, i just have a nice bucket/sponge/chamois. Not a detailing geek by any stretch of the imagination lol :rasp:

And JD, £100, seriously you need to move down to Surrey, i was quoted £350 to do my BMW!!!!! Might just get Sarah to pay for a track day for me instead, this polishing larks way too complicated by the sounds of things :S

 

[Sir_Dave]

Bump.

Thinking of buying this, although i've heard that a 'softer' pad would be more beneficial for a beginner such as myself: http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis...al-action-polisher-menzerna-kit/prod_522.html

Any good?

Or this, with the 'softer' Sonus pads: http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis...polisher-sonus-and-menzerna-kit/prod_525.html

Will be polishing Sarah's TT & my golf, although practising on the saxo as it doesnt matter if i bugger that up lol

 

[clvs2222]

I wouldnt bother with a DA polisher mate, when i first started, i jumped in striaght with a rotary and learned with that. Have a read on detailing world about rotarys and how to use them, You'll be suprised how easy it is to get a decent finish

Things you need to buy;
Machine
2 or 3 pads with 3 different 'cuts'
At least 2 bottles of polish, again with different cuts.
Paint depth gauge (only if your really worried about burning though the paint)
A scrap panel, a bonnet is ideal as its flat.

Then just alot of pratice.

 

[Si]

worth asking on PoT xx

iirc new VAG paint is a nightmare to work with.

the first question you really need to ask yourself is how long you're willing to spend detailing a car.

 

[Ali]

Get a DA. And a Swissvax wasch Puddle, proper drying towel. Done.

I assume you have some polish and a wax?