Achieving the perfect finish

**Andy** · 19th June 2005, 20:34

i have some carlack68 which is basically the euro version of klasse AIO. After reading about it on autopia.org i thought i'd try some. To be honest, it didnt really give me any better initial shine than NXT, P21s cleaner polish or even autoglym super resin. Silver is a hard car to make shine so maybe if it was a dark colour it might have been different?

I still use NXT, its a good off the shelf polish. It has mild cleaners in too so its not something you can layer.

Final wax, i keep changing between P21s, Souvergn Paste wax and 1Z glanz

At the minute, my favourites are Blitz Omega Glaze followed by 1z Glanz wax (which is a synthetic wax, rather than a carnauba, i think).

**Graeme** · 22nd June 2005, 08:39

I've been using autoglym range, super resin polish and gloss protection for a top coat but i think i'm going to get some meguirs wax. spent over 5 hours for a show last weekend and still wasnt totally happy. got a wierd thing just now as well. a dead fly INSIDE my headlight. strange.

Andy what do you do with your alloys, do you take them off to clean? again i've been using autoglym alloy cleaner and alloy polish but they get really bad asgian within days and need re - done

**Andy** · 22nd June 2005, 08:58

re alloys, i just use autoglym machine cleaner. Just spray it on and before it dries i wash the wheels with my normal car shampoo and water. IF they have gone slightly yellow, get a kitchen scourer (the ones with foam one side and a plastic scourer bit on the other) and give them a decent scrub. They will come up like new. Youve just got to keep on top of them.

I didnt take my orginal alloys off as i only cleaned the outsides, and now ive got my 18's with thin 5 spokes i clean the insdies too but i can do that with the wheels on the car.

**Ste** · 9th August 2005, 22:17

Now I know why I use the carwash. I don't really see the point in all that, just to get it filthy the next time I travel the 55 miles to work. I never washed the old car by hand in the 3 years I owned it, and have not hand washed this one.

Unless someone can tell me what is so bad about carwashes, I intend to continue with them.

Maybe I just don't get the point. But excellent research there Andy.

My car is a working car, not a posing car. I will leave that to my other car.... where this info will be useful.

**big phil** · 9th August 2005, 23:25

Great write up Andy .... but I think i' ll stick with my P.D.I. Polish and shine your pants off at trax !!

But i will invest in new cleaning cloths and a woolly wash mit !!!

Thank again

See you at trax

**Jamie** · 10th August 2005, 00:20

Originally Posted by Ste

Unless someone can tell me what is so bad about carwashes, I intend to continue with them.

Dirty brushes, scratches, swirl marks, little/no paint protection, misses bits, never cleans the wheels properley even with those huge scouring pads they use, hot wax on your windscreen is a bi**h to clean off and messes up your wiper blades, never cleans in the door shuts, fills your pollen filter/electrics/battery tray with water from the under chassis cleaner...... need I go on.

**Jay** · 10th August 2005, 14:06

Jet wash in asda is the best

**Bainie** · 10th August 2005, 14:39

Originally Posted by Jamie1979

Dirty brushes, scratches, swirl marks, little/no paint protection, misses bits, never cleans the wheels properley even with those huge scouring pads they use, hot wax on your windscreen is a bi**h to clean off and messes up your wiper blades, never cleans in the door shuts, fills your pollen filter/electrics/battery tray with water from the under chassis cleaner...... need I go on.

LMAO ... Couldn`t have put it better myself ....

**lborob17** · 10th August 2005, 15:32

Hi guys - Stay away from car washes! - Only been through one in my life-SCARY - that was a easycar A140 you have to wash before taking it back!

just making an order with clean and shiney after reading Andy's guide for polishing and I was wondering how you get the 10 percent discount - I have read it somewhere here ages ago but couldnt find the code even after doing a search! - Vectra-c works!! simple when you use logic!!

When I was looking at swirl removers I got kind of confused over which one to have - any ideas? Ive only got swirls on bonnet and roof and they are quite light.

Also my colour is oyster silver so will P21S bring out the gloss or would someone recomend a different wax?

cheers
Rich

**Johnnyopolis** · 10th August 2005, 23:42

Originally Posted by lborob17

When I was looking at swirl removers I got kind of confused over which one to have - any ideas? Ive only got swirls on bonnet and roof and they are quite light.

Also my colour is oyster silver so will P21S bring out the gloss or would someone recomend a different wax?

cheers
Rich

Im finding that im having great success at the moment with Poorboys SSR 2.5 but in fairness I am using a pc to apply it with a DAS Green pad so can comment on how it would work by hand, Poorboys does say that it can be used by hand or machine on the bottle, you can also use it in sunlight which is a bonus right now.

I have heard that Carlack is pretty good stuff and I do have a sample to use on my car but just havent had time to use it. At the weekend I did my wifes astra:

Washed
Virosol on wheels
Clayed
SSR2.5
Gold Class Wax
Poor Boys EX-P
Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gel
Meguiars NXT Tech Protection

Heres a couple of pics: