UK help please!

[stargazerplus]

Hi, I’m new to Autopia, but have been lurking around various detailing forums for quite a while!



I’ve been detailing cars amateurishly since I was about ten, sometimes very badly! At the moment I live in London and have three cars in our family household… two twelve year old Mercedes 190s, one in pure black, one in diamond blue (light) metallic. The third car is a six year old SLK 230K.



All of them have spider swirls and after using a two handled pro user machine to “polish� them, I realised the error of my ways and took the plunge and imported the PC from Autopia with no duty along with the Sonus SFX pad kit.



I have used many different waxes and polishes by hand before, including Autoglym SRP and EGP, which I didn’t really like as the SRP was dusty, and the EGP caused streaks (I now know that was because I was applying it too thickly!). My recent favourite is Meguiars Gold Class, but I have tried the new NXT wax (don’t really like it)….. I have also used Meguiars Clay but find it sticks if your not very careful with the lube!



I plan to use the blue 190 as the test bed, as it is the least likely to show any errors!!!!! I have the following at my disposal….



````` Liquid (Dawn) (initial wash???)

Meguiars NXT shampoo (do I need to wash after clay or after AIO?)

Bilt-Hamber Autoclay www.bilthamber.com (uses water as lubricant, haven’t tried it yet, if I don’t like it I will use Meguiar’s or 3M)

Autoglym Paint Renovator

Carlack 68 Paint cleaner/acryl protect (Klasse AIO)

Carlack Acryl Wax (Klasse SG)

P21S



Orange SFX1 pad

White SFX2 pad

Blue SFX3 pad

Sonus DAS buffing bonnet

Autopia Concours Finishing Bonnet



I was going to use the following pads to apply



Autoglym Renovator Orange

Klasse AIO White (or should I use blue)

Klasse SG DAS bonnet over white (or orange?)

P21S Blue



Should I remove these by hand with microfibre or by machine? I don’t have any quick detail, but can get Meguiars or Poorboys fairly easily. Bilt hamber is a small company that makes stuff for classic car users, such as autobalm wax, which will even stop bare mild steel from rusting once applied.



Your advice would be much appreciated. I’m going to take some before and after pictures.. so watch this spot.



Thanks Doug

[Richt]

Ditch the ````` Liquid first up!



I tend to wash, rinse and then clay while the car is still wet and re wash, I also use a mix of car soap and water as a lube.



I have found that AG SRP seems to work better by PC than the Carlack, via PC the resin goes on very thin , and leaves no dust.



Recent trials with AG Paint renovater have found via PC it not to be that aggressive, it seems to be more formulated to hand application. I used it with a yellow SFX cutting pad and it did not alot bar deep clean the paint. I would really look into at least Megs Speed Glaze first and maybe step up to Poorboys SSR 2.5 or Megs DCAP if needed.



I have been doing Speed glaze with a cutting pad or polishing Pad Depending on Swirls

AG SRP via Polishing Pad

AG EGP by Hand on friends cars which seems to work well. I have used the same combo put with 1Z glanz wax on my dads car.



I remove everything by hand using MF`s.



A quick detail spray is a must, I like Megs Final Inspection or Clearkote Quikshine and use Sonus Carnuba Spritz on my own car. Plus IMHO its worth getting some more Polishes for paint correction.



On my own black car I have done



Speed Glaze Polishing Pad

AG Srp Polshing Pad

Clearkote Red Machine Glaze Finishing Pad

Poorboys EX x 2 By hand

Just about to top with Wax. A good carnuba topper will add to your over all look well wort grabbing one.



Let us know how it goes.

[stargazerplus]

Thanks Richt!



I was going to use the dish soap to strip everything first!



I`ve got rid of the Autoglym Paint Renovator as it doesn`t seem to be up to the job and as Poorboys 2.5 is hard to get I have acquired some 3M Perfect It III Machine Polish



http://products3.3m.com/catalog/uk/en002/auto_marine_aero/automotive_aftermarket/node_Q54S7014ZFbe/root_K3BHNB8005gv/vroot_CB1HCVHLJMge/gvel_WVGXTW9PWXgl/theme_uk_aad_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html .



This seems to be the same or similar to the Machine "Glaze"

which is available in the US, but not here, which Autopians seem to like! 3M also do an Imperial Machine Glaze here which is different!



http://products3.3m.com/catalog/uk/en002/auto_marine_aero/automotive_aftermarket/node_3D5ZNBDJCMbe/root_K3BHNB8005gv/vroot_CB1HCVHLJMge/gvel_WVGXTW9PWXgl/theme_uk_aad_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

[Lowejackson]

Another vote for staying away from the `````. The polish will remove all the old wax etc so it would not be necessary.

[MorBid]

Agreed, I`ve never been a fan of dish soap for washing cars. They make products that remove wax from automotive paint as a prep to detailing or body shop work.



As loweJackson said, polishing will remove wax, but if your a purist get something made for the job.

[stargazerplus]

Thanks for your replies... I actually agree with you; its just that several people here and the spiel on the Zaino website suggests dish soap (Dawn) as prep. I`ll stick to NXT wash!

[Richt]

This seems to be the same or similar to the Machine "Glaze"

which is available in the US, but not here, which Autopians seem to like! 3M also do an Imperial Machine Glaze here which is different!



http://products3.3m.com/catalog/uk/en002/auto_marine_aero/automotive_aftermarket/node_3D5ZNBDJCMbe/root_K3BHNB8005gv/vroot_CB1HCVHLJMge/gvel_WVGXTW9PWXgl/theme_uk_aad_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html



I personally would give the Imperial Hand Glaze a miss, compared to other glazes its a pain to use. I have a bottle here that I havent used for years (only used once of twice) I would advise a bottle off Meguiars #81 Hand Polish or either Clearkote Vanilla Moose or Red Machine Glaze.