Advice for a non car washer!

[JonLeeper]

So I'll admit it right at the start, I don't usually wash my cars very often, and when I do its at a garage! The reason is I've never owned a car that's had paintwork worth worrying about! So when I ourchased my roadster it was the first car I felt I needed to keep clean, but as discussed in a previous thread the paintwork was "poor", so I have been washing it more often and using a decent power washer setup at the Dover BP.

However, I've just bought a coupe and it's beautiful and I'd like to get it properly detailed and then keep on top of it. But I'm somewhat confused about the range of services, price and what I actually need! There are a couple of people advertising themselves as detailer locally and this one seems the best/most professional. https://www.kdskeltec.co.uk/price-menu/optional-extras/ I will go and have a discussion with them but km wondering what the advice was from on here? Level 4 valet, engine clean and interior? Do I need £200's worth of coating? Paint correction? Any and all advice welcomed. Thanks.

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[Trav]

This interests me also as I am never keen to buy a car if someone mentions detailing in the advert. The OP mentions a high level valet. Or a proffessional clean. I am all for that.
If a car has had 5 owners, 4 of them were habitual paint correcters and polishers, how much paint (lacquer) is left for me? Not everyone will get it done by the proffessional guy in his nice sterile unit either. So as well as the OP's question can you also educate me as to what levels of material are removed and what is replaced by wax or the coatings mentioned by the OP? Sorry for butting into the post.

[chrisgreen]

it's probably worth assessing the state of the paint to start with before thinking about protection. If there is an element of swirl marks or marring from previous washing or indeed light scratches then it might be worthwhile having these polished out by a full paint correction (machine polisher etc) so then you have a decent base to which add the protection.

Once this has been corrected the protection will certainly help maintain the finish and make future cleaning easier - especially as it's black and these are notorious for showing every single scratch in the sunlight! However when they're clean they look unbelievable and have that show car gloss look.

If you're not a big car washer than you want to use a durable wax which will generally be harder to apply and rub off - but last alot longer. Having the ceramic protection will provide a protective layer to which dirt and grime won't stick to and make it less likely to damage your paint when washing.

The best technique is as attached.

car cleaning guide by Christopher Green, on Flickr

Chris

[Vijay]

Hi
That’s a great looking car!
I’m in the same boat Jon. I’m planning to buy a power washer, snow foam and brushes to begin with.
I’ve watched this clip a few times to get an idea, it helps that he has the same car!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xDP3JNi0pKw
This thread is great for products to consider:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=110571

[tee.gilding]

Watch Ammo NYC on YouTube and you'll have all the knowledge you need in order to valet and detail yourself, saving yourself hundreds in coinage, and you'll have the added benefit of being able to say you did it yourself!

[JonLeeper]

Watch Ammo NYC on YouTube and you'll have all the knowledge you need in order to valet and detail yourself, saving yourself hundreds in coinage, and you'll have the added benefit of being able to say you did it yourself!

I've watched some of his and am thinking that I'll try it myself but want to have it done properly first so I don't muck it up too badly! Oh and time is a little bit of an issue at the moment! I just don't want to spend more than I have to.

[tee.gilding]

I've watched some of his and am thinking that I'll try it myself but want to have it done properly first so I don't muck it up too badly! Oh and time is a little bit of an issue at the moment! I just don't want to spend more than I have to.

Fair call. Once you've had it done once, keeping it in tidy yourself should become fairly easily.

[Phoenixboy]

It certainly is a lot easier to maintain once it’s been done properly.
My mate is a detailer and does mine when I first get the car, and then quarterly, to keep on top of it.
I just wash it weekly with care, and occasionally top it up with detailing spray.
Paintwork still has a great shine three months later.

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[BeeEmm]

I am never keen to buy a car if someone mentions detailing in the advert. The OP mentions a high level valet. Or a proffessional clean. I am all for that.
If a car has had 5 owners, 4 of them were habitual paint correcters and polishers, how much paint (lacquer) is left for me?

If someone has polished a car properly themselves they should not need to do it again for maybe 2 years. It is wrong to presume that because they have a polisher they are going to burn the topcoat off on a regular basis. I would rather buy a car from someone who looked after it than say, someone who runs it through a car wash once a week or uses a sponge full of grit to wash it.

