Today I did some detailing...

Guys, some advice please.
I've an older car, and the paint isn't in the best nick. Even after a machine wsh/powerwash is never looks sparkling clean. I'm gonna have a few days off work in January. So figure I might spend a day sorting it out. However, I'll have to do it fully by hand. No water/power outside out block so hose, powerwasher or rotary buffers are out. Am I wasting my time attempting this.

Plan was to keep is simple.
Internally:
Vacuum, carpet clean, vinyl and trim polish.

Extenally:
Wash, T-Cut paint restorer, Wax/Polish

Is it worth a shot, or will I be left with a streaky mess.

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

Well you'll need access to water to get it clean before you start. TBH you are wasting your time with t cut. To get it looking as good as possible by hand you'll need to wash it, de-ter, clay, polish it with a product like Auto glym Super Resin Polish (possibly twice) and then 2-3 coats of either AG HD wax or AG extra gloss protection.

I have access to water but not a hose, good old fashion bucket and sponge.
I live in australia so products might not be the same. What's the difference between polish and wax?

First off, ditch the sponge....get yourself a wash mitt and two buckets. One bucket with your shampoo and the other as a rinse bucket. Mitt into the shampoo bucket, wash one panel and then dunk it into the rinse bucket to remove the dirt and grit. Then mitt into the shampoo bucket. Continue this process panel by panel until clean.

You will be able to get the proper products if you google "detailing supplies Australia"

Polish is used to remove a very thin layer from the top of the paintwork to reveal a fresh layer of paint. The top layer, over time will become oxidised and contaminated. By polishing by hand you are removing this and restoring the paint. Exfoliating for paintwork in a way.

Wax is protection for your paintwork so to limit the return of oxidation and contamination. It also gives the paintwork a certain amount of enhancement to the appearance.

I have a "How To Guide" and a "List of Products I Recommend" that I can PM onto anyone who wants it!
I wouldn't be allowed to post it directly onto the forum!

Got some c2v3 after it being recommended on here. So so easy to use and i'm impressed with the results so far. Waiting for it to rain to see the beading.

Also used rainex on the windscreen, seems like good stuff too.

Nice reflection:

Plain old water in the bottle, will prob get some gtechniq for the windscreen when this runs out though.

The paint is pretty good, DA'd the boot lid and bonnet, never got round to the rest.

Since machine polishing the bonnet i'm after getting some scratches on it though:mad: They seem a bit deeper than swirls and will polish out i think. I'm thinking they're was some dirt in my drying towel as they are in straight lines and follow the direction I would normally drag my towel.

Would some tiny grit/dirt in the towel scratch the paint? It's not like i was rubbing the towel against the paint

Curran wrote: »

Yeah, if grit or dirt got in the towel, it might scratch the paint. You need a plush towel to limit this as much as possible, as unless you are washing the car 2 or 3 times, there's going to be certain areas that will have a small amount of grit still on the paint work!

Also, what towel do you have...I know of some towels that will very lightly scratch the paint work, even fresh out of the packaging!! :eek:

Blue one with red edge, looks like this: http://www.cardazzle.co.uk/deluxe-fluffy-drying-towel-121-p.asp

Think it's chemical guys.

Could you send me that pm with the detailing guide and list of products, want to see if i'm missing/forgetting anything!

Curran wrote: »

That's very similar to the one that I've experienced at first hand and have had others say it to me!
I think there is a CG's one alright, but there is cheap copies from China and the likes floating about. They look almost exactly the same and retailers are selling them as CG's ones, but sending those with nice mark ups!!

I'll fire you the PM now!

Thanks for the pm!

Think i'll be asking for a detailingshed voucher from santa this year:D

I'd have no issue being a mod

Though, there might be an issue around a Conflict of Interest

Curran wrote: »

Yeah, if grit or dirt got in the towel, it might scratch the paint. You need a plush towel to limit this as much as possible

I don't move my MF towel on the paint at all. I place it down and press it against the panel so that if there was any grit it wouldn't be dragged along the paintwork.

And FWIW, mine is a blue and red towel like that, but it's not Chemical Guys branded. It's a good soft towel though.

Nice one Larry - she came out well!!

She's a big auld bus!!
Very hard to get a handle on how much work will be needed to get the paintwork fully restored, after a wet sand, and its definitely something that cant be rushed. Would have an idea in my head of how long I would like it to take, but I'd always tell someone that I cant give a definite time...nothing worse than working to a tight timeline on a job like that, espeically after a full respray - it would have to be perfect!

Curran wrote: »

As above, what lance and snowfoam?

Have you tried adjust the air ratio mixture knob on the top, and also to a lesser degree, the fan of the spray, by twisting the nozzle.
Cold water, if you've filled from an outside tap, can slightly effect thickness, but not by that much....top it up with warm water from an indoor tap.
Is your gauze clear? Have you been rinsing water through the fitting after each use? Do that by taking off the bottle and using it, thereby flushing just water through....or fill the bottle with water and APC mixture to be extra sure.
The snowfoam dries to a sticky mess and if the fitting isnt flushed it clogs the gauze! But if its not too bad, that can be cleaned by removing and leaving it soak.

The OAC form and a Karcher lance. No I must admit I havent washed it out after using it. Would I have to get a new one if deposits have been left behind of will they just wash out?

Fan of the spray I think I have sorted, its probably the dial at the top, and maybe down to the cold water, I have used about an inch and half of the foam and topped it with cold water.

CianRyan wrote: »

We're using different products but I'd use less than 1cm of foam to the bottle of water, always warm water!

Should I fill it up to the top or to the neck? Want to make sure I get this right

I do have the AutoBrite foam lance for a Karcher washer

Warm water is no advantage unless the water feed to the power washer is warm also. If the water in the bottle is warm, and then when you pull the trigger on the lance, the warm water from the bottle gets diluted down with the cold water from the tap. Generally there will be so much cold water coming through that the water will be cold coming out the end anyway.

I find with snow turned up to the last the foam is too heavy and gravity takes over and drags it off the car. You are better off with a lighter covering of foam and it will then dwell longer on the paintwork disolving the dirt better .