how to detail your mk2

[Big-Pete]

ok so im a bit ocd about how i clean my car so i thought i would let you in on a secret of how i wash my car! the paint is like glass, the car gleams like you wouldn't believe and the paint is really deep! bare in mind i have a copper cupra!

so to start this is the most hard core of my details (once every 2/3 months)
START: rinse car with hose
alloy wheel cleaner(i make my own) clean alloys first with bucket and sponge!

rinse off whole car again
then shampoo into 1 bucket adn clean water in other \/ my shampoo of choice

wash car with wash mitts starting at the top and working down

rinse car off with hose

clay bar car (

)
clay of choice

detailer of choice for this!

after this i rinse the car off and 2 bucket wash it again
then i detail it using a different detailer (demon shine) as you can use it wet! (using it as a paint cleaner)
then its a case of letting the car run any drips out.
now its 100% dry i use AG super resin polish

apply about 3 coats of this (leaving 10 mins between coats

then after thats left to set for about 20 mins i apply 3 layers of this

results are amazing!

just with hd wax these are the results in beading and sheeting!

 

[Bluto&Purdey]

I dont do it that way, but each to their own.

 

[suj]

I don't do it like that neither (look up my post in another thread lol)

and here is proof of my beading, was about 2months after detailing (so mostly worn away)


Beading by Suraj Joshi, on Flickr

Beading by Suraj Joshi, on Flickr

Beading by Suraj Joshi, on Flickr

 

[n_d_fox]

To be honest, the basic techniques for getting a good finish on your paint work are the same... the wash and prep techniques are far more important to the products you use to gain the finish you are after.

It has been seen many times that a properly prepared car (washed, decontaminated and polished / cleansed) will show almost the same results wearing a £20 wax to a £2000 wax. The different is in the performance of the wax and how long it protects the finish you have worked hard to produce.

All of the products i use now are not available from the high street but thats not to say i am getting better results than those that use Auto Glym and Meguiars products that you can buy from Halfords. What i am getting is professional products dedicated to the task they are used for and a very durable finish on the car.

This is a shot from Sunday morning after a routine wash... nothing more than a wipe down with Duragloss 921 (which is a QD type product).

The wax on the car is DoDo Juice DetailingWorld Double wax (hard and soft wax combo) which was applied almost 3 months ago.

This is the beading of that wax after rain but with a weeks worth of dirt and dust etc... basically before a wash !

 

[jonjay]

To add to Nige's post:

I have to stress that some product protect for long periods of time however the tightness of the beading is not as good...a good example of this is the blackfire range whereby you get a good length of protection but beading from outset is not as good as a product from Ziano.

 

[SimonFRTDI]

Mr Fox

Please tell me either that you:

1)also applied tyre dressing or
2)tell me which one you use that lasts through a week of dirt and a wash and still looks like that!

Whole car looks great to me BTW.

 

[jonjay]

Mr Fox

Please tell me either that you:

1)also applied tyre dressing or
2)tell me which one you use that lasts through a week of dirt and a wash and still looks like that!

Whole car looks great to me BTW.

Make sure you clean the tyre walls with a strong mix of Megs APC. You can even use Tesco's Daisy APC.... This should degrease and take off any containments that will stop the gel bonding. You will need to scrub the tyre walls and ensure they are dry before applying.

Apply one coat quite sparingly and let dry. Once dry apply the second coat ensuring even coverage.

 

[n_d_fox]

Mr Fox

Please tell me either that you:

1)also applied tyre dressing or
2)tell me which one you use that lasts through a week of dirt and a wash and still looks like that!

Whole car looks great to me BTW.

There is a tyre dressing on there, Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel. This isnt a dedicated tyre dressing as you can use it on all plastics etc but i like the look it gives (dries to a more matt finish after a wipe over with a MF). It does last well though, i only apply it to the tyres every other wash.

As JonJay said though, the key is making sure the tyre walls are clean to get a good bond with the product, thats where the durability comes from. I use Megs Wheel Brightener on the wheels and tyres (scrubbing the tyres with a stiff brush). With a nod to the comment JonJay made about Zaino products i recently purchased some kit from them so will be seeing how that goes over the winter months... after i find time to properly prep the car

Thanks for the comments on the car as well

 

[SimonFRTDI]

Cool. It makes sense now. I already make sure the tyres are clean etc it was just that as you had not mentioned applying it it would have looked very good to have been through driving and a wash and still look like that. Obviously as you reapplied it I was barking up the wrong tree.

