Detailing advice

Seanchadwick2k3

Seanchadwick2k3

Audi A6 C6 2.0tdi 2011 Sline Special Edition
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Hello there!

Fairly new here but been lurking for a few weeks.

I recently became the owner of a audi a6 and have never attempted detailing before other than a bit of tcut on my first car.

I have bought myself the meguiars deluxe kit, a lambs wool mit and the quick clay kit which im going to have a blast of when the weather picks up.

I have noticed a few scratches here and there that I dont think will Polish out but I may be able to improove them, I was considering meguiars ultimate compound to tackle the swirls and scratches by hand. Would you recommend this for a beginner hand polishing? Are the applicator pads necessary?

When I picked up the car he said he had the wheels refurbed because they were a mess, on closer inspection I dont think they have done a proper job as I can see rough patches (guessing brake dust) that they havent removed before spraying. Is there any way to tell if they have been clear coated? I dont want to use this meguiars wheel cleaner only to find the paint coming off!

Cheers dudes!
 
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Seanchadwick2k3 said:
Hello there!

Fairly new here but been lurking for a few weeks.

I recently became the owner of a audi a6 and have never attempted detailing before other than a bit of tcut on my first car.

I have bought myself the meguiars deluxe kit, a lambs wool mit and the quick clay kit which im going to have a blast of when the weather picks up.

I have noticed a few scratches here and there that I dont think will Polish out but I may be able to improove them, I was considering meguiars ultimate compound to tackle the swirls and scratches by hand. Would you recommend this for a beginner hand polishing? Are the applicator pads necessary?

When I picked up the car he said he had the wheels refurbed because they were a mess, on closer inspection I dont think they have done a proper job as I can see rough patches (guessing brake dust) that they havent removed before spraying. Is there any way to tell if they have been clear coated? I dont want to use this meguiars wheel cleaner only to find the paint coming off!

Cheers dudes!
Click to expand...


Been a avid detailing fanboy for years mate,got a adequate knowledge of it,but l am about to invest some machine polishing tools...rotary polisher etc,it sounds like your car is in need/deserving of one,its not rocket science either and not expensive,practice it on a older car or go to a scrap merchant and blag a old dark painted body panel....you'll reap the rewards.

but firstly get yourself a Karcher pressure washer and a snow foam lance
 
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Hi mate a pressure washer is a good tool to have just spray the wheels first to get some dirt off and then spray your wheel cleaner on and leave it for about a minute or two and then pressure wash off. If there is dirt still on the wheels then spray the wheels again and use a soft wheel brush or wheel mitten to agitate the dirt then pressure wash off. If you need any other products then PM Marells Detailing (ASN Sponsor).
 
@jassyo06 Sounds like a plan cheers mate! think the wing from my old bora may still be in my dads garage so could have a go on that. Just need to decide between the ultimate compound or scratch x.

Is the snow foam for removing the first layer of crap before washing?

Which do you think would be best for a beginner?

@THQuattro
Thanks for the advice mate I have no outdoor tap here and a stupid mixer tap that I cant use! Its many many bucket refills for me unfortunately! Going to fit a outdoor tap soon.
 
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Seanchadwick2k3 said:
@jassyo06 Sounds like a plan cheers mate! think the wing from my old bora may still be in my dads garage so could have a go on that. Just need to decide between the ultimate compound or scratch x.

Is the snow foam for removing the first layer of **** before washing?

Which do you think would be best for a beginner?

@THQuattro
Thanks for the advice mate I have no outdoor tap here and a stupid mixer tap that I cant use! Its many many bucket refills for me unfortunately! Going to fit a outdoor tap soon.
Click to expand...

in2detailing.co.uk have full kits for all types novice,proficient,professional mate and very reasonable with there prices
 
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It sounds like your about to start on the slippery slope of buying detailing products :busted cop:

I am no expert by a long way, but I think any work needed on the paint is best tackled by a machine, as doing it by hand will not get you the results you want.

There are a few experts on hear that will be in a better position to answer your query....a few already have replied with @Bristle Hound yet to come!
 
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@jassyo06 sounds good mate cheers ill have a look!

@spike it has already begun mate! Ive not even used the stuff I have and im already eyeing more up! The problem is finding the time to do it all!

I agree a machine appears to be the beat route to go down but I think ill start with the basics!

@Bristle Hound thanks for the welcome! The site is great! Super speedy responses! Im not a member on detailing world yet but I have been lurking! So many threads and so little time!!
 
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Read a few threads on detailing world and seen a pretty decebt test of meguiars products and the swirlx was the recommended for dealing with light scratches and swirls by hand. Anyone have any experience with this stuff?
 
