New to detailing

[jackthewelshman]

I've just bought my Clio, it's all clean and everything and the previous owner used some sort of Meguiars products on her. But anyway, I want to keep it reasonably clean until Spring, then keep it looking squeaky clean after that, when the weather is a bit more forgiving.

I've never really got into detailing in the past, as far as I've gone is rinse, wash & wax (in one) then dry off / buff off. This time I will be giving a slightly more comprehensive approach, but still low budget.

I'm unsure on whether to use a polish as I want to avoid cutting the paint, especially as it's winter (less point), I can mess about with that later.

How does this sound:
Washing - Dodo born to be mild shampoo (250ml £8)
Claying - Dodo clay bar (2 x 55g - £9) or ValetPro fine 100g (£7.50) both have good reviews
- Dodo born slippy (500ml £7.50) - some people are saying water as lube is fine, but is it advised to use some of this instead?
The next stage I can then afford to glaze polish OR deep cleanse
Paint Cleanser - Auto Finess Rejuvenate (250ml £12.95) OR Glaze Polish: Britemax #4 Black Max Ultra Fine Polishing Glaze (475ml £15)
Waxing ValetPro House Wax (Banana wax) (500ml £9.60)
Quick Detail DoDo red mist (250ml £9.95) - could cut this out?
Extras £15 for towels / cloths / applicator / mitt
Total: around £70. My budget was supposed to be £50 all in, but perhaps that is far too ambitious to do a proper job (I'd be prepared to stretch to the £70).

Do any of you rate these products highly? Or if any of you could help swap out cheaper products for better ones (and vice versa) then I'd be grateful for the suggestions, incase I'm slightly cutting corners while over doing it somewhere else. The hardest part is to balance it so I can do an overall half decent job. The end waxing stage may be a bit iffy, the idea behind it was to wax it properly once every 6-8 weeks, while topping up with Dodo red mist in between.

I'd also be grateful for any suggestion of stages to cut out (but to introduce these stages in April). An idea could be to forget about paint cleansing and quick detailing and just get a better wax. Cheers!

 

[aucky]

I would cut the Red Mist and put the money towards a more expensive wax.

However trends are shifting towards sealants instead of wax, largely down to superior water behaviour in winter.

 

[Yellow Dave]

tar and iron removers after washing and before claying will speed up the process and remove a lot rubbish. for a beginner and time saving maybe look at the spray sealants instead of a wax. AF tough coat is a very simpe to use and good performing spray on sealant that looks lovely over rejuvenate, or the werkstat kits comes highly recommended. With these maybe use a normal quick detailer for looks instead of a sealant type spray as redmist.

with decontamination stages and well sealed paint, claying should only need to be done once a year.

 

[Gally]

You have a good list there mate so it's a very good start.

Forget the red mist, you don't need that and instead of buying the wax and red mist buy this... http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/werkstat-acrylic-jett-trigger.html

£17 free delivery and will last a while. Get 3 layers down if you can and the paint will look immese, especially mondial. You need a tar remover before you clay mate, you'll damage your paint if you go straight to claying.

The cleanser part, I would stick with rejuvenate. It has some light abrahsives and filler. It'll make the paitn look great before sealing in with Werkstat. Maybe top the Werkstat up with 1 layer ever 1 month.

Anymore questions?

 

[jackthewelshman]

Thanks for the advice guys, I appreciate it . Will get some tar remover, leave out the red mist and will look into a sealer. No more questions for now, will stick some orders in this afternoon or tonight!

 

[JD]

Quick question, what is your current wash process as I'd start there, then build the collection once you've laid down the basics.

Wash mitt? Two bucket method? Drying towel? That'll come to circa £30 for a start, so worth making sure you have this lot before going for the next stage.

 

[Space Cadet]

Sorry to highjack the thread a bit, but what do people recommend for interior windows? – My Auto Glym ‘Fast Glass’ is possibly even more rubbish than our Mr Muscle household stuff. Thanks.

 

[jackthewelshman]

Hello JD, I currently have NO wash process and no trustworthy equipment (old wash stuff, I don't even know what it is). Therefore I'm starting from scratch.

