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Today I did some detailing...
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Uncle of mine had that model Trans Am back in the eighties, he picked me up from primary school in it one day, I thought I was the business.
He always had sweet cars, I used to love when he came home from Scotland to see what car he'd bring with him, Mustang, Sierra Cosworth, E190 Cosworth, 3000GT VR4, loads of mercs when owning a merc was something. Only problem was I wasn't old enough to drive them, he lives in America now
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Today I took my Mercedes CLS 500 to get the middle resonator removed and replaced with straight pipes so I could hear that beautiful 5 litre V8 roar.
Best thing I've done yet (also added rear spolier and changed the grill to the single slat grill)
Getting front bumper re-sprayed on Monday and hopefully new 20" wheels in 4 weeks.
Very good
But what detailing did you do?
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I probably don't belong in here, but I cleaned my car today (well.. yesterday). Hooray. I'm happy with it, but I'm sure most of ye will be sitting staring blankly at the screen wondering 'when did that yoke last get cleaned. It's filthy' :P
I picked up that Nilfisk C120 power washer that Curran posted in the other thread, from DID Electrical. Will have to figure out if i can turn it into a snow foaming machine (apparently thats all the rage these days). Might also consider picking up a buff bagwell to clean the car with too. I'd like to give it a good polishing too.
Apparently a bit of a polish will help cover up some of the small scratches that black paint loves to show off? Is that true (and if so, does it mean polishing every week? Second week, month, etc.? to keep it looking good)?
I also want to get some decent tyre shine. Shiny tyres really pull the whole car together in my opinion. Wet tyre look is impressive in my opinion, but hard to get a decent product. Have seen a meguiars(?) product mentioned a few times but havent bought anything yet (will likely wait a little while til i've a couple of Euro and pick up a few bits of Curran, if i can, at the same time, rather than picking up bits and bobs over time). Dull tyres do drive me mad though, and the sprays ive gotten in halfords, etc. have been crap to say the least.
Hopefully, over time I'll pick up a bit of knowledge and experience and be able to do a decent job of cleaning it without it taking all day (I spent about 4-5 hours on the fecking thing! Although in fairness, in person, it looked immaculate, aside from the scrapes/swirls that I couldnt hide).0 -
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Looking Well
If you want a product to hide minor scratches and even some more major ones I would recommend THIS
It doesn't last very long so what I'm thinking of trying (whenever I get the time :rolleyes:) is a few coats of THIS over it.
For tyres I like Meguires endurance gel but others here think it's muck so we'll see what they say!0 -
JAMES VTI S wrote: »^ What is the difference between wax and polish ^
Couldn't tell you!
Far as I'm lead to believe, a polish will generally clean up the car, make it shiny, act as a cover-up/filler of sorts for the miniscule scratches and generally look nice.
Wax, whilst also looking shiny, will however, better serve as a bit of a protector from the elements of day to day driving (a thin shield, if you will, to protect the paint work).
I could be absolutely a million miles away from what they actually are, but that's what I've made up in my mind anyway :pac:
I don't use polish because I'm lead to believe it needs to be applied properly, with a buffer (or you spend hours and hours on end doing it by hand). I wouldn't have the patience to do it by hand.
Again though, could be wrong. I've only started to get an interest in cleaning my car recently (when I got the Rav4), so Im on the lowest rung of the ladder with regards to knowledge or experience.Looking Well
If you want a product to hide minor scratches and even some more major ones I would recommend THIS
It doesn't last very long so what I'm thinking of trying (whenever I get the time
) is a few coats of THIS over it.
For tyres I like Meguires endurance gel but others here think it's muck so we'll see what they say!
They look like interesting enough products. Is the first one like a filler of sorts (that you rub across the car's marks/scratches and 'rub in' to the scratches)? Or is a buff job to cover the entire car? (it looks like a shoe-polish type of box, so im genuinely curious).0 -
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Deleted User wrote: »I'm happy with it, but I'm sure most of ye will be sitting staring blankly at the screen 'when did that yoke last get cleaned. It's filthy' :P
Good job....looks very well. There's only one thing that lets it down slightly and thats the bumpers. If they were treated, it would have finished it off nicely. But a very good first effort!JAMES VTI S wrote: »^ What is the difference between wax and polish ^
Why did you ask that? You know the difference and no where in his post did he confuse them. In fact later he explained the difference pretty well for a newbie!If you want a product to hide minor scratches and even some more major ones I would recommend THIS
It doesn't last very long so what I'm thinking of trying (whenever I get the time :rolleyes:) is a few coats of THIS over it.
