Best finish for £30-£40...... Your Advice Required?

[RickT]

Hi Guys,

I am wanting to give the car a real good clean and polish..

In the past i have just used the run of the mill stuff to get a good enough finish.. Auto Gleam etc etc..

I don't want to spend mega money at all on products, what would you recommend to purchase if you was aiming to pay around £30-£40 on products?



In the long term i would really like to get rid of a few of the swril marks which are present..

Rick

[adamss24]

Buy some Meguyres cleanning products from the local Halfords store. Worth every peny ! Read the instructions and you will be verry surprised with the results...

[ray(evvo)]

Buy some Meguyres cleanning products from the local Halfords store. Worth every peny ! Read the instructions and you will be verry surprised with the results...

as above go for the claybar kit then megs 3 stage kit paint cleaner polish and wax get scratchx for minor swirls

[Col]

Nothing wrong with Autoglym, except maybe the white chalk dust !

The MEGS stuff is good and a good claying once every 6 months is good as well.

The problem I have found with most polishes / waxes is that they only seem to last a few weeks, the MEGS stuff in particular doesn't last (look fab at first though).

A few years ago I decided to try out some Collinte 476 paste wax, this stuff is advertised and billed as "permanent". It is true, it lasts and lasts like nothing else and does provide a very good deep finish. Don't be affraid to use it on window surround rubbers as well. Costs about £20(ish) including post as you won't find it in the shops.

I apply this stuff maybe 3 to 4 times a year after claying and using a cleanser etc. Monthly waxing is a thing of the past. What is important is to keep on top of the washing though, weekly washes and a decent method to avoid swirls etc.

[Paul Jay]

Hi

Check out www.detailedobsession.co.uk you'll find absolutely everything you need, plus commentary on every product.

The guy who runs the site is top notch and delivery is really quick. He's a car enthuiast himself and actually tests every product he recommends before it goes on the site. He also has no manufacturer support at all, so he's totally unbiased.

For the money you're planning on spending, I'd buy a cleanser, sealant and a really good wax. Provided your paintwork is generally OK, you won't benefit from a claybar until the spring.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Paul

[JR001]

Wait until you've got another tenner! The reason being is that before putting the wax on, you want a really good paint cleanser to cleanse and glaze the surface. The Megs stuff is pretty basic but you'll get Dodo Lime Prime for £13 and it is rivalling the Z HD Cleanse which is awesome. This stage really does make a major difference in your finish. Don't skimp on this bit.

I'd say claying at this time is VERY appropriate. It's a vital part of the prep. If your car has been clayed in the last six months then you could forego it now.

Your order of things is:

WASH AND DRY
CLAY AND RINSE AND DRY
PRE-WAX CLEANSE
WAX
MIST WITH LAST TOUCH AND FINAL BUFF
APPROX 5 HOURS

SONUS Green Clay £6
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detail.../prod_327.html

Meguiar's Last Touch gallon as lube (£18), you won't get round your car with the quantity that you get in the kit from Halfords. It can also be sprayed on after a wash and buffed off to add a really nice extra to your finish. Removes water spots and is good for lube when removing bird lime. Use on your wheels for wxtra shine, windows too.
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detail.../prod_225.html

Dodo Lime Prime Cleanser: £13
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/do.../prod_406.html

Collinite 476s wax £15
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/co.../prod_207.html

Your additional cost here is the gallon of Last Touch, but this will last you ages and really is multi-purpose.

Tim at Clean Your Car is in Huddersfield, don't have my map handy to see if you're close to him, if you are you could save on postage.

As Colin says, keep on top of the 2-bucket washing and don't get **** about your paint in between washes. My car went 2 months without a hand wash but I was foaming it in between. The foaming was keeping most of the grime away, but when I finally got round to the mitt wash, it was transformed and made me realise how much I had neglected it.

Now you've got several options to weigh up!!!!!!
Seriously, wait until you've got another tenner.

JOHN

[Col]

JR001,

You didn't / don't go by another alias on the UKMKIV's forum do you? ... Your not "The Chief" ?

[JR001]

Nope, on both counts!!!!!

[m4xmw]

Rick if you want advice, I`ve been detailing for ages and have a good set of products I `ve found and stick to them.

I use cleanyourcar in near Huddersfield for my supplies, Tim is really nice bloke and very helpful.I presume you`ll be doing it by hand?

I always use a clay and lube,
Clearkote vanilla moose... or red machine moose...(I like Megs#7)
Megs #16 carnuba wax.

Spend a bit on some good mf cloths and honestly you cant go wrong.
PM if you need any tips on using any of these products.


Hope this is useful?
Mark

[diesel-a4]

hey folks, heres my list for a Grey A4 B5

Microfibre Wash Sponge = £4.21
Collinite No. 476S - Super Doublecoat Auto Wax= £12.72
Dodo Juice - Lime Prime = £11.49
Meguiars Last Touch = £15.28
Sonus Green - Ultra Fine Clay refill = £5.95
Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel, Pkg/2 = £14.43

thoughts?