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Today I did some detailing...

randy hickey

We have the "Today I Did Something To My Car" thread out in the main forum, and a lot of the posts on it pertain to detailing.
I thought it would be a good idea to give our various detailing activities a thread in their proper home.

I'll get the ball rolling.

Today ( ahem, last night really!), I snow foamed the car
Wasn't able to follow through and wash it properly as my back went, but couldn't believe how well it looked this morning!
In fairness I have a fair bit of LSP on it, but there was ten days worth of road film and tree sap on it.

Well impressed.

Over to you!

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JAMES VTI S

Very easy to use, i think the lads are saying 845 is easier

[Deleted User]

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

All you need to know about this wax is right here

That's a great read!

stimpson

I don't see why everyone says 476 is hard to apply. If it is then you're using too much.

You just give the applicator a light twist in the tin and that should be enough to give the thinnest of coatings on about a square foot. I was sceptical the first time I did it as I figured there is no way such a thin coat will do anything, but once it was buffed it looked great.

Working like that it's very easy to use and you can cover the car very quickly.

bazery

Cheers lads. Great forum. Can't wait until I have some time on my hands

JAMES VTI S

The_Pretender wrote: »

I'm thinking of getting Collinite 845 as I'm hoping to get a a DA polisher, and I could apply it fairly easily by sticking an applicator on the polisher yes?

All you need to know about this wax is right here

[Deleted User]

Collinite 845 is a lot easier to apply and buff off as it's a liquid compared to 476S which is a paste. If you wanted to use your D/A to apply 845, you should use the black (finishing) pad at a speed of no more than 3. All you need to do is take the work out of applying by hand so there's no need to have it at a higher speed, lower it if anything.

Also, don't smother the pad in the stuff, a little goes a long way with this so only apply more when you're sure it needs it otherwise it will just create excess which is nothing but waste. Thin coats all the way, not thick

Curran

Well you wont be able to attach an applicator to the polisher, but you will be able to get a pad soft enough to do the job....but I wouldnt use a machine to apply anything, unless you've done the correct prepartation; mainly de-tar and claying.

Pete's 53 is a very nice wax, especially on darker colours. Collinite 476s is a very durable wax, a little harder to work with than Pete's 53, but great value for money. If you are going for the 845, it will be best to go with 476s to layer it...if that is your plan, rather than the 845 and Pete's 53. Something like JetSeal109 would be ideal for layering with Pete's 53.

The_Pretender

I'm thinking of getting Collinite 845 as I'm hoping to get a a DA polisher, and I could apply it fairly easily by sticking an applicator on the polisher yes?

That would be my main reason for choosing the liquid wax, along with the good things I've heard about it. But what do you guys do? I'm thinking of Pete's 53 and Collinite 476 as well if they're any better?

vectra

bazery wrote: »

Quick question I'm trying to pick up tar cleanse and collinite 476. Where are ye getting them from? I've only just started getting the detailing itch

Right here.
And welcome.

Tar Cleanse

Collinite 476

bazery

Quick question I'm trying to pick up tar cleanse and collinite 476. Where are ye getting them from? I've only just started getting the detailing itch

Ded_Zebra

Curran wrote: »

There's no harm, but its a case of diminisihing returns putting on more and more coats. 2 or 3 is generally enough. And the 3rd would be more a case of ensuring that you've got 100% coverage, as you'll generally miss a few small areas doing each coat.

OK thanks for that, I think I'll put 1 more on though

Now I'm off to clean 3 more wheels in the rain

Curran

It may have been filthy, but probably didnt see a whole lot of time fitted to the car!!

Could have been put on, used for a day or two in bad weather and never cleaned when put back on the back, and dirt was baked in!!

My brothers car hasnt been cleaned in ages, and the front wheels are caked in brake dust. If I get a chance, I'll use Iron Cleanse on them at the weekend and take pics of the reaction at 1:1 and at 1:3

[Deleted User]

Deleted User wrote: »

But that was my most extreme case of purple-ness, including the wheels that were on the car all the time.

(the spare wheel had definitely been used in the past, by the way, it was filthy when I first looked at it after buying the car. I spent ages cleaning it before I did that few days of cleaning the Rav as a whole)

OK, I give up :pac:

[Deleted User]

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Well in that case it would very rarely have been used so there's your answer!

But that was my most extreme case of purple-ness, including the wheels that were on the car all the time.

(the spare wheel had definitely been used in the past, by the way, it was filthy when I first looked at it after buying the car. I spent ages cleaning it before I did that few days of cleaning the Rav as a whole)

Curran

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

I also did 3 coats of Extra gloss protection on the paint. I'm thinking of doing a couple of more… Do you think that's excessive or a good plan?

There's no harm, but its a case of diminisihing returns putting on more and more coats. 2 or 3 is generally enough. And the 3rd would be more a case of ensuring that you've got 100% coverage, as you'll generally miss a few small areas doing each coat.

Ded_Zebra

Clay

EEDF57EFEEAE48FBB2B8453121F103D2-0000363222-0003483759-01024L-8510D66983134DE0AF301EB2F3988C25.jpg

Note that I painted the wheels myself and did a fairly shoddy job (still way better than they were before though) so the surface is pretty rough and didn't come 100% clean. I'm still fairly happy though

The next thing I turned my attention to is the brake caliper. Scrubbed down with wheel cleanse, rinsed and then dried. Nearly put CG wheel guard on them but didn't clean them well enough and didn't want to dirty my applicator pad!

FA2DF7D5720D4ED4B69BA0D50D361D76-0000363222-0003483758-01024L-047252CE2F1F4291B2E8DB52F5A25AB9.jpg

FA2DF7D5720D4ED4B69BA0D50D361D76-0000363222-0003483758-01024L-047252CE2F1F4291B2E8DB52F5A25AB9.jpg

After.

D49BA1D62CD540F0A1A5B73FD2D28DF4-0000363222-0003483757-01024L-1E0E066623794183932C06D44D348B2B.jpg

Next it was the wheel arches. They were cleaned earlier so I put a bit of tyre dressing on them to blacken them.

71A989353BAE4DC59CD0A9B9FC849728-0000363222-0003483756-01024L-506E02EA75F443F283ED77888F3661B9.jpg

71A989353BAE4DC59CD0A9B9FC849728-0000363222-0003483756-01024L-506E02EA75F443F283ED77888F3661B9.jpg

5818BB0D32A1494E954E910C8F30F607-0000363222-0003483753-01024L-FB193ABC828B42B8ABF922CCD2A23417.jpg

At the same time as doing the wheel arches it turns out that wheel guard doesn't cure when it's 0ºc

Into the kitchen it was

A9E2929545824B81B85B1263911DAE1E-0000363222-0003483755-01024L-D839BEAAF3E642D0BED353420AFFA5FF.jpg

THen it was center cap time. They were beside the car and got a lot of polish sling on them.

457C366AA96D4350B9604830A6AD9844-0000363222-0003483750-01024L-0EB7A3BDAF3F43DD830CB515254EC9C1.jpg

457C366AA96D4350B9604830A6AD9844-0000363222-0003483750-01024L-0EB7A3BDAF3F43DD830CB515254EC9C1.jpg

They were cleaned whit wheel cleanse too and then treated to wheel guard. 3 coats, same as the wheels

The finished result!

0AD7516305D644E08FA16D18CA4E598F-0000363222-0003483749-01024L-5B7525F362664F9BBD02E4D559936383.jpg

I also did 3 coats of Extra gloss protection on the paint. I'm thinking of doing a couple of more… Do you think that's excessive or a good plan?

Ded_Zebra

Day 3. Only got a fairly small bit done today because I had college due :rolleyes:

Step one was take the car out of the garage and wash it to get rid of all the remaining polish residue. For the craic I put an nice of APC into the snow foam lance and filled it to the top with warm water. Doing this produced a nice thick long dwelling foam (though not as long as snow foam). Might be worth trying for the people having problems with their foam. Was just the Lidl stuff that I used, it might help diagnose is the problem is with the foam or the lance

Here's a few snaps of it out in natural light after washing it down.

F695BA2A4450461E8BC94F82553498BE-0000363222-0003483768-01024L-4AC21DD5BBFC4A5CABBC8805DEA135D3.jpg

F695BA2A4450461E8BC94F82553498BE-0000363222-0003483768-01024L-4AC21DD5BBFC4A5CABBC8805DEA135D3.jpg

7F99825D10284ED2A1AF6A29FD6DF46B-0000363222-0003483767-01024L-7CD30409C6194AB1BDFE70EEF6C0869E.jpg

9F762FCD482B460080A64103530D2A05-0000363222-0003483765-01024L-A078D5B85D374D1AA5CC5D9C106E73F6.jpg

Tail light polished up and looking lovely.

B5AE60F226F54774AEBD470673D61946-0000363222-0003483766-01024L-4EBD8F999ADB497581172DD3E357DDD5.jpg

B5AE60F226F54774AEBD470673D61946-0000363222-0003483766-01024L-4EBD8F999ADB497581172DD3E357DDD5.jpg

Then I got a bit lazy and washed the wheel arches out with the wheels on. I wanted to get it back in the garage ASAP as it looked a bit like rain for a while and if the car is in the garage I could just take the wheels out and wash them.
I still washed them out fairly well though

5B7D0EA18939467AB06AFFABD3213B6D-0000363222-0003483769-01024L-4A86934A44E84C3D952FA00A7F693808.jpg

Then heres a wheel before.