I am going to do the dual bucket method, I already have some buckets lying around that I can use (will make sure they are clean). I plan to get a lambswool wash mitt for a tenner or less, I think this was achievable last time. Drying towels are cheap, you can get ones on eBay that are thicker than the cheapest ones for £10 for a good few of them, simple microfibers for buffing are 4 for £1 at Poundland I'm sure, they may even have drying things there for £1 (if they seem thick / soft enough, I don't care about brand)

(Edit: I put that equipment under 'extras', £15 is a bit tight I know, so we'll see how it goes)

 

[Gally]

Sorry to highjack the thread a bit, but what do people recommend for interior windows? – My Auto Glym ‘Fast Glass’ is possibly even more rubbish than our Mr Muscle household stuff. Thanks.

Fast Glass is so so bad! I'm using Auto Finesse Crystal at the moment. Very good cleaner. The market is spoilt for choice with glass cleaners.

Hello JD, I currently have NO wash process and no trustworthy equipment (old wash stuff, I don't even know what it is). Therefore I'm starting from scratch.

I am going to do the dual bucket method, I already have some buckets lying around that I can use (will make sure they are clean). I plan to get a lambswool wash mitt for a tenner or less, I think this was achievable last time. Drying towels are cheap, you can get ones on eBay that are thicker than the cheapest ones for £10 for a good few of them, simple microfibers for buffing are 4 for £1 at Poundland I'm sure, they may even have drying things there for £1 (if they seem thick / soft enough, I don't care about brand)

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/safe-washing-and-drying.html

 

[Space Cadet]

Fast Glass is so so bad! I'm using Auto Finesse Crystal at the moment. Very good cleaner. The market is spoilt for choice with glass cleaners.



http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/safe-washing-and-drying.html

Thanks. The car is a track car and our other is a boring family job so I'm not bothered about getting a better finish than Auto Glym, plus AG is easily available. But their Fast Glass is just rubbish. Will give Auto Finesse Crystal a try. I would've thought AG glass cleaner would be good so wouldn’t know if any of the others were any better.

 

[Matt W]

So happy to see that you're looking after it

 

[jackthewelshman]

Cheers Matt, a pleasure

It's been raining over the past day or two and I can still see pretty decent water beading on the car, so it's alright as it is just now. I've ordered the following so I am ready to get going though:
Meguiars lambswool mitt
Dodo born to be mild (Washing)
Auto Finesse Rejuvinate (Cleansing)
Auto Finesse Finale (Quick detail)
Werkstat Acrylic Triger is what I was after for sealing, but it is sold out. I am going to keep an eye out for it over the next couple of days, if not I'm going to order Auto Finesse Tough Coat (Sealing)

Regarding de-tarring and claying, it seems like a big job. I think it's something I'd rather do nearer Easter time so that there's more chance of a dry weekend to give the whole process a proper go (and less cold too!). But I'll definitely be doing it in the future.

I do have a couple of questions though:
1. For pre-wash rinsing should I bother with a foam sprayer like this? http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/super-spray-hose-end-sprayer/prod_335.html (along with foaming shampoo). Or are these hose ones just a waste of money and I should just get a bug & grime remover spray for attacking areas and use water for whole car rinsing.

2. Should I worry about using something like Auto Finesse Rejuvinate too much, due to the light abrasives? E.g. I'd probably use it every 8 weeks perhaps, or is it designed for this kind of frequency?

Thanks!

 

[Space Cadet]

So happy to see that you're looking after it

Not sure if this was addressed at me? If so, no need to be sarcastic. It is at the end of the day a 10 year old Clio which only cost £2,500 (have probably spent 10 times that on it now though) and which gets ragged around a track every few weeks. AG shampoo and polish gives a great finish and is plenty good enough for me. Plus I have more important things to do with my time. We buy a new main car every two years and the paint finish on new cars is so good that after two years with having the odd AG polish they still look like new (we only do say 4k miles a year). If I had a £150k exotica then I could understand spending the amount and going to the effort of using the 100’s of different products mentioned in this thread, but actually I’d just pay someone to do it.

 

[NFox]

Not sure if this was addressed at me? If so, no need to be sarcastic. It is at the end of the day a 10 year old Clio which only cost £2,500 (have probably spent 10 times that on it now though) and which gets ragged around a track every few weeks. AG shampoo and polish gives a great finish and is plenty good enough for me. Plus I have more important things to do with my time. We buy a new main car every two years and the paint finish on new cars is so good that after two years with having the odd AG polish they still look like new (we only do say 4k miles a year). If I had a £150k exotica then I could understand spending the amount and going to the effort of using the 100’s of different products mentioned in this thread, but actually I’d just pay someone to do it.

