- Joined
- Saturday January 3, 2015
Looks really clean in the first picture, do you polish/wax/seal the paint?
Woo! Straight through the MOT ... again!
- Thread starter pjgh
- Start Date
OP
- Joined
- Thursday September 26, 2013
- Location
- Halifax, Republic of Yorkshire
- Thread Starter
- #18
Cheers! I do ...
Machine polished ever couple of years, washed regularly with the two bucket method to minimise swirling, hand polished and sealed every 3-4 months, and quick detail/spray sealant applied after washing to top up protection and water repellence. Windows are sealed, too, with a nano sealant making dirt very difficult to adhere ... clean windows, no fogging. Wheels do need a refurb ... and that bloody tailpipe is a pain to keep clean!
... and the Mrs' car, same drill.
While I had my white whale, she had a black 'vert:
... now swapped over to something a little more modern, a 9-3 SE (MY 2002 ... last of the "proper" SAABs):
Machine polished ever couple of years, washed regularly with the two bucket method to minimise swirling, hand polished and sealed every 3-4 months, and quick detail/spray sealant applied after washing to top up protection and water repellence. Windows are sealed, too, with a nano sealant making dirt very difficult to adhere ... clean windows, no fogging. Wheels do need a refurb ... and that bloody tailpipe is a pain to keep clean!
... and the Mrs' car, same drill.
While I had my white whale, she had a black 'vert:
... now swapped over to something a little more modern, a 9-3 SE (MY 2002 ... last of the "proper" SAABs):
- Joined
- Sunday December 9, 2012
- Location
- Brentwood, Essex
pjgh said:
What's the two bucket method, please?
Don't start down that slippery road! You'll be signing up to all sorts of detailing forums! Watch your money slip away as fast as traditional shaving saves it (not!) It's basically hot water and cleaner in one bucket and clean hot water in another. Dunk microfiber cloth/mitt in soapy water, wash a panel, rinse in clean water. Dunk in soapy water and repeat... You need grit guards in each bucket too....
OP
- Joined
- Thursday September 26, 2013
- Location
- Halifax, Republic of Yorkshire
- Thread Starter
- #21
p.b said:
You use two buckets
Two buckets - one with suds and one with plain water. Use a sheepskin mitten , dunk in suds, clean ONE car panel (the roof, the bonnet or a door), rinse off in the clean water. Dunk back into suds, continue ...
Swirling on car paint largely comes about by grit trapped in the cleaning sponge. Ditch the sponge, switch to sheepskin and ensure that it is clean before dunking in suds and onto paintwork. Replace the rinsing water throughout the wash, as necessary.
You'll see you can buy some buckets with "grit guards" which are meshes that sit at the bottom of the buckets. In sales-speak, those guards hold onto the grit as it drops down to the bottom. In practice, it's an expensive way of buying something that simply doesn't work.
Two buckets - one with suds, one with clean water. Keep your mitten clean!
Oh, and do your wheels first ... or last ... and with citrus degreaser and a long handled bristle brush, like a shaving brush on a long stick. Wipe over with the suds last.
... yes, they make excellent bowl latherers
OP
- Joined
- Thursday September 26, 2013
- Location
- Halifax, Republic of Yorkshire
- Thread Starter
- #22
Woo! Another year! Another clean MOT with no advisories
Serviced and good for another year ... fingers crossed. I was saying to my Mechanic that this car is a bloke. You can tell. Some cars are most definitely female. Gawd! I had one of those. She always looked fantastic, but moody as hell ... but when she went, oh, she went. Anyway, my car (Red Dwarf) is a guy - he just does what he does, well, right and without grumbling day in, day out without complaint or moodiness that I don't spend any money on him.
Great car!
Meanwhile, Mrs' is in dry docks again. Oil loss. Again. Summink is wrong in there, so Mechanic says he'll pop an engine he has in from a car he's looked after for a good decade, serviced routinely with no issues but no longer wanted on the road. That sounds good. Best of all, gratis. I pay for a few ancillaries, like new timing chain and new PCV kit, but he'll do all the humping and dumping, fitting and fettling, and I can have the engine for free! I love my Mechanic
So, yay! Red Dwarf gets another clean certificate and Mrs' will get a new engine.
Serviced and good for another year ... fingers crossed. I was saying to my Mechanic that this car is a bloke. You can tell. Some cars are most definitely female. Gawd! I had one of those. She always looked fantastic, but moody as hell ... but when she went, oh, she went. Anyway, my car (Red Dwarf) is a guy - he just does what he does, well, right and without grumbling day in, day out without complaint or moodiness that I don't spend any money on him.
Great car!
Meanwhile, Mrs' is in dry docks again. Oil loss. Again. Summink is wrong in there, so Mechanic says he'll pop an engine he has in from a car he's looked after for a good decade, serviced routinely with no issues but no longer wanted on the road. That sounds good. Best of all, gratis. I pay for a few ancillaries, like new timing chain and new PCV kit, but he'll do all the humping and dumping, fitting and fettling, and I can have the engine for free! I love my Mechanic
So, yay! Red Dwarf gets another clean certificate and Mrs' will get a new engine.
- Joined
- Sunday July 21, 2013
- Location
- Belfast
That's some deal Paul. Happy days.