Detailed with Meguiars DA Microfiber Correction system

[Ginola]

So I finally found some time (and weather) to give the car paintwork a much needed refresh and a chance to try out the Christmas pressie on it too, namely a Das6 Pro+ with the Meguiars DA specific compound and wax finishing + microfibre pads.

Started this on Saturday, but weather and time ran away with me so needed to finish today.

(please excuse telephone photos!)

Day1

First step was to Wash, Snow foam followed by (2 bucket for body 1 for wheels) . I wont bore you with snow foam pics you have seen them all before!

Next was deep clean, so Tardis on all lower panels doors/boot lid spray on then agitated gently with a microfibre mit. followed by Iron X, left to bleed but didn't really find very many purple streaks! in all honesty there is not a lot left after the Tardis.

I then popped the bonnet covered the air filter and liberally doused the engine bay in Autoglym Machine Cleaner, left to soak for a minute or so then agitated everywhere with a small brush, then rinse & dry with a microfibre where you can. Once dry I applied a small amount of rubber/vinyl care to the pipework and plastics, It looks clean again!.





Back to washing again this time with a Clay mit to remove any remaining contaminants, I think I need a new one as there was more surface marring from this than normal, still its a lot quicker than using a regular clay, though I think for the future I will bight the bullet, buy some nice soft clay for the soft Subaru paint and add an extra hour or two back into my detailing regime.

Once all of the above is finished, rinse down and pat dry with large microfibre towel.

I managed to get all the tape applied and make a first pass at compounding the bonnet before the weather took a turn and it started to spit with rain!! GRRR! so I shoved the car in its bed and called it a night (tape un all!)



Day2

Gave the car a very gentle dust off and then continued with the compounding. This D300 stuff is quite aggressive and still finishes very well, so not a lot of passes are needed to remove even quite deep swirling and marks. Unfortunately its an apply in the shade only product. so this meant working on one side of the car, including polishing with the final polish/wax product D301 turn it round and work on the other, until such time as there was enough shade to get to work on the bonnet,

I very nearly went out and purchased a Gazebo, but decided it would waste too much time going to the shops to get it!

I even found time to mop the headlights with compound and polish them up, which worked very well, a testiment to how good these compounds are is after this shot was taken (the below photo is 1 pass with the compound) I removed the tape mopped over the rubber and bonnet line, the residue left simply wiped away with ease.



Once all the polishing was finished.. the tape removed and the windows cleaned.. well I am very happy with the results, its super slippery all over and the finish is great.



Thank you Handbrake for "buffing my splitter" and this pic

[BIG"E"]

Looking good Dave..



ps. your washer bottle needs filling..

[Scott.T]

I prefer it with the blue tape. It looks very 'Tron'.

Good work

[scotty]

Looking beautiful as per SOP's .

[SamSTI]

Looks stunning Dave. I'll have to bring mine round so you can have another go with the DA lol.

[Matt23]

Awesome job you've done

[Frenchie]

Cracking job, what's a clay mit?

[Banstead Stig]

Very nice.

Mine needs a good machine polish. I've always done everything by hand for fear of an amateur cock up. How did you get proficient... just give it a go?

[munk]

very nice job.

[SpecB]

Puts mine to shame still got the harwoods dirt on it!

[Lucky]

Great job Dave. I'm going to invest in one of these I think. The results speak for themselves. I don't think I've actually cleaned a car 'properly' since selling the scoob.

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by Banstead Stig

Very nice.

Mine needs a good machine polish. I've always done everything by hand for fear of an amateur cock up. How did you get proficient... just give it a go?

Just give it a go. Slow and steady, a little pressure and let the DA do the work.
If your trying to remove a scratch it's actually safer with a machine as you work a larger area than you would rubbing hard by hand.

You proably only need a mild cut equivalent to Menzerna 2500, then a 4000-4500.
This will get rid of mild swirls noticeable under a sun/halogen lamp.
More obvious lacquer scratches I would go back to with a 500 if the above didn't clear them. It may not totally remove it but it will soften the edges to help lose it's visibility.

