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What is the ultimate polish for metallic paintwork, something that protects, lasts a long time and gives really good results. I have tried most products and all seem much the same after a few weeks. My car is left out in the elements during winter as I use it a couple of times a week.
I don't have the patience for loads of prep work and multi coat polish systems, just a one coat that is easy to apply and works well.
There used to be a product called Harris's micro rapid, now that was a polish , but no longer available.

These days, you pay your money and take your choice. The smoother a surface is the better the shine that can be produced. That is how the expensive multi coat polishes work. One or more initial steps clean and smooth the surface. Then the final coating seals in the shine. If you have an aversion to extensive and/or regular cleaning why not investigate one of the paint coatings available? I've no direct experience of them (they were too expensive for me to use commercially in a previous life) but they appear to have the attraction of apply and forget. Other than that it will be "bob a job week" shortly... Mike.

Bob-a-jobbers? are you sure, I thought they had been hunted to extinction for their toggles many years ago. You mean the ones who would trash your car with a bucket of sand and scouring pads whilst you slept, and then ask for money. (and if you didn't pay them they would trash it for free). Thank you for the warning, we must be vigilant.

Err, you may be right. The passage of time has obviously dulled my memory of their value. Mike.

What is the ultimate polish for metallic paintwork, something that protects, lasts a long time and gives really good results.

Hi

I would visit http://detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php and have a good read.

The whole subject of detailing is vast, and a visit here will certainly turn your mind around and never let a sponge near your paintwork again!

I would warn you though, that it is adictive, and you may just become a bit of an anorak...

David

thanks bestgear,
well I suppose as long as it is a good British anorak, what the hell! Live dangerously

Sorry I missed this post when it was first raised (and prior to June hadn't been on the forum for a while).

Anyway when I buy a car (new or used) in the last few years I've always:

1) Wash it with simple green (but since this isn't available in the UK fairy liquid would probably be OK too) which removes all waxes and finishes.

2) wash with meguires or zymol carwash

3) spend 3 hours using a couple of bottles of point 2 in spray dispenser and a clay bar (even on a brand new car it's amazing the crud that comes off!)

4) use zymol wax cleaner

5) Use stages 2 & 3 of the meguires 3 step process

6) Use autoglym 'ultra deep shine

7) Apply a nano protectant sealant

It generally last around two years and in that period all I have to do is hose the car down

The downside is that when you go to one of those hand car wash places you have to ensure that there's no wax in their shampoo (and advise them that you don't want any wax). Otherwise the paint will have a strange optical illusion type smear. If it happens a very little washing up liquid in a bucket of warm water (so that it barely produces suds) will get rid of it.

I reckon this intensive cleaning warm single day has saved me about two weeks a year in cleaning.

Toodles for now.

Mark

Wow! You concours men put in a lot of hard work. I'm sure if you took your cleaning gear with you, you could make a lot of money at Newby Hall. I'll join the queue! Mike.

now I can at least appreciate the amount of work required to make the difference between 'shiny' and the need for dark glasses.
What is clay bar? (correct, I have never ventured beyond a wash and polish, and find that hard work nowadays). If I could find somebody who provides this sort of application and reliable, I think it would be money well spent.

I actually enjoy doing it, shame then that we rarely have the weather

Realistically you need a warm dry but overcast day and I don't remember too many of those in the last few years.

It can't be too:

1) cold as my arthiritis plays up and the claybar needs to be permeable, 2) sunny as you have to claybar the car when the surface is wet.

Painter, a clay bar is a very fine bar of clay about the size of a bar of soap and about the consistency of cold blu-tak. If your car is clean you can do the whole job with a quarter of a bar, if a lot of contaminents then half a bar (you just used small pieces at a time).

Halfords used to sell them up until 2000 and when they cleared them out (for £1 a bar) I bought 10, they don't go off. I think the meguires ones are around £15 each now.

The difference after clay-barring is very noticeable as you shouldn't feel any imperfections in the paintwork at all. I've been amazed at the swarf and rust lifted from the paintwork of even new cars I've bought...I assume this is from storage and transportation. The end result should be as close to a mirror finish as is possible.

Mark
PS: I've not done my XK in two years as we've simply not had the weather So don't expect my car to look too pristine at the moment!

Hi MarkyM,
well even I am pretty sure that you dont hammer the clay bar over the paintwork then rip it off like my wifes leg wax! but how is it applied? Is it a cleansing agent applied with cloth (like a light scratch remover?)

Hi MarkyM,
well even I am pretty sure that you dont hammer the clay bar over the paintwork then rip it off like my wifes leg wax! but how is it applied? Is it a cleansing agent applied with cloth (like a light scratch remover?)

Spray the surface of the paint with detailer and wipe with the clay bar keeping the surface wet at all times, when the clay becomes contaminated fold it to a clean face and continue

thanks Bassman,
I will try the process on my wife's car first just in case I make a complete b*lls of it. These materials sound expensive but if the finish lasts 2 years I'd say well worth the effort.