For tyres I like Meguires endurance gel but others here think it's muck so we'll see what they say!Deleted User wrote: »They look like interesting enough products. Is the first one like a filler of sorts (that you rub across the car's marks/scratches and 'rub in' to the scratches)?
Yeah, Auto Balm is an excellent product for covering minor defects without the hassle of having to polish. Rather than the polish doing the filling, it does it for you. However, its not very durable. Approx 4-6 weeks is about all you'll get. Also, it's advised that it works best on its own, and not layered with another product to try make it more durable, as other products wont bond well to it.
Another thing to consider with Auto Balm would be a light hand polish, to help remove oxidation and restore some more shine and gloss. Obviously hand polish isnt going to give correction, but to get the gloss back, then wash out the polish, and allow Auto Balm do its thing covering the minor defects.
If you look at the post left corner of this picture below, you can see some dulling of the paintwork due to what looks to be quite a lot of superficial defects. The hand polish would help to rid these, obviously lots of deeper swirls will remain, but will return more gloss here. Its little things that make the difference, and once gloss is returned, its hard to see defects in the paintwork unless you get up close.
On the tyres...I'd recommend that you look at Orchard Autocare's Glitz. Its a very nice product that gives a shine to tyres, but the beauty is that its non-greasy and non-sling, so dirty doesnt stick to it like some sticky dressings, nor will you see black oily looking spots up the side of the car and on the rear bumper....though with a black car, thats not a huge issue
All in all, a great first effort. Next time you spend a few hours on it, you'll have picked up a few more tips and tricks and it will look better for it. You'll have it looking superb in no time. Keeping on top of it, is the secret!
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I appreciate the comments. I always thought I'd hate cleaning a car (I hate cleaning everything else) but I have to admit, there's great satisfaction to be had from doing it properly and having it looking well. Next time I'll have to do a before and after.
Before I washed it that time, I hadn't cleaned it in about 3 weeks and had been 'off road' a couple of times (not 'off road' in the "advertisement for a Landcruiser" sense, but off road in the "a few sandy dunes and mucky grass" sense). Either way the car was filthy and the sides destroyed (apparently you cant fit front mudguards to a Rav4 with sidebars or sidesteps).
I think I said this before, but my mechanic had a tyre shine before. It was in a DIY bottle he made for it. He said a sales rep called around and sold it to him regularly, but has since disappeared and he can't remember what the name of the tyre shine is. It was an excellent product. It just looked like water and you applied it with a paint brush. Lasted about two weeks and looked fantastic while it was on. Can't seem to find anything on Google though. So I'll give the products mentioned here a shot. Tyres are the only real thing letting me down (in my opinion, though as soon as i get a tyre shine I'll notice another area to improve upon).
Curran, you mention the bumpers not being treated.. can I ask what you mean? I know they're plastic so probably another product I could be using on them, but is there anything in particular you're referring to?
I was considering getting the nudge bar on the front sprayed. According to a panel beater I know, I could get it sprayed to match the rest of the car (darker/shinier). Strongly considering it, but not sure if i like it as it is or not.
For what its worth.. and I'll probably get lambasted for this.. the tyres are shiny in the above photos cos I sprayed them with an alloy wheel cleaner and rubbed it in. I'm not sure if that will deteriorate the rubber on the tyre or not. It looked good at the time when I did it so i figured "sure may aswell, see how long it lasts", but it was back to dull and dreary the next morning when i seen it again. 0 -
Deleted User wrote: »I think I said this before, but my mechanic had a tyre shine before. It was in a DIY bottle he made for it. He said a sales rep called around and sold it to him regularly, but has since disappeared and he can't remember what the name of the tyre shine is. It was an excellent product. It just looked like water and you applied it with a paint brush. Lasted about two weeks and looked fantastic while it was on. Can't seem to find anything on Google though. So I'll give the products mentioned here a shot. Tyres are the only real thing letting me down (in my opinion, though as soon as i get a tyre shine I'll notice another area to improve upon).