I started with a kit similar to this http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/machin.../prod_522.html so I've 'tuned' in to how Menzerna products cut, so tend to use them only for cutting. I then have various choices for wax/glaze depending on my mood and car colour.

Although saying all that my Scoob has never seen the DA. I've only used it on my Black SEAT Leon and White Audi.

[NL03Scooby]

Good stuff Dave, now comes the 'keeping it that clean' stage!

[Scott.T]

Dave
I recommend this stuff to keep it looking fresh : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detail.../prod_662.html

It's one of the best products I've come across and it works well on all surface/trim and all colours light&dark.
It's a really good universal product and worth buying more than 1 bottle.

[Ginola]

Cheers guys!,
To awnser Banstead stig aswell,
This is the 2nd time I've moped the scoob, The first time around I borrowed a DA and used Mezerna 2500 and 4000 I've done a few other cars before but not many, as long as you keep your mind on the job at hand it's pretty straight forward as Scott says. I've measured the paint depths on the car before staring previously but normally only a couple of microns are removed so it's generally not too much of a worry.

This is the kit I have.. http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polish...prod_1454.html

Cheers Scott I'm going to order some, nearly out of poorboys and megs QD now, not sure if I should apply another wax coat to this finish now, has to be carnauba wax only due to the megs finishing polish being loaded with carnauba, not sure I can get away with my regular dodo juice blue velvet pro as its a hybrid wax sealant.

[scotty]

Ive got a tub of poor boys canuba wax somewhere in the shed you can have if i can find it .

[The Handbrake]

Splitter polisher, sandwich maker, drinks maker to the rescue car looks great and I even managed to spring clean the home.

P.s I've ordered some of Scott's QD for you x2. Ty Scott

[NL03Scooby]

Originally Posted by The Handbrake

Splitter polisher, sandwich maker, drinks maker to the rescue car looks great and I even managed to spring clean the home.

P.s I've ordered some of Scott's QD for you x2. Ty Scott

I think we all need you in our lives Wanda, Dave is a lucky man!

[Banstead Stig]

Thanks chaps.

Think I'll just have to face my fears and have a go... I may need to get a responsible adult round to help. One of my friends has done his cars.

Does seem the only way to improve the overall results.

[iPond]

Impressive results, car looks awesome! Wish I had the time/patience/space to give mine this level of treatment. Might have to fork out for a professional pamper day instead.

[Banstead Stig]

If I get comfortable with a DA you can bring it round mine given how close you live.

We did a detailing day a couple of years ago with the Surrey Scoobies guys, but unfortunately the chap whose yard we used has moved jobs, so getting somewhere with enough room is tricky. I can accommodate one car though and having two people cracking on reduces the time and patience needed!

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by Banstead Stig

If I get comfortable with a DA you can bring it round mine given how close you live.

We did a detailing day a couple of years ago with the Surrey Scoobies guys, but unfortunately the chap whose yard we used has moved jobs, so getting somewhere with enough room is tricky. I can accommodate one car though and having two people cracking on reduces the time and patience needed!

I wouldn't want to rush it.
I think it took me about 3 days (on and off) to totally de-swirl my Leon panel by panel to my liking.

[Banstead Stig]

Originally Posted by Scott.T

I wouldn't want to rush it.
I think it took me about 3 days (on and off) to totally de-swirl my Leon panel by panel to my liking.

I usually spend two days giving the car a going over in any event, so I'm not one to rush either.

It's the prep which you can make lighter work of with two pairs of hands in my experience.

[Bolesroor]

Looks the business Dave, such a great looking car

[iPond]

Originally Posted by Banstead Stig

If I get comfortable with a DA you can bring it round mine given how close you live.

We did a detailing day a couple of years ago with the Surrey Scoobies guys, but unfortunately the chap whose yard we used has moved jobs, so getting somewhere with enough room is tricky. I can accommodate one car though and having two people cracking on reduces the time and patience needed!

