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Polishing intervals?
- Thread starter Igster
- Start date
106 GTi
SRP has so little cut you could use it every week if you wanted. But yes it would over time reduce the thickness of you clearcoat.
I try and polish my car once of twice a year maximum with any form of abbrassive polishes. Befores shows etc if need be try to use a very mild paint cleaner/polish if I need to address any defects.
In your routine the EGP should last 3-4 months, so I would be looking at in a year:
Wash
Clay
SRP
EGP x 2 or 3
P21s
Follow that up with weekly safe wash using the two bucket washing to reduce the the chance of needing to polish but keeping your paint as defect free as you can, using a quick detail spray after/during drying to improve gloss etc. Then just top up the P21s up once a month.
Then 3 or 4 months later you could probably skip the clay and redo the process
Wash
SRP
EGP x 2 or 3
P21s
and then maintain weekly/monthly as above.
Then after another 3 or 4 repeat the same but with the clay. This way you only polish 4 times a year, get the twice yearly claying's in and your car will look great and be well protected.
I try and polish my car once of twice a year maximum with any form of abbrassive polishes. Befores shows etc if need be try to use a very mild paint cleaner/polish if I need to address any defects.
In your routine the EGP should last 3-4 months, so I would be looking at in a year:
Wash
Clay
SRP
EGP x 2 or 3
P21s
Follow that up with weekly safe wash using the two bucket washing to reduce the the chance of needing to polish but keeping your paint as defect free as you can, using a quick detail spray after/during drying to improve gloss etc. Then just top up the P21s up once a month.
Then 3 or 4 months later you could probably skip the clay and redo the process
Wash
SRP
EGP x 2 or 3
P21s
and then maintain weekly/monthly as above.
Then after another 3 or 4 repeat the same but with the clay. This way you only polish 4 times a year, get the twice yearly claying's in and your car will look great and be well protected.
Cheers Rich, I had a strong feeling the best reply would be coming from you!!
Just a quick question, little confused with some of the details in the post. Should I go for the SRP, EGP, P21s every 4 months, applying P21s wax monthly in between?
Also I've never used clay before, is it safe and easy to do and what benefits will it give to the paintwork?
Rich your a legend mate! Cheers.
Alan
Just a quick question, little confused with some of the details in the post. Should I go for the SRP, EGP, P21s every 4 months, applying P21s wax monthly in between?
Also I've never used clay before, is it safe and easy to do and what benefits will it give to the paintwork?
Rich your a legend mate! Cheers.
Alan
106 GTi
Yeah once every 3-4 months use the SRP and EGP, topped with the P21s. Then once a month all you will need to do it find time to get a coat of P21s.
The theory is P21s will only last about 30 days, so needs renewing on that kind of timescale -in keeping it topped up the EGP belows its life will be maximised aswell, and the car will keep the added looks the Carnuba brings over the standalone application of EGP.
Clay is safe to do as long as your careful - ie the clay is warm, and you ensure it has a clean face/side to use. Benifits are it will make your paint smooth, removing the things washing alone wont that can eat into the finish, also in turn means polishes, sealants and waxes will be a lot easier to apply and remove.
The theory is P21s will only last about 30 days, so needs renewing on that kind of timescale -in keeping it topped up the EGP belows its life will be maximised aswell, and the car will keep the added looks the Carnuba brings over the standalone application of EGP.
Clay is safe to do as long as your careful - ie the clay is warm, and you ensure it has a clean face/side to use. Benifits are it will make your paint smooth, removing the things washing alone wont that can eat into the finish, also in turn means polishes, sealants and waxes will be a lot easier to apply and remove.
106 GTi
Nice one just maintain the P21s then and use a nice quick detail spray inbetween waxing then.
Some claying info here
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=148366
Make sure the caly is warm and soft, on a cold day store it in a warm cup of water. I have even warmed it first in the microwave!!!!!!
I also use car soap and water rather than a quick detail spray to clay with as it feels more lubricated and safer for me.
Two or 3 caps of car shampoo in a small canyon spray bottle, re wet the panel with a wash mitt and noraml strength car wash mixture from a bucket, spray the solution you have mixed up onto the panel as well and clay away.
Some claying info here
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=148366
Make sure the caly is warm and soft, on a cold day store it in a warm cup of water. I have even warmed it first in the microwave!!!!!!
I also use car soap and water rather than a quick detail spray to clay with as it feels more lubricated and safer for me.
Two or 3 caps of car shampoo in a small canyon spray bottle, re wet the panel with a wash mitt and noraml strength car wash mixture from a bucket, spray the solution you have mixed up onto the panel as well and clay away.
CLaying is pretty simple really, once you get going you will find it is not hard at all, but like Rich says just make sure you use a clean face of the clay, otherwise you will be removing contaminants but adding scratches!
When I clay, I first wash the car using a good shampoo with wax in preferably. I normally get most the water off using a hydra-blade, but leaving a little is no problem.
