New To detailing!

P

Pope

Member
So guys and gals, im looking to get a clean on this weekend and as i havnt bothered to clean a car in god knows how long, the Z will be getting some TLC.

I need a few recomendations on products for the following:

Cleaning the roadster roof, there are a few patches that have mould on them and I would like it back to black as much as possible so it needs a good scrub and almost a polish of sorts.

I also would like to remove a lot of little scratches which the previous owner left me on the plastic on the inside of the car, dash, hadles, sterring wheel etc.

Finally a good washing product, to give the car a really good deep clean.

Would apprecaite peoples thoughts.
 
If the roof is in good nick and just needs a clean, then the AG shampoo and proofer kit will be just fine. If you need to restore the colour though, you may want to look here

http://www.renovointernational.com or
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Leather-Care-And-Repair

I only wish they did a dye in grey to suit mine :|

Plastic scratches are a bit more difficult, especially if they are the painted plastic parts like the door pull and steering wheel covers. For the black plastic I use Mer bumper and vinyl gel, it wont get rid of scratches though, only hide them a bit. It's also good for the door seals. The painted parts I would say need removing and respraying if they are bad.

For the bodywork a good wash, polish and sealant / wax will do. You may want to clay and rewash before the polish if you have the time. Personally I use AG products, purely because they are easy to pick up at Halfords or B&Q, although I must admit to preferring Halfords own brand shampoo to the AG stuff. My usual regime is Wash with either Halfords or AG car shampoo, polish with AG SRP and top off with AG EGP. I usually reapply the EGP at the next wash. I then use AG Aquawax after each wash until I think it all needs doing again, which is usually every 4 months.

Just my 2 penneth and you will find there are tons of opinions on this kind of stuff. If your wallet can stand it have a nosey around here :wink:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum
 
Wash - Deep cleaning prior to clay / polish etc I have started using Valetpro concentrated car shampoo. It cleans very well, slick and suds. Great stuff. For maintaing after all the hard graft of clay / polish etc, Valetpro poseidons carnauba wash. Once youve tried it, you will never go back.

Various clays on the market. Easy off the shelf stuff I would recomend the Meguiars quick clay kit as it comes with a quick detailer for clay lube.

There are so many polishes on the market to choose from but a good way to start is a pre wax cleanser like Dodo Juice lime prime which has micro abrasives incorporated so you can remove faint scratches / swirls.

What colour is the car? A good starter wax would be Dodo Juice rainforest rub as this is easy to use, gives great results, smells great and is reasonably priced. Made for any colour paintwork. If its a light metalic or silver etc then sealants work better if you want that cold, sharp metal finish. Chemical guys jetseal is underated and is very good at what it does. My van has been wearing it now for nearly 3 months and its still not tiring.

If the interior trim is actually scratched then chances are you will need them smart repaired to rectify them. A good cleaner for genral useage on interiors is Meguiars all purpose cleaner. Use it on carpets, leather, vynil / platsic trim and so on. I tend to use it to clean soft tops aswell personally then reproof them afterwards with something along the lines of Ragtop or Renovo.
 
B&Q & Halfords have a 3 for 2 offer on cleaning 'chemicals'.

Meguiars is my current favourite range, I'm currently using the gold class shampoo with the MF Mit. Demon Shine is brilliant as a rinse aid; I dilute with water in a watering can and then pour over. AG custom wheel cleaner is great for removing light tar and brake dust. I've got the Megs clay kit, but so far unused and also invested in Poorboys blackhole which is filler for light swirling on dark cars - again unused. AG vinyl & rubber of Megs interior detailer for internal/external plastics and megs for the tyres, then rain-x for the windscreen.

Thinking about the DAS-6 DA polisher, £60 off ebay.

There are guides on DW - http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=17

Enjoy... :thumbsup:
 
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