38FC6B5940D247058FC8F82309B9054F-0000363222-0003483764-01024L-FB9C4CF86DDE40C78BE237B6661F5FFC.jpg

6AC5BD88CABF4D8D9181BDDE07D44931-0000363222-0003483763-01024L-12652060945342AC96362503398FF370.jpg

Washing with wheel cleanse. The reason I'm using a broken brush it because I drove over it

92A0BC476348480E85A96AB4BC22E540-0000363222-0003483762-01024L-A83F78BA017E416588EC8B30A678AA57.jpg

Scrubbing the tyre down.

B1F2B85259014FC7A039077D724BF251-0000363222-0003483761-01024L-24EBD019221640F28E283C12D9EBC1B5.jpg

Iron cleanse.

881F4BEC1F584BEAA108DD18AC5CA7FD-0000363222-0003483760-01024L-3E8CCCD8DC2841168B0661C6953A2780.jpg

[Deleted User]

Deleted User wrote: »

I did, but not on that wheel. That wheel was the spare wheel (that I skipped over the first time around).

Well in that case it would very rarely have been used so there's your answer!

[Deleted User]

Curran wrote: »

Hadnt you already done a hit of Iron Cleanse diluted down, only a few days before hand. ..so it would have removed a certain amount and not a whole lot left to react with on the 2nd attempt.

I did, but not on that wheel. That wheel was the spare wheel (that I skipped over the first time around).

Curran

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What?

Iron cleanse, I'm referring to, not tar..?

I was told that I should leave it for a while and the general consensus on here at the time (from what i recall) is that I wasn't leaving it on for long enough. So I took a break from detailing for a half an hour to get something to eat, etc. and did the iron cleanse before i went. Came back about 30 minutes later and all I got was this lousy t-shirt

Hadnt you already done a hit of Iron Cleanse diluted down, only a few days before hand. ..so it would have removed a certain amount and not a whole lot left to react with on the 2nd attempt.

[Deleted User]

Tar remover left on for half an hour will become part of the car!!

Curran

For the paintwork, the weakest I'd use Iron Cleanse is diluted 1:1...especially if its being used for the first time in quite a while.
Can be diluted down further but would be more for keeping on top of wheels on a weekly wash so they dont get bad.

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

half an hour for tar remover ............. !!

What? 30 mins dwell time?

What are you using?
10 mins at a push for most tar removers...they'll have done most of their work that it will do in about 3 mins, leave for 5 mins is usually enough.

[Deleted User]

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

half an hour for tar remover ............. !!

What?

Iron cleanse, I'm referring to, not tar..?

I was told that I should leave it for a while and the general consensus on here at the time (from what i recall) is that I wasn't leaving it on for long enough. So I took a break from detailing for a half an hour to get something to eat, etc. and did the iron cleanse before i went. Came back about 30 minutes later and all I got was this lousy t-shirt

70BE81EE8E80410C8DDE777DB1FE85AF-0000333410-0003483770-00800L-AA5D598CB22C43CF9CBAB52683C648C3.jpg

[Deleted User]

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

It says on the bottle that it can be used at a dilution of up to 1:5

Yeah but the least dilution is 1:1 so if you get no purple at that, you ain't gonna get any from 1:5.

JAMES VTI S

half an hour for tar remover ............. !!

[Deleted User]

Yeah, I used Iron Cleanse without any dilution ('neat') on my Rav4 wheels. Gave it 25-30 minutes to sit and it gave me a small dribble of purple.

I took it as a compliment...

Ded_Zebra

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

The proper ratio is 1:1 so half and half. I haven't used the new one yet but have some on its way to me. I kept the bottle after finishing up the IC so I'm going to use that. It's said to be 80% as effective when mixed 1:1 compared to the original. If you use it neat, it's twice as strong.

It says on the bottle that it can be used at a dilution of up to 1:5

[Deleted User]

The proper ratio is 1:1 so half and half. I haven't used the new one yet but have some on its way to me. I kept the bottle after finishing up the IC so I'm going to use that. It's said to be 80% as effective when mixed 1:1 compared to the original. If you use it neat, it's twice as strong.

stimpson

Any time I used it before it was left for 5 minutes. This time I left it for 5, and when nothing was happening, I went off to spray the other car with TFR, so it definitely got 10 minutes plus.

Ded_Zebra

I have diluted it as much as 5:1 just to see what would happen and still got a colour change however it is much less effective and changes colour for 2-3 more applications. When it is cold it takes longer to react, how long did you let it dwell for?