Detailing On A Budget

randy hickey

I thought it might be an idea to create a thread where we can collate and share information on various detailing-related products where we have come across a bargain.A sort of Bargain Alerts for the Car Detailing forum, if you will!
I would like it to also include good bargains that you spot with the online retailers also, e.g. Detailing Shed,Cleancar.ie, Serious Performance etc. etc.

The point of this would be twofold; apart from the obvious benefit of saving us all a few bob, it may also encourage others to get involved in some detailing who previously were reluctant due to the misconception that it's all about €300 pots of wax!

randy hickey

So, here we go.

12 Microfibre cloths for €4.99 in Homestore and More (or as I call it, B&Q for women!)

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These are a good size and actually work out a good bit cheaper than the Kent ones I was getting wholesale.

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randy hickey

Long Reach Windshield Cleaning Tool.

For any of you who are not a Russian gymnast, you will know just how awkward it can be to get down to the bottom of the rear windscreen on your average saloon car - well, contort yourself no more:

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The one on the right is €1.49 from Dealz currently, while the one on the left was sourced from Breathnach's in St Dominick's Shopping Centre in Tallaght, but at €2.
FWIW, they seem pretty similar to me.

myshirt

Can we get a price on the Russian gymnast?

randy hickey

I dunno what the current going rate is, but I was doing a good impression of one a few weeks ago trying to polish the inside rear windshield of a B5 Passat.
I wouldn't mind, but at six foot my arms aren't exactly short!
Was considering having some ribs removed when I discovered these gizmos.

randy hickey

Spray Bottles.

A pair of spray bottles for just €1.49 in Dealz currently.
Whilst these are not solvent resistant spray heads, ( and a lot of the ones that you'll pay €3 each are not solvent resistant either!), they are more than adequate for everything else.

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MetzgerMeister

I suppose I can't post any Gtechniq products here???

massy086

any chaep local clay bars????

166man

My Top Tip for those that want a cleaned polished and generally very well kept car but dont wish to fork out hundreds for Gtechniq and Dual Action polishers is, instead of buying the usual Tar Cleanse or Holts Tar Remover, honestly get a Jerry can and put two litres of petrol into it. Costs about €1.60 a litre and then just use an old spray bottle you have lying around.

Fill it up and use the petrol as the tar remover, spray on, leave for a few seconds and then power wash off. I would advise to wash the car thoroughly again after using it though - for obvious reasons!

Seriously though, detarring is such an important stage in really getting that glass like finish, spend €3 on detarring it and another €12 on a clay block. It's te best €15 you'll ever spend on a car.

I wouldn't advise buying cheap clay also, save the money on the detarring stage and fork out the rest for good quality clay, you won't regret it.

Long post I know, sorry folks!

randy hickey

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I suppose I can't post any Gtechniq products here???

Eh, at €28.95 for 15ml of C4 (that's €1930/L :eek:) I don't think so!!

Then again, if Curran or Larry decided to do a special offer at say €15, then that could go in here!:D

MetzgerMeister

randy hickey wrote: »

if Curran or Larry decided to do a special offer at say €15, then that could go in here!:D

Are you mad?? you'd sooner get black-market condoms from the pope!! :pac:

randy hickey

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Are you mad?? you'd sooner get black-market condoms from the pope!! :pac:

We live in hope!:D:D

randy hickey

Another long reach windscreen cleaning tool!

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€4.99 in Mr Price in Bluebell today - beside Southside Motor Factors.

Here's the same sort of thing from Motorgeek for Stg£16.95!:
http://www.motorgeek.co.uk/cgi-bin/ecom.cgi?Command=ShowProduct&db_pid=585

BTW when I was in there I spotted they have the small tins of Hammerite for painting your brake calipers for €3.99 - the same size is €11.99 in Halfords!
Unfortunately the only colour they had in that particular branch was copper or bronze, but I'll be keeping an eye out for silver.

HJL

I got a 5 litre bottle of Turtle Wax Extreme Nano Tech Wash and Wax for €3.00 in Halfords in Letterkenny during the week. They had the 500ml bottle for €1.00 too. Not sure if it available in all stores though.

Don't really like wash n wax products, but at that price I reckon it is worth a shot.

