Looking to Up my game.

[timmythechef]

As most people, I enjoy taking my time cleaning my car, and putting effort into it. But I'd say Im average at the minute, and looking to go another step further.

I currently use the,

2 B M,
2 Microfibre mits to wash, one for top of the car, one for bottom,
a tar and bug remover pad with mesh,
a brush and microfibre cloth on the alloys with megs wheel cleaner
Drying towel
3 microfibre clothes, 1 to apply polish, 2 to buff off.

Used to have a machine polisher, but sold it, as i thought im such a noob id do more damage than good.

Been watching 'claying' videos, seems easy aslong as you follow direction of the air flow, been wondering about wax though, is it easy enough to apply and buff off with a machine polisher?

Any tips would be very helpful.

The paint on the car at the minute is 'In very good condition', which i have been told, next to no swirling at all.

Heres a few pics.

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b453/timmythechef/2011-09-08150855.jpg
http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b453/timmythechef/2011-09-08150839.jpg
http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b453/timmythechef/6159271409_97052591c7_z.jpg
http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b453/timmythechef/2011-09-22140030.jpg

Thanks.

[jordysaxobby]

i use polishing sponges to put polish on easier quicker and you use less polish/wax then just wipe off with microfibre cloth

[welshy23]

When your at the washing with a "sponge" stage, use Dodo Juice Wookies fist. Lovely piece of kit and you'll find it next to imposs to swirl the paint with it unless you havent done the pre stages to a good standard!

Also machine polishers are very easy to use if you get the right ones, i have a DAS6 and its an orbital machine polish instead of roatery, search through threads on here for the right pads and compound for the different types of swirling degrees and search you tube for how to machine polish... dont necessarily copy the equipment that you see them use or suggest but the techniques are normally good, aslong as you get videos that look proffesional and not some monkey in his front garden. But what you are saying about your paint you dont need to do that really, so save your money and i would invest in some long lasting, tough wax from say Dodojuice for ect (my personal fav, although search around other threads from other memebers and it will state other favs they like) and then after some good sealant to help further protect and add more shine.

If you have the moolah Dodo Juice do a wax called supernaturel for like £100ish a tub which is apparently like wax sex, iirc they do smaller pots for less, might wanna have a look into that or something?

[Ashleyp]

Audi paint is properly hard btw. you won't polish it properly by hand. i've tried on the BMW, it's ridiculous.

If it's something youre wanting to spend on, then go for a machine polisher, like the das 6 as mentioned above, menzerna polishes and CG hex-logic pads were what has been reccomended to me by various 'known' detailers that deal with hard paint.

If a machine polisher is what youre after, for the CG hex logic pads:

Yellow - cutting, for heavy swirls
Green - polishing, for mild swirls
White - finishing, fine pad for very light swirls.
Black - applying glaze etc (not needed, but if you wanted to use DA for it)
Red - applying sealant etc (again, not needed but if youre lazy like me...)

Polishes:

Menzerna - PO85RD 3.02 (PF2500) for polishing - mild to heavy swirls
Menzerna - PO106FA (SF4000) for final stage polishing - light swirls etc

your paint doesnt look too bad in the pics you've posted. so my uneducated opinion is that you wouldn't really need a polish any more abbrasive than listed above, and may not even need to use the yellow pad.

Claying, from experience is very beneficial. CYC's own claybar is on par with the more expensive sonus clay IMO. simple to use.
Youre likely to feel the clay slipping out of your hands lol, so i like to put a towel on the floor below the panel i'm claying, that way if i drop it it'll only land on the towel and not the dirty floor.

Glazes / sealants / waxes / wheel sealant are all things you may want to purchase too, as said by welshy - it's all down to your budget though dude! You don't need to spend loads though, and it's all value for money as the majority of your stuff will last a few years.