I'd say the product he is using is supplied from the likes of Autosmart or Autoglym's Trade Range.
I had meant to say earlier that Orchard Autocare's Glitz is a very durable product, way more than two weeks durability. I find having to do the tyres after a regular weekly wash a pain, so I like something durable.Deleted User wrote: »Curran, you mention the bumpers not being treated.. can I ask what you mean? I know they're plastic so probably another product I could be using on them, but is there anything in particular you're referring to?
I was considering getting the nudge bar on the front sprayed. According to a panel beater I know, I could get it sprayed to match the rest of the car (darker/shinier). Strongly considering it, but not sure if i like it as it is or not.
To quote yourself, the plastics on the front are "dull and dreary" and not how they would have looked back in 04 when it left the factory. They have grey'd over time and need a bit of treatment to give them a much deeper appearance.
If the panel beater would spray it, to a finish the same as the rest of the paint work, so they are colour coded bumpers, and for a reasonable cost, its something Id definitely do. Save you having to treat them repeatedly like the tyres, and it will really give it a fresher appearance. May also be worth considering getting the whole front bumper done if its badly stone chipped, as it shouldnt cost too much extra given he'll be mixing the paint anyways.Deleted User wrote: »For what its worth.. and I'll probably get lambasted for this.. the tyres are shiny in the above photos cos I sprayed them with an alloy wheel cleaner and rubbed it in. I'm not sure if that will deteriorate the rubber on the tyre or not. It looked good at the time when I did it so i figured "sure may aswell, see how long it lasts", but it was back to dull and dreary the next morning when i seen it again.
Its not ideal, but if you think about it, when you use wheel cleaner on the alloys, it will get on the tyres anyways. You should however choose pH neutral wheel cleaner, for the sake of your alloys and tyres...something acidic or base is far from ideal.
As with anything to do with detailing, preparation is key. Tyres should be cleaned before applying any dressing, so a medium to strong APC mixture, sprayed onto the tyre and agitate with a stiff bristle brush, such as below, being careful not to get the alloys with the bristle, give them a good scrub and rinse down. You'd be surprised the amount of who dont do it and the amount of drit that will come off, and this hinders bonding of dressing.0 -
Didn't you say you would probably never go off road and not need the AWD version?
Sure most stuff you can get away with 2WD once its not serious.
Last time I got stuck, 4WD didn't make a difference. when you're buried up to the chassis rails in mud soup.....its going to take a long time to dig yourself out.
I was gutted I let the Hilux down and bogged her
Thankfully a 1993 Landcruiser 70 series was on hand to snatch me out.
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I'd say the product he is using is supplied from the likes of Autosmart or Autoglym's Trade Range.
I had meant to say earlier that Orchard Autocare's Glitz is a very durable product, way more than two weeks durability. I find having to do the tyres after a regular weekly wash a pain, so I like something durable.
I think you did mention it.. the name sounds familiar, anyway. I'll give it a shot. Do you know of any online retailer (perhaps who interact with boards users :P ) who sells it? And if so could you link to it? (even in PM if need be?)To quote yourself, the plastics on the front are "dull and dreary" and not how they would have looked back in 04 when it left the factory. They have grey'd over time and need a bit of treatment to give them a much deeper appearance.
If the panel beater would spray it, to a finish the same as the rest of the paint work, so they are colour coded bumpers, and for a reasonable cost, its something Id definitely do. Save you having to treat them repeatedly like the tyres, and it will really give it a fresher appearance. May also be worth considering getting the whole front bumper done if its badly stone chipped, as it shouldnt cost too much extra given he'll be mixing the paint anyways.
I had a Ford Focus (2000, 1.4 hatchback) in 'Ford Aquamarine Frost' (a greeny/blue-ish colour), and panel beater said front bumper on that would be in and around €80-100 to get resprayed. I decided against it as the car wasn't worth spending money on (if I fixed it up to an 'as new' condition, i'd certainly have spent more than the car was worth).