Detailing day sounds good, remember seeing it mentioned on SS an thought it was a great meet idea. I start to run out of talent beyond a bucket and sponge and a bit of wax tho!

[Rdlangy1]

Super clean that Dave - great job

[oldskool]

thought id mention - i recently bought a new astra in metallic black as a daily - never had a black car before and looked forward to the challenge of keeping it looking slick but found water spots after rinsing where a real issue - i think we have really chalky water where we are so was looking at water filters @ circa £400 just to get a clear rinse -its a daily so i wanted a wash and polish routine that was quick and easy for routine cleaning in between major detailing sessions when you have more time etc - i noticed Dave mentioned patting it down with a microfiber cloth which is what i used to do then detail spray

anyway i tried an autoglym "water blade " and once id made sure it wasnt marking or scratching the car they are very good at removing rinse water so ill be using that regularly for days when im just washing and polishing

it was about £18 in halfords , they had cheaper ones there but as it was going near paintwork i thought it better to stay with a known branded one then chance some halfords tech or quality control piece of rubber



and yes Dave car looks excellent ! 10/10 for the effort that went into that

[Ginola]

Cheers all,

Thanks Wanda and Scott.T will give this stuff a go, detailing spray in recent times has made me worry about actually causing more harm than good when the car is even slightly dusty.

[Ginola]

Originally Posted by oldskool

i noticed Dave mentioned patting it down with a microfiber cloth which is what i used to do then detail spray

anyway i tried an autoglym "water blade " and once id made sure it wasnt marking or scratching the car they are very good at removing rinse water so ill be using that regularly for days when im just washing and polishing

it was about £18 in halfords , they had cheaper ones there but as it was going near paintwork i thought it better to stay with a known branded one then chance some halfords tech or quality control piece of rubber



and yes Dave car looks excellent ! 10/10 for the effort that went into that

Cheers dude,
If you use a proper large drying towel and perhaps some drying aid or QD then pat drying is very quick the roof on the scoob for example is 3/4 patches with a mamouth drying town, once your technique is good it takes no time at all and there are no water spots or swirls and scratches, it takes me about 3 or 4 mins to completely dry the outside of the car and then another 5 or so to dry all the door shuts petrol cap/boot bonnet.

I would not use a blade no matter who made it, it only takes a grain of grit one time falling or landing on the car post wash for you to then leave a fresh scratch swirl across the car, undoing any hard work you've put in polishing before or worse.

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by Ginola

Cheers all,

Thanks Wanda and Scott.T will give this stuff a go, detailing spray in recent times has made me worry about actually causing more harm than good when the car is even lightly dusty.

Bottle labels are looking alot more slick than the old black/white prints.

[NL03Scooby]

Originally Posted by Ginola

Cheers all,

Thanks Wanda and Scott.T will give this stuff a go, detailing spray in recent times has made me worry about actually causing more harm than good when the car is even slightly dusty.

Had some of this stuff delivered today too, looking forward to giving it a whirl.

[Scott.T]

It's great on dark colours for getting rid of the smears.
Sometime when you polish/wax when you look back at the car you can see your cloth smears. A quick run over with the P40 and it should look smear free.

[Frenchie]

AS you know I'am soon (7 weeks) to get my new car. Just wondered what process would be best to get a good coat of wax on the car.Thanks.

[SpecB]

I've also been really impressed with the poorboys QD+ Works great sun or shade

[Ginola]

Originally Posted by Frenchie

AS you know I'am soon (7 weeks) to get my new car. Just wondered what process would be best to get a good coat of wax on the car.Thanks.

I'd go with a wash/decontaminate(ironx/clay) then a very light compound / polish and good coat of sealant top with wax if you want too but not needed. I'd be tempted with one of the G-technic sealants as they last for ages.

[Ginola]

Originally Posted by BlueBugEye

I've also been really impressed with the poorboys QD+ Works great sun or shade

I really liked the last bottle of Poorboys I had too, I would buy that again as well.

