[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Unless my logic here is incorrect and I'd gladly like to hear from detailing gurus on this, I'd rather let all the minor imperfections build up and do a proper detailing job once every two years or so. Sticking to the basic wash and applying a layer of wax seems sufficient, cheaper and actually better for the exteriors over the long run.

This is exactly what I did a couple of months ago. My nearly ten year old car was never detailed till May 2016. So I did a paint correction and applied a coating.

It was a lot of work as the paint wasn't in the best shape with lot of swirls and scratches, so paint correction by machine made a huge difference to the looks,that apart having a layer of coating has significantly reduced the number of times I need to wash the car.

In our conditions it isn't practical to have a scratch free car,let alone a swirl free one. So the best thing to do is keep applying wax/sealants every now and then and ensure bird droppings are removed asap. The only downside I see is, when you get down to machine correction say once in 2 or 3 years, each panel may take you longer than it would have had you done it once a year.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

This is exactly what I did a couple of months ago. My nearly ten year old car was never detailed till May 2016. So I did a paint correction and applied a coating.

It was a lot of work as the paint wasn't in the best shape with lot of swirls and scratches, so paint correction by machine made a huge difference to the looks,that apart having a layer of coating has significantly reduced the number of times I need to wash the car.

In our conditions it isn't practical to have a scratch free car,let alone a swirl free one. So the best thing to do is keep applying wax/sealants every now and then and ensure bird droppings are removed asap. The only downside I see is, when you get down to machine correction say once in 2 or 3 years, each panel may take you longer than it would have had you done it once a year.

What exactly you got done as paint correction? And which coating you opted for and costs involved?

Since I see that you are from Bangalore I would be interested to know from where you got these things done.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

What exactly you got done as paint correction? And which coating you opted for and costs involved?
Since I see that you are from Bangalore I would be interested to know from where you got these things done.

It was a DIY I used Optimum Opti coat as my coating since its newbie friendly. For the DIY, describing briefly, I decontaminated with IronX and TarX, clayed with carpro block followed a rotary with Menzerna HCC 400 followed by Menzerna SF 4000.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

It was a DIY I used Optimum Opti coat as my coating since its newbie friendly. For the DIY, describing briefly, I decontaminated with IronX and TarX, clayed with carpro block followed a rotary with Menzerna HCC 400 followed by Menzerna SF 4000.

Thanks. How's Opti coat holding up. How long will it stay?

I read many good reviews of McKee's 37 Paint Coating on Autogeek and want to get it to try on my car, but nobody is coming down from US now. I read it lasts upto 2 years, I say, I am fine even if it last for a year or so.

Can you please post some images post detailing and coating.

[SunnyBoi]

Originally Posted by theMandarin

When we consider getting our cars professionally detailed, is there any limit/guidance on the number of times we can get it done "Safely”?

My understanding is that polishing a car requires scraping off a thin layer of the clear coat. This is what houses the swirl marks and other minor surface deformities and therefore removing a fine top layer gets rid of the surface aberrations.

But the layer is of a finite thickness.
So how many times can we polish it safely without risking completely removing the clear coat?

Yes there is. However the answer is not so simple. There are a lot of variations like paint thickness, hardness of paint, depth of scratches/swirls, correction level, age of paint, repainted panels, single stage vs BC/CC etc. The permutation and combination of all parameters makes it impossible to advice on the internet.

Originally Posted by theMandarin

Moreover how will the following variables affect this “safe” limit?
• Age of the car
• Whether the car panel has been repainted
• Quality of the original paint finish as it can vary with the manufacturer and the segment

Age of the car, Older the paint, drier would be the paint. Older cars came with single stage paint,i.e., no clear coat and they are very prone for oxidisation. Typical examples are old red cars appearing pink. Older cars would have been washed lot more times so the swirls would be deeper and require a heavier cutting process. However older paints were also thicker so that might help.

Repainted panels, this again depends ont he process used for painting. If the paint job was done at the showroom, there would be atleast some consistency on paint behaviour w.r.t factory painted panels. If the job was done outside, they might have used a different brand of paint, it may be harder or softer than other panels. In many cases the paint on repainted panels (if done well) deteriorate slower, so you'll be able to see a difference in say, 2-3 years even if it looks consistent today.