Still looks good of course!

 

[Nick G]

now its 100% dry i use AG super resin polish

apply about 3 coats of this (leaving 10 mins between coats

then after thats left to set for about 20 mins i apply 3 layers of this

Just so you don't waste time, you aren't gaining anything with 3 "coats" of SRP, it's basically used as a paint cleaner / cleanser before waxing or machine polishing so by putting 3 coats on you're just basically doing the same thing 3 times - it must take ages??

If you are only using it by hand, you may have to work it pretty hard to get any swirls out / covered up but honestly that once will be fine before waxing - also with waxing it's probably best to leave it around 12-24 hours between coats to really let it do its thing.

Hope that helps for next time at least

 

[itfben]

also with waxing it's probably best to leave it around 12-24 hours between coats to really let it do its thing.

mine would be covers in crud again within that time and waxing on a dirty surface is not good. disadvantages of living where i live is car cleaning is a nightmare! - my drive is hard mud! when you use water to clean my car as you do the water obviously goes on the floor meaning i clean my car on wet mud.

 

[jonjay]

mine would be covers in crud again within that time and waxing on a dirty surface is not good. disadvantages of living where i live is car cleaning is a nightmare! - my drive is hard mud! when you use water to clean my car as you do the water obviously goes on the floor meaning i clean my car on wet mud.

When rewaxing it's best to leave it 24 hours so it bonds and the layer of wax has released it's gases. This will ensure the second wax layer bonds better. I recommend washing the car again the next day.

 

[itfben]

So day1 clean cat completeing bodwork: prewash, rinse, AG shampoo, rinse, dry, (clay, rewash rinse, dry), AG SRP buff on, then buff off, the turtle wax ice synthetic WAX. Day 2: prewash, rinse, AG shampoo, rinse, dry, layer too of Turtle Wax ICE Synthetic WAX.

Yes?

 

[jonjay]

So day1 clean cat completeing bodwork: prewash, rinse, AG shampoo, rinse, dry, (clay, rewash rinse, dry), AG SRP buff on, then buff off, the turtle wax ice synthetic WAX. Day 2: prewash, rinse, AG shampoo, rinse, dry, layer too of Turtle Wax ICE Synthetic WAX.

Yes?

Pointless using something like AG SRP then Turtle Wax Ice it will take SRP off. Get yourself a proper wax.

The process should go

day one
- prewash
- rinse
- wash
- clay
- rinse
- dry
- detar
- SRP
- wax

day two

- wash
- dry
- quick detailer
- wax

 

[itfben]

cheers mate il give it a shot

due to the lake of hour of light in the day and the very cold morning which would freeze not hot water could this be split into 3 days? so claying/rinse was the last thing done one day one then rewash day 2 dry, detailer, srp, wax then wash dry quick detailer and 2nd wax on day three?

 

[n_d_fox]

you could split it over 3 days yes...

to be honest, your not adding a polishing level in there which takes up most of the time (machining the paint) so 2 days should be easy.

but yes, if you had to, 3 days would be fine. you just need to make sure the car is clean and dry before applying the wax.

 

[itfben]

I wouldnt say the AG SRP was a quick process though.

Out of interest what is betterfor applying and removing AG SRP in autoglyms videos they use their polishing cloths are polishnbg cloths (not nessisarily AG's but maybe the long Halfords roll you cut down) better for applying that an applicator or a microfibre? What about buffing off? Do you have to use a clean on or can you use the same thing that you put the SRP on with?

 

[n_d_fox]

i would use an applicator pad like the yellow Meguiars ones you can get in Halfords to apply the SRP. then MF cloths to remove it.

 

[itfben]

do you not use a lot of mf cloths to do the whole car?

 

[jonjay]

Well it depends what you mean by do a whole car? If its just wash I use drying towel and 1 MF for quick detailer and 1 for windows. Sometimes use a couple of quick detailers depending on which one I use.

If your waxing and polishing use a clean MF for each product.