[lolololol]

Hi All,

Apologies if this is the wrong forum,

I want to attempt to start detailing my car, I have just searched this forum and there seems to be a myriad of products and processes mentioned.

I intend to, clean, clay, polish and then wax. Is this the correct procedure ?

If so, could some of you recommend some products that fit with each stage, I don't want to spend crazy money as some of the products I have searched seem very expensive,

Any advice, help or direction warmly appreciated,

Thanks

[q_jonblaze]

have a look at detailingworld.co.uk........the best site for this sort of info

[NFS]

Originally Posted by q_jonblaze

have a look at detailingworld.co.uk........the best site for this sort of info

Best advice.

To get the car looking good I'd recommend getting a pro to do it first, then you can concentrate on maintaining it.

[lolololol]

Very pricey doing it that way though isnt it ?

I have a good can of elbow grease ready to use !

Yeah, Ive looked at that site and Clean your car but as said it just full of different products, just wanted to get views of member's experiences.

Thanks

[AlanQS]

Different people swear by different products. Basically, they are all good, it's just that individuals prefer the results from different products.

Main cleaning processes are:

Wash and dry, preferably with a car shampoo, DON'T use a sponge or a brush, use a lambswool mitt or equivalent. Dry the car with a microfibre towel, not a chamois. If you can be arseed, use the two bucket method which basically is use one bucket to dip your mitt to wash the car and rinse it out in the 2nd bucket before going back to the first - cuts down on dirt and debris going back onto the car which is what gives you all those delightful swirl marks under bright sun light or garage forecourts at night.

Clay: if your car is fairly new, get Sonus fine clay. You shouldn't need to do it very often as the main purpose is to get rid of road contaminants and these tend to build up after a few years.

Polishes: biggest variation is in the level of abrasiveness, the more so, the more they can reduce the evidence of swirling.

Other terms you hear include sealants, glazes, and wax. These can be used in combination depending upon how fussy you are. For example, you might polish the car and then use something like Poorboys sealant which protects the finish for many months.

A month after polishing the car, you might want to give it a quick freshen up with, say Meguiars Tech wax spray which allows you to give the car a quick refresh of its shine. Someone who knows better will no doubt post better information but a quick read of the guides on DetailingWorld will give you a better idea.

I think it's a bit confusing because they use jargon for the products (Like "915" which is a particular type of wax finish made by Collinite).

It IS expensive, there is no doubt but if you have a special car and you want to keep it looking great, some outlay is required.

For starters, you want a wash mitt, car shampoo, a micro fibre towel, some micro fibre cloths, a new bucket with a grit guard, and a polish. Don't bother with anything else unless you get interested in the topic.

For inside, gliptone for leather, a good plastic and rubber cleaner and that's it.
HTH

[beemerbird]

I agree with Simon (NFS) in paying a professional initially. No doubt you've got plenty of elbow grease, but don't think that's required for the claying process lol. The paintwork is much easier to maintain after the car has been given a good going over. A good detailer will also know from the vast range of products available which one is best for your particular depth of paint and how much pressure to apply when claying (a light meter is used to measure paint thickness)/colour/swirl marks/scratches etc. Then there's ferrous parts of the body work and non ferrous ...........

I'm having mine done in a week or so by a gentleman that does a couple of other cars on here, trouble is we're up here and you're down there in Berks. But no it doesn't have to be expensive, although prices seem to vary around the country shall we say.

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by beemerbird

I'm having mine done in a week or so by a gentleman that does a couple of other cars on here

I bet you are love!!! Wasnt aware there were any "gentleman" on here!!?? Does Terry Thomas do detailing now then!!???

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by bmwbailey

I bet you are love!!! Wasnt aware there were any "gentleman" on here!!?? Does Terry Thomas do detailing now then!!???

Thought you were shitting bricks in Kuwait Steve lol.........my detailer is a gentleman but doesn't frequent this forum........as for Jules and Floyd being gentlemen themselves - pass on that one.

Hell - Terry Thomas.......is he still alive? Don't like moustaches

[Hoops]

I fly out later tonight - red eye flight, great, not!! Ive a feeling i'll be shitting more than just bricks out there as well!!! Sadly Terry passed quite a while ago - but what a cad, what a chap, great bloke!!! Thought you might be a bit of tash man - give you a little tickle downstairs, know what i mean!!!??

[beemerbird]

Just googled re. T Thomas - 1990!!

Not keen on anything hairy down there Steve - unlike yourself it seems. Tongues tickle though.

Not sure how we've gone from the finer points of detailing to the finer points of a mans ability to be a cunning linguist.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by omaragha

Very pricey doing it that way though isnt it ?

I have a good can of elbow grease ready to use !

Yeah, Ive looked at that site and Clean your car but as said it just full of different products, just wanted to get views of member's experiences.

Thanks

There is a lot of info on techniques and process there as well though and from my experience it's the knowledge that you need not elbow grease.

It's about £300 for a pro detail and well worth it.

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by beemerbird

Not keen on anything hairy down there Steve - unlike yourself it seems.

Sorry, back on topic - totally agree that its a much better idea to get a pro detail done first and then learn how to maintain it.

[booforty]

lol! great thread, on-topic, off-topic, then back on-topic!!

[Hoops]

Gotta love them big hairy GROWLERS though, eh Paulie!!!?

[willhollin]

Hair and flaps.

[MOB]

Once you've got the car how you want it, make sure you have a decent wash routine so you dont inflict swirls etc - I would recommend as a minimum;

- get a decent lambswool wash mit, sponges aren't good
- use 2 buckets, one for washing, one for rinsing the mit
- get a decent drying towel - http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/produc...roducts_id=520 are great, not cheap but extremely good

in addition;

- Duragloss 901 is a great shampoo and isn't that expensive
- spraying your car with diluted Meguiars last touch as you dry the car makes the drying process much easier

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by bmwbailey

Gotta love them big hairy GROWLERS though, eh Paulie!!!?

You're not normal Steve..........has to be said luv.

Sort of on topic - detailing Steve's fettish.

[MOB]

Bordering on off and on-topic, hows this for a wash-mit/growler?

[beemerbird]

Steve would love that.

Think the O/P is going to be a bit bemused lol.

No brainer to me - hand in pocket, cough up no tick, etc. Easy spending other people's money!

[E92Fan]

To the OP, I really think that you need to get your car professionally detailed the first time round - that way, you can see first hand the steps taken to prepare the car, wash the car, then finish with drying and waxing. If there is any paint correction needed, then that can be done too. That way, you have a perfect canvas to work from and you'll be able to get all the advice you need on how to maintain the car.

You should click on the link in my sig that says "Detail by Shine On" for a review of Paul Townsend, who's based at around J13 of the M4. Thoroughly lovely guy, impeccable results, and he'll explain everything as he's working...

[lolololol]

Thanks for all the comments including the weird ones as well lol.

Will look into getting it done professionally but wanted to have a crack at it myself as well.

Thanks again.

[SoYank]

Originally Posted by beemerbird

........as for Jules and Floyd being gentlemen themselves - pass on that one.