I then fill a mug or something similar with hot (not boiling!) water, and a 500ml spray bottle with a mixture of shampoo and QDs - whatever is too hand really, just making sure that the ratio of water to products is at least 50:50. I then thoroughly wet a panel with the mixture, and lightly glide the clay over it. Then, just move around the car, wetting as you go, and cleaning/ warming the clay every few minutes in the warm water.
Main thing is to keep feeling the clay. If you can feel any grit, then use another piece (a small clay bar can be cut into 3 pieces roughly - you can use older to do wheels or glass)
Once you have finished claying, some people wipe off using QD and a cloth, I prefer to shampoo the car again and then dry off as you would do normally.
When I clay, I first wash the car using a good shampoo with wax in preferably. I normally get most the water off using a hydra-blade, but leaving a little is no problem.
I then fill a mug or something similar with hot (not boiling!) water, and a 500ml spray bottle with a mixture of shampoo and QDs - whatever is too hand really, just making sure that the ratio of water to products is at least 50:50. I then thoroughly wet a panel with the mixture, and lightly glide the clay over it. Then, just move around the car, wetting as you go, and cleaning/ warming the clay every few minutes in the warm water.
Main thing is to keep feeling the clay. If you can feel any grit, then use another piece (a small clay bar can be cut into 3 pieces roughly - you can use older to do wheels or glass)
Once you have finished claying, some people wipe off using QD and a cloth, I prefer to shampoo the car again and then dry off as you would do normally.
It feels extremely slippy, something the ladies might enjoy! Seriously it is a good mix, and seems to really enhance the gloss compared to just using the shampoo, and cleans better than just using the QD. I make the concentration pretty thick, and try different QDs to see the effects. On my Dad's Porsche which I did at the weekend I used a cap of CG Extreme Wash n Wax, some Saab shampoo (pretty sure it is Sonax in a different bottle), Meg's Quick Detailer (the one in the blue bottle, can't be sure this is the real name but really like it, always non-streak and high gloss) then CG Synthetic detailer and CG Caranuba detailer. Almost looked like it didn't need polish after (although I did of course...)
106 GTi
I have some days of work this week and I am considering claying and giving the 182 its first proper machine polish, so will mix up a stronger soap and water solution as I have a load of old shampoos I could use.
Only negative thing I have hears is others have said too strong a soap mix causes the clay to fall apart?
Only negative thing I have hears is others have said too strong a soap mix causes the clay to fall apart?
It didn't fall apart, but it became a bit more maleable maybe than normal. I put it down to the hot water. I think as long as you keep rinsing off every few minutes to maintain sufficient surface friction jopbs a good 'un!
When you say machine polish, is that different to standard PCing then? I am holding off a few more weeks with all this rain still, plus my back box on my exhaust is currently dangling off :dapprove:
106 GTi
Cool.
Machine polish, in this case no nothing more than a PC for me, unless I can sweet talk Brazo into rotarying it for me. As yet I have not used anything more than a polishing pad and a medium polish on the car for the last two years apart from in spot areas. I am reluctant to strip of the Swissvax and Zymol that are on there at the moment though, aswell as the Jeffs winter coats.
May concentrate on the other areas I want to mint up this week and PC it closer to the first shows.
Machine polish, in this case no nothing more than a PC for me, unless I can sweet talk Brazo into rotarying it for me. As yet I have not used anything more than a polishing pad and a medium polish on the car for the last two years apart from in spot areas. I am reluctant to strip of the Swissvax and Zymol that are on there at the moment though, aswell as the Jeffs winter coats.
May concentrate on the other areas I want to mint up this week and PC it closer to the first shows.
That's what I have been doing, mainly the interior, door seals, trim, plastics, engine bay, leather. I don't have a garage and a fair bit of motorway driving so simply no point taking off the Collinite yet.
Can't wait for some warmer weather! Plus not much point yet until I can actually drive my car again
They have a new 1 Series Coupe in work today, and it looks the absolute nuts. For my next car (assuming I don't come back to work here and get a company car) I would love a 130i Coupe or 3 Door in metallic white with the Schnitzer wheels. There may be a 135i coming out too, which would easilly be the best hot hatch around in terms of overall capability and build. Will destroy the Golf R32, Meg R26 and Audi S3. Bit of a tangent here...
Depends on which product you use, some have very mild cleansing agents in, but as a rule of thumb you use them whilst drying your car to remove streaks, after washing for added gloss, or over a wax to top up the protection and shine.
The Megs detailer is a good all rounder and streak free. It is my favourite for the Summer especially, smells great too!
106 GTi
Nah just very very very poor typing skills.
What I was trying to say was Chemical Guys Synthetic Quick Detailer
106 GTi
SRP and EGP once a week is just a lot of work for starters.
You would be better of just adding layers of EGP each week if thats what you have time to do. No point stripping of the previous layer every week with SRP and starting again. You will get better results in looks (gloss and depth) and durability by getting three or so layers of EGP on.
When EGP can give around 3 months protection this leads onto the point there is no real need to apply it so often, you will just be using more product and time than you need to in the long run.
Adding a coat of wax every few weeks will improve looks futher and be alot easier than applying coats of EGP all the time aswell.
1.2
rich how much do you spend a year on cleaning products.. and how long does these products last you
