washing your rcolt

[leonx---]

how the hell do you do it? i got myself meguire carwash, microfibre cloth, chammy and 2 buckets. BUT i always spot a new scratch mark every time i wash the colt. im not sure if im paranoid or not but this happens everytime i wash the damn thing.

any tips as to how might i avoid this or directions to how you do it so the car is left spotless? i've done the 2 buckets method, one clean with carwash, another with clean water for soiled cloth after every panel.

another thing, can these minor scratch marks be removed after major detailing?

i just want it to look spotless, i know its not always possible due to unavoidable factors while driving but i dont want to be the cause of it due to poor methods in maintenance.

cheers.

[fauxpas]

The Equipment:

Big Soft Sponge
Mag Wheel Cleaning Brush
Bucket
Random Wash n Wax (Usually Kitten or similar)

The How:

Hot water and wash n wax in the bucket

* Hose car, get it wet

Before applying sponge to paint make sure any grit has been squeezed out between each application

* Starting with the roof and top of the doors/windows with hot soapy sponge, and rinse
* The all round the glass, and rinse
* Then one side including wheels, and rinse
* The tailgate and rear bumper, and rinse
* Then other side including wheels, and rinse
* Then bonnet and front bumper, and rinse

Each time I rinse I wet the whole car as I don't want any water drying before I get a chance to chamois it off...

* Then I chamois the entire exterior
* Then I clean under the bonnet and door wells and tailgate well
* Then interior glass if needed

If I want the paint to pop I then use Meguire's quick wax which works well...

PS: Remember the paint on the our colts are crap... A bug at speed can damage it... My black colt has really really thin paint and doesn't take much to scuff up...

The big trick is not to grind in the dirt on the car, just allow the dirt to go into the sponge and rinse the dirt out of the sponge into the bucket...

[Macca]

I used the 2 bucket method, with a megs lambs woll mitt.

i wouldnt use a sponge as the grit stays on the surface of the sponge unlike a mitt.

I use proper detailing microfibers to dry, same reason above, subtracing sponge for chamois

I then use woldgang quick detail over the whole exterior and if needed autoglym stuff on the black plastic.

YES swirl and buffing marks can be removed easy with a proper detail, from a proper pro, expect a $400 onwards price tag.

I do it all myself and have all the right gear but use an orbital sander insted of a rotary one like the pros.

example of my work

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/Macca_gong/P1010159.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/Macca_gong/P1010190.jpg

was done 6 months ago, going to do it again, just need to order some more products.

but next time im taking about 4 or 5 days on the car lol

Wash
Clay
Wash
Light cut light pad till the car is spotless, not as bad as it is above.
Polish on a non cutting pad
Glaze on non cut pad
Sealant by hand on an applicator (2 coats)
Wax direct by hand

[Nic85]

As above. Never use a sponge, synthetic or leather chamois. Use a microfibre or lambs wool wash mit, and a microfibre chamois. Also, use a shampoo (such as Meguiars Gold Class) as your "soap"

Little scratches can be removed with a good polish and a bit of elbow grease. I just bought some Auto Glym Super Resin Polish.

Those little scratches will always happen with day to day driving. There's a lot of tutorials on the internet for getting rid of scratches and everyone has their own opinion and products that they use. I would suggest finding what works for you.

[DamoMcTitz]

does anyone use the regular wash booths at BP's to clean their rcolts? or is this a nono? I used to clean my magna there, but as it was nearly 10 years old, i wasnt as padantic.

[lovecolt]

Purely depend on the color of your car. If its a white or silver where any swirl marks are virtually undetectable, then its fine imo. But generally, its a no no :)

[DamoMcTitz]

swirl marks from the mechanical car wash? I meant the manual one with the soapy brush? Is that one ok?

cheers for your prompt reply, im actuall thinking of going to wash it right now!
ill pick up a chmmy on the way!

[why_bother]

i used to preach that scratch-and-go's were a total no-no in every other car i owned and only ever hand washed them.

then i hand washed my colt a few times with new products, new mits, new chamois and the car ended up with just as many swirl marks as any scratch'and'go would ever give it.

i use them all the time now, and given that adelaide generally has such shit weather anyway by the time you've spent four hours washing and clay blocking the car till it looks like a mirror it's probably going to end up raining here anyway the same day or next!

there's another +1 why i loved living on the gold coast.

up to you, i've just given up on being anal about keeping the car clean.. i can't believe how much shit is all over the roads down here. it seems like in adelaide no matter where you drive in the rain the car gets completely covered in shit, where as other places around oz simply wet the damn thing and get a little bit of muck on it!


and these cars have thin paint too. might have something to do with everybody getting swirl marks.

[Macca]

Use them late at night, when you can take your own wash mitt and shit.

im pedantic, I dont go there, I own my own pressure washer. bought it to gravty feed from a 10l water bottle in water restrictions.

If you have to use them, ALWWAYSSSSSSSS wash the brush off before.

but dont go to them they are crap and i am pedantic HAHA

[lovecolt]

swirl marks from the mechanical car wash? I meant the manual one with the soapy brush? Is that one ok?

cheers for your prompt reply, im actuall thinking of going to wash it right now!
ill pick up a chmmy on the way!

From what i see, those auto car wash machine has rough brush (or whatever its called) and those self wash ones, generally have dirt struck to their brush when its been used by others to clean their rims. Both ways will equally give you enough swirl marks. Therefore, the only way is to wash it at home. But even then, you will still need the right stuff to min any swirl marks.

Personally, i don't touch any chimmy. Seems to do a fair bit more swirl marks than a microfibre cloth.

[Spaceboy]

yeah the wash booths are a no no,
the water is recycled i think, and the brushes have cleaned god knows what.

i use bit of car-poo in warm water in a bucket and use a microfibre mitt.

then i use a few microfibre towels and some wax n dry.

every now and then i'll do a light polish by hand which brings the lustre back and eliminates any water marks or light scratches.

[filofaith]

i go to the wash booth for the high pressure hose then bring my own car wash stuff and chamios and wash by hand :) they will scratch the car...

[ob1tanobey]

I used to do that, but then the owner got smart and told me no buckets allowed.

[Macca]

thats why you go late at night

[matsout]

Just my 5 cents guys, I usually was it with warm soapy water with my wool mitt, dry with a microfibre chamoise, then go over it with waterless wash and wax using microfibre to apply and microfibre to remove, brings it up to a beautiful waxy shine but my main reason for that is to get rid of any water marks I missed when drying as they were really giving me the sh!ts, being a black car they show up more.
I don't know if anyone else has given waterless wash and wax a go or not, but I had someone recomend it and of course I'd never do it with actual dirt on the car instead I decided to try it after washing, as I said my colt is black and from what I can see I have no more surface scratches or swirl marks than I did before using it. Now I use it after every wash.

[Blaze]

I use the polygaze waterless wash whenever i do a proper wash and it rains after. Gets rid of water marks really well and leaves a lil shine.

[Macca]

I use a "quick detail" spary after drying everytime, as said it gets rid of watermarks and brings the surface to a shine, doesnt really add protection, but does lengthen the time a wax/sealant will last.

my cars sealant lasted 6 months using a QD after everywash


This time I been trying some different stuff that i got thrown in for free when I ordered a bunch of gear, its some smart detail spray, I normally use Wolfgang instant detail spritz.

I dry my car to about 80% with a blower vac machine :D but an aircompressor would be better.