Originally Posted by darryl.k (Post 49807)

Hi all,

I've often thought over the last few months how do peoples pride and joy appear exceptionally shiney. My cars are clean as I've often been anal about keeping them clean. But how do you get that deep, sharp shine. I know how to polish metal, as I've done a lot of that in the past polishing to microns and very tight tolerances by hand with different grades of diamond paste. But a car is very differnet. So I found the detailing site in one of these threads, which I found really helpful mentioning different products and what order to use them in. Unfortunatly I was brought up from an old generation shown to clean a car with a bucket of water, some fairy liquid and a sponge that touched every surface. So before I let my self lose on my Subaru, I had a go on my Alfa 156. The pictures don't show the whole car just some panels I had a go at. I haven't spent out on a DA polisher.... yet! I was amazed by what the clay bar pulled out, even though I thought the car was clean. The finish you see is elbow greese on a silver 9 year old car with original paint after buying the following and using in the below order:


1. Rinse with hose.
2. Meguiars Gold Shampoo in bucket and new sponge, wash.
3. Rinse with hose.
4. Meguiars clay bar and detailer.
5. Rinse with hose after each panel.
6. Dry with clean micro fibre towel.
7. Apply Turtle wax polish paste with Microfibre applicator.
8. Polish off with Micro fibre towel.
9. (The Turtle wax was polish not wax, so still researching what wax to use?)

Cheers for looking, comments welcome.

Darryl.k

Originally Posted by worzel (Post 52732)

.... if it ain't dirty, you aint driving it hard enough :mrgreen:

Originally Posted by Chunk (Post 52739)

Looking back to years gone by, I can't believe I used to wash my cars with a sponge & dry with a leather

Originally Posted by Lucky (Post 52718)

I find it just comes with time. Prep is key. Avoid sponges and leathers. Claybars work well, and I have found that choice of product makes a massive difference. I am about to go the DA polisher route as being black it is impossible to get all of the swirls out.

My monthly routine is this:

Snowfoam the entire car, leaving it 5 mins before rinsing

Wash using 2 BM, lambswool mitt and megs gold class shampoo

Originally Posted by Lucky (Post 52718)

I find it just comes with time. Prep is key. Avoid sponges and leathers. Claybars work well, and I have found that choice of product makes a massive difference. I am about to go the DA polisher route as being black it is impossible to get all of the swirls out.

My monthly routine is this:

Snowfoam the entire car, leaving it 5 mins before rinsing

Wash using 2 BM, lambswool mitt and megs gold class shampoo

rinse again

Dry using a luxury drying towel/microfibre towel

Polish with Blackfire gloss enhancing polish

Seal it with Blackfire all finish paint protection


I wash it using the above methods weekly, but miss out the polishing/seaing and tend to go around the car when its dry with a speed detailer. Although in the middle of the month may top up the wax with the all finish paint protection again.

I clay it twice a year to strip off all the old protection and start again.

Anyone looking at this lot may think its a pain, but I enjoy it and it does seem to build a deeper glossy shine over time.

Hope that helps!!!!!:doubleup:

Originally Posted by mikey2 (Post 67059)

Out of interest, why do you wash it twice??