Make it shine - car detailing

[sx rider]

Are there any detail enthusiasts who can share their wisdom?

When I first got my car the paint was corrected but it’s picked up swirling and light scratches since then.

I’m temped to buy a DA polisher and go ammo on it. When I’m done I want to go high tech and use sealants to protect the finish.

So what’s your routine, what tool, products and sealants do you use? Do you treat wheels with different sealants?

A mate said it’s easy burn and with a DA, but I thought the point of a DA was to help avoid that, I’m not a total moron but is it best left to the professionals?


And finally is a paint thickness meter important?

[arry]

If you want a job done PROPER then the guy I used last week is absolute mustard and comes SXOC recommended. It'll be £240 to £300 quid depending on how bad things are but it'll be the best it's ever looked and you'll be well pleased.

[sx rider]

Yeah I’ve just seen you 996, it looks stunning! Its tempting to get a pro in but I’ve got time on my hands and the enthusiasm to give it a go myself, wearing out a potentially thin clear coat is my concern though!

[Asht_200]

YouTube Larry Kosilla.

Ammonyc. He sells products but loves his car.

He is happy to teach how to detail cars, can be expensive though. I bought a steam cleaner


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[Asht_200]

If you want a job done PROPER then the guy I used last week is absolute mustard and comes SXOC recommended. It'll be £240 to £300 quid depending on how bad things are but it'll be the best it's ever looked and you'll be well pleased.

Give me a bell when you are next in Maldon and I will wave. Looks stunning mate


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[arry]

Yeah I’ve just seen you 996, it looks stunning! Its tempting to get a pro in but I’ve got time on my hands and the enthusiasm to give it a go myself, wearing out a potentially thin clear coat is my concern though!

Fair play if you do give it a go I don't think I'd be brave enough personally - I mean this guy knew where the car had been painted before, before even getting his paint thickness measurements, and he knows exactly how far he can push it. It's an art form innit

[Asht_200]

Yeah I’ve just seen you 996, it looks stunning! Its tempting to get a pro in but I’ve got time on my hands and the enthusiasm to give it a go myself, wearing out a potentially thin clear coat is my concern though!

Use a dual action polisher, rotary and orbital. Don’t be scared

Once done a good ceramic coat will help then seal. But coat and seal by hand in straight lines


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[Mike41288]

Are there any detail enthusiasts who can share their wisdom?

When I first got my car the paint was corrected but it’s picked up swirling and light scratches since then.

I’m temped to buy a DA polisher and go ammo on it. When I’m done I want to go high tech and use sealants to protect the finish.

So what’s your routine, what tool, products and sealants do you use? Do you treat wheels with different sealants?

A mate said it’s easy burn and with a DA, but I thought the point of a DA was to help avoid that, I’m not a total moron but is it best left to the professionals?


And finally is a paint thickness meter important?

Your mate is thinking of a rotary polisher burning through. It's not easy to burn through but if you don't know about pressure and movement then you will most likely burn through edges. A DA polisher reduces that risk as it doesn't produce as much heat in the panel and it doesn't have as much raw cutting power (pad and compound dependant), but it also has the big upside of not leaving swirls or holograms in the paint which will be you biggest thing with black paintwork.

This is a great video for beginners looking into getting started.
https://youtu.be/I7q5E8Kz-CY
You may think that he is sponsored by Bilt Hamber but that's not the case. Their products really are some of the best on the market and some of the cheapest too (I have pretty much all of them).

Washing basics: https://youtu.be/AUytWaLtOOo
Polishing basics: https://youtu.be/IrkppP6D6KQ

It costs a big chunk of change to get started and it gets quite addictive after a short time because you keep finding things that you "need". If you don't want to spend out on stuff you might not use again then it's probably worth getting a detailer to do exactly what you want done, then you can maintain the car yourself afterwards.

[sx rider]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I think I’ll give it a go. I’ve got a vw daily so I’ll practice on that first I think.

I’ve watched a fair amount of ammo nyc’s stuff but will check out the video links above!

I don’t mind spending a bit of money though, I’ve used bilthamber stuff so I’ll take a look at their stuff too.

Anyone know of a good sealant?

[Mike41288]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I think I’ll give it a go. I’ve got a vw daily so I’ll practice on that first I think.

I’ve watched a fair amount of ammo nyc’s stuff but will check out the video links above!

I don’t mind spending a bit of money though, I’ve used bilthamber stuff so I’ll take a look at their stuff too.

Anyone know of a good sealant?

Soft99 Fusso Coat Dark is probably the best thing for you. Not the cheapest but is proven to be easy to use and last up to 12 months on a properly prepared surface which is very good for a sealant.

[DLowe]

Rotary polished and cut paint on lots of cars over the last 15yrs...

Only ever had 1 mis hap, on the Mrs current civic, I burnt through the paint on the wing, right in the middle of the panel.

Happened almost instantly, seemingly no heat in pad or paint and using facela G3, so not the most aggressive paste.

I'm putting it down to shite honda paintwork over technique as I've done some aggressive things in the past and had no I'll results, you can be harsher than you think.

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[Asht_200]

Your mate is thinking of a rotary polisher burning through. It's not easy to burn through but if you don't know about pressure and movement then you will most likely burn through edges. A DA polisher reduces that risk as it doesn't produce as much heat in the panel and it doesn't have as much raw cutting power (pad and compound dependant), but it also has the big upside of not leaving swirls or holograms in the paint which will be you biggest thing with black paintwork.

This is a great video for beginners looking into getting started.
https://youtu.be/I7q5E8Kz-CY
You may think that he is sponsored by Bilt Hamber but that's not the case. Their products really are some of the best on the market and some of the cheapest too (I have pretty much all of them).

Washing basics: https://youtu.be/AUytWaLtOOo
Polishing basics: https://youtu.be/IrkppP6D6KQ

It costs a big chunk of change to get started and it gets quite addictive after a short time because you keep finding things that you "need". If you don't want to spend out on stuff you might not use again then it's probably worth getting a detailer to do exactly what you want done, then you can maintain the car yourself afterwards.

They are good

As are Ammo NYC


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[Mike41288]

Rotary polished and cut paint on lots of cars over the last 15yrs...

Only ever had 1 mis hap, on the Mrs current civic, I burnt through the paint on the wing, right in the middle of the panel.

Happened almost instantly, seemingly no heat in pad or paint and using facela G3, so not the most aggressive paste.

I'm putting it down to shite honda paintwork over technique as I've done some aggressive things in the past and had no I'll results, you can be harsher than you think.

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You are right, Honda paintwork is some of the thinnest paintwork out there. It's not always about the thickness of the paint though, soft paint is easy to burn through if you get a bit brave/overconfident

[Asht_200]

You are right, Honda paintwork is some of the thinnest paintwork out there. It's not always about the thickness of the paint though, soft paint is easy to burn through if you get a bit brave/overconfident

Honda paint is thin. Nissan is some
Of the hardest


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[DLowe]

This was sub 1sec and moving across the panel the whole time, no dwelling in one spot....

Really really poor

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[DLowe]

We once bought a unbelievably cheap mk3 golf, covered in scratches and chips which I thought was brown...

Turned out be burgundy after a date with the cutting paste, most unbelievable transformation I've ever done

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[sx rider]

It’s good to hear that Nissan paint is hard, I’m going to get myself a DAS6 pro machine i think.

[sx rider]

Has anyone tried this C5 wheel armour - 2 years protection apparently! https://gtechniq.com/products/auto/p...armour#content