[sagarpadaki]

@Sohail

So using IPA to cool down the surface before applying wax means i am losing the previous layer of wax that i had put on the car right?How should we use IPA?Spray and wipe off or spray and let it dry on its own?

[sohail99]

I used IPA because I was gonna polish it anyway!

I'd recommend waxing it in the shade and maybe spray some cool/icy water on it to cool it down!(IPA is to be used only while polishing to remove polish residue)

and you need to wipe off the IPA as soon as you spray it on!(never let it dry on its own!)

[abhipuru16]

Can somebody please tell me how do I pressure wash a grimy, muddy car the right way for optimum results?
Step by step would be very helpful.

[buntydey]

Excellent work Sohail. I also have a similar repainted door, which I thought is the poor work of the MASS guys, and will never look like it used to. You have truly inspired me to try this out. BTW, where did you buy your polisher from, its make and its cost?

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by sohail99

I used IPA because I was gonna polish it anyway!

I'd recommend waxing it in the shade and maybe spray some cool/icy water on it to cool it down!(IPA is to be used only while polishing to remove polish residue)

and you need to wipe off the IPA as soon as you spray it on!(never let it dry on its own!)

Thanks Sohail.

Originally Posted by abhipuru16

Can somebody please tell me how do I pressure wash a grimy, muddy car the right way for optimum results?
Step by step would be very helpful.

Assuming that you are using a garden hose to pressure wash,follow the steps below
1)Wet the car thoroughly,giving more pressurized water to the areas where much is present so that the mud becomes wet.Take a sponge and start scrubbing the muck away(don't use brush since it can cause scratches).Make sure to rinse the sponge after each swipe.

2)After all the had much is gone take car wash concentrate and use another sponge(If you have microfiber,use it) to soak the car with wet soap water and also scrub with same sponge(or MF) concentrating on the side skirts and bumpers.

3)Rinse the car with Pressure water aiming at the wheel wells and wheels to remove the stubborn muck.Use a brush also for this.

4)Wipe the car with cotton cloth or MF if you have it.Then Allow the car to dry.

5)Apply polish if the paint has a dull look.Then apply sealant/wax to get a good gloss and protection.

6) Stand back and admire the fruits of your hard work! .The take some pics and post them here

[mkh]

Tried out the latest acquisition- Pinnacle Liquid Souveran wax today
The smell is amazingly nice, i can smell it now also on the car
Easy to apply, clearly a soft and nice carnauba wax and easy to buff. However, with the layers of sealant on it already, its not a huge difference to me after all. All in all,tried out what is possibly the last brand of wax for a good while, now only the wolfgang's are left in my list of "to try" products.
A note for all detailers: do not overdo things- remember that each time you touch the car surface, you are creating a chance to add a few swirls etc! Now my car is into maintenance mode, till the "bug" bites again. Next application maybe tomorrow for a second coat and then no wax/sealant till a month min.
My recent trip abroad left me with a feeling of-"whats the use of all this effort here" kind of feeling. Seeing the conditions there, i feel i am just fighting against too many odds and have to mentally come to terms with the fact-we can only do as much in india and live with the rest! What a dream to maintain a car outside of india!

[sohail99]

^wow!! nice!

btw I too thought that these premium waxes are kinda unconditionally supported by resellers!

but I need to try it to see!
Thanks for the update!

Originally Posted by buntydey

Excellent work Sohail. I also have a similar repainted door, which I thought is the poor work of the MASS guys, and will never look like it used to. You have truly inspired me to try this out. BTW, where did you buy your polisher from, its make and its cost?

First of all, the paintshop guys in every dealership ONLY know how to lay down the layers of paint!

Actually, the know-how, tools and most of all, passion for perfection is non existant here! They say it wont look better because they cant make it look better. (they think no one knows more about the paint other than them)

In US, detailers and ppl competing in show car competitions actually repaint the car months before the show and refine the surface to show car standard super high gloss!

After repainting, you get a paint full of 'orange peel'(as in the surface unevenness resembles the skin of an orange in texture)

First you have to wetsand the paint with 1500 grit to 2000 grit sandpapers to level the paint surface. Then you have to use 2500 to 3000grit sandpapers to refine the sanding scratches further.

After the panel has become uniform, you have to compound with a machine like a rotary polisher with wool pad to remove the sanding scratches,
After that, you have to polish the panel to take out the compounding scratches > then a finishing polish to further refine the surface to a super high gloss.

If you follow each of these steps with the correct product, machine and technique, the panel you were working on, will turn out to look even better than what a factory finish can ever look like!

Dont take anyone's word for it that a repainted panel will never look as good as the factory painted one. It can and will look better than the factory painted panel if you work on it properly.


In the pic, I had already gotten the door wetsanded and it was ready for compounding.

If I had used a rotary polisher instead of the DA I used, the overall look of the panel would've been 10 times better! (but I'm kinda afraid of the rotary, so I tried it first with the DA!)

I hope I can muster up the courage to use my rotary polisher on my i20!(results will definitely be better than what a DA can achieve, also you'll get to the results faster but it needs a lot of practice on scrap panels!!)

A rotary polisher can burn through the paint easily if used by inexperienced people! (I've actually seen that happen at a paintshop where a newbie guy new to the rotary polisher use a wrong combination of product, pad and inexperience to burn through the painted surface to the primer!!! )

In the right hands that tool is a 'life giver' to the paint.

btw the DA polisher that I use is DeWalt DW443 I bought it from Chawari bazar here for ~10k! :o

[rohan_iitr]

As promised, I applied the Formula1 wax on my car today.

I woke up at 5:30 in the morning.

I don't have a covered parking, so I wanted to finish the job before the sun comes up. Thankfully, the weather is cloudy today.

I am satisfied with the results, considering its my first attempt. The paint surface has developed a nice glossy mirror finish after the wax job.

Here are the results.

Rohan

[buntydey]

Originally Posted by sohail99

After repainting, you get a paint full of 'orange peel'(as in the surface unevenness resembles the skin of an orange in texture)

Thanks for the minute details Sohail. My Swift door also looks like a orange peel as you mentioned. Hope to get it back to shape soon.


Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please avoid quoting an entire large post. It inconveniences our small screen & mobile readers.

Thanks.

[abhipuru16]

Rohan the i10 looks good, how old is it?
Next time, detail the wheels and tires as well, that will further transform the look!

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by abhipuru16

Rohan the i10 looks good, how old is it?
Next time, detail the wheels and tires as well, that will further transform the look!

Thanks. The i10 is 1 year and 8 months old.

I am too lazy to detail the car tyres. I am the kind of person who feels that the tyres are meant to be dirty.

I concentrate my efforts only on the paint and glass areas of the car. Most people won't notice the tyres anyway.

Rohan

[RemingtonSteele]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I concentrate my efforts only on the paint and glass areas of the car. Most people won't notice the tyres anyway.

Rohan

Rohan, I beg to differ here.
Detailing Wheels and Tyres is equally important, they complete the whole package and leave lasting impression. They also add to the subconscious "x-factor" to your vehicles overall look.

[buntydey]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Thanks. The i10 is 1 year and 8 months old.

I am too lazy to detail the car tyres. I am the kind of person who feels that the tyres are meant to be dirty.

I concentrate my efforts only on the paint and glass areas of the car. Most people won't notice the tyres anyway.

Rohan

Rohan, I also feeled the same when I had the stock rims and tyres. But when I upgraded to alloy and wider tyres, and started cleaning them, I was surprised to see how different and great if looks for such a small effort. It really enhances the overall beauty of the car.

[fine69]

I have a White Swift Ldi but got the ORVMs painted aftermarket. Now what I noticed was that everytime I was done washing my car the ORVM's paint had absolutely no shine/gloss where as the rest of the car was all shiny.

So today morning I got up at quarter to 6 in the morning, washed my car thoroughly with Amway Car Wash and when I was done drying all the areas I thought why not try the Amway Silicone Glaze on the ORVMs.

To my amazement the ORVMs are now shinier that any other paint area of the car. Sorry I didn't take any pictures as I never thought that the results would be worth capturing. One has to use it to believe it!

I can say that this polish has no abrasives because 2-3 small tar kind of spots were on the ORVM which stayed in spite of 5 minutes of buffing, just that they are shiny too! All I want to say in the end is that I'm a big fan.

[sohail99]

Glaze contains optically clear fillers that instantly fill up the surface and give a 'temporary' intense shine!
(you'll have to keep applying glaze to it every week or maybe every two weeks to keep it looking shiny!)

This is what painters use to cover up the shoddy paintjob they do!! (that too with a wool pad and a rotary polisher!!