HOW TO MAKE YOUR CAR LOOK BETTER THAN BRAND NEW

[HSV8R8]

THERE ARE MANY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON THE WASHING THING, HOW, WHEN, WHICH PRODUCTS ETC ETC.

RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME ALOT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE THAT WHANT TO GET THEIR CARS LOOKING AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.

I HAVE 2 BLACK CARS (R8 AND VX-S), WHICH TAKE A BIT OF WORK, BUT LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS AFTER A GOOD CLEANING SESSION.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT REQUIRMENTS FOR DIFFERENT PAINT CONDITIONS. SO ASSUMING YOU ARE DOING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, FOR BEST RESULTS YOU MAY NEED TO TRY THE 11 STEP METHOD, BUT DON'T BE SCARED OFF, THIS IS NOT A WEEKLY PROCESS.

RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME THE FOLLOWING:

11 STEP - ONCE A YEAR
1) CAR TO BE COOL AND IN SHADE, THAT WAY SOAP WILL NOT BAKE OR COOK ON THE PAINT AND LEAVE MARKS.
2) RINSE FIRST, THEN RINSE AGAIN TO DISOLVE GRIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
3) WASH WITH GOOD QUALITY CAR WASH, 2 BUCKETS. 1 WITH CARWASH SUDS AND 1 WITH FRESH WATER. DIP SPONGE IN SUDS, WASH LIMITED AREA, RINSE SPONGE IN BUCKET WITH FRESH WATER. AND REPEAT PROCESS. DONT WANT TO BE PUTTING THE GRIME YOU HAVE ON THE SPONGE IN THE WASH WATER, THIS IS WHAT CAUSES SWIRL MARKS. NOTE: USE A SEPREATE SPONGE FOR WHEELS AND TYRES AND DO THEM LAST, DON'T WANT TO BE RUBBING WHEEL GRIME OVER YOUR PAINT NEXT TIME YOU WASH.
4) RINSE
5) CLAY BLOCK WITH LUBRICANT TO REMOVE ANY BAKED ON GRIME/OVERSPARAY ETC - WORKS BETTER THAN ANY PAINT CLEANER
6) RINSE
7) WASH AGAIN AS IN 3) - NEVER DUMPING LEFT OVER WATER FROM BUCKETS ONTO CARS - CONTAINS FINE GRAINS OF DIRT THAT CAUSE MARKS REMEBER
RINSE - IF DONE WITH NO HOSE ATTACHEMT AND WATER IS ALLOWED TO 'SHEET', WILL PULL MOST OF THE WATER OFF THE CAR AND REDUCE CHAMOIS TIME TO 1/4 OF SPRAY RINSE TIME.
9) CHAMOIS WITH GOOD QUALITY LEATHER CHAMOIS, SYNTHETIC UNITS WILL LEAVE MORE STREAK MARKS.
THE PAINT WORK SHOULD NOW FEEL AS SMOOTH AS GLASS.
10) HAND POLISH WITH GOOD QUALITY POLISH, AND COTTON CLOTH, POOR QUALITY CLOTHS CAN ALSO CAUSE SWIRL MARKS. - ** AT THIS STAGE THERE ARE PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE APPLIED PRIOR TO POLISH TO REDUCE/HIDE EXISTING SWIRL MARKS - MAGIC STUFF **
11) SEAL WITH A GOOD QUALITY WAX CONTAINING CANUBRA WAX IS IDEAL

NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE SPENT ABOUT $80-$100 ON PRODUCT AND 4-5 HOURS OF YOUR TIME, AND YOUR PRIDE AND JOY, LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN BEEN WORTH IT.