I don't think it was..

 

[Space Cadet]

I don't think it was..

Possibly made me look a bit stupid then! I’m just so used to some people on this site being sarcastic and posting unhelpful comments. (Was out last night and have a hangover, probably just a bit touchy.)

 

[jackthewelshman]

I own Matt's old car, so he was aiming it at me.

 

[Matt W]

Yep I was

 

[Space Cadet]

Ok, thanks and apologies.

 

[Yellow Dave]

Cheers Matt, a pleasure

It's been raining over the past day or two and I can still see pretty decent water beading on the car, so it's alright as it is just now. I've ordered the following so I am ready to get going though:
Meguiars lambswool mitt
Dodo born to be mild (Washing)
Auto Finesse Rejuvinate (Cleansing)
Auto Finesse Finale (Quick detail)
Werkstat Acrylic Triger is what I was after for sealing, but it is sold out. I am going to keep an eye out for it over the next couple of days, if not I'm going to order Auto Finesse Tough Coat (Sealing)

Regarding de-tarring and claying, it seems like a big job. I think it's something I'd rather do nearer Easter time so that there's more chance of a dry weekend to give the whole process a proper go (and less cold too!). But I'll definitely be doing it in the future.

I do have a couple of questions though:
1. For pre-wash rinsing should I bother with a foam sprayer like this? http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/super-spray-hose-end-sprayer/prod_335.html (along with foaming shampoo). Or are these hose ones just a waste of money and I should just get a bug & grime remover spray for attacking areas and use water for whole car rinsing.

2. Should I worry about using something like Auto Finesse Rejuvinate too much, due to the light abrasives? E.g. I'd probably use it every 8 weeks perhaps, or is it designed for this kind of frequency?

Thanks!

Tough coat is a great, easy to use sealant that I really like to use, I'd happily take it if werkstat was out of stock. Plus it works well with rejuv and finale.

with regards to de-tarring and claying, once you get the hang of it it doesn't take long, and if the car has been protected properly it should be even quicker as less contamination. I clay maybe once a year - 18 months dependant on if I strip a LSP before it starts to wear off. I de tar and de iron every time I apply a new LSP.

1 - Don't bother with the hose sprayer, I have one and don't use it, all it does is put a weak soapy mix over the car that isn't of any real help. You'd be better of with a pre spray like AF citrus power, DJ crudzilla, britemax grime out. spray on, leave to dwell, hose off then start your 2BM wash.

2 - I can't imagine you'll do any real damage or over use rejuvenate and its mild abrasives, unless you do something seriously wrong. I use it by hand and machine. Again I would use something like this every time I apply a new LSP. It will strip your existing wax / sealant so using it every 8 weeks will mean starting your protection all over again. Not required that often IMO

 

[Gally]

Great advice Dave. Agree totally. Especially with Tough Coat, great alternative to Werkstat Jett.

Dave have a look at your pm's mate.

 

[jackthewelshman]

Cheers for the advice guys, you've done well explaining how the products work and things. I managed to find AF Tough Coat 250ml for £16, so went for that after the recommendation .

I picked up some AS Tardis for decontaminating (since DW had some good comments and it seems good value), I'll probably try and pick up some Iron X as well (or similar).

Now my collection is almost complete! I possibly need some advice on where to find a reasonable (in this range) applicator for the polishing stage. For applying the sealant I think I'll pick up a Meguiars soft foam pad. For drying I just know to look out for a decent size one with a decent weight to it. I can just pick up some hand towel microfibers for buffing right?

 

[Yellow Dave]

are you polishing by hand? lake country hand pads can be handy, they do an orange cutting, red polishing and white finishing.
http://www.waxamomo.co.uk/
Or are you talking about polishing with the rejuvenate?

 

[Gally]

You can also use those megs foam pads for rejuvenate but I'd grab some MF ones, the Blue ones are cheaper than the white round megs ones. Both are ideal.

Touch coat can be sprayed on the panel and wiped over with an MF then removed with a clean MF or spray onto a foam pad. Megs if you can then wipe onto panel. I prefer using the pads to apply Werkstat these days, seems to be smoother to use.

 

[Yellow Dave]

if you're talking about rejuvenate then yeah the MF applactor pads work best for me.

I prefer to spray tough coat onto a foam applicator, a spray per panel or 2 for roof / bonnet, go round the whole care allowing it to haze after a few minutes and then buff off, it's just too easy