Cheap and good detailing stuff thread

[Thrustyjust]

Thought I would start a thread , as so much stuff is available to clean cars , why waste money on things that arent good and list the good stuff here. Our plastic cars can normally take the same kind of cleaning gunk as painted cars . So, for my recommendation, it is Sonax Xtream brilliant shine detailer. From Eurocarparts for a 750ml bottle for just over £8. Just bought it and arrived today, so thought how good can it be. Well, the shine is just amazing and is supposed to repel water for long periods , so thats less cleaning required. Easy on, leaves no residues, so wash, dry and spray and drive !! 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

What's it like for "fillers"?

[Thrustyjust]

11 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

What's it like for "fillers"?

Its not a filler Dave. Its just a gloss top shine. Ideal for driving to a show and wiping over before showing the car. I would try Poorboys Black Hole for a filler, but they never last for long . Autoglym SRP is a filler and can look good, but leaves loads of residue which takes some cleaning up.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

What a great idea for a thread.

Do you have any recommendations for looking after a polished wheel.

I prefer driving to cleaning so I would be looking for something that is easy use and doesn't take hours to apply.

[Thrustyjust]

Geoffery, if its an unlacquered wheel, then Autosol or Megiurs metal polish is good. If it is lacquered, then a form of spray or liquid sealant may help to stave grime and brake dust, such as Gtechnic C5 is good in reviews. I have only just coated my brand new Volvo wheels in it, so my personal review wont be for a while. It may look expensive at about £20 , but I used a quarter of a bottle on the massive XC60 rims, so enough to do both the Westie and our Skoda and a smidge left for a recoat on the volvo in a years time.

Poorboys wheel sealant is tried and tested, but a real niggle to get into and out of small nuts and bolts etc , but for smooth one piece wheels works fine. I have even used Collinite 476 wax on wheels with similar results of protection and also ease to clean. All cheap and easy to use, although Collinite is pretty hard to remove if left on too long on bodywork !!

[Thrustyjust]

43 minutes ago, Geoffrey (Buttercup) - North Yorkshire AO said:

What a great idea for a thread.

Do you have any recommendations for looking after a polished wheel.

I prefer driving to cleaning so I would be looking for something that is easy use and doesn't take hours to apply.

Thing is Geoffery, we all like to drive them, but a sensible coat to protect the body actually makes life easier, by not causing grit to gel contact, so lessening the need for polishing. if you keep the grit away from the car gelcoat, you then have just to wash, dry and a carnuaba based spray to reseal and off you go.

[Steve (sdh2903)]

Cheers Justin good idea for a thread. Will give that sonax stuff a bash.

I use collinite 476 on everything as a top coat sealant. Tin top, gelcoat, wheels. If you use it in very thin coats and don t leave it too long to polish off it's incredibly good and lasts for ages. A tin has probably done 20 cars worth and still loads left. I'd say it even beats poorboys wheel sealant on alloys.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/collinite-476s-super-doublecoat-auto-wax/prod_207.html

I've tried all sorts of fancy and expensive carnauba waxes on my cars but keep going back to colly.

[Thrustyjust]

4 minutes ago, sdh2903 said:

Cheers Justin good idea for a thread. Will give that sonax stuff a bash.

I use collinite 476 on everything as a top coat sealant. Tin top, gelcoat, wheels. If you use it in very thin coats and don t leave it too long to polish off it's incredibly good and lasts for ages. A tin has probably done 20 cars worth and still loads left. I'd say it even beats poorboys wheel sealant on alloys.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/collinite-476s-super-doublecoat-auto-wax/prod_207.html

I've tried all sorts of fancy and expensive carnauba waxes on my cars but keep going back to colly.

Be interesting what you think on the Sonax Steve, but I am pretty well impressed with the finish and didnt leave any reside and really was a wipe on and off liquid.

I have just waxed my new Volvo in Collinite 915 with 2 coats, as my Gtechnic sealant didnt appear. I may just leave that on and try the Sonax after a wash and see how it fares now.

[Peter (Monty)]

Surely this thread belongs in the main club area? Very useful info

[Sparkymart]

Grate thread..any recommendations for a tyre dressing and a back to black type thing for the black bits, cheers

[Thrustyjust]

Mart, for tyre dressing, I use Meguirs dressing. Its quite thin, so doesnt spray everywhere. I use a small tyre sponge for a quid off ebay and some laytex gloves !! not a nice job but finishes the tyres well. Its cheap and a bottle will last many years. 

As for black bits, there is plenty of things to use, but apparently ( not tried it) peanut butter is the best !

[Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator]

Autoglym super resin polish is very good on the grp bodywork, apply with cloth let dry and buff off 5 minute job

[Alan Cutler (Adge) - Dorset AO]

For the uninitiated (me!), you're talking final polish finish, with minimal if any abrasive properties. Is my understanding correct?

So the surface preparation, smooth and scratch free is done prior to this? or am I getting confused as usual?

[Thrustyjust]

Super resin 'polish' is that. its a polish. Not a wax or top coat.It is laced with fillers and is great at hiding light scratches etc. If you do use SRP , then you need to wax or seal over the top, or the fillers will wash out soon after. You can use cheap waxes for £15 to £20 on top and it should work fine. I have used Poorboys wax, Autoglym HD, Collinite, Dodo and all give a similar finish , but some are more durable than others.

 

[Sparkymart]

9 hours ago, Thrustyjust said:

Mart, for tyre dressing, I use Meguirs dressing. Its quite thin, so doesnt spray everywhere. I use a small tyre sponge for a quid off ebay and some laytex gloves !! not a nice job but finishes the tyres well. Its cheap and a bottle will last many years. 

As for black bits, there is plenty of things to use, but apparently ( not tried it) peanut butter is the best !

.so who is going to be first to cover their Westy in peanut butter .....

Crunchy or smooth ?