[Rednaxela]

Hello,

I spent the afternoon working on our 2007 Golf with super resin polish and extra gloss protection. All done by hand.
After I finished, the surface of the paint still felt rough when compared to the up!, especially the roof.

I did some reading online and the opinion was that electric polishers are good, especially the dual action type which is more forgiving for the novice than the ones that just spin round and round. (So the article said)

I have never used one, so I have no clue.

I'm wondering if anyone can offer me any advice.
Amazon have dual action types from £70 to £300. I would be looking to be spending under £100.

Are they worth it? I currently look after 3 cars, so I do quite a bit of wax on wax off.. Lol

 

[Itzben]

My golf was exactly the same, so I had a look around and 95% of people sad clay bar so before buying a eleccy buffer spend £20 on autoglym claybar everything you need is in the kit, and seriously the results are amazing!!

People do say elccy buffers are good but I prefer doing it all by hand, feels like a workout when I've finished lol

Hope that helps because I was stood in halfords debating spend £20 on this clay stuff I couldnt figure out how it worked but I'm so happy I did

 

[Davec86]

I have just bought a Dodo Juice Buff Daddy DA with the Auto Finesse revitalise treatment for £180.
I used it briefly today to remove a small scuff from the sill and the result is amazing.
I've always polished by hand, but I am converted.
There is absolutely zero possibility of getting the results you get from a DA with a polish by hand.
The result was not only the scuff completely gone, but the resulting surface was completely smooth, as glass (polished glass at that!) and just as shiny.
I would recommend that polisher after having done my research. You aren't limited to Dodo Juice though, and variant on the DAS-6 machine is worth it's weight. I promise you.

 

[Rednaxela]

Isn't "Dodo Juice Buff Daddy DA" a bad ass rapper.. Lol

Thanks for the feedback though. I will look into getting a clay bar, as I have heard of them, but had no idea what they did or how you use them. How do you use them? Is it easy?

I will look at that machine too. I had been looking at a Meguiars G220. I had assumed you used the machine for putting on the polish and then taking it off again, however from watching a video, it looks like you use a normal microfibre cloth to finish and not the machine.

 

[Davec86]

Sounds as though he could be! Haha. All the DJ products have amusing names.
The machine does all the cutting work for you, removing swirls and imperfections. How harsh it is depends on the combo of pad and compound you use. A new car with soft paint doesn't need too much though.
However giving it a proper polish means you don have to fill/hide swirls for a decent finish, you can actually remove them.
Clay is essential, maybe once or twice a year. If you're going use a DA, I'd clay the car first.
It's time consuming but easy enough, you simply lube the paint/clay and run it over to shave off any bonded contaminants, leaving you a smooth, clean finish. You'd be surprised at the results!

 

[Itzben]

Isn't "Dodo Juice Buff Daddy DA" a bad ass rapper.. Lol

Thanks for the feedback though. I will look into getting a clay bar, as I have heard of them, but had no idea what they did or how you use them. How do you use them? Is it easy?

I will look at that machine too. I had been looking at a Meguiars G220. I had assumed you used the machine for putting on the polish and then taking it off again, however from watching a video, it looks like you use a normal microfibre cloth to finish and not the machine.

I think the rapper is puff daddy

Clay bar is so easy! And The autoglym kit comes with instructions and every thing needed is included! My mate got the meguiars clay bar kit and I've also recently purchased dodo juice clay and born slippy lube (or something like that)

To clay a car 1st you wash, I dry and then in the kit comes a block of clay that I snapped in half (following some you tube vids) and a bottle of slip solution, you do a small area of the car at a time, spray the solution on the car and some on the clay, work the clay in your hands to make it flat and the wipe the clay over the vehicle, wipe off the excess solution and then go over with the polish (included in the autoglym kit) but on my up! I used hd wax as I didnt want to use polish on such a new car.

I might of missed a couple of steps out in my description but thats more or less it lol

 

[Lambo-27]

I noticed my Landrover had rough paint, got the Meguiars clay bar kit with everything included and it is now smooth as glass! that isdefinitelyyour problem and not the type of wax or polish your using

In the kit I bought you get:
2 clay bars
A box to prevent your clay bars drying out
1 bottle of quickdetailer(the lubricant to stop the clay sticking to the paint)
1 special finish microfiber cloth

and the easy to understandinstructionswere on the box, such an improvement!

 

[Davec86]

Clay will remove bonded contaminants, but the only way to remove swirls and imperfections is polish it, with a DA.
I rate clay, and it is necessary, but it's not a substitute for polish, just another part of the process

 

[Lambo-27]

I totally agree! I was just saying that when the original poster felt the paint and it felt rough he would probably need to clay bar it to reduce the rough feel.

I do love a good polish and I know the importance of it don't worry

 

[Davec86]

Good haha.
Yea, a periodic clay does work wonders

 

[Itzben]

Haha funnily enough I'm doing a clay and wax job this weekend before I go on my jollys next week, but after seeing your polisher Dave I may wait and look into one of them!!

 

[Davec86]

I think it's worth while, as soon as my new wax gets delivered I'll give her a polish and a few coats of wax.

 

[Lambo-27]

My up! was meant to be going to get detailed today

silly VW (grumble grumble grumble)

 

[Night Owl]

Ok Guys I have used Autoglim for many years and am very pleased with their products on my classic car and now on the Up! I have read this Blog ....but I can not get my head around what " Clay Bar ? " does.
Please help this " old git understand "

Go well.

 

[Davec86]

Quite simply, when you clean a car, you remove surface contaminants. Polishing by hand does this a little more so.
However, clay does a better job of it. It's pulls contaminants like tar etc that are bonded into the paint from it, leaving the surface smooth and free of damaging foreign objects.
You would then polish after to remove any marks in the paint, with a machine polisher going a little further than a hand polish, removing swirls and marks.
Clay is literally what it says on the tin, it's like a block of tacky modelling clay, it comes in different grades too, from fine to coarse, for different levels of contamination, the coarser ones being much more likely to damage paint in the process. However, with enough lubricant it's generally a fairly safe process.
Any help?

 

[Elfy]

Clay basically removes any contaminants in the paintwork, tree sap and road film that you may not see!

After cleaning the car, when you then clay afterwards you will be surprised at the amount of dirt that comes off onto the clay! It gives the paintwork a silky smooth finish and preps the paint for a decent polish! Before claying I would advise to de iron and de tar the paintwork first

 

[Lambo-27]

and it feels sssoooooooooo gooooood after! haha

 

[Elfy]

Dave beat me to it lol

 

[Davec86]

Haha. Between us I think we covered it there!

 

[Night Owl]

Thanks Guys....will get some. Elfie!!!! you are so ahead of me....I have spent years " just hand polishing my pride and joy" and won a few prizes at classic car shows, But times change and it is hard to keep up sometimes. Thank you all so much....Let the generations talk!
Go well.