Washing/Detailing your lancer.

[lukeaday]

Oh forgot to mention.
As soon as I got the car I polished it with meguiars wet look diamond polish then I canubura (speeling?) waxed it.

Due for another polish and wax as the body kit has not been done yet.

[PYLee]

those foaming brushes won't tear away the paint but leave swirls like this.



If it gets severe , it'll end up making the paint look really dull , especially on metallic paints.

btw , try checking out waxit.com.au / carcareproducts.com.au if your keen on other good brands like duragloss , swissvax($$$) , p21s and poorboy

if you plan to clay , check your paint first(put a sandwich bag over your hand and feel your paint, if its rough, you'll need clay) as some cars won't need it if its new and sits in the garage overnight.

[exaltd]

Right, I guess I should chime in

Washing the car - DIY at a car wash
WHEELS:
1. High pressure hose to get rid of some dirt
2. Wheel degreaser to lift the brake dust etc. - BE CAREFUL - it isn't good for anything but steelies and Alloy Wheels
3. High pressure rinse it until gleaming

BODY:
1. Pre rinse with high pressure hose
2. Wash thoroughly with the high pressure soap - DO NOT USE BRUSH unless really needed
If brush is needed, spray it for 10-20 seconds with the high pressure hose first to get rid of some of the dirt
3. Spray off with high pressure hose until all soap is gone
4. Finish with Spot Free Rinse (distilled water) for easy clean off

Washing the car at home - with rainwater tank
Standard and already mentioned

Washing the car at home - EXTREME way
Buy bottles of demineralised water ($3/L) from anywhere and use it

OK Hopefully that helps If you want me to post up my 9 step ultimate detailing post - I will gladly

-EXALTD-

[RyanMK]

Right, I guess I should chime in

Washing the car - DIY at a car wash
WHEELS:
1. High pressure hose to get rid of some dirt
2. Wheel degreaser to lift the brake dust etc. - BE CAREFUL - it isn't good for anything but steelies and Alloy Wheels
3. High pressure rinse it until gleaming

BODY:
1. Pre rinse with high pressure hose
2. Wash thoroughly with the high pressure soap - DO NOT USE BRUSH unless really needed
If brush is needed, spray it for 10-20 seconds with the high pressure hose first to get rid of some of the dirt
3. Spray off with high pressure hose until all soap is gone
4. Finish with Spot Free Rinse (distilled water) for easy clean off

Washing the car at home - with rainwater tank
Standard and already mentioned

Washing the car at home - EXTREME way
Buy bottles of demineralised water ($3/L) from anywhere and use it

OK Hopefully that helps If you want me to post up my 9 step ultimate detailing post - I will gladly

-EXALTD-

Lol. Please do. I'm interested! Haha.

[exaltd]

Ok You asked for it It actually takes around 3 days to fully detail a car correctly and make it concourse like. Trust me - I've done it on mine. It also helps if you have a orbital buffer - makes polishing so much easier And quicker

Here goes - the jist of it at least - I'll do a full DIY write up of what to do if people want it AFTER EXAMS. Oh and - if you want to be anal about it, get yourself an electronic depth gauge That's what the pros use for that perfect even finish. I don't have one.

Paintwork:
1. Wash the car (as above)
2. Clay bar the car - this is to remove large dirt ingrained on the paintwork
3. Polish/scratch remover - this is to cut the parts that need scratch remover and also fill in the finer scratch marks
4. Deep clean the car - using something like Toughseal Pre-Treatment Step 1 - this is to remove the residue of the polish, and to give the car a baby bottom smooth effect and clean surface ready for wax
5. Sealant - i.e. Toughseal Sealant Step 2 - this seals in and protects the paint from bird droppings etc. and also give the car a hard, long lasting shine

DARK COLOURED CARS - FOR DEEP SHINE
6. Wax layer 1 - carnauba paste if possible
7. Wax layer 2 - carnauba paste best, liquid ok
8. Spray on sealant - i.e. Toughseal Dry Wash
9. Spray on Wax

FOR LIGHT COLOURED CARS - WET LOOK, NEW CAR SHINE
6. Wax layer 1- synthetic paste
7. Wax layer 2 - synthetic paste best, synthtic liquid ok
8. Spray on sealant - i.e. Toughseal Dry Wash
9. Spray on Wax

Wheels:
1. Wash wheels (as above)
2. Alloy wheel polish
3. Allow Wheel Wax/Sealer

Plastics/Vinyl/Rubber:
1. Wash if needed (exterior), wipe down if needed (interior)
2. Black restorer i.e. Naturally black
3. Black protector i.e. AUtoglym stuff
4. 303 Aerospace protectant to seal

Glass:
1. Glass cleaner
2. Autoglym Glass Polish
3. Glass sealant i.e. Nanolex
4. Silicone coating - i.e. Rain-X

Chrome is just a matter of wash and chrome polish. That's simple.

You asked for it Bore you to death yet?

-EXALTD-

(EDITED AFTER LONG DISCUSSIONS AND DEBATES)

(Oh and I do sell Toughseal products cheap for those of you interested )

[RyanMK]

How much would it be to get you to wash my car??

[PYLee]

yo gabe , i don't see the point putting a sealant ontop of wax. Sealants are designed to bond onto paint , so applying ontop of a wax , the sealant would have a hard time bonding/clinging ontop the car so the durability will be lessen heaps.

on top of that , good carnauba wax only last 6-8 weeks so it's advised to apply paint sealant on the paint first because of it's durability to protect the car for 4-5 months. This way , in case you forget to apply wax after a few weeks , the sealant is still protecting the car.

If you plan to do layering of Last step products(sealant and waxes), i would recommend putting maybe 2 layers of sealant then only some carnauba wax(layering depends of the products, some have diminishing returns causing haze or not doing any good at all)

For people who don't know what is paint sealant and carnauba wax

Paint Sealant - A paint sealant is made of polymers, which are composed of tens of thousands of synthetic particles that are linked together. When a sealant bonds to your vehicle’s paint, it forms a rigid shell. It is not the warm carnauba that seems to melt into the paint. Paint sealants sit on top of the paint like a transparent chain metal suit. They are glossy and slick, but carnauba lovers will tell you they do not have the warmth and depth of a carnauba.

Carnauba Wax - Carnauba wax is the preferred car wax of collectors and concours enthusiasts because it creates a rich, warm glow. It doesn’t appear to sit on the paint. It transforms the paint into a deep, liquid pool that shimmers under changing light conditions. The more carnauba wax, the more shine. The drawback of carnauba waxes, if you can call it a drawback, is that it does not last as long as a synthetic sealant. A carnauba car wax finish will wear off in approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

[shin91]

hi guys can anyone teach me how to wash my car properly?
or i can help wash yours if you teach me.
like especially with the chamois / wax

i just usually sponge it down with some car wash that already has wax mixed into it?

i live in Ryde, Sydney

[PYLee]

If your keen for more info about it , look here http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html

every single thing u need to know about car maintanence and detailing

[exaltd]

@ Ryan - I'd be more than happy to So long as you pay for my flight to SA Pity you aren't here in Melbourne, or I'd help you out

@ Shin - give me some time, I might write up a DIY guide after my exams Many debates have gone into the development of my techniques

[lukeaday]

Just a quick queiry guys.
This thread is about "washing your car"
Do you guys do all this detailing every time your car needs washing or is this thread snowballed to a how to for DIY full detailing?

[infinite]

Just a quick queiry guys.
This thread is about "washing your car"
Do you guys do all this detailing every time your car needs washing or is this thread snowballed to a how to for DIY full detailing?

I can't speak for everyone but I know a lot of the members here pretty meticulous when it comes to their car I do a full wet wash/wax and detail pretty much every week. No point having a nice car and letting it look like crap.
I'd highly recommend getting a good paint protection product and applying that every 4-5 months (especially on metallic paints)

[exaltd]

Hehehehe Luke I do like your comment It did go a bit off on a tangent.

This is however, because the author of the thread, luffy4688 (Ryan), asked to bore his socks off

But no, I don't detail the car every time I wash it. And I do wash the car every fortnight, to keep it clean.

[PYLee]

i guess this thread could go out to all members that just got their car and plan to wash them.

If you wash it properly in the first place with the right method , there wouldn't be any damage to the paint , thus no polishing will be needed , do it right the first time and it'll be smooth sail.

mine's damaged cause i was a bloody noob that cleans the car with a bucket of water and wet cloth(hence heaps of minor swirl marks due to cloth dragging dirt/grime and scratch car) lol never ever gonna happen to any of my future cars.

[shin91]

thanks exaltd and whitemonster
much appreciated
my car gets washed every 3 months.. hahaha