Polishing question due to temporary lack of garage.

Submariner1

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Missing my garage, full of stuff I unherited eg 2 extra Lawnmowers etc.

My normal 3 monthly routine would be wash with autoglyms bodyshampoo, then clay, then 2 coats autoglyms red, then a coat of the autoglyms super resin polish. That finish for me is as good as I need. Cars looking better than when picked up from the showroom.

I would probably do the wash, wheels and one coat on Saturday and the other 2 coats on Sunday. Hate to admit it but doing all in a day is too much for me hmmm lets say age and a heart op ... shows!

My current problems are the weather! E.g I managed to wash, clay and get one coat of autogylms red on ... then presto, along came the dirty rain.

So now I need to rewash it and polish. Its a bit like one step forward one step back.

I guess my question (probably more tuned to us older folk) would a weak solution carwash ph neutral take off a lot of the polish? (Note I blow dry her so none is rubbed off with a chamoix ) .

Or am I better off doing it in sections like the roof and rear quarter panels, one day and the bonnet and front wings another etc.
Hate the idea, as one cant stand back and go "Lovely" :):)
 

LostKiwi

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I tend to leave mine well alone over winter - the beading even now is still there (and mine lives outside).
 

JBell

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My normal 3 monthly routine would be wash with autoglyms bodyshampoo, then clay, then 2 coats autoglyms red, then a coat of the autoglyms super resin polish. .

What is Autoglym Red?

Also what colour is your car?
 

Wighty

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If it has been a dirty rain overnight , just jet wash the car and dry again . As to will a soap mix wash off polish the answer is no it won't , but polish is more of a cutting paste to remove swirl marks and prepare paint for wax ...so washing it off isn't an issue , just clean the car and wax it , you have already prepared the paint for wax by polishing .
I think you could skip the regular polish stage to once a year especially if you are clay barring regularly .
 

Ant

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Have you tried Autoglym Aquawax? You shampoo the car, hose off and then spray & dry with Aquawax and microfibre cloths.
 

JBell

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I think he means Resin Polish which has a Red label

Can't do as OP said "2 coats autoglyms red, then a coat of the autoglyms super resin polish"
 

BernardB

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Don't like that sequence Sub. Polish should always be followed by wax. I also strongly recommend you join the Detailing World forum, where questions like these are asked and answered every day by some very knowledgeable people, many of whom are professional detailers.
 

JBell

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JBell

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Just as an FYI Sub this is the process I follow:

Wash
Clay (Bilt Hamber Auto Clay Regular)
Wash
Dry with Meguires "Water Magnet"
Polish with Autoglym Ultra Deep Shine (SRP for dark coloured cars)
Wax with Bilt Hamber Double speed Wax
Coat of Sonax Xtreme Brilliant Shine Detailer

Glass with AG Glass Polish then Sonax over the top apart from the windscreen

Black plastic with AG Bumper Trim Gel

Tyres with Meguires "Endurance High gloss Tyre Gel" applied with a Meguires Tyre Dressing Applicator.

You can put 4 coats of Sonax on, after this there is no benefit and it will just wash off, it will make keeping the car clean considerably easier as after the next few washes you just dry it off, one of the easiest products I have ever used

I clay once year or if needed on specific areas like the lower doors

End result


After rain
 
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Submariner1

Submariner1

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Submariner1

Submariner1

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Have you tried Autoglym Aquawax? You shampoo the car, hose off and then spray & dry with Aquawax and microfibre cloths.

No not tried it , as for me the 2 coats of super resin polish then the gloss protector is perfect.

I did try one of those not autoglyms wash and wax/polish off things ... horrible half baked result.
 

JBell

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Sorry my mistake
Its 2 coats of super resin polish, and then
the final coat is
https://www.autoglym.com/extra-gloss-protection

Its more of a slippery sealant than a polish.

EGP is the stuff that takes an age to dry

2 coats of SRP is pointless, you will get no benefit from the second coat and a proper Wax will be more useful over it.

Sonax is a better sealant than EGP and you just spray on and buff, no waiting for it to dry, much easier
 

AMGeed

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Just as an FYI Sub this is the process I follow:

Wash
Clay (Bilt Hamber Auto Clay Regular)
Wash
Dry with Meguires "Water Magnet"
Polish with Autoglym Ultra Deep Shine (SRP for dark coloured cars)
Wax with Bilt Hamber Double speed Wax
Coat of Sonax Xtreme Brilliant Shine Detailer

Glass with AG Glass Polish then Sonax over the top apart from the windscreen

Black plastic with AG Bumper Trim Gel

Tyres with Meguires "Endurance High gloss Tyre Gel" applied with a Meguires Tyre Dressing Applicator.

You can put 4 coats of Sonax on, after this there is no benefit and it will just wash off, it will make keeping the car clean considerably easier as after the next few washes you just dry it off, one of the easiest products I have ever used

I clay once year or if needed on specific areas like the lower doors

I follow almost the same regime. Meguiars clay mitt instead of Bilt Hamber, Autoglym SRP followed by Farecla G3 Wax. Use the same tyre dressing too and only two coats of Sonax BDS. That Sonax product is brilliant.
 

JBell

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I guess my question (probably more tuned to us older folk) would a weak solution carwash ph neutral take off a lot of the polish? (Note I blow dry her so none is rubbed off with a chamoix ) .

Going back to this part of your question:

Rinse with water, get some Meguires "Water Magnets" from Amazon You will need 2 to do that car, these will dry it with no damage.

Get some proper Wax, the B-H stuff I use is very easy to use (does exactly what it says on the tin).

Get some Sonax, it is massively easier to use than AG EGP, you literally spray it on and buff so no drying time.

If you do this you will greatly reduce the amount of work required to keep the car looking A1 and also the amount of effort needed.

Over the next 3 washes after drying put another coat of Sonax on, no need to do anything else and then clay once a year
 

Morethanpolish

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Without wishing to be unkind to the OP, the routine employed is very much a traditional one of the Old School of Polishers.

Technology and products have moved on and IMHO better products which require less effort to apply and last much longer are available from many brands. When you're getting on a bit investment in some new gear will pay dividends in terms of the elbow grease required and not having to deal with side effects like white residues on black trim, a famous downside of the AG products.

Its worth taking up some of the above suggestions or dropping me a PM so I can advise.
 

Craiglxviii

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Going back to this part of your question:

Rinse with water, get some Meguires "Water Magnets" from Amazon You will need 2 to do that car, these will dry it with no damage.

Get some proper Wax, the B-H stuff I use is very easy to use (does exactly what it says on the tin).

Get some Sonax, it is massively easier to use than AG EGP, you literally spray it on and buff so no drying time.

If you do this you will greatly reduce the amount of work required to keep the car looking A1 and also the amount of effort needed.

Over the next 3 washes after drying put another coat of Sonax on, no need to do anything else and then clay once a year

Sub,

to add to Jon's post.

I found some Meguiars Gold Class car wash solution in Halfords and gave it a go- really impressed. Even mmore so when I found it for sale at £12 a bottle in Costco a fortnight ago!

So my amateur way of cleaning, that works pretty well is:

Spray water all over the car, driveway and self with hosepipe.
Wash car using 2 bucket method with Megs Gold Class stuff. (I use a fleece mitt).
Rinse off using hosepipe, soaking everything else that I missed before and aiming at the kitchen window at least once if SWMBO is near it.
Dry the car using the one Water Magnet I bought, and the hundred-odd microfiber towels I bought from Costco for the same price as the Water Magnet. NB I have just bought a proper car squeegee now so I should be able to flick most of the water off first before mopping with the towels.
Spray on some Megs Ultimate Quik Wax spray, rub and buff.

All of the above takes almost exactly one hour per motor and gives me a month's worth of beading porn after.

I just bought myself a cheapo little DA polisher (Costco took a hammering last week) which I intend to use to bull up the 215 to a state of very high, nay extreme brilliance. I will then seal that with a coat or three of Collinite 845 wax which I invested in when I bought the car- I put three coats on the wheels at the start of 2016 and even now they bead water and laugh at dust/ dirt.
 

JBell

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I found some Meguiars Gold Class car wash solution in Halfords and gave it a go- really impressed. Even mmore so when I found it for sale at £12 a bottle in Costco a fortnight ago!

This is good stuff, I use AG Body Shampoo as it is cheap from Amazon at £11 for 5 liters last time I needed some
 

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