Seanchadwick2k3 said:
Read a few threads on detailing world and seen a pretty decebt test of meguiars products and the swirlx was the recommended for dealing with light scratches and swirls by hand. Anyone have any experience with this stuff?
Click to expand...

What you hoping to achieve mate, to permanently remove the swirls (correction) or just apply something that will 'fill' the swirls and cover them up temporarily?

From my experience, particularly with Audi paint, doing any decent correction by hand is just not possible. I had to play around with so many pads and compounds before I found a combination that did a good level of correction using a Dual-Action (DA) polisher. Trying to do a whole car by hand would take the long side of forever...! You will have arms like Popeye though :p

If hand application is what you want though, I would stick to more 'filler' heavy products that contain a small amount of abrasives to do a light polish and clean the surface, but mainly put a layer of product on top of the paint/swirls and basically mask them. Something like PoorBoy's BlackHole is very well reviewed. I've used Chemical Guy's BlackLight, and it does give great results for little work. Obviously the cons of this is that the swirls will reappear once it wears off, but its quick to apply and should last a few months.

If you did want to go down the machine polishing route, I would personally advise Meguiars MicroFibre Cutting compound and MicroFibre Pads. Great polish to work with and makes light work of the tough Audi paint.

As above, you want to ensure you use the appropriate steps to wash the car, clay it before polishing, and then apply a decent layer of protection, like a wax, sealant or ceramic coating. Wax and sealant are easiest to apply, with wax giving a great depth, but only lasting a few months, sealants give OK finish, but last up to 12months, and ceramics giving a great finish and up to 2yrs protection, but are bit more involved to apply.

Appreciate there is a lot to take in above, but hopefully gives you some ideas and helps you make sense of the stuff you are reading over on DW...!
 
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Great info thank you, to be honest mate I don't know what I want to achieve! Up until a few days ago after reading threads on here and dw I considered the paint on this car to be pretty good! Thats until I knew how and what to look for! Now its a mine field of things that are bugging me!

I am very much a beginner and as a first step id be happy just making some sort of improvement! Once I got the knack for the detailing a bit I wouldnt mind giving a Da or rotary a go on a old panel as suggested by someone further up in this thread before getting to work on the audi.

I find cleaning the car quite therapeutic but the other half isnt keen on me spending all day outside rubbing that car up that is new and needs nothing doing to it:smirk:
 
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You could always pick a panel say the roof (or boot and back panel or bonnet and front panel) and go with the clay, meguirs cutting compound and then polish to see how you feel when its done and it wont show up other panels which you haven't cleaned ,That's what I do when I don't have a lot of time or the wife is nagging as I am cleaning cars to much .
If you are not happy with the wheels get the garage to get them done again or find out where they were done and go see them ,you could always try clay on the bits that are rough first .
 
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Ill give that a go pinky cheers! Now I just need the weather and time! And some gaffa tape for her gob!
 
Seanchadwick2k3 said:
Great info thank you, to be honest mate I don't know what I want to achieve! Up until a few days ago after reading threads on here and dw I considered the paint on this car to be pretty good! Thats until I knew how and what to look for! Now its a mine field of things that are bugging me!

I am very much a beginner and as a first step id be happy just making some sort of improvement! Once I got the knack for the detailing a bit I wouldnt mind giving a Da or rotary a go on a old panel as suggested by someone further up in this thread before getting to work on the audi.

I find cleaning the car quite therapeutic but the other half isnt keen on me spending all day outside rubbing that car up that is new and needs nothing doing to it:smirk:
Click to expand...

Haha...offer to clean her car as well. I've been looking after both my GF's car and mine for the last 5 odd years. I don't have a car anymore now, so it's quite nice only having to clean a little Mini Cooper...!

If you wanted my opinion, and what I would do personally, I will be more than happy to give you my favoured products. I've been doing this for about 5yrs and tried a fair few products, but by no means exhausted them all! Also, as BH will attest to, it's very subjective. You might get on with things I don't. At the same time there is a lot of snake oil in this business so be wary of parting with your cash for the 'next best thing'. Most will do the same job....!

If I were you, I would research the 'techniques' (Pre-washing, 2-bucket wash, decontamination, drying methods, etc.), give the car a good clean, get it clayed, and then apply something like PoorBoy's BlackHole, AutoGlym's SRP or something like that. A nice light polish that is 'filler' heavy to temporarily hide the swirls and give a great finish. I would then top it up with a decent wax or sealant. That will get it looking great while you look into machine polishing and other products :)

Here are some of my favourite detailing YouTube channels to help you out too:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq2Kxm4MquudBM4BR3sPcHQ

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFjVBSAfPGjTNsEhjaBG01A

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsa8SOy3TkoxI5D17s1u-w
 
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@DrEskimo I didnt get notified of this reply I wasnt being ignorant! Thanks for your advice. Ive seen black hole mentioned a lot so will look into this. I had a good read and found a decent pdf guide to reference too. I think it came out ok for a first attempt! I started claying one door I only done a small patch and the clay was full of brown streaks. How dirty is too dirty with clay?
It was a bit cold and they clay wouldn't soften up so I think ill leave this one for when the weather picks up!

