Cleaning

[pab]

Glad you drew the inspiration. Nice one.

[Teflon]

Originally Posted by pab

Glad you drew the inspiration. Nice one.

Yup - once you pointed it out, it had to be done! Looks much nicer now.

Cheers,

Cliff

[Teflon]

Originally Posted by Supervinnie40

.........If I can recommend any product first, give Carpro Reload a try. It's easier to use if you never used a product like that. Wash the car, clay the car, give it a light polish (abrassive or chemical) to remove the marring, wipe it off with IPA if you like and then spray some Reload on a MF cloth. Smear it out over the paintwork with one cloth, wait +/- 20 or 30 seconds and then wipe it off with another (clean) MF cloth. (if you're using it in the burning sun, wait no longer then 10 seconds). You'll only need 2 to 3 sprays for the hood and a few for the roof............

Had some Carpro Reload delivered today so will give it a try over the weekend. Daft question: If I add a coat of Collinite 476s over the top of the Reload, will it protect the Reload and hence increase durability, or will I just be wasting my time/product?

Cheers,

Cliff

[Supervinnie40]

It would be unnecessary. It's an unending story. If you would like to protect the Reload layer (which is a SiO2 coating) with 476s, then why not protect that layer of wax with another product? And why not protect that layer with another layer etc.etc.

Wax is a sacrificial layer, that will deteriorate when times goes by. By doing this it will prevent contaminants from penetrating and getting into the paint layer. Since wax is much easier (and safer) to remove and re-apply then a clear coat of paint, wax sacrifices itself so that the paint doesn't have to suffer.
Reload has a similar function, except it's not really sacrificial. It will wear out over time, but it won't trap dust and other contaminants. I will also be harder and tougher then wax, but because the actual layer is more thin it will still wear almost as quick.
Wax is usually about 2 to 5 microns thick. Reload will be about 1 or 2 microns thick.

So, to give straight answers on your questions:
Will it protect Reload: yes, kinda.
Will it increase durability: in a way, yes.
Will I be wasting time/product: yes.

But the answer your not asking for is; the layer of wax will trap dirt and stuff over time. Resulting in a ''dirty'' layer on top of the clean Reload layer. So after (give or take) a few months, you'll need to remove and replace the layer of wax. And you are very likely to strip Reload at the same time you are removing the wax.
So the Reload will be removed (because the wax needs to be replaced) before it even had a chance to do it's job.

Wash the car, clay it (Reload works best on naked paint), perhaps give it a very light polish (just to remove any marring from the clay), then spray some Reload on a MF cloth and spread it with one cloth and wipe off with another (clean) MF cloth. When you've done the whole car you can (if you like to) do the car again to give it a second coat.
It's just a matter of wipe on - wipe off. Easy as pie.
When you're done, hope it will rain soon and enjoy the beads.

p.s. remember to go easy with it. 2 sprays on a cloth is enough for the bonnet. It's very easy to use to much.

[Teflon]

Hi Vinnie,

Many thanks for taking the time to reply. What you're saying makes perfect sense - the wax will protect the sealant, but at the expense of a good clean finish (which rather defeats the object). So I will be giving it a go with the Reload, and will resist the temptation to plaster a coat of wax on top.

I have to say though, this bit made me smile:

Originally Posted by Supervinnie40

....... It's an unending story. If you would like to protect the Reload layer (which is a SiO2 coating) with 476s, then why not protect that layer of wax with another product? And why not protect that layer with another layer etc.etc........

I bought some expensive bespoke car mats a while ago to protect the carpets. They looked great, but it would be a shame to get them dirty. So, I bought some cheap light grey generic mats to protect the bespoke mats whiche were protecting the carpet. These looked better than expected but, being light grey, would show every mark. So I got some clear plastic mat protectors to protect the generic mats which were protecting the bespoke mats that were protecting the carpets.

So your comment is closer to the truth than you realise. I think I'll risk getting the mat protectors dirty!

Cheers, and thanks again for the reply,

Cliff

[Kernowchristoff]

I cant stand driving a dirty car. I sent about six hours cleaning my 75 then my Civic last Sunday.

