There are number of cars featured on this site with extremely great looking original paintwork.

Would anyone care to share their secrets, including details of;

- products used

- The process

- Frequency.

My main culprit is hairline clear coat scratches, and visible swirl lines on strong sun.

Burty

the products i use are Autoglym super resin polish with a bit of cheese cloth. and autoglum ultra deep shine. great products

theres other people that do this kinda stuff on here

There are number of cars featured on this site with extremely great looking original paintwork.

Would anyone care to share their secrets, including details of;

- products used

- The process

- Frequency.

My main culprit is hairline clear coat scratches, and visible swirl lines on strong sun.

Burty

Products used - meguirs clay bar + quick detail spray, carnuba wax.

Frequency - err - used to be once a month (carnuba) but since kids have come along, it hasn't been done in 2 years :doubt:

I use meguirs.

Process: Clean the car, the chamois, then meguirs scratch and swirl remover, then meguirs either wax or polish, i do this every week and for a 99 model i still have a dark colour and only a few faded spots from the previous owners lake of cleaning. :rant:

Hope this helps

Mike

i use megiuars paint cleaner then turtlewax ice to give it the nice deep shine.

Living on campus at uni means I can't detail as often as I'd like, but anyhoo, this is the habit I'm telling myself to stick to.

Wash as necessary - used to be weekly here at home, but lately it's been whenever it's necessary and whenever the weather suits (not going to wash it if its going to rain in 2 days :P). I use Meguiars Gold Class wash and a Meguiars mitten, and I chaomis it dry. Tyres get a coat of Meguiars Endurance High Gloss after every 2nd/3rd wash.

Polishing I'll do at least twice a year. Poorboys SSR1 polish and EX-P sealant once, and Poorboys All-In-One Polish/Sealant the other time. I have a Bosch random orbital which comes in really handy. Thankfully the previous owners looked after the car well (or got someone to give it a real good detail before I bought it :P) as swirls and stratching are minimal.

I'll also use the SSR1 (as well as Poorboys Wheel Sealant) on my mags whenever I can find time to lol Did it a few days ago and they came up a treat. Ditto for Meguiars PlastiX on the headlights/tailights (really makes the parabolics stand out!) and some cheapo metal polish on the aerial/towball/exhaust tip.

When I'm at uni the car spends 5-6 days a week completely undercover (live in campus with an undercover parking lot) so I don't need to polish the car too frequently. I might do it more depending on what I'm doing - like I gave it a coat of Mothers Pure Canuebra wax when I came back from uni til tide me over til a proper detail, as I was working a lot with my car in the sun.

When I'm at uni the car spends 5-6 days a week completely undercover (live in campus with an undercover parking lot) so I don't need to polish the car too frequently. I might do it more depending on what I'm doing - like I gave it a coat of Mothers Pure Canuebra wax when I came back from uni til tide me over til a proper detail, as I was working a lot with my car in the sun.

[x] jealous

mine parks on a main road and crap gets baked onto it, and the polish seems to wash off in about 2 weeks. garaged at my folks it lasts months.

I have washed my car twice. Ever.

I've tried every cleaning system on the market in the last 30 years, inclduing way more expensive stuff than Meguiars and can't find anything that beats most of their products.

OK, bearing in mind I am at the extreme obsessive :nuts: end of looking after my cars, here's what I do (but notice that the trick is in regular washing, NOT in regular polishing).

Polish once a year. Wash every 3 weeks.

Polishing steps:
- go to Big W and spend $24 on 12 cloth nappies. Best and cheapest polishing cloths there are
- Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner polish (aka Step 1 Polish)
- Meguiars Deep Crystal 2 Step System Polish
- Meguiars Deep Crystal 2 Step System Carnauba Wax or Meguiars Hi Tech Yellow Wax
- Meguiars Quick Detailer kept in boot with cloth nappy to remove bugs and crap after every drive.


Golden rules of polishing:
- ideally do it under cover in an enclosed garage to stop you polishing dust stright back into the paint
- do it in the shade when the paint is cool to the touch (makes the waxes much easier to pull off and stops 'burn-in')
- always apply and remove polish in the direction air flows along the car ie., in straight lines, never in circles. Whether you like it or not you WILL finish up with hairline marks in your paint from washing and even from polishing. But if the lines are all running in just one direction the sun can only ever catch them in one direction and you will not notice them. Polish in circles and the sun will ALWAYS be able to pick a swirls (got this tip from a Meguiars Technician lesson years ago and it makes a HUGE difference)

I also use Meguiars Plastic Detailer on mirror edges and black plastic gutter molds. Plus Meguiars Rubber treatment on all seals, window trim rubbers. Tried everything on plastic on indicators and honest truth is Mr Sheen beats em all for retaining shine (but polish out light scratches with Meguiars Clear Plastic Polish). Best and longest lasting tyre sheen is Michelin.


