Team-BHP > Technical Stuff
Register New Topics New Posts Top Thanked Team-BHP FAQ


Reply
  Search this Thread
4,939,956 views
Old 6th March 2012, 01:00   #5476
BHPian
 
Sridhar K's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Chennai
Posts: 724
Thanked: 465 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by vivekshukla View Post
Though Harpic removes the water scales but it's very dangerous as one of the key ingredient is HCl (acid). I once tried using it on a mirror and as it reacts with chrome, it turns it black. Especially it can negatively affect rubbers and plastics. I would not use Harpic at all or if nothing works, I will be extremely cautious while using it.
Agree Harpic or any other pure toilet cleaner are too acidic. I have used diluted Mr. Muscle bathroom and toilet cleaner (all in one cleaner) that is much lighter than Harpic to remove water spots from glass and not on paint. This is completely safe on chrome/plastics as it is recommended for cleaning hard water marks on our chrome plated bath room fittings like taps/showers. After spraying it using a spray can, I leave it for half a minute, then clean it up with RO/distilled water and wipe it dry using news paper/mf towel.
Sridhar K is offline  
Old 6th March 2012, 03:06   #5477
Senior - BHPian
 
blackfire_9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: India
Posts: 1,075
Thanked: 191 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Thanks a lot mate, would go ahead with Meguiars then.

@ALL: Please suggest some good synthetic sealant that does not contain any abrasives. Also, is there anything that can be used while drying the car? I am aiming at some sort of a liquid spray type wax that can be sprayed & used while drying the car or while wiping the car clean using an MF cloth.

Drive safe.

Quote:
Originally Posted by el lobo 6061 View Post
Well I believe Meguiars is the best you can get. There are two type of towels available from Meguiars, one is Supreme Shine Rs. 297 and another is Water Magnet(Waffle Based) Rs. 749. Price wise they are very competitive considering the quality.
I had purchased Viking 6.25 sqft drying towel which costed me Rs. 900+ and right now it costs above Rs. 1200+. It makes no sense, better than Viking is Meguirs in price point of view.

In the end I would sum it up as "Meguiars is what Apple is in the tech world". Go with Meguiars and you wont be disappointed.
blackfire_9 is offline  
Old 6th March 2012, 14:00   #5478
Senior - BHPian
 
el lobo 6061's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,049
Thanked: 2,195 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by blackfire_9 View Post
@ALL: Please suggest some good synthetic sealant that does not contain any abrasives.
I had recently purchased BlackFire Wet Diamond sealant + BlackFire Gloss Enhancing polish. That's the current best I have known. I had purchased it from BBImpex but currently it is not in stock. Link.
Haven't used it till now for the want of time.

Meguiars have Ultimate Liquid Wax, which is a sealant and liquid based. Don't know if its available in India. Mostly after applying the sealant for protection and shine, it is to be topped up with paste wax for the deep gloss shine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by blackfire_9 View Post
I am aiming at some sort of a liquid spray type wax that can be sprayed & used while drying the car or while wiping the car clean using an MF cloth.
Car surface needs to be dry before applying any liquid wax. I don't think any liquid wax would be available that can be used while drying the car or while wiping the car.

Last edited by el lobo 6061 : 6th March 2012 at 14:02.
el lobo 6061 is offline  
Old 6th March 2012, 16:54   #5479
Senior - BHPian
 
Fordmanchau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 1,666
Thanked: 340 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Guys, I have finally today ordered, the Jopasu Small gift pack Jopasu Gift Pack (Small) | eBay

And Mother's clay bar kit Mothers - California Gold Clay Bar Kit | eBay

Am on leave till monday now, and it both these products reach me before weekend, will spend some time detailing my car.


Jopasu product is already shipped, received the sms now.
Fordmanchau is offline  
Old 6th March 2012, 19:47   #5480
BHPian
 
darthvader's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Kanpur
Posts: 160
Thanked: 7 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by SAS View Post
"Flat black paint" is a matt finish paint. Your Cruze does not have it and has a 2 coat (basecoat clearcoat) paint. Go ahead and use it.

Personally, I have found the formula 1 scratch out pretty useless. I now use a normal paste rubbing compound which is much more better. Try motomax or other good brand. Use it very carefully since you don't want to remove too much topcoat off your paint and only use it on the areas where you have deep scratches. After using the rubbing compound, apply a wax (whichever one you normally use) to protect the paint.
The Formula 1 Scratch Out is indeed pretty useless. I ordered it, so now and then every time I see a small swirl or the kind of 'scratches' it is supposed to fix, I apply it the way the instructions specify, and it has no effect.