[Trav]

I am never keen to buy a car if someone mentions detailing in the advert. The OP mentions a high level valet. Or a proffessional clean. I am all for that.
If a car has had 5 owners, 4 of them were habitual paint correcters and polishers, how much paint (lacquer) is left for me?

If someone has polished a car properly themselves they should not need to do it again for maybe 2 years. It is wrong to presume that because they have a polisher they are going to burn the topcoat off on a regular basis. I would rather buy a car from someone who looked after it than say, someone who runs it through a car wash once a week or uses a sponge full of grit to wash it.

I get all that. So I don't create sny more lines in someone elses thread I will ask my local pro shop. I was more wondering what are the actual amounts of lacquer removed. E.g. say a lacquer coat was 0.5 mm thick. If a general machine polish (amatuer or otherwise) removed only 0.01 mm then on a 10 year old car no problems.
But If lacquer is only 50 micron thick snd you lose 0.01mm then 5 machine polishes in 10 years is an issue. Or if I took a few micron off, is an applied ceramic nano coat better than the removed lacquer anyway.

[buzyg]

Noubt wrong with using a sponge. I draw the line at grit though.

[BeeEmm]

However, I've just bought a coupe and it's beautiful and I'd like to get it properly detailed and then keep on top of it. But I'm somewhat confused about the range of services, price and what I actually need! There are a couple of people advertising themselves as detailer locally and this one seems the best/most professional. https://www.kdskeltec.co.uk/price-menu/optional-extras/ I will go and have a discussion with them but km wondering what the advice was from on here? Level 4 valet, engine clean and interior? Do I need £200's worth of coating? Paint correction? Any and all advice welcomed. Thanks.

What you need OP depends on the car's condition. If the bodywork has fine scratches and swirl marks the only way to remove them properly is to machine polish. Whether you need a two-stage or one-stage polish really does depend on the depth of the scratches. A two stage polish will use a coarser pad and perhaps coarser polish, finishing off with a finer pad and polish. A one-stage polish will probably consist of a medium pad and fine polish, but the combination of pad/polish is extensive. For simplicity a medium pad and fine polish will eliminate fine scratches. Before polishing, iron and vegetation contamination will have to be removed. There are lots of products available to do this and as always there is the right way to do it. To protect the polished surface, you will need to have a coating, ceramic or wax, the choice is yours. I would advise a ceramic coating as it lasts longer and protects better, but it does tend to be more expensive and more difficult to apply. This is where a professional detailer comes in. They will do all of the work, or part of it if you are confident to do some yourself. I do my own polishing and have applied a ceramic coating to 4 of my own cars (owned at different times) over the past few years. When choosing a detailer make sure that they have their own premises to apply the ceramic coating as it really does need to be applied indoors in a temperature controlled environment. In the street on a cold February morning will only cause problems. I would recommend Kamikaze Miyabi or ISM ceramic coating but they are expensive. ISM is £115 for 30 ml. There are cheaper products. GYEON Q² SYNCRO can be bought for £90. There are lots out there. Ask your detailer what they would recommend. Once the work is done, you need to maintain it. With a ceramic coating this is easier than with wax and ceramic will lasts 4 times as long as a wax coating. There is lots of advice on the internet with regard to cleaning and protecting leather and carpets. Engine bay cleaning is a must and it is easy to maintain once clean.

[Angelus666]

Would say it does take a bit of time to become semi-decent at this....so if you're brand new then it's probably best that you get it done by a detailer (looking at £500+ for a semi-decent job). Then your job will be to do the weekly wash using a power washer and 2 bucket method, building up your confidence and knowledge over time to tackle other detailing areas.

[Warming]

Watch Ammo NYC on YouTube and you'll have all the knowledge you need in order to valet and detail yourself, saving yourself hundreds in coinage, and you'll have the added benefit of being able to say you did it yourself!

Agree it's most satisfying to say you did it yourself, curious how much to budget DIY vs. say £500+ for a decent detailer.

[tee.gilding]

Watch Ammo NYC on YouTube and you'll have all the knowledge you need in order to valet and detail yourself, saving yourself hundreds in coinage, and you'll have the added benefit of being able to say you did it yourself!

Agree it's most satisfying to say you did it yourself, curious how much to budget DIY vs. say £500+ for a decent detailer.

It depends how fair down the rabbit hole you intend to go. You could probably do the same as a professional detailer (okay maybe not to the same standard at first...) for under £150 worth of products/components, and do that 5 times before you start replenishing supplies.