polishes

[steve bain]

so with show season approaching i want to polish my car to within an inch of its life and i feel it may be time to spend some money! I also haven't detailed properly for years so the stuff i use on my daily is probably not good enough for the rocco anymore so would appreciate any input.

at the moment i use...
Cheap halfords car wash with 2 bucket method and noodle glove, microfibre cloths and an overpriced towel to dry it.
I have meguirs clay bar and spray but won't need to use it as paint is brand new.
Body: Autoglym Super Resin Polish (SRP) with Autoglym Extra Gloss on top. I normally machine polish the SRP on my other car but not sure if i will on the rocco.
Black stuff (inc rubbers): Autoglym bumper gel
Wheels: bit of auotglym SRP
exhaust tip: autosol chrome polish.
Glass: cheap window cleaner spray from tesco although they have been clay bared and machine polished
Interior: Saddle soap on leather (good enough for horses?!) and mr sheen on the dash etc as it cleans and keep static down.

So what am i doing wrong and where can i improve.

heres a pic (mainly for attention) of it currently before i have even polished it!

[mr.brown]

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk - scary stuff...

or check out a decent retailer and go for a complete kit. This one even comes with travel size bottles for shows..

http://www.cleanandshiny.co.uk/kits/Zai ... ow-Car-Kit

[james butler]

you use pretty much the same as me although i finish the body in a wax sealer now and it does make quite a bit of difference to the finish
water beads off better and for longer plus you won't have to wash it as often.
i was introduced to the benefits of car wax by aaron rohn with e534ugo

[Nate]

a mate of mine has written an article on this for an upcoming edition of "car mechanics" magazine - basically the easy way to get a stonking shine without needing arms like popeye. worth a read when it comes out

[the edmundator]

I don't think any of the things you use offer a protective layer, like a wax or sealant. Because I've got decals that might be discoloured by wax, I've gone for a sealant, which supposedly offers 8 months' protection and therefore makes cleaning your car much easier when you do it again.

The one I bought was this, it had good reviews and comes in a small, cheap bottle to try it out. http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/sealants/ ... _1040.html

If you start investigating car cleaning, there's a plethora of different products you can apply that all seem to be doing something essential.

This YouTube channel has some good advice if you're really keen. https://m.youtube.com/results?q=car%20c ... 0guru&sm=1

[dgeorj]

I recommend Collinite wax. It has the durability of a sealant.

[essextom]

I use dingleberry on the wheels, works well. I've got to polish my crusty badly painted gti for next week, I hate doing it because I keep finding more bodywork issues!