Today I did some detailing...

MetzgerMeister

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

They replaced the wheels? Thought they'd refurb them...

I was told that what I got was a brand new fresh-from-factory set of alloys. I scrutinized them to see if there was any signs of refurb (i.e. a small blemish) but I found nothing. They were 100% perfect until I went and kerbed one :rolleyes:

ianobrien

ianobrien wrote: »

I was busy over the weekend (but no pics as I was too busy). First was the new motorhome. That was washed with AG Shampoo with the 2BM. The fun was the height, and the fact that parts of the roof that were hard to reach were never washed (eg under the awning, around the skylights, etc). The small wheel woolies brush was a godsend for them awkward corners. The wheels were done with Bilt Hamber Autowheels and dried with a Dry-me-Crazy. Plenty of ladders, crates, etc needed for access. Next step is to clay and two coats of Collinite.

Yesterday my Seat and the Father's Skoda had a snowfoam with 50cal Ambush foam, left to stand for 15 to 25 minutes, rinsed, washed with AG Shampoo using 2BM and dried with the Dry-me-Crazy. Wheels were Bilt Hamber Autowheels and Orchard Tyre glitz. Glass (inside and outside) was AG Fast Glass and that was used on the dash also.

TL/DR. Started into one vehicle, got step one complete, two others got a clean.

All the work done to the Leon is undone. I was using it as a Course Car for the Galway International Rally over the weekend and its bloody manky. You can hardly see what colour the back of the car is, but the water splashes on the route washed the dirt off the lower sides. Its going to be a good test of the 50cal snowfoam! It's going to have to get a clean underneath also.

keano25

Engine today.. No befores

*Kol*

keano25 wrote: »

Engine today.. No befores

Photo is not opening for me.

vintagevrs

Thanks to detailing shed for top service! Got some ironx and tarx.

MetzgerMeister

Looking good! I must make myself bothered enough to do a wheel detail soon.

vintagevrs

Yeah its a fair bit of work taking the wheels off. Only got two done before other stuff caught up on me. They got a coat of wheel sealant too so feel extra slippy now. Hopefully make them easier kept for a while.

YbFocus

Some job alright! I may put in another order for this stuff!

vintagevrs

So yesterday I managed to get the 4 wheels back to new. They only have 15k km on them, but the winter did them no favours. Took them off, powerhose, tarx and rinse, ironx and rinse and then a coat of wheel guard.

Today I got the car washed and used the tarx and ironx on the paint after drying it. Let it dwell a few minutes and power hose off. It lifted 95% of the stuff, meaning when I clay it tomorrow (all going well) it will be much easier. I really recommend those products, great job.

Plan after clay is light polish with the DA depending if it looks like it'll be worth it. It was done 6 months ago. Then last job is a coat of 845. Just use it like a normal wax I presume?

Curran

Yeah use Collinite 845 as you would any normal wax - apply it in thin layers, and do at least two layers, leaving about an hour between coats.

Leaving the bottle in some hot warm before starting will help soften the 845 before application.

MetzgerMeister

You may need to keep the bottle in hot water until you're finished. It's called a liquid wax for a reason and if it's not runny as hell then it will be harder to apply and harder to buff off.

ianobrien

I'm posting this for newbies like myself to see the benefit & power of snowfoam before tackling the car with a bucket and wash mit. I'm far from an expert, and the foam was probably too weak for some.

I got off my rear and cleaned the car after the Galway Rally (see post 3903). This is what I faced....







Step 1 was 50cal Ambush foam and allowed to soak for 15/20 minutes minutes. The mix was about 1:10 water in the lance.



This is what I got when I washed the foam off. I rinsed with an angled lance as that makes it easier to get onto the roof and under the car.





This is after rinsing the foam off. You can see where it was struggling (bumper/quarter panel join & the bumper around the mudflap). I guess it's acceptable given the thick layer of crap on the car.



After that, washed with 2BM with AG shampoo, Bilt Hamber autowheels & wheel wooles on the wheels, dried with the Dry-me-Crazy and AG Fast Glass on the windows. The result......







The car badly needs a detarring, thanks to the council deciding to try to fill the potholes on the rally route just before the event. This meant loads of tar on the car. You can see it on the wheels and the rear of the car.

Next step is to find a power wash tomorrow. I was driving tonight and the council was spreading salt. I met the salting truck coming against me and he covered the car. I want to wash it off, and wash it off the undercarriage also.

Oh, for a laugh, try to spot what I was using for a bucket. Extra marks if you can tell what shade it contained first!

vintagevrs

So today I gave the car another squirt of tarx and power hosed it down. Then clayed it, followed by a touch with the DA and a finishing pad and some 4500.