YOU SHOULD NOW ONLY NEED TO SPEND 45MIN A WEEK ON
5 STEP
1) CAR TO BE COOL AND IN SHADE, THAT WAY SOAP WILL NOT BAKE OR COOK ON THE PAINT AND LEAVE MARKS.
2) RINSE FIRST, THEN RINSE AGAIN TO DISOLVE GRIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
3) WASH WITH GOOD QUALITY CAR WASH, 2 BUCKETS. 1 WITH CARWASH SUDS AND 1 WITH FRESH WATER. DIP SPONGE IN SUDS, WASH LIMITED AREA, RINSE SPONGE IN BUCKET WITH FRESH WATER. AND REPEAT PROCESS. DONT WANT TO BE PUTTING THE GRIME YOU HAVE ON THE SPONGE IN THE WASH WATER, THIS IS WHAT CAUSES SWIRL MARKS. NOTE: USE A SEPREATE SPONGE FOR WHEELS AND TYRES AND DO THEM LAST, DON'T WANT TO BE RUBBING WHEEL GRIME OVER YOUR PAINT NEXT TIME YOU WASH.
4) RINSE - IF DONE WITH NO HOSE ATTACHEMT AND WATER IS ALLOWED TO 'SHEET', WILL PULL MOST OF THE WATER OFF THE CAR AND REDUCE CHAMOIS TIME TO 1/4 OF SPRAY RINSE TIME.
5) DRY WITH GOOD QUALITY LEATHER CHAMOIS, SYNTHETIC UNITS WILL LEAVE MORE STREAK MARKS.
THE PAINT WORK SHOULD NOW FEEL AS SMOOTH AS GLASS.

ONCE EVERY 3 - 4 MONTHS YOU MAY CHOOSE TO POLISH, AND REWAX, TO KEEP THE PAINT PROTECTED.

SOME POINTS TO NOTE HERE:
IF YOUR PAINT IS NEW AND ALREADY FEELS LIKE GLASS, WAX ONLY SHOULD DO.
ALWAYS POLISH, WAX BY HAND.
POLISHERS CAN RUN TO FAST/HOT AND BAKE PAINT OR BURN EDGES - TOO RISKY.
ALWAYS ADHEAD TO YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL WATER USAGE REGULATIONS
READ THE PRODUCT INSTRUCTION BEFORE USE, AND TEST ON SMALL AREAS FIRST
THESE ARE MY VIEWS ONLY AND HAVE BEEN COMBINED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND LOTS OF TRIAL AND ERROR, I AM NOT A PROFFESIONAL DETAILER.
I AM HAPPY TO SHARE MY PRODUCT RESEARCH WITH ANY ONE INTERESTED. ARE PRODUCTS, AND NAMES ALLOWED TO BE POSTED?

WHY POLISH AND WAX?
THE POLISH BRINGS THE PAINT TO LIFE, THE WAX SEALS THE POLISHED FINISH FROM THE ELEMENTS AND ADDS DEPTH TO THE PAINT.
TO REMOVE WAX - SIMPLY WASH WITH HOUSHOLD DISHWASHING DETERGENT OR EQUIVELANT WAX REMOVER FROM AUTO STORE

THERE ARE OTHER SMALL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE LOOK FURTHER, TYRE SHINE, TOUCH UP ON PAINT CHIPS ETC, - IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

HOPE THIS HELPS



HAPPY WASHING

[-HSV-]

thanks for posting that. iv never tried using clay on my car before. iv heard good and bad reults of it but i suppose if its used correctly and theres no gritty stuff in it it should be fine.

thanks again for the tips :D

[HSV8R8]

Clay is amazing stuff. - I was sceptical, but thanks to some incosiderate numb skull, I ended up with white overspray all over my black car. I had nothing to loose. Since then I have found that caly will remove tar, overspray, grime - truley magic.

The key is to lubricate well with any cheap car shampoo - but don't dilute it, just pour on a cap full and rub away - any sign of sticking - add another cap full - it must glide over the paint - however it will stick a little as it picks up the grime. Also "roll" the clay regularly, otherwise ther grime removed embbeded in the clay may scuff. 1 block of clay should be about $50 and do 5 - 10 cars. The job should take about an hour.

Detailers charge around $300 for the same job.

[HSV8R8]

double posting

[GTS215]

Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo is also excellent for washing your car and half the price of normal car wash liquid.

[Insta Finish]

As per the tips regarding Clay Bars, they should (where possible) always be used with the appropriate lubricant - alternativley a high quality shampoo or wash n wax product, if these 2 options are unavailable simly use water or make sure the paintwork is wet.