Quality of the original paint finish, as you said varied with every manufacturer. The trend nowadays is to put on thinner coats of paint to save money. Every car, even premium ones from BMW have terrible orange peel. I have seen brand new Mahindra Thars having 70 microns of paint thickness, sigh. Thinner the paint, lesser chances of correcting the paint safely.

The first signs of paint burns will come on edges like these photos from my car. Whoever polished the car before was some low life with no knowledge on paint or polish, akin to a monkey with a rotary and wool pad.





However, this is how my car looks like, just after a wash today. Do watch in HD to appreciate my efforts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPp0xc539-M

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

If the vehicle is going to be a daily driver, a maximum swirl removal treatment would be overkill. Light polishing can be done once a quarter , wash and wax could be done every month even safely if the owner is particular about maintaining the aesthetics.

I agree, my approach is a full detail once a year and monthly washes.

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

Maintaining paint finish swirl free is very difficult in urban Indian conditions.

I beg to differ, its impossible unless you garage the car after a full detail and never take it out

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

The best thing to do is keep applying wax/sealants every now and then and ensure bird droppings are removed asap. The only downside I see is, when you get down to machine correction say once in 2 or 3 years, each panel may take you longer than it would have had you done it once a year.

I must say, this line of thinking is surprisingly rare, not just on Team BHP but also on other automotive forums. There seems to be a tendency to get a car detailed every six months or one year as a norm - and typical detailing packages always include paint correction, buffing and/or polishing. In fact, I had the impression that this is a good car maintenance practice.

I am happy to change my opinion on this if someone has facts to the contrary but the reality seems to be that this is unnecessary, expensive and risks your paint if the detailer is incompetent or overenthusiastic. That beautiful Cedia with paint burns a few posts above is an example of how damaging bad detailing jobs can be in the long run.

I'm really not seeing the value in anything beyond a simple wash, clay and wax. As for other imperfections, live with them as long as possible and fix them only if your OCD limit has been reached!

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Thanks. How's Opti coat holding up. How long will it stay?
Can you please post some images post detailing and coating.

Opti gloss coat has been a mixed bag. I used close to 10cc on a small car like Swift, else i'd have to apply it real thin and that resulted in no beading/sheeting. I don't have any pics since I lost the memory card I had it on.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

I must say, this line of thinking is surprisingly rare, not just on Team BHP but also on other automotive forums. As for other imperfections, live with them as long as possible and fix them only if your OCD limit has been reached!

What I feel is there's no right or wrong method. I've decided to machine correct once a few years simply because its a DIY,which takes a lot of my time and i'm not keen on chipping away a layer of paint every year for scratches and swirls which will invariably appear, unless your car is a garage queen.

However, if you have a detailer who knows what he's doing,uses a paint guage to assess paint thickness and knows how to safely use a rotary, it might just be the best of both.

[cooljai]

Have a Candy White Skoda Rapid, two weeks old.
Car has covered parking both at home and at office.
Have not done any detailing/polishing so far. Thinking of a DIY job, what all should be done?
Plan to do a shampoo wash+polish+wax.
Is claying necessary for a new car?
Can someone suggest the best products in each of the categories (Shampoo+clay+polish+wax)

[vikasshu]

Originally Posted by cooljai

Have a Candy White Skoda Rapid, two weeks old.
Car has covered parking both at home and at office.
Have not done any detailing/polishing so far. Thinking of a DIY job, what all should be done?
Plan to do a shampoo wash+polish+wax.
Is claying necessary for a new car?
Can someone suggest the best products in each of the categories (Shampoo+clay+polish+wax)

Congratulations for new car. If you have covered parking then nothing like it. I own a red car with no covered parking plus live in a very dusty area of Delhi where Metro construction is going on in full swing. So I envy you

If I go by experts then there is no harm in using clay on a new car. There can be numerous places for a new car as well to acquire dirt like the open yards of dealers etc. But you can decide if your car needs it or not by doing a baggy test. You can see numerous videos on youtube showing how to do baggy test. Its very simple.

I am not an expert but what I have understood from Gurus of this thread that Sealants are better for Indian environment (hot, dusty etc) in comparison to waxes. Plus they have much longer life in comparison to waxes on well prepared vehicles.