So I'd hazard that the Rav4 bumper would be about twice the price (as the nudge bar is a second piece altogether, so would probably be the price of getting two bumpers) if not a bit more expensive as the fella has gotten a bit busier as of late (so im sure his prices have increased, too).
Just to ask you though, when you talk about the plastics being dull and dreary, are you referring to the nudge bar on the front, or the actual bumper itself? (i just ask because i think the bumper looks okay, personally? But you'd have a better eye than I would for this)?Its not ideal, but if you think about it, when you use wheel cleaner on the alloys, it will get on the tyres anyways. You should however choose pH neutral wheel cleaner, for the sake of your alloys and tyres...something acidic or base is far from ideal.
As with anything to do with detailing, preparation is key. Tyres should be cleaned before applying any dressing, so a medium to strong APC mixture, sprayed onto the tyre and agitate with a stiff bristle brush, such as below, being careful not to get the alloys with the bristle, give them a good scrub and rinse down. You'd be surprised the amount of who dont do it and the amount of drit that will come off, and this hinders bonding of dressing.
When I did it, I used a bucket of warm water and a run of the mill kitchen sponge (you know the yellow ones, with a green rougher area on one side.. cant think of the name of them) and i used that to clean the tyres before spraying them. So the tyres themselves were relatively clean.
That said, When i'm washing the car, after i powerhosed it down (more for the novelty of using a powerhose than anything else, really, haha) I went at the car with a warm bucket of water (2 bucket method) with one of those microfibre wash mit things (like a glove) and I mixed the water with a fair dose of Tesco's very own 'wash and wax'. I assume there are many better 'wash and wax' products out there than tesco's one though. But it was just convenient I do end up using a lot of it, though.
Then I used the wax (i cant recall the name of the product.. i got it in halfords, came in a bottle, its a white liquid) and applied that using another microfibre wash mit glove.
I'd imagine I'm doing a lot wrong, but i get average/decent results. I'd like to better it though (But dont want to spend an arm and a leg on products and have no idea how to use them). I'd like to polish it.
Fella that was pricing to spray the bumper said he'd give the Rav4 a buffing/polish for €60. Im not sure if thats great or terrible, but I'd like to get the satisfaction of doing it myself. So not sure if i'll let him at it or not.Didn't you say you would probably never go off road and not need the AWD version?
Sure most stuff you can get away with 2WD once its not serious.
Last time I got stuck, 4WD didn't make a difference. when you're buried up to the chassis rails in mud soup.....its going to take a long time to dig yourself out.
I was gutted I let the Hilux down and bogged her
Thankfully a 1993 Landcruiser 70 series was on hand to snatch me out.
If I had the money (or means of taxing it commercially) I'd be driving a Hilux tomorrow. Absolutely gorgeous machine (Though completely impractical for me).
I don't really go off road, but had two photo jobs in the last couple of days that lead me into the wilderness. It'd be very rare that I'd venture off the tarmac otherwise. I was in a mucky/messy situation, but nothing that'd need 4WD. No hills and no swimming pools like in your photo above. All fairly flat-ish land, but with muck/grass/sand spraying onto the side of the the car (and underneath/wheel wells, obviously).
I find the wheel wells (if thats what they're actually called) a pain in the ass. Hardest part to clean. All the dirt... 0 -
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Deleted User wrote: »Just to ask you though, when you talk about the plastics being dull and dreary, are you referring to the nudge bar on the front, or the actual bumper itself? (i just ask because i think the bumper looks okay, personally? But you'd have a better eye than I would for this)?
Just to throw it back at you for clarification...the nudge bar, as you call it, is the chrome bit that says RAV4 on it?
If so, no, dont paint that, paint all the rest of it, so the grey plastics is body coloured.
On the rest of your post
A few good points and bad points to be taken out of that!
Good to see you are using the Two Bucket Method, and a Wash Mitt.