Washing steps:
- go buy 13 56cent buckets from Big W (yes, really :nuts: ). Keep em in your bathroom. Stick one under the shower when you are warming the shower water. Pull the bucket outa there before you get in and throw soap around (kills car paint). This gives you enough water to wash and rinse the entire car and it is totally legal - ie., doesn't breach water restrictions laws)
- soak car with buckets of clean, saved shower water to soften up bugs and dirt
- bucket of warm water (again, save your clean shower water and just add a dollop of hot tap water) with big squirt of Meguiars Gold Class Wash Shampoo & Conditioner
- use 1 Mercedes Benz Lambswool mit (so much better than the Meguiars one and costs less!!) to do roof, screens, body down to knee height
- use a 2nd MB mit just for lower sections of car and wheels, door jambs, engine bay
- use cheap mit for inside wheel wells
- use one synthetic chamois to dry car from knee height up, and a second one for knee height down/wheels/door jambs/engine bay


Golden rules when washing:
- always in shade
- always start at the top of the car and wash the dirt "down" as you work down the car
- rinse after roof and both screens. Rinse again after bonnet and boot and side windows. Rinse after one side and tail. Rinse after other side and tail
- when you get to a quarter of a bucket of wash left in the bucket, get rid of what's left. Take a look and you will see there is dirt in that water which you are just going to drag outa there and put right back on your paint (which gives you thiose swirl marks you mention).

Using this process (most of which I got straight from a personal Meguiars Master Class lesson) got me 150 out of 150 points and the Grand Champion at the BMW Nationals years ago. Obssesive? :nuts: Yes. But gorgeous car? Hell yes.:)

when i wash the car (hasnt been done in a while - must change that)

i always start with a rinse off with tap water, then a HOT/warm bucket of water with carwashing stuff in it.

rinse with tap water again when youv sponged the car clean and chamios dry.

comes up a treat every time - and i dont have any swirl marks or scratches in my paint either.

i just use the cheap turtlewax wash & wax stuff - its blue in colour i know that much.

wont give nearly the level of perfection as mentioned above, but it keeps the car clean which is good.

hot water for the washing part, is best (i have found) aposed to cool / cold water, in the hot water helps to soften and lift the crud thats stuck to your paint.

Yeah there are a couple of tricky steps to washing and polishing a car, the first is that you have to lend it to your girlfriend/wife and encourage her to go shopping (a hard ask, I know!!) tell her to give it to the car washing guys at the shopping centre and pay the $60 to wash, clean interior and polish.......

Honestly, do people spend that much time washing cars? Its great in Vic, they've banned it, I couldn't be happier.

I do know theres a product called "Snowflake" that is designed to get rid of swirl marks and scratches in clear coat, they sell it at Auto Paint places. Turtle Wax also make a product called "scratch and swirl remover" that works well. But if you leave it covered in dirt nobody will notice.

Nappies on paint *cringes*

Nappies and quick detailer to remove bugs *cringes*

Should only ever use quality microfibre cloths on your paintwork.. not those 6 for $5 ones at gofreys either.. anything else WILL cause significant damage to your paint work..

By clicking here (http://www.detailaddiction.com.au/forums) you will find out all you need to know and more..

Depends how obsessive you are about it - im pretty damn obsessive so im not going to write a book about it.. its all on the forums ive linked above..

Honestly, do people spend that much time washing cars? Its great in Vic, they've banned it, I couldn't be happier.

you can spend ages on doing it but with the right technique and products you can have an immaculate car by spending no more than 1 to 2 hours on maintaining it a fortnight..

heck, my car still looks like it came out of the showroom and ive only washed it once this year and that was 4 weeks ago now.. it lives in a dusty environment and it has been rained on quite a few times (not since i washed it last tho).. Its all in the preparation.. correct preparation makes maintaining it a piece of cake..

Nappies on paint *cringes*

Nappies and quick detailer to remove bugs *cringes*

Should only ever use quality microfibre cloths on your paintwork.. not those 6 for $5 ones at gofreys either.. anything else WILL cause significant damage to your paint work..

By clicking here (http://www.detailaddiction.com.au/forums) you will find out all you need to know and more..

Depends how obsessive you are about it - im pretty damn obsessive so im not going to write a book about it.. its all on the forums ive linked above..
Hey whatever you reckon. All I know is I beat 350 other cars at the BMW Nationals. I have also been to Pebble Beach Concourse and nobody - repeat nobody - who is serious there uses anything other than natural fibres to polish their car....

Hey whatever you reckon. All I know is I beat 350 other cars at the BMW Nationals. I have also been to Pebble Beach Concourse and nobody - repeat nobody - who is serious there uses anything other than natural fibres to polish their car....

congrats..

i wasnt having a go at you mate.. :doubt:

but there is ways you can polish/wax/wash a car without scratching it..

congrats..

i wasnt having a go at you mate.. :doubt:

but there is ways you can polish/wax/wash a car without scratching it..

