Metallic paint polish

catoutthebag

I made the mistake of purchasing a metallic błavk car & it always looks dull and dirty unless it's been cleaned at the local European garage what's the best polish and cloth to use afterwards to deter mud and protect the shine, please

artbaron

Polish doesn't protect shine, polish abrades. Wax shines and protects. As for which to use, it depends how much you want to spend. Most polishes will do the job, the best ones are the likes of Dodo Juice.

neilmcl

As above polish doesn't protect, you need a good wax for that.

I use Autoglym super resin polish and, if I get the time wax the car a couple of times a year with a decent wax. Autoglym HD wax for example.

Personally I've seen the point of black or white metallics and black tends to show up dirt & scratches more than any other colour.

OddballJamie

One of our cars is black, I feel your pain. Only looks good one day a week.

catoutthebag

Thanks, friends

I've really fallen out with my car as a result, and I've only had it couple months (second hand), to the point of gleaming over auto trader for another. I know it sounds stupid, but after an European garage wash, it looks fresh for 3-4 days. Last washed it 2 weeks ago and needs another, but can't afford doing it. Had a silver car before & it would go a month without.

In fact, writing this has made me think to flog it for the previous model (mark 1 focus - some say is better, and was my first ever car), and save the extra grand I get into savings (or a future car down the line). Think it's the colour though more than anything. Thoughts?

Re: polish and wax - so I can use both ? Shroud I wax it after my European garage wash? May give it a go and see if it helps

neilmcl

How about washing it yourself, you'll probably make a better job of it and it'll be cheaper in the long run. To get the best finish, you'd need to wash, use a clay bar, polish then wax. If you do this properly you'll then only have to polish every 3 months or so and wax maybe twice a year.

Great advice can be found on detailingworld.co.uk but be careful or you may turn into a car wash addict.

catoutthebag

It's something I could do...though I have sensitive skin (yes could wear gloves )...and in a flat with communal parking so cars parked either side, yes, could go to the road around the corner but again it's quite narrow & I may be encroaching. Guess I find it easier & quicker to give £5 to the euro garage & then I baby wipe the inside myself. I've always liked the IDEa and the rewarding results but that would deffo turn me into a car cleaning addict :rotfl: I could try polish & wax after they've finished

banger9365

i know your pain,it takes me an hours to wash and wax my black car,every week ,but it did take an day to wash clay ,polish and wax for the first time ,
i also use Dodo Juice shampoo and wax,
best thing is it gets easier each time and you fined not a lot sticks to it too ,dead flies just wipe off

neilmcl

banger9365 wrote: »

i know your pain,it takes me an hours to wash and wax my black car,every week ,but it did take an day to wash clay ,polish and wax for the first time ,
i also use Dodo Juice shampoo and wax,
best thing is it gets easier each time and you fined not a lot sticks to it too ,dead flies just wipe off

If you're using proper wax rather than that instant stuff out of a bottle then you really don't need to be doing it every time you wash. Like I said earlier 2-3 times a year is all you need when it comes to waxing, any more than this and all you're doing is wasting your money not to mention your time.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

if you wash and polish every week, then you will need to wax every time after you polish as it will take the wax layer off! polish is an abrasive a soft form of cutting liquid.
dodo lime is the same as a abrasive polish, dodo purple shapoo is wax layer friendly, then i would use the dodo lime, then my fave claybar, then my fave polish, then my fave wax.

2x bucket method, 2x sponges, 2x microfibre mitts.
2x antistatic cloths 1x sponge polish applicator (or rotary buffer with lambs wool and polish cloth)
1x clay bar (optional the autoglym one is good or maguirs or dodo) 1x good polish (autoglym or maguirs or dodo what ever you can afford)

TFR (traffic film remover) extremely diluted and immeadiatly washed off with a shampoo (depending on the TFR used do not use on plastic or paintwork or brights)to get the pollutants and brake dust stains off your rims or trims then polish and wax up your alloy rims right away.

spend time on heating tarr splash up with your finger and microfibre cloth try a bit of WD40 if stubborn, or a bit of white spirrit or a alchohol wipes (see alfords search engine).

dry microfire wooly mitten wiped over black plastic will make them nice and shiny and take out excess white polish overwipe and remove the static charge, stubborn polish whitning on black, nail varnish remover and a microfibre cloth and get rubbing hard to remove it from the grained plastic.

tyres, i dont bother with, tyre gell holds dirt and grains, i get a shoe polish brush x2 1 for on and one for off sensai miyagi style, bit of shoe polish to rejuvinate and prevent cracking and nice black walls perfect.

ocd with paint work i say is preventative and reassuring measures.

neilmcl

As I said if you're polishing on a weekly basis (and having to apply wax) then you're doing it far too often, probably causing more damage to your paintwork and throwing your money and time down the drain. 2-3 times a year is all that's needed. Any professional detailer or product manufacturer will tell you that.