Also Simionz Bug Shifter is €1.50 in Tesco in Letterkenny, I got one a couple of weeks ago and there was still one or two left i think. Again I don't know if it is a nationwide offer or just a clearance type offer for the specific store.

MetzgerMeister

Detailing Shed have come up with this lovely little package to get you off to a great start when you do your car next...

Wheel Cleanse + Iron Cleanse + Tar Cleanse

Nice 25% saving when you buy this package compared to buying them separately!

Curran

Nicely spotted Metz

Not exactly as "budget" as some products in the thread, but its a nice wee saving!

randy hickey

There ya go - cheaper products does not equate to inferior products.

Now yisser gettin the hang of this!:D

MetzgerMeister

randy hickey wrote: »

There ya go - cheaper products does not equate to inferior products.

Now yisser gettin the hang of this!:D

Gtec................sorry

Curran

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Gtec................sorry

I believe there is a ban from the Detailing forum for a week, for mentioning the "g" products in this thread!

fanadman1

3 for 2 on all t cut car plan and wonder wheels products in halfords this week could be some good deals got in it for once

NickDunne

Probably the best CHEAP detailing product you'll use:



99c each, buy 2 bottles, one for a 4:1 mix for heavy dirt e.g. engine bay and the other for a 10:1 mix for general apc duties.

Also groundnut oil as a back to black for trim and plastic, or even burnt engine oil. Just make sure its well wiped after application.

Mc Love

randy hickey wrote: »

So, here we go.

12 Microfibre cloths for €4.99 in Homestore and More (or as I call it, B&Q for women!)

Picked up two packs myself - on a separate note, should cloths for waxing/cleaning/polishing be washed separately from each other (same goes for wash mitts etc)?

Curran

Mc Love wrote: »

should cloths for waxing/cleaning/polishing be washed separately from each other (same goes for wash mitts etc)?

Nope, just givem them all a good rinse out in the sink first before throwing them in

Wash separately from the regular washing though! :pac:

randy hickey

Kent Microfibre Drying Towels.

Picked up six of these in B&Q Tallaght earlier @ €2 each.
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They are marked at €5.30 each, but when you scan them at the checkout they come up as €3 each, but they are on a 3 for 2 offer at the moment, so if you buy three they work out as just €2 each!!
Just to give you an idea of what a bargain this is, these drying towels come up fairly regularly over on DW, and in a thread in June, they were seen to be a bargain at Stg£8 for 3!!

Think I'll go back for more tomorrow.:D

randy hickey

Tyre Dressing Applicator Sponge.

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The one on the right is a "proper" tyre dressing applicator, costs around €2.50 and lasts about three uses ime.

The one on the left does the same job, costs around €0.49 and has lasted over a year - dozens of uses and still going strong!

Mc Love

randy hickey wrote: »

Tyre Dressing Applicator Sponge.

[IMG][/img]

The one on the right is a "proper" tyre dressing applicator, costs around €2.50 and lasts about three uses ime.

The one on the left does the same job, costs around €0.49 and has lasted over a year - dozens of uses and still going strong!

And you can get them where?

cena

Mc Love wrote: »

And you can get them where?

Any shop should have them. They are mainly used cleaning pots and pans

MetzgerMeister

Mc Love wrote: »

And you can get them where?

Dunnes, tesco, centra etc

randy hickey

Mc Love wrote: »

And you can get them where?

Available in Lidl/Aldi also.
Come to think of it, I saw a ten pack of them in Homestore And More for €1.99 last week - so they're actually only 19c each.

NobodyImportant

This saved me a good few bob over "back to black" and so forth over the life of the car:

http://www.205gtidrivers.com/orders/orders-plasticare.html

Its a dye, so the trim goes black permanently. Apply with a sponge. Will need 2 coats. Looks great when its done and no more having to use chemicals to darken it.

One bottle was enough with plenty left over for a 2007 Civic.

166man

NobodyImportant wrote: »

This saved me a good few bob over "back to black" and so forth over the life of the car:

http://www.205gtidrivers.com/orders/orders-plasticare.html

Its a dye, so the trim goes black permanently. Apply with a sponge. Will need 2 coats. Looks great when its done and no more having to use chemicals to darken it.

One bottle was enough with plenty left over for a 2007 Civic.

*awaits MM's recommendation....


So yah just loike buy the Gtechniq C4.....:pac: