Adventures into the shiny side

[finetrond]

My car is due for a proper polish, long over due would some say.
Paint feels rough after a cleaning so I beleive a claying is required. I've looked online and found some products that should help we get there.
After claying polishing would be required. So I am looking for a resonable DA polisher. A Rupes LHR 21 is not it.
Any recommendations?

I have found one for about £ 85. 1000W 400-2300 rpm . 140mm backing plate.
Others are all the way from £ 16-18.

[Psycho Kirky]

I use the Challenge Extreme. Only an entry level polisher I got from Argos but it gives great results with good quality pads and polish

Sent from my SNE-LX1 using Tapatalk

[SciroccoEire]

I learned with and am still using a DAS-6. Grand job , has lasted me years

https://amzn.to/2XgFNrT

You def dont NEED something like a Rupes , while it might be nice if budget allowed

[finetrond]

Both above seems reasonable for my budget. A selection of quality pads with a good compound and polish.
And somebody else's car to learn on. My old white R is that car.

Got to read up a bit more on how to use the machine, and get the bits and bobs required to the car ready for compounding and polish.

[finetrond]

How important is the speed (rpm) of the polisher?
Limited availability of polisher with speed over 3000 rpm for a price i can afford.

[SciroccoEire]

The DAS 6 pro is 2500-6500 as far as i remember...

[finetrond]

I'll have to review what is available here in China. They to two different kinds. El Cheapo and Rupes $300, and the likes. So it will be El Cheapo.
I've looked at the paint with a not very good light and it seems not too bad. A bit "gritty to the touch but without noticeable swirl marks.
Water stains and bird poo etching for sure. But, i thought claying it would help with that, then some Meguiars paste wax to get some shine back.

The paint is quote orange peely. I understand that will require a whole different level of job. That will have to wait until I can find someone that does that sort of thing for a living in the general area. 20M people in Chengdu. Dealerships of some rich people brand cars, so I hope at least one shop available to do a premium job.

[finetrond]

So I have order an selection of cleaning supplies
3M Claybar
Meguiar's Ultimate paste Wax
Meguiar's Gold Class cars wash
Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
Assorted brushes. And not the branded Chemical Guys Set for $24. $3 for 5, full review to come :-)
A cheap as the come pressure washer.

Saturday is D-day. Hoping not to ruin anything. Pray for me.

Wheel cleaning later on, I'll let the wife look at them up close and get a fall out remover, and wheel sealant next.

[SciroccoEire]

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes

[finetrond]

Well first of all. No 50/50 shots. no water beading shots. Can't remember my photobucket password. and I wasnt about to hose down the car after spending a whole afternoon cleaning, claying and waxing.

Some cold hard facts:
My car is 2016 M4 convertible, light blue metallic. Not sure what "plate" that is in English.
First time claying and waxing. I've been watching AMMO NYC videos on JuTjube for a while to bone up before the D-day. Today was boning time.
My $30 pressure washer worked a treat. not too strong. I wish I'd splurged on a foam cannon, but alas, I'd already spent a whole 30 bucks on the washer.
Claying was very much needed and was easy enough following the advice from that guy. I used the Meguiars diluted in water as a lubricant. Wife got in on the action as well.
Need more towels to speed up the job a bit. Drying was helped by God. 28 degrees C today, (5405069 Fahrenheit).
Wax was easy to apply.
Facts not so much, opinion and experiences rather. Well the car is a fact.

I had a nice car, dirty, but nice.
Now I have a car full of stone chips, dirty engine bay, dirty interior, dirty AF wheels.
My interior cleaner is getting delivered tomorrow, also my no name brushes. Can I do it tomorrow, not sure.

So a day well spent,not bitten by the detailing bug so far. But I will make sure my car is kept better. I like to do things well. I rather spend some $$$ and get it done right rather than cheap. Here out in the sticks, cheap is the go to for anything. Full interior detail for $30, a set of Chemical guys leather cleaner and conditioner cost about that here. Now I hope it last more than once.

GN, peace out, snakkes.

[finetrond]

Going home from work i found my self about 100m behind a bus when its engine packed it in. A mist of oil and water spread all over my car. Fantastic is it not.
Went to the local cleaners do sort it out. Degreaser didn't do much good for my wax.

But we spent a day cleaning the old Rocco R. Good grief it was dirtier than Chasy Lain. The rubber seal around the moon roof hadn't been cleaned since the dawn of time. Now it is better, but we needs more time. Current owner is busy as a small business owner, so spending precious time off cleaning an old car 3-4 times in a row was not on the plan.

Now ordered wash mitts, CarPro Iron_X, foam bottle. Need to order wheel brushes and some supplements for engine bay cleaning. have i been bitten by the detailing bug???? It has some satisfaction getting door jams, boot lid and other places spotless.

