Is this the right process, and what could I do better?

F

Flynn

New member
Let me try and explain what I used to do and I what I've just done. Then please feel free to comment on improvements to the process. (All the products used apart from the car wash liquid are Autoglym because that's what I happen to have lying around)



Before discovering this site I always used to just wash the car, chamois the water off and wax it.



Here's what I did at the weekend:



1. Applied Intensive Tar Remover to loosen road grim using clean cloth

2. Washed with a generic car wash liquid using a sponge

3. Dried with clean cloth

4. Carefully inspected paintwork for any dirt which had not been removed and clean with Intensive Tar Remover.

5. Washed again with generic car wash liquid using a sponge.

6. Dried again with clean cloth

7. Attempted to polish the finish using Paint Renovator, and another clean cloth to apply and another to remove

7. Applied 2 coats of Super Resin Polish using foam applicator and clean cloth to buff

8. Applied 2 coats of Extra Gloss Protection using another clean cloth to apply, and another to buff



The finish is the best I've seen on my car. Beautifully smooth and looks very nice. Did use an awful lot of cloths as well!



I do have a few questions though:



1. Did I waste my time putting a second coat of wax on?

2. Did I do anything wrong?

3. What have I missed that I should have done?

4. I didn't chamois the car as I thought that might cause scratches. Was this wise?

5. Any other comments?
 
The only drying towels autopians use are microfiber towels - usually waffle weave and preferably with bound edges and no tags so scratches are eliminated .

Some people also like to use electric blowers to remove most the standing water and go over again

The microfiber towels MUST be taken care of properly , washed with right liquid , rinsed completely soap free and dried properly so they will stay effective , soft and lint free though ..



Also there aren't many sponges that are scratch free , but I don't know what kind you have .



Why not read around ? Read the topics http://autopia.org/forum/search.php?searchid=103442

and this http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=58055&highlight=wash

and in general just read up on your inquiry and you will learn quickly .

NIce products , get the most out of them .
 
Excellent. Thanks for the advice. I'll read through those threads you posted.



I think I've got to get a shopping list together and get some decent equipment.
 
Flynn- Welcome to Autopia!



I'd wash the car before using the tar remover. Applying tar remover to a dirty surface will often grind some dirt into the paint, causing scratches.



I use top-quality car shampoos. They usually have greater lubricity (aids in avoiding scratches) than lower-cost generic ones. Money well spent, IMO.



I'd certainly wash with the two-bucket method and rinse your wash media (yeah, I'd lose the sponge and get a sheepskin mitt or something similar) frequently so you don't move dirt back onto the paint where it might cause scratches. FWIW I use many mitts when I wash, I don't take a chance on dirt not rinsing out- if the mitt might be dirty I get a clean one.



My big gripe against a chamois is that it seldom gets *all* the water. I don't see anything wrong with using one first and *then* a WW mf to get the rest. The chamois shouldn't scratch because a) a wet (and *clean*) chamois is soft and b) if the car is clean there won't be any dirt getting dragged across the paint in the process of drying. IMO most "drying scratches" come from using a too-coarse cloth or having some dirt left on the paint.



I'd use top-quality MF cloths to apply and remove products like the Paint Renovator. Or apply with a soft foam applicator and then remove with MF. *SO* many cotton cloths either contain polyester and/or are too coarse and will mar the paint. Same goes for applying/removing the SRP and EGP- use foam and/or MF.



Some will argue that the second application of SRP is unnecessary; that it'll just clean off the first application. I still like to do the second one, but I wait a day between applications and I apply the second one *very* gently. If you can't wait a day I wouldn't bother with the second application of SRP. I'd probably wait a day between coats of EGP too, or just apply a coat after each of the next few washes.
 
Thanks for the comprehensive response.



I think several items are going in the bin. Firstly the sponge and second the cotton cloths. I shall replace them before the next clean. I shall get out my chamois again also. It's brand new and very clean so I shall use that again in future.



It's interesting to hear that my second applications of SRP and EGP probably just cleaned off the first. I had a feeling that maybe I was wasting my time. Next time I want to put these 2nd coats on I'll wait a day.



I've just spent 2 hours just cleaning two cars (Supra and Land Cruiser) and by the time I got them clean the sun had gone down. Tomorrow night I'll get some wax on them. The Land Cruiser takes much much longer than the Supra though!



I was really aware tonight of trying to avoid scratches. A lot of things which I used to do whilst cleaning I see now as harmful to the finish. I've also noticed that the paint on the Supra needs polishing badly. It's silver so it hides the imperfections well but now that I look closely I can see that it needs more work. I've only had the Land Cruiser for 4 months and I got it new so the paintwork is very good.
 
Flynn- The second coat of EGP is a good idea, but you have to wait for the first one to cure lest it re-dissolve when the second one touches it. As for the SRP, most people wouldn't bother with the second coat.



Yeah, silver is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to scratches (I've had/have a lot silver cars). You don't see every little flaw all the time, but it's also hard to see them when you're trying to fix thigns. Learning how to spot the imperfections is a big part of the game, so :wxythumbs to you for being able to see them on the Supra.



Heh heh, two hours to clean two cars sounds pretty good to me, I take a lot longer than that to just wash one :o
 
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