If you use an in-correct lubricant it will eat into the clay bar and make it dissolve a lot quicker than it should. Its recommended that you dilute (5 paarts water / 1 part clay lube) your 'clay lube' into a spray bottle (as needed).

Once the vehicle has been washed spray your clay lube directly onto the paintwork and in a consistent circular motion, rub the clay bar evenly over the area intended (usually an area of 2ft x 2ft is best)

Just to clarify you should easily get between 15 - 30 cars per clay bar (that's with a good quality Clay) and the cost should be no more than $33.

Tips:Keep the Clay Bar in a sealed container when not in use with a first sprays of lubricant, if possible keep refridgerated. If you drop the 'clay bar' on the ground - throw it away immediately as it may cause damage if used.

Insta Finish Clay Bars are a 200gram Medium density bar that sell for $27.50 each. If you need more information check them out at
www.instafinish.com.au

[keano]

Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo is also excellent for washing your car and half the price of normal car wash liquid.

i agree. i just used the baby shampoo then and she looks mint. gotta love that no tears formula

[Potsy]

Cheers. What make wax do you recommend. I hae just purchased a Black 2007 Senator and the detailer must have used a buffer as it has buffmarks all over. Thanks.

[white_lie]

Blast from the past!

I've used Meguiar's Tech 2.0 wax (the one in the tin, not the bottle) for a while and it does a good job for the price. Otherwise look to Dodo or Swissvax but there are heaps of brands out there. Carcarproducts.com.au have a huge range!

But if the paint needs a bit of work, its pointless putting a wax on it as it won't fill or hide the swirls. You want to correct the paint to remove swirls, holograms etc and then use a wax or sealant to protect it. If the marks are fairly bad, it may take 3 or 4 different grades of polish with a buffer to get it 100% again.

[Potsy]

Cheers. I'll try the Holgram polish first.

[PhanR8]

Hi Posty
welcome along.I use Dodo juice on mine and highly recommend it.They have a product called limeprime which will remove light marks but as white-lie suggets you may need something stronger.I recommend Purple Haze for the wax.Brings mine up a treat.I am down your way so if you want to try before you buy sing out and we'll get something organised.

[dan08R8]

THERE ARE MANY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON THE WASHING THING, HOW, WHEN, WHICH PRODUCTS ETC ETC.

RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME ALOT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE THAT WHANT TO GET THEIR CARS LOOKING AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.

I HAVE 2 BLACK CARS (R8 AND VX-S), WHICH TAKE A BIT OF WORK, BUT LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS AFTER A GOOD CLEANING SESSION.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT REQUIRMENTS FOR DIFFERENT PAINT CONDITIONS. SO ASSUMING YOU ARE DOING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, FOR BEST RESULTS YOU MAY NEED TO TRY THE 11 STEP METHOD, BUT DON'T BE SCARED OFF, THIS IS NOT A WEEKLY PROCESS.

RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME THE FOLLOWING:

