Advice about car polish and wax

ripplyuk

When I bought the car almost 2 years ago, I was given a whole kit of Autoglym products. I've always just washed the car and then used aquawax occasionally, but today, I decided to use the super resin polish.

I followed the instructions which said to wash it first, then apply and buff it off. The car looks lovely. However, I've been reading up a bit and lots of people say you must wax after polishing. It didn't say this on the bottle! Does this apply to all polishes? I'm wondering if the Autoglym one is different somehow. Does the 'resin' mean it has wax already?

Also, is it true that polish actually strips a layer of paint off? I'm now worried I've done more harm than good.

straighttalker

Polish is meant to restore paint and can strip a layer of paint off. However this only really occurs if you have applied it by machine i.e. a rotary polisher or DA machine. If done by hand, you won't have done any damage at all. Polish is an abrasive which take a little layer off the top of the clear coat. Dependent on the type of polish you buy, it can be quite mild or harsh. Autoglyp SRP is pretty safe and is a decent polish for a newbie to use. I would definitely recommend putting some wax on top though. The wax protects the paintwork and also adds gloss.

Retrogamer

Applying a wax or sealant on after the polish is recommended to maximise the results as it will (depending on the one you chance) enhance the shine & colour further and protect the paintwork against UV rays and the weather.

Minrich

Autoglym SRP is a filler and will hardly remove any thickness of paint or clearcoat. Wax is alot of effort , find some stuff that is quick to apply and buff off . I use HD Wax , alot of effort and washes off quickly . I bought a Land Rover so don't do much bodywork rubbing anymore !

photome

I have just tried poorboys nattys paste wax on my new car (after polishing and sealing) it is great value and relatively simple to use as it can be used in sun or shade.

Did take a bit of effort to buff but great result

Iceweasel

If you check on the Autoglym website you'll find that the recommended finishing touch after using AG SRP is AG EGP (Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection)

It's a protecting sealant coating.

It's as thin as water - you just spread it over the car after buffing the SRP - wait at least 30 minutes then it too buffs up super easy.

It's so easy - no need for lashings of elbow grease - or a machine polisher.

Oh and it lasts for up to a year.

ripplyuk

All I have is the Aquawax and there's not much left. There was no other type of wax included in the kit. Would a different wax or the the Autoglym extra gloss protection be better than Aquawax?

force_ten

as ice says use autoglym extra gloss protection on top of the SRP for a lasting finish

once done a spritz over with a quick detailer after a wash will keep you paint looking nice

DUTR

ripplyuk wrote: »

All I have is the Aquawax and there's not much left. There was no other type of wax included in the kit. Would a different wax or the the Autoglym extra gloss protection be better than Aquawax?

Depends what you call better?
the extra gloss protection is a sealant which is similar (if not the same) as the stuff used in those £300 paint protection the dealerships offer.
Worth using if you have good paintwork and leaves the panels easy to clean especially after bird lime, it would be worth getting a bottle, it's not too much in the grand scheme and a little goes a long way. Often with car cleaning less is more.

Iceweasel

ripplyuk wrote: »

All I have is the Aquawax and there's not much left. There was no other type of wax included in the kit. Would a different wax or the the Autoglym extra gloss protection be better than Aquawax?

EGR will be better - it's specifically designed to go on top of the SRP.

There are products that will give a better finish - but they cost 5 times as much and require 10 times more input effort to do it.

As force ten suggests a quick spray over with a Rapid Detailer (after washing with AG Shampoo & Conditioner) will give longer lasting effectiveness.

All the products I use are from AG because I believe that they compliment each other and were engineered to work well together.

Other makes would/should/could give similar good results - but I don't believe in mixing brands after a horror bad reaction I produced years ago which has made me very wary of experimenting.

Check Halfords for their 3 for the price of 2 offers which they often run on car cleaning kit.