Another fraud product is the Touch Up Pen (at least the one they sell on Tele Brands). It does not work either.

I have a couple of superficial scratches on the black paint on my car, on the (metallic) door and one on the plastic bumper, which the Scratch Out couldn't fix, nor could the pen. I am going to try Com Paint.
darthvader is offline  
Old 6th March 2012, 20:35   #5481
SAS
BHPian
 
SAS's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 296
Thanked: 83 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by darthvader View Post
The Formula 1 Scratch Out is indeed pretty useless. I ordered it, so now and then every time I see a small swirl or the kind of 'scratches' it is supposed to fix, I apply it the way the instructions specify, and it has no effect.

Another fraud product is the Touch Up Pen (at least the one they sell on Tele Brands). It does not work either.

I have a couple of superficial scratches on the black paint on my car, on the (metallic) door and one on the plastic bumper, which the Scratch Out couldn't fix, nor could the pen. I am going to try Com Paint.
Yes, both products are useless and a fraud.

Regarding your superficial scratches, first try using a good rubbing compound. Try motomax 2k rubbing compound. It is one of the best for scratches. After compounding it, use a wax to protect the paint. If the above does not work, then only try the com paint.
Motomax rubbing compound is available for around Rs. 100 and a simple wax polsh (waxpol or similar) for a few hundred more....
SAS is offline  
Old 6th March 2012, 21:23   #5482
Senior - BHPian
 
aparth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 1,341
Thanked: 1,708 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

How is the Meguiars Swirl X? Is it any good for removing swirls? Thinking to try it on my black ANHC which is heavily swirled.

Last edited by aparth : 6th March 2012 at 21:24.
aparth is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 01:30   #5483
BHPian
 
raghu230506's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 766
Thanked: 63 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by aparth
How is the Meguiars Swirl X? Is it any good for removing swirls? Thinking to try it on my black ANHC which is heavily swirled.
Swirlx is good but only with buffing machine. I spent 3 hrs by hand on my HRed ANHC but it only masked the swirls not eliminated.

Is once you I mentioned heavily swirled I propose do it with machine if possible.
raghu230506 is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 07:28   #5484
BHPian
 
darthvader's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Kanpur
Posts: 160
Thanked: 7 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by SAS View Post
Yes, both products are useless and a fraud.

Regarding your superficial scratches, first try using a good rubbing compound. Try motomax 2k rubbing compound. It is one of the best for scratches. After compounding it, use a wax to protect the paint. If the above does not work, then only try the com paint.
Motomax rubbing compound is available for around Rs. 100 and a simple wax polsh (waxpol or similar) for a few hundred more....
Where in India is the Motomax 2k rubbing compound available? I couldn't find it on EBay or Rediff.

Also, is the rubbing compound specific to the color of the paint? And why do you suggest that the Com Paint be used only if the rubbing compound doesn't work?

PS -- Also have a look at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ml#post2701849. Will manual painting or touching up help in this case? (This is different from the superficial linear scratch on the door. These 'stains' appear to be impregnated, and happened during the course of the stay of the vehicle at the workshop.)

Last edited by darthvader : 7th March 2012 at 07:34.
darthvader is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 07:57   #5485
Senior - BHPian
 
SunnyBoi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Mysore / B'lore
Posts: 1,666
Thanked: 4,111 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by SAS View Post
Regarding your superficial scratches, first try using a good rubbing compound. Try motomax 2k rubbing compound. It is one of the best for scratches. After compounding it, use a wax to protect the paint. If the above does not work, then only try the com paint.
Motomax rubbing compound is available for around Rs. 100 and a simple wax polsh (waxpol or similar) for a few hundred more....
Quote:
Originally Posted by darthvader View Post
Where in India is the Motomax 2k rubbing compound available? I couldn't find it on EBay or Rediff.

Also, is the rubbing compound specific to the color of the paint? And why do you suggest that the Com Paint be used only if the rubbing compound doesn't work?
One has to be very very careful while using rubbing compound since it can do lot more damage than good. Below is a finish I've got by only using rubbing compound and nothing else. No scratch remover no polish no wax.

A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide-img_9088.jpg

Quote:
Originally Posted by raghu230506 View Post
Swirlx is good but only with buffing machine. I spent 3 hrs by hand on my HRed ANHC but it only masked the swirls not eliminated.