The wax you used, was a white liquid...was it something like this? Turtle Wax
If so, there's better out there, but for not as cheap. Thing is though, with a lot of detailing products, its a catch 22. Buy cheap, but you have to use twice or three times as much. Say for a wax, a cheap one will need topping up every 4 weeks, a decent one should last approx 12 weeks if the prep was good. For say tar remover, a cheap one will require 3 applications and help with a microfibre cloth (not ideal), a good one will be one application and rinse off....touchless and much better for your paint as tar contains grit, and if rubbed, will micro scratch your paint work....all resulting in the paintwork slowly dulling over time.
The places for improvement ....
The shampoo could be improved - anything that does two jobs in one, generally will mean a reduced ability for each purpose. While the shampoo will do a decent job, the wax part wont, and the wax protection / residue it leaves behind isnt worth anything to you. If you had a good wax on it, it would take away from it. Keep it in your detailing arsenal and use it on the mother, father, sisters, brothers, mates, etc, cars!
The second wash mitt you are using for applying the wax...give that a good wash out with warm water and fairy liquid and rinse with just warm water after. Dont use it for applying wax. You can get small microfiber applicators that work well with liquid waxes and sealants. Keep it for when the other wash mitt gets tatty. Or what I do is use two mitt sometimes, say during the winter. Use one for doing the roof, bonnet, boot lid, top halfs of the sides of the car, and the second for doing the lower, more heavily soiled areas. When they get really tatty, buy new ones, but use the tatty ones on wheels maybe.
Hate seeing people quoted 50 or 60 quid for a buffing job - avoid. The prep work alone that should be put into it would cost that! At that price, it wouldnt be prep'd and they'd throw a polisher at it with some cutting compound and it will look decent on collection, but after a few washes the real story will be told.
Put a few quid to it, buy some de-tar solution, de-ironiser, clay, hand polish and a decent wax/sealant, and an applicator & microfibre or two. I bet you'll be very impressed by what you can achieve yourself, even as a rookie! 0 -
In relation to the nudge bar (it has many names, but I've settled on nudge bar as that's what it seems to be most commonly called), the nudge bar is the chrome bit and the dark-grey surround. It's all one Piece.
Here's a (very clean) Rav4 with a nudge bar:
... and one without a nudge bar:
It's all one piece that's screwed on, but I've noticed that every time I see it out and about on other Ravs, it's never a different colour; even on black Rav4s. It's a dark gray, rather than a black (well, it is black, but a completely different shade or type of finish than the car itself). I've yet to see one sprayed the same colour as the Rav itself (hence the hesitance to doing it - incase it comes out looking a lot worse).
It looks crap on a different coloured Rav (silver, for example). But that's just my opinion. When the panel beater said he could make it look the same as the rest of the car I was surprised, and tempted. I must get a price.
But anyway; now that we've differentiated between the nudge bar and bumpers, do you still think the bumpers need some working on? Or were you just referring to the nudge bar all along? (genuinely curious).
The wax I use is indeed white. This is the exact product I bought: CarPlan "Complete Deep Gloss Car Wax".
If you're against the Tesco wash and wax (to be honest, I have little faith in any tesco products, but I've found the car to be clean enough if i use a good dose of this when doing it- which backs up your point), could you perhaps suggest an alternative? I see plenty of other 'wash and wax' products out there, but if I want to avoid the 2-in-1, what product am i actually looking for? Is it just 'car shampoo'?
What is a microfibre applicator, out of curiousity? is it this thing (Google search)
How would that work? One pad to apply, another to buff? (I was using the mitt to apply, and then just using a regular everyday microfibre cloth to 'buff' it afterwards)?
Also, can you advise on how to get started on polishing it myself? I believe I need a machine buffer? I'd imagine such a piece of equipment would be expensive? (I'm googling and getting eBay links for ~€150ish?)Put a few quid to it, buy some de-tar solution, de-ironiser, clay, hand polish
These are all products that are completely alien to me (except the polish). I'd have no idea what to look for, or how to use, such products. Could you advise on where to buy? (is there perhaps a starter kit out there that would include all this kinda stuff in one package?).