Time then for some 845, but I only did the bonnet as it is so cold that it took a life time to go off. A lot easier than the simoniz to buff at least. Hopefully tomorrow is dry and might get it finished.

As she sits tonight, feels like a new car again:

quadrifoglio verde

Nice garage :cool:

vintagevrs

Yeah thanks, its a magnet for crap though. As you might see from the reflection it's a bit of a kip at the minute. Crap lying everywhere, it's on the to do list mind you. Would like to get something decent for a floor. The concrete is covered in stains at this stage. A damp lawnmower is terrible for it.

YbFocus

3 or 4 coats of decent garage floor paint and you are done

Awesome finish man

Curran

ianobrien wrote: »

Oh, for a laugh, try to spot what I was using for a bucket. Extra marks if you can tell what shade it contained first!

Dulux Weathershield buckets? Harvest Time or Cornfield??

Nice job on the car BTW!

ianobrien

Curran wrote: »

Dulux Weathershield buckets? Harvest Time or Cornfield??

Nice job on the car BTW!

White I think....

They are a great bucket. When the paint is gone, remove the paint residues and they are perfect. When they finally break, its cheap to replace. I've 8 or 10 gathered at this stage!

I wanted to show what snowfoam can and can't do. I'll be onto you soon as the Autowheels and foam are nearly gone and I'll need replacements.

Edit, it could be some shade of yellow bucket also.......

vintagevrs

So all waxed up now and the weather is being good to me too. The orange peel on the car is bad though. Guess that's just the way cars are these days.

Curran

Looking good - fantastic car!!

Yeah, the orange peel is the worst about new paints - can be vastly improved upon, even for an amateur - I know a chap that did a brilliant job with a DA and CarPro Denim and Velvet pads

Curran

The pads are effectively like 2000 and 3000 grit sand paper, so you get the flattening effect without the wet sanding hassle.
See here for the before and after.....best seen if you look at the reflection of the lamp post.

vintagevrs

I was really hoping for a, "there's very little can be done with that unless you go to major hassle":)

Curran

Sorry!

Errmmm - there's very little can be done with that unless you go to major hassle!! (that help?) :P

vintagevrs

I had a little look and read this on carpros website:

"PLEASE NOTE: THESE PADS ARE AGGRESIVE AND DECEPTIVE. They don't dull the paint like sanding so it may appear you aren't removing paint but you most certainly are. You must test these on a test panel first and learn how to use them first. Use LITTLE TO NO PRESSURE and observe the paint temperature often. DO NOT USE WITHOUT UTILIZING A PAINT GAUGE OFTEN."


Maybe another day!

Curran

Yes, there is a much higher risk with them, but that warning is due to one or two amateurs thinking they were doing nothing, going at their paintwork even more aggressively and paid the price.
With wet sanding, the surface is instantly dulled, so you know you've removed a layer, with these, it doesnt really, so it looks like they've done nothing.

vintagevrs

And with a bang Ireland delivers the rain again. I was lucky with the dry days I got.

GustavoFring

Car was in a bad state so took it up to D&D this morning for a wash.



The tar was quite bad so spent an hour and half a bottle of Oblitarate getting the tar off it. D&D allowed me do it there and rinsed it down again. Was feeling lazy and as its booked in for a ceramic coating next month I took it to the local topaz and gave it a coat of Hydro2 in the meantime.



Decent beading off a short term solution.

MetzgerMeister

An hour and a half removing tar? Are you sure it wasn't water you were using? :P

GustavoFring

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

An hour and a half removing tar? Are you sure it wasn't water you were using? :P

An hour and half a bottle!

It was absolutely caked in it, hadn't been deterred in a long while, nearly as long as it wasn't washed:)

vectra

Gave the passat a well deserved clean today
Usual vac the interior and wipe down the dash / doors / seats.

On to the outside

Spray OAC wheel cleanse on the wheels
Snow foam with BH foam.
Pressure rinse

Wash with Carpro Reset
rinsed
Spritz the whole car with Carpro Reload.
Dry with Dry me crazy towel.

Slight buff with fresh MF cloth.

Happy days

vintagevrs

I read that a few times before getting you.

An hour, and half a bottle

Curran

Even an hour, half a bottle of tar remover, that's still quite a bit of time!!
Were you spraying on, letting dwell and rinsing off? Or were you using a cloth?

YbFocus

Sure everyone knows you don't use a cloth these days

vintagevrs

Currans got some competition

Curran

YbFocus wrote: »

Sure everyone knows you don't use a cloth these days

Everyone on here should anyways!


Just curious - as even if you were to take Tardis for example;
- spray on, 2 mins
- let dwell, 2-3 mins
- rinse off, 2 mins
- let drip dry, 3 mins

10 mins, and if it was caked in tar, with Tardis, you'd have to repeat the process, two, maybe 3 times - 30 mins at worst!