11 STEP - ONCE A YEAR
1) CAR TO BE COOL AND IN SHADE, THAT WAY SOAP WILL NOT BAKE OR COOK ON THE PAINT AND LEAVE MARKS.
2) RINSE FIRST, THEN RINSE AGAIN TO DISOLVE GRIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
3) WASH WITH GOOD QUALITY CAR WASH, 2 BUCKETS. 1 WITH CARWASH SUDS AND 1 WITH FRESH WATER. DIP SPONGE IN SUDS, WASH LIMITED AREA, RINSE SPONGE IN BUCKET WITH FRESH WATER. AND REPEAT PROCESS. DONT WANT TO BE PUTTING THE GRIME YOU HAVE ON THE SPONGE IN THE WASH WATER, THIS IS WHAT CAUSES SWIRL MARKS. NOTE: USE A SEPREATE SPONGE FOR WHEELS AND TYRES AND DO THEM LAST, DON'T WANT TO BE RUBBING WHEEL GRIME OVER YOUR PAINT NEXT TIME YOU WASH.
4) RINSE
5) CLAY BLOCK WITH LUBRICANT TO REMOVE ANY BAKED ON GRIME/OVERSPARAY ETC - WORKS BETTER THAN ANY PAINT CLEANER
6) RINSE
7) WASH AGAIN AS IN 3) - NEVER DUMPING LEFT OVER WATER FROM BUCKETS ONTO CARS - CONTAINS FINE GRAINS OF DIRT THAT CAUSE MARKS REMEBER
RINSE - IF DONE WITH NO HOSE ATTACHEMT AND WATER IS ALLOWED TO 'SHEET', WILL PULL MOST OF THE WATER OFF THE CAR AND REDUCE CHAMOIS TIME TO 1/4 OF SPRAY RINSE TIME.
9) CHAMOIS WITH GOOD QUALITY LEATHER CHAMOIS, SYNTHETIC UNITS WILL LEAVE MORE STREAK MARKS.
THE PAINT WORK SHOULD NOW FEEL AS SMOOTH AS GLASS.
10) HAND POLISH WITH GOOD QUALITY POLISH, AND COTTON CLOTH, POOR QUALITY CLOTHS CAN ALSO CAUSE SWIRL MARKS. - ** AT THIS STAGE THERE ARE PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE APPLIED PRIOR TO POLISH TO REDUCE/HIDE EXISTING SWIRL MARKS - MAGIC STUFF **
11) SEAL WITH A GOOD QUALITY WAX CONTAINING CANUBRA WAX IS IDEAL

NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE SPENT ABOUT $80-$100 ON PRODUCT AND 4-5 HOURS OF YOUR TIME, AND YOUR PRIDE AND JOY, LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN BEEN WORTH IT.

YOU SHOULD NOW ONLY NEED TO SPEND 45MIN A WEEK ON
5 STEP
1) CAR TO BE COOL AND IN SHADE, THAT WAY SOAP WILL NOT BAKE OR COOK ON THE PAINT AND LEAVE MARKS.
2) RINSE FIRST, THEN RINSE AGAIN TO DISOLVE GRIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
3) WASH WITH GOOD QUALITY CAR WASH, 2 BUCKETS. 1 WITH CARWASH SUDS AND 1 WITH FRESH WATER. DIP SPONGE IN SUDS, WASH LIMITED AREA, RINSE SPONGE IN BUCKET WITH FRESH WATER. AND REPEAT PROCESS. DONT WANT TO BE PUTTING THE GRIME YOU HAVE ON THE SPONGE IN THE WASH WATER, THIS IS WHAT CAUSES SWIRL MARKS. NOTE: USE A SEPREATE SPONGE FOR WHEELS AND TYRES AND DO THEM LAST, DON'T WANT TO BE RUBBING WHEEL GRIME OVER YOUR PAINT NEXT TIME YOU WASH.
4) RINSE - IF DONE WITH NO HOSE ATTACHEMT AND WATER IS ALLOWED TO 'SHEET', WILL PULL MOST OF THE WATER OFF THE CAR AND REDUCE CHAMOIS TIME TO 1/4 OF SPRAY RINSE TIME.
5) DRY WITH GOOD QUALITY LEATHER CHAMOIS, SYNTHETIC UNITS WILL LEAVE MORE STREAK MARKS.
THE PAINT WORK SHOULD NOW FEEL AS SMOOTH AS GLASS.

ONCE EVERY 3 - 4 MONTHS YOU MAY CHOOSE TO POLISH, AND REWAX, TO KEEP THE PAINT PROTECTED.

SOME POINTS TO NOTE HERE:
IF YOUR PAINT IS NEW AND ALREADY FEELS LIKE GLASS, WAX ONLY SHOULD DO.
ALWAYS POLISH, WAX BY HAND.
POLISHERS CAN RUN TO FAST/HOT AND BAKE PAINT OR BURN EDGES - TOO RISKY.
ALWAYS ADHEAD TO YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL WATER USAGE REGULATIONS
READ THE PRODUCT INSTRUCTION BEFORE USE, AND TEST ON SMALL AREAS FIRST
THESE ARE MY VIEWS ONLY AND HAVE BEEN COMBINED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND LOTS OF TRIAL AND ERROR, I AM NOT A PROFFESIONAL DETAILER.
I AM HAPPY TO SHARE MY PRODUCT RESEARCH WITH ANY ONE INTERESTED. ARE PRODUCTS, AND NAMES ALLOWED TO BE POSTED?