With regards to the hand polish, I've no issue applying by hand, but does polishing by hand take hours upon hours to do correctly? Or is it a 'wax on, wax off' approach? I could do an 'apply, then buff' thing, like i do with the wax, but I don't think I'd have the patience if it was going to be very difficult to "buff" into the car by hand (but i assume it would be very time consuming and require a lot of the ould 'elbox grease'? and this is why people use buffer machines?).
Sincerely appreciating all of your advice by the way, Curran. Very detailed and insightful responses. Extremely helpful and thorough. You're a credit to this forum.0 -
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I don't think they were intended to be painted, in the accessory brochure they were untainted IIRC
But you did paint them, anyway? I'm confused.
Can I ask you, Colm, seen as you're a fairly knowledgeable Toyota gentleman, is my Rav nudgebar missing a piece? Should the bottom part be chromed over, too?
Like in the picture I posed above?0 -
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Yep, there's a bit missing.
Wouldn't worry about it though.
There may have been two types too. There's 3 on carzone like yours without the second bar.
Hmm.. I have seen a lot around without the lower chrome (more without than with), so I assumed two different versions. I can't see any holes or marks on the bottom part that would indicate there is a piece missing, but at the same time, I suppose it's possible the bottom part was just put on shoddily and a lot of them fell off over time? That's probably very unlikely though.
I think I like the second bar on it. Problem with chrome on the nudge bar though (back to the detailing world) is that I find it very difficult to make it look nice and clean. It seems to pick up 'spots' or 'speckles' or such naturally. Very frustrating. 0 -
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Deleted User wrote: »But anyway; now that we've differentiated between the nudge bar and bumpers, do you still think the bumpers need some working on? Or were you just referring to the nudge bar all along? (genuinely curious).
OK so I was assuming that the nudge bar is what you are saying it is. Its not that it needs "work" as such. In the picture you posted, yours looks a bit faded and gone a lighter shade of grey that it would have been when it was brand new.
It needs a treatment similar to the way you would tyres....obviously not as glossy as tyres, but you can get matt dressings that darken without the shiny gloss appearance.
Its not a major thing, but with anything to do with detailing, its the little things that make a difference. Most people wont be able to tell you straight away what it is you have done, but lots of little things add up to the total package. Streak free glass, tyres dressed, arches dress, exhaust polished, in and around bagdes being spotless.
These are all things that when you start getting the major things right, will begin to become more obvious and eventually will get in at you and you'll have to have right!
All that said, treating bumpers with that amount of plastic, regularlly can become frustrating. You can go out and buy some expensive products that give great durabilty, but to be honest, its something Id consider painting, as I mentioned, as it will really freshen up the front end....thats IMO, but seek other people opinion and I'm pretty sure they'd agree. If you could get your hands on the 2nd, lower piece of chrome, I think the whole job would be very nice!Deleted User wrote: »The wax I use is indeed white. This is the exact product I bought: CarPlan "Complete Deep Gloss Car Wax".
If you're against the Tesco wash and wax (to be honest, I have little faith in any tesco products, but I've found the car to be clean enough if i use a good dose of this when doing it- which backs up your point), could you perhaps suggest an alternative? I see plenty of other 'wash and wax' products out there, but if I want to avoid the 2-in-1, what product am i actually looking for? Is it just 'car shampoo'?.
There are a lot of products out there that are 2-in-1 or 3-in-1. The thing is, 90% or more, of Irish motorists, have no interest in keeping the cars as clean as the folk on here. They'll bring cars to brush washes, wash the car with sponge or soft kitchen brush, etc, etc and are satisfied with a "clean" car, certainly not worried about swirls, protection, etc, etc....and its 2-in-1 products that they are attracted too....OHHHH I can wash and wax (to get gloss) my car in one. Its a bit of a con really....the wax doesnt give you shine or gloss, its the prepartion. Wax is protection. Manufacturers of such products play on the fact the most people dont know any different.