[Frenchie]

Thanks for the info Dave.For the wash/decontaminate and light compound/polish what makes would you recommend.

[NL03Scooby]

Got this to try out, it's a bit lazy of me but if it gives good results it could be a good product to use regularly if you haven't got lots of time for many stages. Probably a good substitute for regularly driven cars like mine that can't have the super fresh look all the time.

[Ginola]

Originally Posted by Frenchie

Thanks for the info Dave.For the wash/decontaminate and light compound/polish what makes would you recommend.

I'll pop a few choices on a list tonight on the bottom of here, Hopefully PieMan will pop on and correct anything he doesn't like the look of I put for new cars

[Frenchie]

Thanks mate

[Frenchie]

Hi Dave, when you have a moment could you list your choices for first car clean, thanks.

[Ginola]

Originally Posted by Frenchie

Hi Dave, when you have a moment could you list your choices for first car clean, thanks.

Crap sorry dude totally forgot!

I would go with something mild really for initial use and see how you got on..

Something like a good wash 2 bucket (snow foam and soft clay followed by menzerna 2500 cut and then 4000 or 4500 polish (same brand really) you could then use some panel wipes and clean that down completely to be left with an untouched / unpolluted surface to work on then finish with a really good sealant or wax of your choice, I'm a fan of the dodo juice pro hardwax's but on a new car I would be tempted with a Gtechniq Exo v2 & Gtechniq C1 Liquid Crystal Kit.

there is no need for a glaze on something brand new there should not be any big defects that need extra filling.

I'd also remove and clean the wheels thoroughly then go over with iron-x and and give them a good polish followed by a good wheel sealant, Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour would be my choice here (this will be going on my new wheels soon !)

[Frenchie]

Great advice,thanks Dave.

[Scott.T]

I agree with Dave with regard to the Menzerna but you robably don't need the 2500 unless the dealer made a mess of it. Menzerna seem to of dropped the 4000, so this is a 3800 : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polish.../prod_218.html

Poor Boy's Black Hole is very good for dark colours (blacks, blue's grey's etc), making them deeper and removing any wash or polish marks i.e where you stop and start with a rag can leave polish residue : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/index....&productId=494

Follow this with a seal with Natty's paste wax (blue) : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/index....d&productId=11 (Bubble Gum Smell !!!!)

And as mentioned above, to keep it fresh and even use on black window surrounds, side/rear windows and rubbers, the P40 detailer : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detail.../prod_662.html.

For the Wheel Cleaner :
Bilberry Wheel Cleaner concentrate : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/index....&productId=499
Dilute it into this : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/access...prod_1244.html , I use 50ml (turkey baster or a spray can cap full approx.) then top up with water
Brush on with this : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels.../prod_973.html, followed by your usual soap/sponge and rinse.

[Frenchie]

Thanks Scott for additional info.

[thepieman]

Pretty much whats been said above

Would go with Dave and use 2500 (or similar) even on a new car........ the filler heavy products and any so called 'easy clean' / 'protective' type products the dealer will have used want to come off.....

As Dave says, use a panel wipe or IPA mix to remove and residues after polishing and before any further applications of products....... agree with Scott about the use of a glaze but use the IPA/panel wipes to remove residue and not the glaze....

a glaze coat will really enhance the depth/ wet look, although if you work through the stages of the polish and refine correctly, you can jewel the paint without it but you'll be adding multiple passes..

Go for a sealent and wax combination, sealent always first....... and use products that give you the finish you like......





Although the 3-1 product in the thread is Menzerna and WILL give good results, IMO steer clear of any 3-1 type products! A 'cut' will break down at a different rate than a 'polish' and a 'cut'/'polish' will remove wax

Hence why different products require different techniques/ speeds etc etc to fully break down.........

[Rdlangy1]

Very sound advice above

[Frenchie]

Might be easier if I just pay you to do it Ron��