A new experience....

[Rich H]

Hey all, not ventured down here before...

Seeing as the Esprit really deserves looking after properly and the Porker paint needs serious attention I'm pondering spending some money on car cleaning stuff. Clearly I have no idea

I have washed cars for years with a sponge (Just not very often), but having read Polished Bliss's excellent how to I have invested in a mitt and tried the 2 bucket method - wow the rinse water is filthy!

However the Esprit has some serious swirls (V. thick 1990's clearcoat) and the Porker is variously pink (1980's paint - no idea) so I was thinking about investing in a machine polisher.

It's not going to get heavy use but it would be nice to have a flexible machine that can deal with anything I can throw at it.

Can someone please recommend a basic setup (Machine and products) that won't cost the earth and can cope with compounding the porkers pink paint and tidying the Esprits swirly bits?

Ta
Rich

[tuscan_thunder]

Both cars will have hard paint, so you'll need to look at a 2 stage polishing process: the more aggressive polish will remove the defects but due to its aggressive nature will leave some slight scratches (or micromarring) behind. The finishing polish with the softer pads will nip these marks out and also burnish the paint to leave the really high gloss finish.

Our hard paint kit includes 9x pads: 2x of each grade in the larger 135mm size and 1x of each grade in the 80mm spot pad size. The kits has 2x backing plates to suit the pads, a detailing brush to 'spur' the pads between panels (removing dead polish from the pad between each panel: failure to do this can lead to some severe marring of the paint) low-tack masking tape and pad cleaner as well as the two polishes and the machine.

This is the kit: http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... -cat1.html

There's a saving when you buy them altogther, the machine has a 1year warranty and you can also specify free UK shipping.

If you need any further advice, let me know either here or via enquiries@polishedbliss.co.uk The polishing guide and machine polishing guide are here: http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... ng-do.html and polish choice guide here: http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... i-use.html

The Kestrel machine is really tough and I have customers who've tackled cars, boats, planes and even stuck on sanding discs and polished furniture and, in one case, a marble floor with the machine so it's pretty robust.

[renmure]

I bought myself a DAS 6-Pro (a random orbital polisher) kit with pads and Menzerna polishes so I could have a bash at Machine Polishing.

(http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing ... d_675.html)

Bearing in mind I would win the prize as the person least likely to use hand tools and have the attention span of a goldfish, I have to say that the transformation was pretty spectacular.

Befores









And after about 20hrs of slow going...

[Rich H]

Stunning results!

Assuming I can get it up and running soon without too much fuss then I'll see about investing.

Cheers
Rich

[Stevoraith]

I've also got a DAS-6 with the Menzerna polishes. I even went on a days course to learn how to use the thing!

Results can be pretty stunning, I spent about 12 hours on my mates 120k mile Octavia which had been washed with wire wool by the looks of it.
The results speak for themselves;















That result was with just one stage as well. If I'd had more time I probably would have gone with a more aggressive polish/pad combo to start with then refined it with a finishing polish but as it was I removed about 80% of the defects in the paint and left it nice and shiney. The owner was happy anyway!

Got my brothers new carbon black M3 to do next- had a play with a panel at the weekend- that's going to be a tough job!

[tuscan_thunder]

I bought myself a DAS 6-Pro (a random orbital polisher) kit with pads and Menzerna polishes so I could have a bash at Machine Polishing.

(http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing ... d_675.html)

Bearing in mind I would win the prize as the person least likely to use hand tools and have the attention span of a goldfish, I have to say that the transformation was pretty spectacular.

Bear in mind that kit only has the larger pads, not the smaller ones, nor the small backing plate so working on pillars, sills etc will be a little tricky. It doesn't have the accessories like the detailing brush for pad spurring (so important I can't stress it enough) or masking tape or pad cleaner either.

Additionally, I'd say the polishes in it are a little aggressive and I'm not sure there's need for 4 of them - with 3 grades of pad, 4 polishes is a little difficult to work: we have RD3.02 as the cutting polish (S500 is a bit extreme) and 85RE, the newer version of the finishing polish which is easier to work and finishes down more neatly.

[renmure]

I bought myself a DAS 6-Pro (a random orbital polisher) kit with pads and Menzerna polishes so I could have a bash at Machine Polishing.

(http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing ... d_675.html)

Bear in mind that kit only has the larger pads, not the smaller ones, nor the small backing plate so working on pillars, sills etc will be a little tricky. It doesn't have the accessories like the detailing brush for pad spurring (so important I can't stress it enough) or masking tape or pad cleaner either.

I bought the smaller pads and backing plate seperately especially to work on the smaller areas.

Additionally, I'd say the polishes in it are a little aggressive and I'm not sure there's need for 4 of them - with 3 grades of pad, 4 polishes is a little difficult to work: we have RD3.02 as the cutting polish (S500 is a bit extreme) and 85RE, the newer version of the finishing polish which is easier to work and finishes down more neatly.

Haven't used the most aggresssive polish. I will probably have a try with that on the landrover.
I am sure there are loads of different kit options available. I did a fair bit of asking around when I was looking to buy and the kit I got seemed well recommended for someone with my limited experience as being suited to do most good and least harm.

My 1st attempt at using it was (bravely) on the Ferrari.
(http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/s ... 360+spider)

[tuscan_thunder]

S500 will be very aggressive on a Land Rover: not sure what model you have but from 1996 onwards they are soft to intermediate paint so RD3.02 will be more than plenty on it (I've corrected a Disco 3 with just 85RE via DA machine and a light cut pad).

Ideally, on a LR, Menzerna 203S will be ideal http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... -203s.html and might allow you to get the job done in one hit: 203S finishes down really neatly, so there's often no need to go round with a finishing polish.

As always, start with the least aggressive combination you can.

( RD3.02 will happily correct BMW, VAG or Mercedes paint.)

[renmure]

S500 will be very aggressive on a Land Rover: not sure what model you have but from 1996

!979. Trust me on this.... it ain't possible to use anything too aggressive on this thing.
If I could get a spinning Brillo Pad it would do more good than bad

[hendeg]

[Dominic]

Awaiting a post from Rich to say, 'ah stuff it, a few cans of aerosol paint works out easier so went for the re-spray option'. Now where's the piccies of the silver and red porker?

[Rich H]

This one? RIP:


That's why I need help...!

[Rich H]

Washed the Esprit on Friday and it really needs work! It looks like it was cleaned with a scouring pad in places...!
Any idea when the kit will be back in stock?

Question:
Several areas are badly stonechipped, any suggestions for fixing them? They are down to the plastic on the bonnet and leading edge of the roof also on a couple of areas around the door edges and boot. Most of them are 3-5mm across.

I was planning on getting some paint mixed up (Halfords celly most likely as it's easy!) and touching them up so they were slightly proud, let it harden for a few days then hit it with the machine to flatten. Will that work?

[DavieK]

A pretty good guide on detailingworld that I've used for a few marks here

and if you can wait a few days for the paint I've bought from these guys a couple of times and been very happy with it.

[Rich H]

Some reading for tomorrow, cheers!