Now the best product list can be subjective and it primarily depends on your own experience or what you've read or heard people using it. Here is what I've experienced or read here on this forum or else where.

1. Shampoo - Bilt hamber auto wash / Zaino Z7 very good but price on higher side; I've personally liked Meguiars NXT car wash. Heard even Sonax gloss shampoo is also very good.

2. Clay - go for new generation foam block type of products. They are effective and safe. Why safe because even if you drop them, wash them and start using them again. Plus these have longer life as well. You may have to use this may be twice a year. There are many good alternatives including one from Optimum which I am currently using.

3. Polish & Sealant - try to go for polish+sealant combination from same manufacturer as it is said they design products for maximum bonding. Best ones are Wolfgang paintwork polish enhancer + Wolfgang Deep Gloss paint sealant OR Blackfire Gloss enhancing polish + Blackfire wet diamond sealant. If you are looking for a real easy ones which does not requires any hardwork then can try Ultima paint prep plus + Ultima Paint guard plus.

I have heard from Gurus that lighter colours really go well with a combination of Klasse AIO paint cleaner + Klasse high gloss sealant.

Apart from these products you should go for some really good microfiber towels for buffing, cleaning, drying etc. Should buy a good wash mitt as well. I use one from Meguiars.

You'll need products for internal detailing as well. Not much experience here so far and I am as well learning about this category.

You should also invest in a water-less wash like Optimum no rinse wash and wax or Ultima waterless wash for in-between cleaning. They should be used for weekly cleaning when car is not too dirty. These products are also used as clay lubes when you do claying so multiple advantage.

You also need a good duster for your car. The gold standard recommended is California car duster. A good Indian product is also available from a manufacturer named Jopasu.

Hope this post helps you.

[Disclaimer: I do not have any commercial interests in sharing these product names.]

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by cooljai

Have a Candy White Skoda Rapid, two weeks old.
Car has covered parking both at home and at office.
Have not done any detailing/polishing so far.

Since the car is new, I would suggest to visit a good detailer who can do it for the first time. Check out if the detailing retains for at least couple of months. You can then start your DIY. Since the monsoons are receding, the best investment for now would be to get a Jopasu Duster. As you have covered parking, at max dust accumulation will be the main issue and Jopasu will hep in that. Going forward Waterless wash options can be suggested by experts.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Since the car is new, I would suggest to visit a good detailer who can do it for the first time. Check out if the detailing retains for at least couple of months. You can then start your DIY. Since the monsoons are receding, the best investment for now would be to get a Jopasu Duster. As you have covered parking, at max dust accumulation will be the main issue and Jopasu will hep in that. Going forward Waterless wash options can be suggested by experts.

Agree with ghodlur. Since it is the first time get it detailed by a professional and more importantly I would advise you to get a nano coating (something like CQuartz or similar) done on the car. It will create a layer of coat on the paint and can stay for a year or so depending on the product. It also reduces the chances of swirls, minor scratches on the paint and easier to maintain.

[trinity0114]

Originally Posted by aditya.bhardwaj

Well all thanks to d_himan, I read his post on time and ordered a few products of chemical guys and mothers from Amazon at some very good prices. Now waiting for the next Sunday to come

How is your experience with the Chemical guys products? I am interested in their wash mitts, some brushes & shampoo

[Mortis]

If you are going to hand polish I would recommend Meguiars Ultimate Polish as it is designed to be easier to do by hand. If you need something a bit more aggressive, say if you are trying to reduce swirls by hand then you can get Megs Ultimate Compound.

For a durable Wax as good as a sealant, opt for the classic Collinite 845
If you want a sealant that is an easy to use spray then Optimum Opti Seal is good.

[nova9]

Originally Posted by Mortis

If you want a sealant that is an easy to use spray then Optimum Opti Seal is good.

Where did you source Optimum Opti Seal from? Its "sold out" on most of the sites i buy from online

[Akib Khan]

Hi friends. I have a 1st gen. pearl white i20. I wash my car once a week and my supplies are running out. I am looking for a high gloss car shampoo. Any pointers and links would be of great help.
Thanks.