whats the best polish for my vec

[david-bell]

hi guys just wondering whats the best polish for the vec reason im asking i have a busy quarry on the road out from my house and it gets coated in a very abrasive sand and grit the vec gets in one hell of a mess as its out on the road every day. i cringe every time i take the sponge to it so i give it a power wash before i put the sponge near the car but i dont like power washing it all the time as it dosent help the paint work either and takes the polish of in no time i feel. i use autoglym just now its a good polish but i feel its not enough to stop the the small scratches any help on this one would be appreciated

thanxs davie

[Cheech]

Will the sand and grit not rinse off with a garden hose?

Is yours a dark coloured vec? i have a black vec and use Autoglym super resin polish (black label) its specifally for dark colours. I have found this much better then the normal red label polish. It gives a deeper shine.

Cheech

[nutron]

Don't power wash it!!!!

Rinse off the dirt,
Then use a wash and wax,
Rinse again,
and Dry with a shammy (Real of course).

I don't tend to polish much in the winter because moisture collects on the paint quickly and it's difficult to get a very good shine.

I use turtle wax hard shell wax for my black saphire paintwork.
I also have black trim wax for halford for doing all the plastic, just wipe it on heavy and leave it, looks great.

Have tried almost all of the Turtle wax range now and the best one's are the hard shell and they one in a red bottle that you can use in direct sunlight, realy works!

[david-bell]

hi m8 its oyster pearlecent i do use the hose sometimes if the car isnt too bad but these last few weeks the roads been bad hence the cars in one hell of a mess come the weekend and hose cant take the sand of i think i must be useing the red lable then. its good polish but dosent last long enough

[Andy]

If the word of the hardcore detailers on detailing world is anything to go buy then get yourself some collinite #458 (i think). Its a hard wax, very durable and what the hardcore boys are using over winter. Dont apply apply any wax or sealent etc if its damp or cold (ie below say 8deg) as Nutron is totally right, it wont cure properly.

Alternativly autoglym Super resin with a few coats of extra gloss protection is also a good reommended winter/durable coating.

[CPHB]

Don't power wash it!!!!

Why not ???????

In sweden whe have sand and salt on the roads. The sand and grit will not rinse off with a garden hose. You must use a power wash before the sponge to avoid scratches from the sand.

Do like this:

Spray yor car, from down an up, whith alkalic powerswash detergent and let it work for 5 minutes. (It must not dry) Then use a powerwash at a distance of 30 cm and in 45 degree angle to the panel. You are now able to "slice" of the grit. Then use a garden hose. Then "ordinary" sponge and bucket.

[Andy]

The reason powerwashes are frowned on is becuase in the wrong hands they can be lethal and take paint off areas where it might be thin, like edges of panels or bumpers etc.

In the right hands they are a very useful tool.

A sponge should be avoided at all costs as all it does is trap grit between the surface of the sponge and the paint and drag it around the car as you wash. Thats how swirl marks get there. A wool mitt or soft brush is better as the grit gets dragged up into the material/bristles.

Saying that, if you live in extreme environments where sand/grit/salt is a regular thing, its probably an accepted consequence that swirls are a thing youre never going to get rid of.

[david-bell]

wee have a industrial power washer on the farm i work at it would take paint of in the wrong hands but i try to use it lightly great for under arches to get all the muck of i think im going to get a tub of this maguiers polish and see if it last longer on the paint work and take some of the swirlls out. one of these washing mits andys said about have looked at these in the past but allways looked pricey but sounds like there worth it thanks guys for the advice