Was definitely a 3 beer job but well worth it all with Auto Glymn. I used to be a valetor in the trades and my God the Tips people used to drive and that was at a Mercedes Benz dealer.

[tweek08]

Amazon have this on offer if anyone uses it, I have bought a bottle to see if its any good http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001050DO...986871_TE_item

[Supervinnie40]

Originally Posted by Teflon

I bought some expensive bespoke car mats a while ago to protect the carpets. They looked great, but it would be a shame to get them dirty. So, I bought some cheap light grey generic mats to protect the bespoke mats whiche were protecting the carpet. These looked better than expected but, being light grey, would show every mark. So I got some clear plastic mat protectors to protect the generic mats which were protecting the bespoke mats that were protecting the carpets.

So your comment is closer to the truth than you realise. I think I'll risk getting the mat protectors dirty!

Cheers, and thanks again for the reply,

Cliff

Lol, loving the level of protection on your floormats .

[Doc Evil]

You mention you intend to Ozone your interior
DO NOT DO THIS
Ozone is a dangerous substance, It will deterioate rubber neoprene seals and leather and if you breathe it in it will dry clean your lungs or kill you if you have a big enough ozone generator. I use it to kill mould (one of the toughest lifeforms on the planet)
Doc

Originally Posted by Supervinnie40

Thanks for the compliment .
The car looks good, and I'm happy with that. But there are still some small imperfections. If you look really carefully in the light you can see a few swirls at some places. Those will have to go.
There are also a few spots in the doors (and the dooropenings) that show sign of use and/or wear. That will have to be retouched, polished and protected. All the chrome trim will be removed, polished and protected.
There are even a few stonechips on the front that will be retouched, polished and protected.
As an perfectionist I don't like spots, so the wheelarches will have to come out, cleaned properly and then brought back to new and protected. At that time the wheels, brakes and suspension will come off, cleaned, retouched and/or repainted, polished and protected.
Eventually the interior needs a deep cleaning as I found a few very light discolorations at some places, and the car will get a ozon-treatment. Then all the wood, shiny plastic etc. will come out, get polished and put back in with a protective layer.
The glass will get a polish and then be coated. And when I've got the time the engine will get a proper cleaning (it's not clean enough by my standards).

After that it should last for a few years before I have to worry about any swirls (fingers crossed nobody bumps into my car though... :S )
Because this is a few days of work, I'll need my shop to be empty (no customers cars) and 'unfortunately' I'm booked until mid July.

If I can recommend any product first, give Carpro Reload a try. It's easier to use if you never used a product like that. Wash the car, clay the car, give it a light polish (abrassive or chemical) to remove the marring, wipe it off with IPA if you like and then spray some Reload on a MF cloth. Smear it out over the paintwork with one cloth, wait +/- 20 or 30 seconds and then wipe it off with another (clean) MF cloth. (if you're using it in the burning sun, wait no longer then 10 seconds). You'll only need 2 to 3 sprays for the hood and a few for the roof.
You can use it on wheels, paintwork, trims, rubbers and some even use it one glass. Durability should be about 3 to 4 months with normal usage. If you've got an acidic cleaner (like a wheel cleaner) you can make it last for about 5 to 6 months.

If you wanna know more about wax, it might be better to PM me, because it might result in another very long post that will cause people to have to scroll a lot . To give an interesting read, a few teasers: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=337540 , http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=329879 , http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=322576 , http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=321996 , http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=322489

p.s. I'm also a 'homebrewer'.

[Supervinnie40]

Ozone is a much used device in car detailing. I've done several cars with it, and I have used it heaps of times in my previous car (to test out how it works best with certain smells) and I have heard MANY horror-stories, but not 1 problem ever.
Nor have I ever heard of any other detailer who has ever had any problem with this stuff.

The amount used by the device is very safe to use. But I do recommend to NOT sit in the car while the device is running! It has no effect on electric cables. Perhaps if you leave it in the car for 3 weeks on the highest setting, and repeat this every month orso, it could perhaps have some kind of effect. But it is perfectly safe.
Nothing more then overrated horror-stories.