Best detailing items in winter starting fresh with new car

Zoney

Hi all,

I know there have been various posts in the past on best recommended detailing steps. However, given the time of year and weather, and my prior experience/products, I'd like to hear if anyone has good suggestions for first time doing anything to a new (secondhand) car.

Previously I would use 2 BM for wash. To detail fully, I would have detarred then clay bar, before two coats polish and then two coats extra gloss protection. Autoglym products. Bear in mind previous car was close to/over 10 years old, so the exact finish wasn't highly critical, any scrubbing up of the metallic silver paint made a massive difference.

Should I get some iron removal given its the first time doing anything to the new car? What should I be careful of given the paintwork looks top condition right now (unlike the old car). It's quite a dark metallic colour, "bronze". Detailing should move it from looking brownish to goldish. Should I skip the clay for now, do that in the spring, removing any protection then (if indeed there would be any left). So for now, just clean it carefully and polish, then egp?

Should I polish the lights the same as the bodywork? Also, would it make sense polishing the plastic exterior of cameras the same as the bodywork? Or should I especially avoid? The front camera (360 degree vision for parking) is a bit foggy due to wear of the camera plastic cover (it's low down in the radiator grille). Should I treat this similarly to old fogged up headlamps? (Wet sand then cutting compound)

It's a Citroen C4 grand Picasso with panoramic sun roof, so acres of glass all round. I've only used the autoglym products before, should I splash out for something fancier or one of those rain repellent products? (Rainx?)

Half leather seats, kind of silver tone to the leather. Again, great condition starting out, so I don't want to mess up. Any suggested products for cleaning and protection? (Bonus points if I can use the same ones on the living room suite, grey leather)

Nice 18" alloys on it, Santa may be bringing some previously recommended products for those :-)

I'll take before/after photos, it's looking surprisingly grim right now after just two weeks driving without a wash.

EPAndlee

Personally wouldn't be a fan of autoglym but everyone has their own preferences on brands to use. I mostly use Bilt Hamber,Gtechniq,Soft 99. Started using Angelwax lately and very impressed with it. Angelwax products are very well priced

I'd wash,tar remover,fallout remover,clay (only if I'm going to machine polish the car afterwards),polish then sealant. I top up the protection with Gtechniq Crystal Lacquer.

Treat the windows with a repellent. I use soft 99 glaco.

I find Dr Leather products excellent for leather.

As for wheels I gave up on wheels waxes and coated then in Gtechniq C5.

That's my own personal take on it and that's what I find works for me

Zoney

Thanks, I'm thinking to get fallout remover and skip the clay this time round.

Might try out some of the other products in future alright, just have a bunch of autoglym stuff to use up, it was on special offer.

Curran

It sounds like you want to detail it but dont at the same time - if you want a quick and easy way to get it looking fairly presentable and protected, and revisit it in the spring, my approach would be

Wash with 2BM
Rinse
Fallout remover, allow dwell for 5 mins, rinse
Tar Remover (if necessary)
Rinse
Apply a product such as CarPro HydrO2 or wash with CarPro HydrO2Foam; both quick and easy and will give a few weeks protection

Using HydrO2 or HydrO2Foam again if you feel its starting to be killed off, and when the weather gets better, then do a full decon, polish and protect

Zoney

Thanks, I wasn't really reluctant about detailing, just less sure of the opportunity I'd have! Managed to get a dry day and the time today.

In the event, I did prep the car well before polish and EGP (Photos after attached, forgot to capture the before state!) Although when I washed it well for the first time, a nice surprise was that there was very little contamination left (just around door sills). Clay bar was mostly clear till I did around the base of the car.

Paint is in exceptional condition, not much swirling in evident. After removing any residue of previous product with the clay bar, I did notice a weird non-glossy panel in the back right of the boot lid. I suspect maybe from an adhesive country patch for international driving? (Car has 75k miles despite only being 3 years old, yet little interior or exterior wear evident - would be explained by some long cross-Europe trips to the med or skiing or something). Anyway, it's not apparent after the treatment.

Still got the wheels to do during the break (want to get to do them really thoroughly), but happy with the mirror effect on the paintwork.

I used RainX combined clean and repellant on the glass, using paper towels to rub it on and dry ones to finish. It's some job reaching the full extent of the windscreen - I had to use a step stool for it, not even just for the roof! Anyway, seems to give the desired effect, it did remove spots and streaks evident on the glass before.

So, despite trying for the minimum originally, if the weather holds up, I'm now wondering if there are any suggestions for what to use on matt trim (metallic silver) and chrome trim? (see photos). The gloss black plastic trim looks well having treated it along with the glass.

MetzgerMeister

Unless you have somewhere indoors that is warm to keep the car 100% dry for at least 24 hours, I wouldn't go about applying any Gtechniq coatings at this time of year. Better off to do it during the summer.

For now you're kind of wasting your time but I would still get the basics (mitt, 2 buckets with grit guards etc) and something along the lines of Gtechniq C2V3 and/or Gtechniq quick detailer for the next few months. Detailing Shed have alternatives to these Gtechniq products if you want to shop there but the Gtechniq stuff can be got online from D&D in Cork.

Zoney

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Unless you have somewhere indoors that is warm to keep the car 100% dry for at least 24 hours, I wouldn't go about applying any Gtechniq coatings at this time of year. Better off to do it during the summer.

For now you're kind of wasting your time

:-D that's kind of what I'd been thinking with my original post! Did manage to get probably about 12 hrs dry after applying the egp, and it had been dry all day and milder than usual, so hopefully it'll keep me going till late spring.

Any suggestions for the matt silver trim? It really doesn't show up well now compared to the main paintwork.