Cleaning advise

[spikeyboy]

Have a Noggy blue 2003 S4 and wondered if there are some better products out there for this colour than im currently using.

Im currently using:

AG - Shampoo

AG - Super Resin Polich.

AG - Extra Gloss Protection.

Megs - NXT Detailer Spray.

Basically i use the AG Shampoo in a Kracher foam gun to start, then clean with AG Shampoo and megs wash mit, dry with megs NXT Detailer spray, appy AG SRP then AG EGP.

Car looks good after the clean but are there any better products i could be using for this colour.

Also what would be a better product for using in the foam gun ? (Megs hyper wash ???)

Im currently using a megs drying towel but i think i have ruined it (or the wife has) by using fabric conditioner when washing it - is there a better towel i could replace it with.

Finally - what products would i be best to use to apply the waxes etc - currently using old cotton shirts and cleaning off with micro fibre cloths.

Opps - one other thing what products should i use to clean the interior, have been using a damp leather chammy, guess the Glipton leather products are best for the leather seats etc but what about the dash and rest of the plastic (did by the megs interior wipes that come in a tub but didnt like them)

Thanks

[drpellypo]

AG Shampoo is not that great.

SRP is a good product in terms of fillers. It'll 'hide' swirls, more so than removing them, although it does have a light abrasive cut to it. SRP benefits from being layered up. So apply, remove, then apply another coat. EGP over the top of that will give a good finish.

Using a cotton shirt will undo any swirl removal you've just done! Have a look on elite car care for some applicators.

Interior, I use Sonus leather cleaner, and Chemical Guys Liquid Leather to condition. Smells much nicer than gliptone!

[Mook]

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Also what would be a better product for using in the foam gun ? (Megs hyper wash ???)

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That's what I now use - snow it first to soften the muck, wash off, then re-snow and use a wash-mit.

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Im currently using a megs drying towel but i think i have ruined it (or the wife has) by using fabric conditioner when washing it

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Yup - the instructions say don't use conditioner. Their towels are fine, as long as you follow the instructions

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Finally - what products would i be best to use to apply the waxes etc - currently using old cotton shirts and cleaning off with micro fibre cloths.

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AAAAAAAGH! DON'T use old cotton shirts. Use a proper applicator pad - you can get them for about £5 a pair from places like www.elitecarcare.co.uk or www.performancemotorcare.com

HTH

[steelwind101]

Hi!!

Hmm, I think the Autoglym products are not that bad and if you have plenty left in the bottles you might want to keep using them. I would say that the products give a fairly reflective look as opposed to somethings you can pick up.

Its pretty hard to step back from SRP after you have been using cotton towels etc. on the paintwork as its so good at hiding the damage!!

I would certantly say head to elitecarcare and purchase the Sonus Drying Towels (2 in a pack for £12).

While your there you could pick up a Nattys paste wax to put on top of your EGP (EGP is a good winter protection) the Nattys will help toi give it a wetter look and compliment it well. Im not going to recommend picking up Collinite or a durable option, since you already have one.

But certantly if you wanted it would be a good idea to get Wolfgang Paintwork Cleanser and the Wolfgang sealant, esp. if you dont mind applying it every 6-8 weeks. On your blue it will come a up a treat and of course, topping it with a good wax will give even better results!!

While your over at Elite pick up some MF cloths and some Poorboys Super Slick and Suds (the 32OZ) is pretty good end provides great economy. Suds, slick and a nice look after you wash there isnt much more you could ask for.

Geoff

[spikeyboy]

Thanks for the replys.

I guess old cotton shirts are not good to use on my car then am i better getting the foam applicators (round) or the micro fibre megs ones (http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=64&products_id=177)

I thought that a second coat of SRP removed the first coat? if not i will apply two coats when i do the winter prep.

when applying SRP and EGP is is best to apply to whole car and then remove or do a panel at a time and remove before moving on to the next panel ?

Should i go for the normal Nattys Paste Wax or the Blue one ? again should this be applied to whole car or panel at a time. How long will the Nattys last over EGP ?

need to buy some more microfibre cloths - are there any that are better than others.

I like the sound of the Wolfgang stuff but with a wife and two young boys i dont get as much time as i would like to cleasn the car so every 6 - 8 weeks doing a full detail would be pushing it (thats why i have liked using EGP, lasts for ages)

Again thanks for the advise.

[steelwind101]

Hi

Im not totally sure that two coats of SRP are going to benefit you too much, maybe if they are layed very gentle but i wouldent bothered.

EGP needs time to set up so the same with SRP, i would apply to the whole car and then remove. It should come off easily enough but the coolor the weather the longer it takes to set-up.

EGP takes around 40 mins to an hour before you aready to remove. It should just wipe off clean and easy.

Nattys wont last very long and i find the the orginal looks best over EGP. Its more of a nice tough that will last about 6 weeks. The new Red one is suppose to be better then both the Blue and Original.

However, if you want a wax that will last a little longer then take a look at Elitecarcare and see the wax XMT 180 here is a blue car getting the works http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/7165-corvette-did-xmt-180-a.html .

With regard the Wolfgang it would just be a case of topping up the Sealant every 6-8 weeks not the full process.

With the applicaters, i would get the Meguiars Even Coat Applicators for the SRP and the thiner ones for EGP + wax. If your on a budget or not so picky just get the round ones!! The Meguiars Even Coat Applicator allow you to get a better grip and worth the SRP better.

Geoff

[steelwind101]

BTW!! When your out of NXT detailer get the Meguiars Ultimate Detailer. You will notice immidate slickness to the paintwork, an increase in depth and wetness on plastic and paintwork. It also repels water for around 3 weeks, drying after washing is a complete time saver as this stuff beards and sheets sooooo well.

It smells great too!!

Geoff

[spikeyboy]

Thanks Geoff.

Will put my order in today - looking forward to seeing the results - will post some pics once shes done.

David

[spikeyboy]

Finally got round to cleaning the car today (having been away on business for the last week).

1) Foamed with Megs Hyper Wash left to dwell whilst i cleaned the wheels, then rinsed the whole car.

2) Washed with Megs NXT wash and megs mitt and rinsed off.

3) Dried with new Sonus DerWunder drying microfibre.

4) Applied AG SRP to whole car using Megs even coat applicator and left for 1 hour (whilst i cleaned windows with AG glass polish) then buffed off with micro fibre.

5) Applied AG EGP using megs foam applicator and left for around 1 1/2 hours, then buffed off.

6) Applied XMT 180 and buffed up with a micro fibre towel

Really pleased with the results - the NXT 180 adds to the depth of colour rather than finishing with just the AG EGP. Have to say that using the right applicators etc, rather than old shirts, made application a lot easier as well.

And the end results (sadly the light wasnt that good for the photos)- you can also see my little helper

[steelwind101]

WOW!!

The car looks really really good, pic #4 looks awesome!! Im glad the XMT 180 wax worked out, it really had made that colour look deep and wet.

I guess you cant take all the credit for the hardwork, cute kid!!

Geoff

[spikeyboy]

Sorry just one more question.

How long should i expect the AG SRP and AG EGP to last before i need to reapply ? i will be giving the car another coat of XMT180 this weekend and then using NXT QD when washing.

Also does the AG SRP and AG EGP breakdown over time, or if i kept topping up the XMT180 would this mean i wouldnt need to apply the SRP and EGP ?

Hopefully this is not a silly question

David

[steelwind101]

Hi Spikey

No its not a silly question!! Um, The elements so to speak wont acutally get to your EGP until until your XMT breaks down. You might notice beading becomes bigger of in a weird pattern if you left your current coats of XMT for a number of months. But this doesnt mean your not protected, simply that the finish of your LSP isnt giving a high surface tention due to XMT being there in some places and not others.

Ideally you would want to cleanse your paint 2-4 times a yr. So when winter is over i would feel tempted to start again with SRP.

After a while lots of wax products (months of regular applications) "CAN" lead to less sharp relfections, a hazy look on the paintwork etc. Simply b/c there is a such a large build up of product, uneven as well as it gets broken down more in some areas but not others then waxed over etc.

I hope somewhere in that lot there is an answer, i intended there to be at the begining!! The often (once every 6 weeks say) you apply XMT the chances of EGP break down are greatly reduced.

Geoff

[spikeyboy]

Thanks Geoff - it makes perfect sense and was also the answer i was hoping for.

David