I gave her her first clean using the meguiars kit I ordered and was happy with the results although I have no come across more danaged paintwork. Most will.polish out I think but one or two will need touching up atleast.

One thing I am concerned about are my wheels. The garage I bought the car from had the wheels refurbished and i very much doubt they paid top dollar for a good job. I have noticed since cleaning a large bit of flaked off psint near the nut holes. This may have been present before hand and I didnt notice but im not so sure. Could meguiars hot wheels have caused this due too poorly painted wheels?
 
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Seanchadwick2k3 said:
@DrEskimo I didnt get notified of this reply I wasnt being ignorant! Thanks for your advice. Ive seen black hole mentioned a lot so will look into this. I had a good read and found a decent pdf guide to reference too. I think it came out ok for a first attempt! I started claying one door I only done a small patch and the clay was full of brown streaks. How dirty is too dirty with clay?
It was a bit cold and they clay wouldn't soften up so I think ill leave this one for when the weather picks up!

I gave her her first clean using the meguiars kit I ordered and was happy with the results although I have no come across more danaged paintwork. Most will.polish out I think but one or two will need touching up atleast.

One thing I am concerned about are my wheels. The garage I bought the car from had the wheels refurbished and i very much doubt they paid top dollar for a good job. I have noticed since cleaning a large bit of flaked off psint near the nut holes. This may have been present before hand and I didnt notice but im not so sure. Could meguiars hot wheels have caused this due too poorly painted wheels?
Click to expand...

Don't be daft!

Sounds like you've made a great start to it. Yea clay will get contaminated quite quickly on a dirty car. Some people advocate chemical decontamination first (using Tar X and Iron X for example) to get rid of most the crud before clay barring. Just fold over the bar when it looks pretty spent and use a fresh side.

A good tip is to leave a few chunks of the clay in a bucket of boiling water to soften them up. It's very hard not to produce any slight marring, but they come out easy with a light polish.

RE the wheels, doubt it was the cleaner, sounds like just a poor refurb as you say....
 
@DrEskimo in the past its always been a bit of fairy liquid and a yellow sponge! I can certainly see the improvement! You get better results on a standard wash in less time!

I was considering sticking some in water but ive just had surgery on my back and wasn't really supposed to be cleaning the car but I couldnt wait sny longer!

I forgot about the marring from claying I will pock some light Polish up before I do the whole car. Do you have ti tape everything up when polishing? I have no machine so will be hand polishing.

Glad the wheel cleaner didnt harm the paint but looks like im going to have to get them resprayed at some point.

Cheers again mate
 
Did you buy the car from a garage or private ?If from a garage I would take it back and get the wheels done again and get it valeted .
OOPs just read it again and I suppose it was private ...
 
It was a garage but didnt appear to be the most legit of garages!

Was in a unit on a small industrial estate a good 2 hours drive from me. No trade plates for test drives or anything!
 
Seanchadwick2k3 said:
@DrEskimo in the past its always been a bit of fairy liquid and a yellow sponge! I can certainly see the improvement! You get better results on a standard wash in less time!

I was considering sticking some in water but ive just had surgery on my back and wasn't really supposed to be cleaning the car but I couldnt wait sny longer!

I forgot about the marring from claying I will pock some light Polish up before I do the whole car. Do you have ti tape everything up when polishing? I have no machine so will be hand polishing.

Glad the wheel cleaner didnt harm the paint but looks like im going to have to get them resprayed at some point.

Cheers again mate
Click to expand...

If doing it by hand, just use something like Poorboys BlackHole. That will get rid of any minor marring from claying and will come up a treat.

Remember to put wax/sealant on top (not a ceramic Sealant) to protect the paint though.

No need to tape up if applying by hand. Just watch for getting it on rubbers and in cracks as it can stain/look poo!
 
Be wary, it's dead easy mate, just buy a polisher get some stuff and you're there..................

Just not so I'm afraid. Get on detailing world have a look, pick up some knowledge by watching a DA machine being used on youtube. Or get an experienced detailer round to do some of your car, watch them; ask questions don't worry if your questions seem stupid. If you get the kit then try it on that old wing, see how you go.

I'm really not trying to put you off, it's worth being a little cautious. Take it slow and learn how to do it, it's not magic but easy to make a mess at first if you don't know what your doing.
 
Cheers @steeve ill definately practice on something old before attempting it on my car. Until then its hand polishing only!
 
steeve said:
Be wary, it's dead easy mate, just buy a polisher get some stuff and you're there..................