Shampoo you are looking for is, as you say, just shampoo. It doesnt have to be sudsy, but its not harm. It has to be two things. pH netural, so it doesnt strip away any protection you have applied. Secondly it needs to be slick, which help limit drag of dirt on the paintwork.Deleted User wrote: »What is a microfibre applicator, out of curiousity? is it this thing (Google search)
How would that work? One pad to apply, another to buff? (I was using the mitt to apply, and then just using a regular everyday microfibre cloth to 'buff' it afterwards)?
Yeah, thats them. They are ideal for something that is liquid based. Use one to apply the product, but use you plush microfiber to buff it off. At a guess you are probably using a short pile microfiber. They are fine for doing the dirty work jobs, such as cleaning interior, plastics, glass, etc, but you should have one or two plush MFs for buffing.Deleted User wrote: »Also, can you advise on how to get started on polishing it myself? I believe I need a machine buffer? I'd imagine such a piece of equipment would be expensive? (I'm googling and getting eBay links for ~€150ish?).
Considering you are so new to the whole detailing, Id certainly wait a while before splashing out on a machine. Its a pretty hefty outlay, when if you spent the same money on the right products initially, you can do quite a lot to improve the appearance of the car, with a bit of trickery with fillers in hand polishes, etc. When the swirls start eating at your insides, then its time. A lot can be done by hand and there are plenty on here who have been surprised by what can be done with a light hand polish.Deleted User wrote: »These are all products that are completely alien to me (except the polish). I'd have no idea what to look for, or how to use, such products. Could you advise on where to buy? (is there perhaps a starter kit out there that would include all this kinda stuff in one package?).
To a newbie, a lot of the products, terms and techniques can seem a bit daunting, but to be honest, its not rocket science, and with a bit of guidance and advice you'll quickly learn. If you want me to do up a list of things I'd buy, shoot me a quick PM, and I'll get back to you when I can.Deleted User wrote: »With regards to the hand polish, I've no issue applying by hand, but does polishing by hand take hours upon hours to do correctly? Or is it a 'wax on, wax off' approach? I could do an 'apply, then buff' thing, like i do with the wax, but I don't think I'd have the patience if it was going to be very difficult to "buff" into the car by hand (but i assume it would be very time consuming and require a lot of the ould 'elbox grease'? and this is why people use buffer machines?).
No, it doesnt require hours and hours of time, nor does it require a massive amount of elbow grease....that said, for your first time, your arms will get a decent work out!
It is pretty much a "wax on, wax off" type approach. Applying the hand polish with a bit of pressure. Once it hazes, buff it off. As said previously, you wont get correction from hand polish, but you will remove a very, very fine amount of the top of the surface. This removese the oxidation and contamination in paint...only leaving whatever defects are permanent in the paintwork, but the fillers in the polish help hide these.
Then its "wax on, wax off" approach again for your protection, either a wax/sealant; and repeat so you have two or three layers of protection!Deleted User wrote: »Sincerely appreciating all of your advice by the way, Curran. Very detailed and insightful responses. Extremely helpful and thorough. You're a credit to this forum.
Its no problem at all. I enjoy sharing my knowledge. There are plenty of helpful lads on here and we're all happy to help. Detailng cant grow unless people share their learnings. We're way behind, as a nation, in the way we look after our cars, but slowly, things seem to be changing!! 0 -
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Deleted User wrote: »So can I ask you, is the one I have unfinished (in the sense that it's sold with the assumption it will be painted to match the car)?
Would you have any photos by any chance (or even give any opinion on how it looks)? Does it actually match the car properly? When it's wet it looks good and matches in correctly, but im fearful of getting it sprayed it it'll end up looking worse afterward.
EDIT: My worry is that the nudge bar will be a matte black and the car will be glossy (as they are). The nudge bar plastic feels like a different plastic, so I worry that it will affect the overall look when it's finished being sprayed).
I wouldn't really get it sprayed, those matt plastics were a pretty common design theme on many cars. The MkV Golf & GTi, Mini, and the the VW Cross Polo shown below.
I think you should just restore the appearance of the plastic.
I got pretty good results with Turtle Wax Black in a Flash which is about a fiver.
The best product is supposed to be GTechniq C4 but its perhaps too expensive.
http://gtechniqna.com/featured-products/c4-permanent-trim-restorer/
Just an opinion anyway.0 -
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