How to brighten my Ibis A3 back up to what it used to be? Which Products?

[A3 Sport]

My cars a year old, and has done nearly 9000 miles. I try to keep it clean, but its not always possible! However, I saw a picture of it when I picked it up, and it looked a lot brighter than it does now.. If I use AG Super Resin Polish, would that work? I also have AG HD Wax?? Ive properly polished and waxed it twice, over the year. What else do you recommend? :icon_thumright:

 

[JD09]

A good claying can do wonders for cars, especially a very light colour. Megs Quick Clay is probably the safest and easiest option, as it is available from Halfrauds. This removes all surface contaminants, like miscroscopic tar and fallout particles.

You will need to polish and seal/wax after this though, as it leaves the paint very bare and can occaisionally impart minor marring (tiny tiny scratches).

 

[WX51TXR]

I agree that a thorough decontamination process will remove a lot of muck that you probably aren't even aware of on your paint - it's the ultra-fine fallout style debris that coats paint and reduces it's reflectivity and brightness over time. For a full overview of decontamination, what's involved and how to do it, see here...

How to decontaminate your paint safely and effectively

Also, once clean a light polish will remove any oxidation from the surface of the clearcoat, and again this will usually help to brighten and sharpen up the finish. SRP isn't a fantastic polish (it's a jack of all trades (polish-glaze-sealant) and a master of none) but should do the job well enough on a relatively new car; follow up with the HD wax to protect the freshly prepared finish.

:icon_thumright:

 

[A3 Sport]

Okay thanks for your replies. The car just seems to have 'yellowed' a bit over the year.

I am tempted to clay the car, as its something Ive never done, so Im intrigued to see what results I will get. If I was to buy the Megs Quick Clay or AG Claying kit, would they be hard to use for a novice?

How does this process sound? -

Wash,
Clay (without drying the car beforehand)
SRP
AG Extra Gloss Protection
AG HD Wax

Any other ideas? Is it in the right order?

 

[All_Torque]

Personally i'd dry the car off before claying if you're using meguiars clay kit

 

[JD09]

The Megs quick clay kit is perfect for beginners and pros alike. I still find it a great quick clay kit!

I have never found much difference between leaving the car damp and drying it off before claying. There are arguments for both processes. As a start I would leave it wet to ensure you have as much lubrication between the clay and paintwork as possible.

 

[WX51TXR]

As above; your suggested process order looks perfectly fine, and I'd leave the car wet too.