Agree with you fully.
Microfibres are the only way to go.
You get what you pay for

my car had a whole stack of swirls and what not on the paint, so i tried turtlewax blue and after applying it, i got my orbital polisher to take off the wax. then used a clean microfiber cloth to go over the car to get any excess wax off and came up looking new. and no swirl marks anywhere to be seen. best thing the wax was quite reasonably priced too.

my car had a whole stack of swirls and what not on the paint, so i tried turtlewax blue and after applying it, i got my orbital polisher to take off the wax. then used a clean microfiber cloth to go over the car to get any excess wax off and came up looking new. and no swirl marks anywhere to be seen. best thing the wax was quite reasonably priced too.

I dont mean this in a nasty way or anything.. but the wax has only filled the swirls so it looks like they have gone.. you will notice that after each wash they will gradually reappear as the fillers of the wax are washed away..

Its still a cheap and simple short term solution tho..

There is one product out there that will blow all them out of the water... Its Called Carlack68 premium polish. used it for years. best result ever.. better then everything list above..:)


Products used carnuba wax.

That stuff is real hard work..:) stopped using it. try carlack..


For anyone who is half keen on trying carlack i will have some with me at MM08.. once you try you will never go back to all your other top branded products..:)

products I am using are:

menzerna Intesive polish and Final Finish with my RO to clean up the clearcote
Zaino Z2 pro sealent - one of the worlds best sealants
P21s 100 wax - looks awesome.

Can honestly say if you were to see my car in the flesh it looks a thousand times better then what they were on the showroom floor. Paintwork feels like silk. Like stated before, preperation is the key and then the maintenance of a beautiful 'showroom' shine if you will is easy

But hey I dont mind doing a detail on my car, quite enjoy being outside

products I am using are:

menzerna Intesive polish and Final Finish with my RO to clean up the clearcote
Zaino Z2 pro sealent - one of the worlds best sealants
P21s 100 wax - looks awesome.


Interesting. What's the base in the the Zaino sealant (polymer, silicone, resin)?

Excuse my ignorance, but what are swirls?

My car is third-hand and it has to sit in the sun or under trees all day, so the paintwork is pretty dodgy. There are these tiny spots/bubbles in the paint on the boot of the car... is there any way to get rid of or hide them?

Has anyone tried armorall wash and wax (the blue one)? i bought some yesterday so i could clean the car up for the cruise tomorrow :D

I have washed my car twice. Ever.

So im not the only one? lol good to hear friend

Has anyone tried armorall wash and wax (the blue one)? i bought some yesterday so i could clean the car up for the cruise tomorrow

As far as off-the-shelf products go, I'll only use Meguiars. At the end of the day though, there probably isn't a be-all and end-all difference between different shampoos. Don't let the "wash and wax" sway your purchasing - it won't make a difference.


Excuse my ignorance, but what are swirls?

Swirls are microscopic stratches in the paint. You won't necessarily see them all the time, but if you put a light on them (ie the sun's rays or a spotlight) they'll stick out like the proverbial. They are often caused by incorrect washing procedures.

I've attached a picture I found on Meguiars Online. The majority of the bonnet has not been corrected, and is covered in swirls. The two cleaner/blacker patches have been corrected and the swirls removed. For further comparison, there's my parents old red Festiva (swirled to the ****house) and my nearly swirl-less Magna :)

ahh ok, thanks for the picture. my car is covered in swirls then lol

Nothing to be ashamed of. Unless a car has been professionally detailed by a reputable detailer (ie not the local used car lot) or the owner is a detailer of sorts themselves (or some combination of the above), chances are that there'll be a fair few imperfections (swirls, spider webbing etc) in the paint :P

oops, missed the pics of your parents car and yours. are you a detailer? your car is rather shiny :D (shiny in a good way :))

Na, far from it. I'm an amateur home detailer :P

What are peoples opinions of ScratchX?

Is it worth the money?

As far as off-the-shelf products go, I'll only use Meguiars. At the end of the day though, there probably isn't a be-all and end-all difference between different shampoos. Don't let the "wash and wax" sway your purchasing - it won't make a difference.



Swirls are microscopic stratches in the paint. You won't necessarily see them all the time, but if you put a light on them (ie the sun's rays or a spotlight) they'll stick out like the proverbial. They are often caused by incorrect washing procedures.

I've attached a picture I found on Meguiars Online. The majority of the bonnet has not been corrected, and is covered in swirls. The two cleaner/blacker patches have been corrected and the swirls removed. For further comparison, there's my parents old red Festiva (swirled to the ****house) and my nearly swirl-less Magna :)

what do you use to get the swirls out?

Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner polish (aka Step 1 Polish) used to actually be called Swirl Remover. Try this first by hand, followed by Meguiars Step Two polish. If you still see swirls then you need to take it to a panel shop to have them professionally take the swirls out with an electric buffer