GustavoFring

Curran wrote: »

Everyone on here should anyways!


Just curious - as even if you were to take Tardis for example;
- spray on, 2 mins
- let dwell, 2-3 mins
- rinse off, 2 mins
- let drip dry, 3 mins

10 mins, and if it was caked in tar, with Tardis, you'd have to repeat the process, two, maybe 3 times - 30 mins at worst!

It was caked in it, done with a microfibre and done gently. I had to go around a few times to make sure every last bit was done, then I concentrated on the wheels and got it all off those. They took a good bit of time. I went back then to get the little bits stuck in between shut lines. So I was really thorough. It's white and little bits are a lot more obvious.

I'll probably get slated for using a microfibre or being too slow, the car was in a very bad state and required it. I don't clean my car very often so it needed it.

Apologies if my timing doesn't meet the requirements of the detailing Gods, you should add it to the charter or something the time limits per task so relative novices know not to post or something?

Curran

I think you might have taken me up the wrong way.

If you are doing a job, and taking care doing it, I cant fault you - no matter how long it takes.
I was just curious, apologies if you felt I was be-belittling your routine or methods

GustavoFring

Just I'd always avoided tar removal myself to save damage (past experience with poor products caused damage), so I was overly careful with this one. Three large microfibres to do the car, as to not build up residue on the cloth surface.

Curran

Better safe than sorry!

Getting the job done safely is priority over the time it takes! Plus you've included the shut lines which are often overlooked!

Richard88

Iv always used holts tar remover and found it very good although iv always had to use a microfibre too!

Now I can't seem to find the holts tar remover in any shop.

Would ye recommend tardis or tar x so? Are they that good that you can spray on and wash off?

Edit: sorry just saw there's an ongoing convo in another thread about tar remover!

Curran

Holts Tar Remover is very aggressive, especially on plastic trims.

Yes, both are spray on, allow dwell, and then power wash off. If the car hasnt been done in a while, or has heavy deposits, a repeat application may be required. I find that Tardis usually requires two for an average amount of tar, but then you get more for the money!

GustavoFring

Richard88 wrote: »

Iv always used holts tar remover and found it very good although iv always had to use a microfibre too!

Now I can't seem to find the holts tar remover in any shop.

Would ye recommend tardis or tar x so? Are they that good that you can spray on and wash off?

Edit: sorry just saw there's an ongoing convo in another thread about tar remover!

Used Oblitarate today and have to say it made it very easy.

Mc Love

Finally got around to washing the car, last known wash was December with MX Valeting

Before:



Started off with some Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel:




Then I rinsed the wheels off and used some ValetPro PH Neutral Snow foam (whilst it started to begin to rain/hail:

Feckin rain clouds


So washed the snow foam off, and decided to try out the ODK Jet Shampoo using a 2BM wash method:



ODK Jet Shampoo, smells delicious and suds up nicely too, and delivers good cleaning power. I really liked this product.

And the finished article:




Got this beauty for christmas, didnt upload anything yet although there has been a few beauties caught on it.






I got black nitrile gloves from D&D and they are much better than the blue ones I've been using!

MetzgerMeister

What the fvck kind of back garden do you have?! :eek: It's awesome!

vectra

Nice seats in the mondeo

Mc Love

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

What the fvck kind of back garden do you have?! :eek: It's awesome!

Pain in the hole more like, upkeep is a chore and a half

vectra wrote: »

Nice seats in the mondeo

Easy to keep clean

Mc Love

God I hate this climate!!



Rear is worse!

ianobrien

I've the same dashcam. I bought two and put one in the father's car. As we swap them between vehicles, we didn't hardwire them in, only tuck the cable over the visor, down the pillar, tucked around the dash/door shut and under the mat to the cigarette lighter.

We find them excellent. Like you, got some scary moments (including I reckon an attempted staged accident as somebody in front of me with no brake lights stood on the brakes on a straight stretch of road) but none uploaded.

Mc Love

ianobrien wrote: »

I've the same dashcam. I bought two and put one in the father's car. As we swap them between vehicles, we didn't hardwire them in, only tuck the cable over the visor, down the pillar, tucked around the dash/door shut and under the mat to the cigarette lighter.

We find them excellent. Like you, got some scary moments (including I reckon an attempted staged accident as somebody in front of me with no brake lights stood on the brakes on a straight stretch of road) but none uploaded.

Have mine wired the same, but tucked behind the roof lining etc so it looks installed. Have to plug it in everytime though

MetzgerMeister

So I got TarX from Detailing Shed and used it today for the first time. I absolutely love it. Very easy to use and excellent at its job and smells incredible for a tar remover. Since it's citrus based it smells like oranges and doesn't smell one bit like tar remover.

I would highly recommend it.