Is once you I mentioned heavily swirled I propose do it with machine if possible.
Agree. Removing swirls by hand is useless and cannot be done.
SunnyBoi is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 11:25   #5486
BHPian
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 164
Thanked: 102 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyBoi View Post
One has to be very very careful while using rubbing compound since it can do lot more damage than good. Below is a finish I've got by only using rubbing compound and nothing else. No scratch remover no polish no wax.

Attachment 898510
WHAT are you kidding me ?
can you post some more pictures of the same ?
that looks as good as a waxed one.
Which rubbing compound did you use and the process ?
seedyk is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 11:59   #5487
Senior - BHPian
 
SunnyBoi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Mysore / B'lore
Posts: 1,666
Thanked: 4,111 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by seedyk View Post
WHAT are you kidding me ?
can you post some more pictures of the same ?
that looks as good as a waxed one.
Which rubbing compound did you use and the process ?
I prefer not to disclose the products/techniques I use, however an older iteration when I was still into bikes can be found below. Go thru the entire thread to see what products I've used.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...g-up-bike.html
SunnyBoi is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 12:42   #5488
BHPian
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 164
Thanked: 102 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyBoi View Post
I prefer not to disclose the products/techniques I use, however an older iteration when I was still into bikes can be found below. Go thru the entire thread to see what products I've used.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...g-up-bike.html
Thanks sunnyboi.

So it seems like you're a professional detailer, if not, a professional at such work for sure!
The work done in the thread was brilliant. Helped clear some queries i had.
We would surely love to see some more pictures of your work.
seedyk is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 16:26   #5489
Senior - BHPian
 
S_U_N's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Oslo
Posts: 1,809
Thanked: 417 Times
Re: A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

Quote:
Originally Posted by darthvader View Post
The Formula 1 Scratch Out is indeed pretty useless.
.....
Another fraud product is the Touch Up Pen (at least the one they sell on Tele Brands). It does not work either.

I have a couple of superficial scratches on the black paint on my car, on the (metallic) door and one on the plastic bumper, which the Scratch Out couldn't fix, nor could the pen. I am going to try Com Paint.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SAS View Post
Yes, both products are useless and a fraud.
I do not know what is Com Paint, but for scratches, I have used Quixx scratch remove and it magically makes the scratches go away.
Used it twice on our Activa and once on our Cedia. I would give it 8/10.
It comes with sand paper for wet sanding and two tubes. Worth Rs. 450 or so.

I will try to locate some before/ after pictures if you are interested.
S_U_N is offline  
Old 7th March 2012, 19:50   #5490
SAS
BHPian
 
SAS's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 296
Thanked: 83 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by S_U_N View Post
I do not know what is Com Paint, but for scratches, I have used Quixx scratch remove and it magically makes the scratches go away.
Used it twice on our Activa and once on our Cedia. I would give it 8/10.
It comes with sand paper for wet sanding and two tubes. Worth Rs. 450 or so.

I will try to locate some before/ after pictures if you are interested.
The 2 products ineffective products were Scratch out liquid rubbing compound and the "fix it pro pen" from Simoniz. Both are pretty useless. Com paint on the other hand is pretty good for touch up jobs.

Yes, I too would recommend Quixx. It's a German product and is very effective. It should be available on Ebay..

Quote:
Originally Posted by darthvader View Post
Where in India is the Motomax 2k rubbing compound available? I couldn't find it on EBay or Rediff.

Also, is the rubbing compound specific to the color of the paint? And why do you suggest that the Com Paint be used only if the rubbing compound doesn't work?

PS -- Also have a look at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ml#post2701849. Will manual painting or touching up help in this case? (This is different from the superficial linear scratch on the door. These 'stains' appear to be impregnated, and happened during the course of the stay of the vehicle at the workshop.)
Sorry didn't see your response, else would have multiquoted.
1. Rubbing compound is not paint specific.
2. You need to use it carefully and sparingly and only on small areas / touch up jobs with little pressure. For larger areas, use a polish like either SwirlX, Sonax polish or Autoglym super resin. All the above have minor abrasives which should help remove the swirls and paint defects like scratches, hard water marks, etc.
3. The stains should easily be removed with a rubbing compound. However apply it slowly / carefully. The preferred route would be to use a polish mentioned above like Sonax car polish or autoglym.
4. Motomax 2k rubbing compound should be available at any car accessory shop (it's by Pidilite, so should be widely available). If not available, use any compatible rubbing compound for 2k paint

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team : Please use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Last edited by Technocrat : 8th March 2012 at 01:03. Reason: Please read the note in your post, thanks
SAS is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed


Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks