Member Since: 28 Sep 2012
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 133
How to clean your sport the right way. Tips and product info
Hi Guys
After seeing some posts on cleaning your sport, I thought I would help by putting my own personal techniques on cleaning your car. This post will show you, how I believe is the way to get your sport looking good, and how easy it is to keep it in top form.
For this, I’m going to use my dad’s friends sport autobiography. It’s black and though not very old is already looking tired from bad wash techniques. He had always had his car washed by a guy who came around to his office, but felt it was looking tired from bad technique as well as dirty mitts and water. He had decided he wanted to start taking care of it himself bad had had no idea to get it back to its former glory when he purchased it from new.
So I helped him out and made it look way beyond what it did from the dealership.
To start with, I cleaned all the door shuts, gaps, traps and badges. For this I used a detailing brush and surfex degreaser. I then rinsed the shuts with an open house. This removed all the grime that gets trapped there on a day to day basis.
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Once these were completed it was time to move onto removing the excess dirt on the surface of the vehicle. The last thing you want to do is clean the surface with a mitt, when the body is covered in so many contaminants. So for this job, it’s time for the snow foam. This will help loosen all the surface dirt from the vehicle, making it easier to remove when rinsing. This is sprayed completely over the vehicle, including the inside arches and seals. The snow foam is left for 10 minutes and then completely rinsed off. With this comes all the surface dirt, making the car a lot cleaner, even before you actually start washing. By completing this, your mitt will now not pick up large chunks of dirt, which will scratch the hell out of your lacquer.
Click image to enlarge
Next, it’s time to wash! For this we use 2 buckets, one for shampoo and one for rinsing our mitt in. This way you keep your wash water clean; your mitts clean and stop anymore marring or swirling. For this I would choose a decent ph neutral shampoo that’s not going to leave holograms from all the silicone in it. This is not a good look, especially on a black vehicle. Also if you can, buy a separate mitt for the top half and another for the lower half. The lower half of any vehicle always gets really dirty. So what you clean your lower half today with, is not what you want to clean the top half with next week. Also try to rinse the mitt in the rinse bucket after every panel and make sure you wash in straight lines as oppose to a circular motion. This is why you get swirls in lacquer from circular washing, drying and buffing. Remember if you work in straight lines, it may not stop the lacquer from being scratched, but the sun doesn’t catch a straight light scratch as bad as a curved scratch. So visually it will always look better.
After this was completed, the car was given a chemical bath with iron x. This removes all the iron filaments attached to the lacquer that will affect the overall finish as this sport is being corrected. So to me was essential for me to do it. You spray this over the paint and the glass and leave for 10 minutes to take effect. I then re wash the vehicle to remove excess and to flush the iron fillings from the paint.
Once this was done it was time to give the car a good rinse with the jet washer, paying special attention to the lower seals and arches. The car was then brought inside to dry for which I use a 70/30 towel. These are thick soft pile towels that are made from the softest most absorbent material you will find. There designed for car drying and need no ringing out. You will dry a sport with one of these towels and will only need to go around it once.
This is not a necessity but I then went around the car, removing the water from all the badges, grilles, shuts, gaps and traps. This was completed with a warm air blower, which then stops the problem you get when you drive off and water starts streaming from all those hidden gaps.
At this point I will start removing tar spots. This can be done between the wash stages but I only complete it then if the car is really bad. If it’s not too bad then I use a damp microfiber and go around the individual areas to remove the tar.
Now it’s time for the car to be clayed. This is essential before any machine work as it removes the contaminants that are attached to the glass and paint. These contaminants can be acid rain marks, tree sap, pollen and general fallout. For this I like to use dodo juice gentle grey clay and Meguiars last touch for the lube. Once I have clayed all the paint and glass, I then give the car a full IPA wipe down. This removes the entire clay sling and removes any silicone from the paint. So any products that are masking any swirl marks will be removed and now show the paint in its true state. This is why I will now inspect the paint work for defects and see what I have got to fix.
On this particular range rover you will see that its particuly covered in swirls marks and mainly rids which angle themselves almost in a hexagonal shape. These are a little harder to remove then light swirls, but never the less I will be removing them.
Now range rover paint is pretty much intermediate when it comes to correction its lacquer. This means it’s not soft like Japanese paints and it’s not hard like VAG paints. But from experience all post 57 reg land rovers seem to have a very strange lacquer indeed. It’s pretty hard but at the same time it’s quite sticky. This means it heats up quite quickly and clogs the polishes you’re using to remove the defects which are a major pain. Due to this it is best to use a wool pad as though they are very aggressive, they don’t heat up nowhere near as much as various foam pads. So if you keep the heat down then your polishes won’t clog up, which means there a lot easier to spread.
Click image to enlarge
So as you can see under the halogen lights this is the close up of the bonnet. Here you can see the scratches what were making the paint appear dull and tired. This is what I will be removing from the paint which will bring the life back into the paint. In the end I used Meguiars 105 compound on a lake country wool pad to remove all the heavier swirls and defects. I then followed this up with Megs 205 on an orange lake country CCS pad as the wool pad leaves defects of its own. I then refined the finish with G-Techniq P2 as this is the only refining polish that is completely water based and 100% silicone free. The reason for this is because we want to have a true finish with no silicone masking any swirls marks. At the end of the day were doing this to remove defects not mask them. Also this range rover I was crystal glass coating and unlike wax it needs a silicone free surface to bond too. Here are some various shots from the correction stage.
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Once this was completed the entire paint was coated in Gtechniq C1 crystal lacquer. This product is superb in terms of durability. If the paint is correctly prepped and is silicone/contaminant free, then it will last well over 2 years solid. The problem with these dealership products such as life shine and superguard is they just don’t work. On top of them being a poor product, the cars fitting it haven’t correctly prepped the paint, so it won’t bond correctly. Therefore it only lasts a short period and gives no durability. So remember guys it’s not just the product, it’s all in the prep. It’s also advised to keep the vehicle inside for 24 hours after application to let it bond like concrete. If you do this, it really will help its durability and give you that genuine 2 year durability. The same was completed for the glass with Gtechniq G1 and C4 was used for all the exterior plastics. This product will completely re dye the plastic to factory colour and is a permanent fix to discolour trim, so great product. All the rubbers were treated to swissvax rubber seal as it’s my personal favourite in keeping seals supple and stops them from perishing. Now the wheel cleaning wasn’t mentioned because these wheels were being coated with C5 inside and out. So because of this the wheels are removed and cleaned. If they weren’t being removed and protected, then they would have been the first things I would have cleaned. But in these circumstances there completed last. The wheels were removed and cleaned inside out my own personal way. These are the stages.
Bilberry wheel cleaner sprayed inside and out and left to dwell.
Agitated with a detailing brush and rinsed.
Iron x sprayed inside out and left to dwell.
Agitated with a detailing brush and rinsed.
Outside tyre sprayed with surfex degreaser, scrubbed with a tyre brush and rinsed.
Alloy dried with the warm air blower.
Tar removed with tardis and a damp microfiber.
Full IPA wipe down inside and out to remove silicone, ensuring clean surface for C5 wheel protection.
C5 applied inside and out and residue removed.
The wheel is placed back on and torque to the correct setting and the tyre is dressed with swissvax pneu. It’s my dressing of choice as it leaves a lovely matte finish and I’m against shiny tyres
The exhaust tips were polished with optimum metal polish on a mother’s power ball attached to a drill and the car was given a final dust down with a dodo juice supernatural wool duster.
Here are the final shots. The car in total took 39-41 hours from beginning to end, but now the car was back to better then new and was now protected with crystal lacquer to ensure long term protection and light scratch resistance. By doing this the car will now be extremely easy to keep in perfect condition just from a quick wash and rinse, literally. Hope this little right up helps and I do apologise if I have missed anything but its late and I’m feeling really tired lol. If you have any questions I’ll be more than happy to help.
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Always clean.
Mon Oct 01 2012 11:45pm
Superclean
Member Since: 28 Sep 2012
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 133
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Also just in case, Elite Car Care is not my company or do I work for it. My firend owns it and I rent his unit from him. Also the pictures were down on my iphone so not the best quality!
Cheers
MikeAlways clean.
