My First Detailing Attempt

[Anatonic]

OK, so it's not an ITR but I got a chance to go through a full process on my girlfriends VW not too long back and I've since done the ST and Megane and I have to say that machine polishing has made a world of difference (and my life easier!). May be some helpful info here for you guys!

I've avidly followed and helped with others on Detailing World and I have to admit I'm more than happy with the results. If anyone is ever bored and up for a session I'd be more than happy to assist for a beer or two! :xcheers: I'm over in Oxfordshire anyway...

So with her indoors working a shift on the Saturday, I picked the car up and started early at 8am with the car looking as follows (apologies for the pics, some were in different light as the day progressed!)

Some scrapes to the rear arches

Plenty of bugs...

And some nasty scuff marks where shoes have caught the door getting past the car on her driveway...

No alloys but just horribly marked trims on the wheels

Key scratches around the door handle...

So the next part of the detail which I don‘t have many pictures for involved:

• A good rinse(!)
  Washed with 2-Bucket Method and Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II using Lambswool Wash Mitt
  Bugs and heavy tar spots removed with a light spray of AS Tardis
  Rinsed again to leave the following (and not much sign of protection)...

The car was then clayed using Bilt-Hamber Autoclay and lots of water as lubricant... I only got one picture here of the bonnet which was surprisingly clean... the lower panels and doors were another matter altogether!

Car was then rewashed after claying and rinsed before drying with a super plush drying towel...

Now onto the swirls... the car through its life has hardly been washed so they weren‘t as severe as some I‘ve seen but still enough to warrant a good go with the DAS-6... so first to try and inspect a few of them on the bonnet...

So the car gets taped up ready for the machine polishing stage...

After a small trial on the bonnet as so, I settled on using a white HexLogic polishing pad with Menzerna Power Finish (PO203S) on the hard VAG paint. This left me with the following 50/50 after one pass (right side corrected)...

So on with the rest of the bonnet, leaving me with...

And the right offside arch polished... along with flipflops!!

Right hand side finished...

Roof reflection shot...

View from right rear with lights polished...

At this point I continued with the car as it was already approaching 3pm and I‘d only done half the car! After many a brew and conversations with bemused passer by‘s, I cracked on with washing the plastic wheel trims before applying CGs Ez-Creme Glaze and JetSeal109 to the entire car with a black HexLogic finishing pad...

I then finished up by cleaning the windows with the Carlack Glass Polish and Sealant kit (great stuff!!) and dressing all the plastic trim around the car with CG New Look Trim Gel – which was also used on the tyres.

This left me with the following at 6pm – 9 hours after I‘d started, and just before I had to go and pick the girlfriend back up from her shift!

Needless to say she was happy with the car when she got it back and complained it was a bit too shiny!! Definitely loved having my first proper machine polish! Arms were a touch sore mind you...

 

[Stylesa]

Black looks so good when its clean.

i hope you got some for that effort! :lol:

 

[PORTHOS]

Good work! 8)

Tempted to get a machine polisher myself now... :lol:

 

[Anatonic]

i hope you got some for that effort! :lol:

HAHA! :lol:

Problem is it's the old adage of "do a job badly so you don't get asked to do it again" - because all I get now is grief when there is the slightest bit of dirt on her new MINI! #-o

 

[Stylesa]

i hope you got some for that effort! :lol:

HAHA! :lol:

Problem is it's the old adage of "do a job badly so you don't get asked to do it again" - because all I get now is grief when there is the slightest bit of dirt on her new MINI! #-o

Ah but you see the kind gesture will soon become a mandatory service if you dont demand some sort of reward...

 

[hondafreek]

Good Job mate, what polisher do you use? Where did you get the pads? I bought a polisher off ebay, and it came with pads, but I am a bit scared to use it

 

[Anatonic]

I'm using a DAS 6 Pro (it's a dual-action polisher similar to a Meguiars 220) which I got off Clean Your Car along with Chemical Guys Hexlogic pads.

In general there are two types of polisher- dual-action (DA) with a orbital rotation pattern, or a traditional rotary polisher. The advantage of the DA is that it doesn't build up masses of heat like a rotary does and as such the risk to your paintwork is reduced significantly as against using a rotary incorrectly.

Have you got a link to the polisher you bought mate?

All you need to remember it to start with the 'softest' pad and the 'finest' polish - often known as a finishing pad and finishing polish - this will mean that the polishing effect is minimal. It does however give you a chance to see if it's enough to remove the marks on your paintwork. If not, you can then step up to a polishing pad and try again - the pad will give slightly more 'cut' but it won't be aggressive.

In all instances a 'light polishing' pad such as the white Chemical Guys pads and a regular polish will have the desired effect on most paintwork - and especially with a DA polisher, that combination will have less effect than when used on a rotary. You're only polishing the clearcoat after all and a DA polisher takes significantly longer to get the same results as a rotary - hence why most use them as a starting point into the foray of machine polishing.

I'll be honest, I was worried to give it a go, and if it helps, try on either a scrap bonnet or on someones old banger to get a feel for it - but I did it carefully and find myself now thinking I was very over-cautious at first. When you know what you're doing and what to look out for it makes it so much quicker!