Team-BHP - A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit (Post 2158239)

Sure rk_sans, will inform you too ! It would be good to have more members along ! This would be unique, the first detailing meet in TBHP :)

MKH - Lets coordinate for a B'lore detailing meet to be held soon, it would be a nice occasion for us all to share our experiences !

@Nirmal and MKH - I would love to join in too.. please:

Are there slots available ?

Cheers

MKH,you have done a amazing job on hemanth's ikon.KUDOS to you sir clap:.I have never seen such a deep,rich gloss.please tell us which steps you did all products and which all products you used.Count me in for your detailing session lesson too!

I have a beige i20 bought in july 2010.even after washing and polishing with collinite i am not able get that shine deep wet look.Is it because beige is a light color and does not shine well or am i doing something wrong?

Truly great job by mkh!!

I hope I could do similar details for friends here!(Hospital is eating away all of my time now a days! :( )

@sagar - I feel that a car looks best after a wax if it has been prepared properly(proper wash, clay, paint correction)

Wax just adds like a mere 10% to the overall look of the paint, rest all is done by proper prep!

Mostly I feel that the main purpose of waxes like collinite and sealants with similar durability is to protect the just prepped paint. The added gloss and depth are the bonuses you get(Its actually the proper prepped paint that is shining through the sealant/wax coat)

Definitely, beauty waxes amplify the depth a lot(That further depends on the color of the paint, like the darker ones like red(maroonish), blues and blacks appear really deep and wet whereas the lighter ones like silver and beige might appear more glossy)

EDIT - I wish I was in Bangalore! so many ppl interested in detailing. That meet will be one of a kind!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sohail99 (Post 2159674)

@sagar - I feel that a car looks best after a wax if it has been prepared properly(proper wash, clay, paint correction)

Wax just adds like a mere 10% to the overall look of the paint, rest all is done by proper prep!

Mostly I feel that the main purpose of waxes like collinite and sealants with similar durability is to protect the just prepped paint. The added gloss and depth are the bonuses you get(Its actually the proper prepped paint that is shining through the sealant/wax coat)

Definitely, beauty waxes amplify the depth a lot(That further depends on the color of the paint, like the darker ones like red(maroonish), blues and blacks appear really deep and wet whereas the lighter ones like silver and beige might appear more glossy)

Thanks for the input sohail.right now i have mothers clay bar,megs colorx,tech wax,collinite,sonax polish.guide me how to use there products to get the maximum shine and depth:)

You just need to see whether the paint is smooth to touch or not!(if not, then you use claybar as you already know)

ColorX and Sonax polish are basically AIO products that correct the paint via abrasives, clean the paint via chemicals and finally leave a thin coat of protection behind.

As far as my experience with factory hyundai paint goes, they are hard as hell!
I noticed that the factory baked paint is relatively resistant to scratches and marring as compared to the bodyshop repainted panels.
(This was confirmed by the fact that Menzerna polishes worked better on the factory paint(as they are originally meant for ceramic clear coats) as compared to AIOs for paint correction)

With a AIO you might need to do multiple passes in order to level out the swirls and marring.

The bodyshop repainted panels pick up marring and scratches quite easily which is quite annoying. But the positive side to that is, 2-3 passes of any AIO(with abrasives) is enough to level out the paint without removing much of clear-coat.

(basically, you don't need any compounds unless the paint is in totally hopeless condition + working by hand on a bodyshop paint is easier and fruitful)

So, choose a test spot with max number of paint defects(a 1foot x 1 foot area approx.), clay that area to remove any previous sealant/wax(and/or use IPA if possible) > Apply and work in Megs ColorX or Sonax polish following the directions of the manufacturer(generally all the AIOs are worked in until they completely become clear) > remove the residue and inspect the results in sunlight

If after 3-4 passes the defects aren't removed, then you need something more abrasive.

After you attain a swirl free finish at the test spot, you can go ahead with that process on the rest of the car(and you'll know that it will work as you just corrected the test spot)

Then just seal with 2 coats of NXT2.0 12-24hrs apart and finally with collinite 845

Quote:

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki (Post 2159625)

As per my experience, all efforts come to final glory with two most imp things
One is no doubt a quality da with products
Second is an eye for detail
Added to this is a small effort regularly to maintain the finish
I have used the best for the ikon, flex da which I paid nirmal for as it's justified, and klasse aio after megs ultimate comp and then finally blackfire sealant two coats
For dark cars it's a boon to have Blackfire sealant
@ Hemant Man the pics r great, I could not see the car in daylight as was out of town, it's simply superb!!!
It's all worth the effort indeed.

Guys we may find it tough to get a place to call all but now we will do this treatment for a few known folks and we can call you there. Please pm your number and location to me. Wish we has the time to do this for all interested folks!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by praful (Post 2159411)

Stunning results!

Kudos MKH, I'm mostly a silent reader of thread. I am interested in doing the same things to my car as well. But find it difficult to get hold of the Meg's products.

Aren't there any cheaper options available locally, say in Bangalore?

You can get megs products from ganesh auto jayanagar.but it will be very very costly.i am not sure if he stocks them now.
But you will get good car detailing products like sonax in shell pumps and all formula one products in spar super market.you can use them to get a super finish

MKH,

kudos to you, that's an amazing outcome.

Eagerly looking for a make over on mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki (Post 2159887)

I had visited him couple of months ago, Ganesh Auto doesn't stock them anymore.

Can some of the guru's post a workflow of the entire process please.

Something on the lines of :-

Clean (Wash & Wax) > Dry > Correct (Rubbing Compound) > Polish (Wax or Polish) > Maintain

This is what I guess I would follow, correct me where ever I'm wrong. As of now I'm just doing Clean > Polish!

As of now my kitty just has a couple of 3M MF's each for different process. ArmorAll Wash & Wax, ArmorAll Polish (Its really not upto the mark!, doesn't bring out a great shine) and a Formula 1 Scratch Out (yet to try this out!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by praful (Post 2160771)

ArmorAll Polish (Its really not upto the mark!, doesn't bring out a great shine)

agree: . I bought the same after reading great reviews about it on T-BHP. Tried it today and it looked as if I cleaned the dash with dampened cloth!!

I applied 'Waxpol Vinyl And Leather Polish' on portion of the dash and I found it much better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VMC (Post 2157899)

Guys need to know if this polisher is a good one.
Amazon.com: Black & Decker WP010B 10" Waxer/Polisher: Automotive
Basically my budget does not allow me to buy a 10k DA polisher.
IF this is not a good one please suggest a product that is under 5K.

Here is the article about "The Traditional Orbital Buffer aka The Wax Spreader"

Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online - View Single Post - The Traditional Orbital Buffer aka The Wax Spreader

Quote:

Originally Posted by HammerHead (Post 2160796)

Pardon my understanding, did you just say you used ArmorAll Polish on the dashboard?

If so then it is wrong product usage. Basically it is a car polish to be used on the exterior and not on the dashboard. You get dashboard protectant to do that job.

Sanjay R