Mon Oct 01 2012 11:50pm
cossiedave
Member Since: 20 Jun 2012
Location: lancaster
Posts: 882
what a tip top job that is
Tue Oct 02 2012 6:31am
Ady 555 Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2010
Location: Good old yorkshire
Posts: 8738
Fantastic step by step guide and great results there Mike. Excellent job
Tue Oct 02 2012 7:38am
Bradders
Member Since: 08 Oct 2009
Location: Leeds
Posts: 2515
Yep - nice post and definitely on the right tracks there !FF 4.4 V8 Soooo looking forward to this bad boy
Ex 2006 RRS SC - garbage
Ex 2016 135i M Sport - dream car
Ex 2003 RS6 Avant - piece of cr*p
Ex 2014 320d X Drive, M Sport Touring - ok I guess
Ex 2007 RRS TDV8 - bloody loved it
EX 2007 FL2 XS - not so bad
Tue Oct 02 2012 8:12am
Pufftmw
Member Since: 23 May 2012
Location: Carmarthenshire
Posts: 1052
How much?!
Tue Oct 02 2012 9:26am
andman
Member Since: 08 Oct 2011
Location: la vella
Posts: 1155
Top draw job......
++++1 for G tecniq products
Great post2014.5 SDV6 AB Dynamic ... Fuji /Santorini Pan roof and 22's
2013 Porsche Boxster S 3.4
2014 Audi A3 S line Quattro
---------------------------------
Tue Oct 02 2012 1:37pm
JoeRRS
Member Since: 04 Feb 2011
Location: Eaglescliffe
Posts: 217
Pufftmw wrote:
How much?!
+1
Tue Oct 02 2012 3:18pm
Beancounter_74
Member Since: 11 Oct 2011
Location: Down here now...
Posts: 5796
I'm guessing you might want o speak to Martin (site owner) Superclean about some sponsorship due to your 'low key' advertising ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior
GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass
Tue Oct 02 2012 3:38pm
awd man
Member Since: 30 Nov 2010
Location: Malmesbury
Posts: 3355
"Also just in case, Elite Car Care is not my company or do I work for it. My firend owns it and I rent his unit from him"
I'm not sure he's selling a service Bean..just showing us his technique RRS gone
Audi SQ5...Gone Audi Q7 S-Line 240 3.0TDI Gone
Audi A6 Allroad Sport 270 3.0TDI
Tue Oct 02 2012 3:42pm
npinks Site Moderator
Member Since: 26 Nov 2007
Location: Watching
Posts: 6716
BC I was thinking the same
I know a lot of us like to keep things clean, and this thread is along those lines and helping others, but could also be misconstrued as a see what i can do for you thread too
as proof, there are 2 asking for prices of this type of work
Tue Oct 02 2012 3:43pm
Superclean
Member Since: 28 Sep 2012
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 133
Hi guys
Sorry if it seems that way, so if the mods want to take it down, that's totally understandable. Just thought it would be a good insight on what to use and how to do it. If the mod would like to contact me that would be great. The site seems like its got some good guys on here and don't want my post to come across as spamming for business.
Cheers
MikeAlways clean.
Tue Oct 02 2012 3:48pm
Beancounter_74
Member Since: 11 Oct 2011
Location: Down here now...
Posts: 5796
awd man wrote:
"Also just in case, Elite Car Care is not my company or do I work for it. My firend owns it and I rent his unit from him"
I'm not sure he's selling a service Bean..just showing us his technique
Agree with the first part re ECC, it's owned by Alix, but I guess renting a unit (assuming its the one pictured) from him would imply that it's your business to detail cars. Or am I being too skeptical.
Also, the fact that 2 people have already inquired (and I guess others via PM ) about prices.........still, I guess the acid test is if they receive quotes or not ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior
GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass
Tue Oct 02 2012 3:55pm
defender_uk
Member Since: 08 Aug 2006
Location: North Yorkshire, Pickering
Posts: 169
looks superb...having the facilities to do all that is a big help though.....
Tue Oct 02 2012 5:20pm
rrsboy
Member Since: 06 Jan 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 1391
ah
for all the effort of the post he should be allowed to leave it up!
how much? ============
2010 TDV8 HSE - ooo laa laaaaaaaaa
2007 TDV8 HSE - superb car and very reliable
============
2012 - dearly departed, sadly missed.. to return in late 2013 with a new TDV8!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Mon Oct 01 2012 11:50pm
) about prices.........still, I guess the acid test is if they receive quotes or not 
)