WHY POLISH AND WAX?
THE POLISH BRINGS THE PAINT TO LIFE, THE WAX SEALS THE POLISHED FINISH FROM THE ELEMENTS AND ADDS DEPTH TO THE PAINT.
TO REMOVE WAX - SIMPLY WASH WITH HOUSHOLD DISHWASHING DETERGENT OR EQUIVELANT WAX REMOVER FROM AUTO STORE

THERE ARE OTHER SMALL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE LOOK FURTHER, TYRE SHINE, TOUCH UP ON PAINT CHIPS ETC, - IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

HOPE THIS HELPS



HAPPY WASHING

I've always taken good care of my cars with regards to keeping them clean. But after reading the above info I realised I could take it a step further. I spent about 5 hours today following the 11 steps and my black R8 has come up looking better than ever- like new! I've never used a clay bar before and this is definitely the step that makes a huge difference, the paint feels perfectly smooth after this step and polishing and waxing is so much more effective - no swirl marks!

Thanks for the info HSV8R8.

[scottsr8]

i use final inspection gear and dont have to work hard at all to get a great finish!! I only spend about 5 hrs if i take all wheels off and do a full detail!

[dan08R8]

i use final inspection gear and dont have to work hard at all to get a great finish!! I only spend about 5 hrs if i take all wheels off and do a full detail!

I used a combination of mothers and meguiars products. I think the time i spent was needed - the majority of time was spent with the clay bar, polishing and waxing. Now I have the paintwork free of contaminants and sealed with wax the exterior cleaning time will be much less - about 45 min as HSV8R8 suggested in his post. How do you rate final inspection gear compared to mothers or meguiars and which products do you use?

[HSV MAX]

Clay blocks are great, i used one to remove white overspray from my Black clubbie, took me an hour. I love the 11 step process and will put it into action next time my baby is due for a scrub. Ive noticed a few of you use baby shampoo, please correct me if im wrong but i was told most if not all shampoos contain salts.... SALT= RUST, perhaps on older cars but i still wouldnt use it

[gunsrunner]

Yes you are correct about the salts in shampoo HSVMAX, if you read the contents on the bottle it contains Sodium stearoyl lactylate(salt), I for one would never use it!

[HSV MAX]

Ahhh good, thought it was just me (lol)

[10th hsv]

very informative guys got some good tips cheers

[LeftRightOut]

Whatever HSV8R8 is using (product wise) sounds like it would be fine with me... please t3ell us your favourite brands for all of the products used in that 11 step process.

Luckily, I enjoy detailing my cars, and the thought of a full day doing that (assuming I have plenty of Boags lager to go with it) is quite appealing to me :-)

Great post, HSV8R8, very much appreciated.

[LeftRightOut]

I did the full job on my VZ on the weekend (final wash before sale). I'll be doing the same thing on my MX5 next weekend.

I reckon you're doing well if you can get a full size sedan (Commodore size) in 5 hours. I reckon I was closer to 7, but it's a 4 year old car that had never been cleaned like that.

The clay bar is brilliant. To see how well each step works, after the wash, rub the paint with your finger - it feels clean, but offers some friction.
Rub it again after the clay bar and it fees smooth and offers much less friction.
Rub is again after polish and it's incredible how smooth it is, even better after the wax.
Certainly something I'd only do once per year, my arms are killing me!
I used the remainder of my Maguires shampoo for the wash, Mothers Clay Bar kit (cost about $40), Maguires liquid polish, and Maguires wax (forget the specific names of these other products, but I tend to buy the pricier ones.

There's a few parts that nothing would fix, stone chips, c&^^ts openeing their doors onto your car in the car park. But by and large, the finish is superb! Follow the steps, people!