[SunnyBoi]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Will leave you guys with two after completion pictures

Awesome results! Oh how I wish I had a black car to polish instead!

What LSP did you use on the black car?

Originally Posted by Waxeloquent

Thanks Sunnyboi! The small black dots are on the surface, come off when I rub slightly with my finger nail. That's why I wonder why the clay would not lift them off. I sort of got them free when I bought them from Eco car care. In fact I keep
them stored in airtight box in which it came. Should I get something different as I have a chance of someone coming from
USA in a month or so? Or try the same clay with more ONR lub? I obviously do't want to scratch about 2 square inches of roof
with my nail Yes when I said not spongy, I thought the clay will be more like wet clay used by potters, may be little
more dense but loose enough to pick stuff on the surface, no?

Thanks again n Cheers

I would use WD40 to remove those stains. I wouldn't saturate the clay with elements such as tar that can be removed without having to use cay. I see clay as a recious resource :P and try to use it as less as possible.

I haven't seen/used Eco Car Care clay so cant comment. I use left over Megs Hyperwash mix after washing car to use as clay lube so ONR should do just fine. Automotive clay is very sticky and it will stick readily to the paint unless you use a lube.

I would invest in a Nanoskin claying towel instead of claybars. They're double the cost but last 4 times longer and you don't have to throw them away if you drop them by any chance.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by torque18

Thats an amazing finish! what have you coated it with?

Thanks mate. LSP was M21 sealant @torque18.

Originally Posted by SunnyBoi

Awesome results! Oh how I wish I had a black car to polish instead!

What LSP did you use on the black car?.

You are very right @SunnyBoi - Black car is really a pleasure to work on. I mean the end results are so satisfying and one can see the results so clearly.
Also, in case of bad polishing like on this car, defects become very apparent. Especially in the sun, you could see tons of holograms on that car.

The LSP was Meguiars M21 sealant.

Thanks to @SunnyBoi I am also using the Nanoskin products. Well worth the investment

[Waxeloquent]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Thanks to @SunnyBoi I am also using the Nanoskin products. Well worth the investment

May I request the Nanoskin product's name, source and price in Bangalore please? Thanks n cheers

[SunnyBoi]

Originally Posted by Waxeloquent

May I request the Nanoskin product's name, source and price in Bangalore please? Thanks n cheers

Nanoskin products aren't available in India. I mentioned about them since you said you have someone coming from USA in a month. They are widely available in any of USA online detailing stores.

http://www.autogeek.net/nanoskin-clay-towel.html

[DRIV3R]

Nice work there, Partha. Finish is excellent! It is true that the well known so called detailing stores have gone low on their standards. A guy who knows something about detailing would never go there.

Am a fan of your detaling work, keep it up.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Thanks to @SunnyBoi I am also using the Nanoskin products. Well worth the investment

Originally Posted by SunnyBoi

Nanoskin products aren't available in India. I mentioned about them since you said you have someone coming from USA in a month. They are widely available in any of USA online detailing stores.

http://www.autogeek.net/nanoskin-clay-towel.html

+1 for nanoskin - I got 2 6 inch nanoskin DA pads (1 each of fine and medium) via a friend. Got them almost 50% off at amazon. Was really impressed by Mike Phillips' video and other user reviews. Getting impatient to try them out, but something or the other keeps cropping up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEWl3R6TPLo

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...crub-pads.html

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by Waxeloquent

May I request the Nanoskin product's name, source and price in Bangalore please? Thanks n cheers

I have the nanoskin clay pad to use with machine. Its not locally available. Sunnyboi was kind enough to give me the one he had

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

Nice work there, Partha. Finish is excellent! It is true that the well known so called detailing stores have gone low on their standards. A guy who knows something about detailing would never go there.

Am a fan of your detaling work, keep it up.

Thanks sir.

Well it is sad to see people pay the money, yet get all these results. My friend got a full treatment done and after that he received zero compliments from anyone - if you know what I mean. People will be angry, if you charge the money and dont deliver the work.

And those were some deep swirls, and holograms. The whole damn car had holograms - I wish I had clicked the photograph in the sun in the before pics. UGH.

And this car is 3 years old btw. But really what made me glad is that, he now takes care of the car religiously. I mean by the time I was finishing up, he was like -

Yaar gimme one towel also to buff the car. I cant sit around and just watch you have all the fun.

Originally Posted by blackasta

+1 for nanoskin - I got 2 6 inch nanoskin DA pads (1 each of fine and medium) via a friend. Got them almost 50% off at amazon. Was really impressed by Mike Phillips' video and other user reviews. Getting impatient to try them out, but something or the other keeps cropping up.

I use Nanoskin only these days. Makes my work damn easy so I can concentrate most of my energy into the polishing process. Try it once and Im sure you will fall in love.

Only thing - you will need to use clay for the door handles and tricky areas.

[Biraj]

Here's a pic of water beading on my Punto. This was clicked after a drive in the rain.


Product used - Meguiar's Nxt Tech Wax 2.0


In other news, I detailed my t-jet on Diwali holiday. Used a concoction of Meg's 26 yellow wax, muc-off miracle shine, and ONR w&w. Quite impressed with the results. Pics are here

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

And those were some deep swirls, and holograms.

Hologram means? You used the Megs M21 for the glazing finish, right? And for the swirls? Did it take away the swirls too? How long would the finish hold before a re-application? Don't take me for wrong, I am still a noob on this topics. I graduate in really tiny steps. And by the way, nice outcome indeed.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by thoma

Hologram means? You used the Megs M21 for the glazing finish, right? And for the swirls? Did it take away the swirls too? How long would the finish hold before a re-application? Don't take me for wrong, I am still a noob on this topics. I graduate in really tiny steps. And by the way, nice outcome indeed.

Perhaps the best video describing holograms and swirls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tCTRpXl2io

Meg's M21 is a sealant - it cannot do anything about swirls, except maybe hide them for sometime.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by thoma

Hologram means? You used the Megs M21 for the glazing finish, right? And for the swirls? Did it take away the swirls too? How long would the finish hold before a re-application? Don't take me for wrong, I am still a noob on this topics. I graduate in really tiny steps. And by the way, nice outcome indeed.

As shown by Blackasta, those are Holograms. They can be seen best under the sun and really make the car look horrible. Imagine the whole car having them.

Megs 21 is the sealant to seal the finish that was created after the cutting and polishing steps.

Sadly, in our country none of the sealants seem to last longer than 3 months in daily drive conditions. And unless taken proper care of, they may even last less than a month. The best way to go is for semi permanent coatings which last atleast upto a year or more.

Everyone is free to ask questions Nothing wrong in that @thoma.

Thanks for the appreciation.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by blackasta

Perhaps the best video describing holograms and swirls: ...

Holograms?

Might not be a good idea to learn English from those guys.

Hologram.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Holograms?

Might not be a good idea to learn English from those guys.

Hologram.

I believe the word 'hologram' is used in the detailing trade for shiny long swirly patterns left by improper use of rotary buffers - just for the lack of a better term.

[Pedaltothefloor]

This is an excellent thread but there is so much information here that sometimes a newbie can get lost while looking for specific answers.
I have started a separate thread to capture my journey as a DIY detailer http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...g-journey.html
I will try to post detailed reviews on all the products that I use to wash, clay, polish by hand, polish by machine, waxes, sealants, interior cleaners etc. on that thread.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by Pedaltothefloor

This is an excellent thread but there is so much information here that sometimes a newbie can get lost while looking for specific answers.
I have started a separate thread to capture my journey as a DIY detailer http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...g-journey.html
I will try to post detailed reviews on all the products that I use to wash, clay, polish by hand, polish by machine, waxes, sealants, interior cleaners etc. on that thread.

Excellent idea sir. If possible, how about making an excel sheet of LSPs, gloss/shine levels, dust attraction levels, and also most importantly durability. Im now in the quest for durability. Nothing seems to be lasting longer than 3 months on a daily drive + car wash guy situation.
Looking forward to your thread.
Regards.