Just not so I'm afraid. Get on detailing world have a look, pick up some knowledge by watching a DA machine being used on youtube. Or get an experienced detailer round to do some of your car, watch them; ask questions don't worry if your questions seem stupid. If you get the kit then try it on that old wing, see how you go.

I'm really not trying to put you off, it's worth being a little cautious. Take it slow and learn how to do it, it's not magic but easy to make a mess at first if you don't know what your doing.
Click to expand...
^ Wise words
 
Sorry to hijack a thread but seemed the most sensible option rather that starting a new thread.

My new RS3 comes in March and looking to get the car detailed for the first time ever, and looking at Gtechniq stuff can anybody tell me if there’s a big difference in EXO to Crystal Serum light?

I mean, according to the Star rating, the CSL will offer slightly better wash swirl resistance than Exo, but is it worth it for a further 85 quid? Just blowing 500 quid seems a bit excessive to me for a new car detail but if CSL is far superior then it has to be. Thanks
 
How much would it cost tobjudt getvthe car detailed by someone who uses these products? If thst coating lasts as long as the manufacturers claim it may be cheaper to just have someone do it for you.

I have no idea how much a detail costs btw just an idea
 
FBF01 said:
Sorry to hijack a thread but seemed the most sensible option rather that starting a new thread.

My new RS3 comes in March and looking to get the car detailed for the first time ever, and looking at Gtechniq stuff can anybody tell me if there’s a big difference in EXO to Crystal Serum light?

I mean, according to the Star rating, the CSL will offer slightly better wash swirl resistance than Exo, but is it worth it for a further 85 quid? Just blowing 500 quid seems a bit excessive to me for a new car detail but if CSL is far superior then it has to be. Thanks
Click to expand...
Csl is a ceramic coating yeah EXO 3 is a semi permanent aquaphobic coating both different EXO 3 should applied on top of Csl or even on top of C1 the original gtechniq ceramic coating
Exo3 is is a extra coating of aquaphobic protection, EXO 3 on its own won't protect your as much as csl, l have just ordered both crystal serum light and Exo3 and l will apply one on top of the other, crystal serum light doesn't have the aquaphobic power of EXO 3, l think it's £89 for the 2 together, l will check my invoice when my kit gets delivered today
 
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Seanchadwick2k3 said:
Cheers @steeve ill definately practice on something old before attempting it on my car. Until then its hand polishing only!
Click to expand...
A DA polisher is novice proof and very very easy to use mate, a rotary polisher on the hand needs slightly more care, watch a few youtube videos on it and give a go, but one tip is, do some research on types of polishes and pads, getting a starters pack is the best way to go as the pads and bottles are all coloured coded to match each other
Chemical guys hex logic pads and or even better go with Scholl S20 black edition its a one step polish on its own, it corrects paint and polishes and shines all in one go so there's no need for all different types of polish
A das 6 polisher kit can be got for around £150 that's pads and polish also you'll need plenty of cloths and bilt hamber cleansing fluid to wipe the residue/oils the polish leaves after a few passes with da polisher, Scholl concept polish is novice friendly and by that l mean it has plenty of oils in it so won't leave dust particles and prevents damaging the clear coat from over heating etc
 
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Thanks again mate

Ive seen the das 6 recommended a lot so I give that a look aswel as the Polish you mentioned. I dobt want to go nuts quite yet so yeah one bottle that does a decent job of everything sounds like a winner to me!

Now just have to blag the other half thay this is essential maintenance?!
 
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Seanchadwick2k3 said:
Thanks again mate

Ive seen the das 6 recommended a lot so I give that a look aswel as the Polish you mentioned. I dobt want to go nuts quite yet so yeah one bottle that does a decent job of everything sounds like a winner to me!

Now just have to blag the other half thay this is essential maintenance?!
Click to expand...
Just buy the 250g bottle of S20 gold that will do all of the car mate
 
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audi upgrades
Looks like a das 6 for my birthday then! If only i could fast forward to October!

Ill wangle it in somewhere before then..
 
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@Bristle Hound do they accept new born children as payment?! Im poor for the time bring but thanks for letting.me know anyway mate!
 
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Quick question....

I gave the car its first detail a week.or two ago. Do you give your cars a full detail everytime you wash? Or do you detail say every two months and just wash in between?

If I just wash it will it remove the previous coating of wax?

Cheers people
 
Seanchadwick2k3 said:
Quick question....

I gave the car its first detail a week.or two ago. Do you give your cars a full detail everytime you wash? Or do you detail say every two months and just wash in between?

If I just wash it will it remove the previous coating of wax?

Cheers people
Click to expand...
@Seanchadwick2k3 - What do you mean by 'full detail' Sean ?
 
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