Now on to study best was to deal with stone chips. The Rocco R is is riddle with them. So a nice project to learn on. It can't get much worse if we cock it up.

[SciroccoEire]

Thanks for the updates!

More pics though

[finetrond]

Topic updated. As I take steps to a cleaner, shinier car.
DA polisher on hold.
So photos eh.. well let me just give you the good old 64k warning up front.
Pre-wash


The 219 RMB + freight "pressure" washer


Fall out remover. Never tried this before. Sure looks the beesneez


Rinsed off, looks good from far


But far from good.


As promised.
Cheap detail brush review.
1. Does the job
2. At bit frayed
3. recommended. Search for them on Taobao.com in Chinese , place your order and enjoy.

The cheap foam bottle was less than impressive, maybe due to to using Gold Class car wash. But combined with the wash mitts the car got cleaner that before.
I really hope the 64k warning was not lost on the younger generation. Cools boys in old forums sitting on 1Mb DSL lines would put that on the pic heavy threads on the olden times.

And to be clear, Photobucket a proud to host my photos, not the other way around.

[finetrond]

So I've spent a few hours cleaning the car. I really need to find a car wash close to my work. One week of driving does not come off easy. I need some road film and tar remover.
Got amnit, i'm deeper in the rabbit hole again. Come, come the force is strong in the shiny side. Order more stuff online.

So P&S beed maker. Does it work. Well you seen enough youtube videos by now to confirm that. My application is hardening, and I'm not hosing down the car for beauty shoots of beeding. My phone camera does not do anything justice.


500ml bottle, still about 1/3 left.
Autosol on the exhaust tips, inspired by Car Cleaning Guru from Y o u tube. poo shoots is the term.

I know where this is going. Rupes bigfoot, rupes Nano, light gun. I really just wanted more power, more sound.

[finetrond]

So I'll say the most un-Norwegian thing ever: It finally rained.
Beeds, beautiful beeds.





Water sliding off very nicely. After 70km drive home the car was cleaner than usual.
Windows next. Need to find some good coating for that.

[finetrond]

Bead Maker review: Its not the product for me. It makes great beads. its slick as a greased Scotsman (Groundskeeper Wille). But after a week of driving, then a clean; it seems there is no product left.
As said before, my application my be lacking. So options are to review my process, or try something else.
I want to add some more protection in next round. Trying to figure out a good way to layer the different product.

Here's what I'm thinking. Get the car squeaky clean, Fall out remover, degreaser, CarPro Eraser.
Then CarPro Reload, then my Paste wax.
Or am I better off using CarPro Hydro2. Then paste wax?
Why CarPro? Because it is available here in China.
Looks like a full weekend, applying and curing product. No driving. But there can be Baijiu with lunch and dinner.

Next weekend should be for driving, i'll let the local washer the the work week crud off.
Saving up for DA Polisher had a delay. New MacBook Pro full spec set me back a few large ones.In any currency you like to use. Approx 68M VND

[finetrond]

Had a play with CarPro Perl for the lower part of the door cards, sills and that plastic piece behind the read head rest. about 1:3 dilution. Door cards and sills are improved.
Hope it holds up as per the youtube videos.

So how about that Hydro2?

[finetrond]

Months passed, weekly cleaning.
Foam cannon and soaking the car with foam has me unimpressed. Maybe a dedicated snow foam would do better than Meguiar's Gold Class and Meguiar's Hyper-Wash. Contact wash to get the weeks road film of is required, or maybe a better pressure washer.
Now using Meguiar's Final Touch Detailers spray after cleaning, car looks fine. Will apply a coat of M21 2.0 later this month.
Going to get a el cheapo DA polisher to try out on the old car.
My car has some swirls and spider webbing on the bootlid that i'd like to have a go at after.

por qué, por qué, why must it rain every darn Monday after I wash the car on Sundays??? I try to live a good life, i try to help my neighbor, I try follow the commandments, but still RAIN, RAIN, RAIN.

[SciroccoEire]

por qué, por qué, why must it rain every darn Monday after I wash the car on Sundays??? I try to live a good life, i try to help my neighbor, I try follow the commandments, but still RAIN, RAIN, RAIN.

haha i know the feeling

[finetrond]

The Meguiar's M20 is holding up well. one month into it. should hold up shouldn't it.
Considering Meguiar's Wheel Brightener to spritz up them wheels. Bit concerned about some rust bubbles on one of the rears. Alloy wheels and rust, thanks BMW. The hardest part of that fix will be to find a powder coating company that will do it and do it well. Cheap wont be hard to get, but perfect will. Frozen gold anyone?