THE Fiesta Detailing Thread

[Gazjs]

Very nice greeny,

does using snow foam make that much of a difference to say water and megs nxt gen?

I have always been scared to put any wheel cleaners on my alloys, bilberry seems to have brought out a good shine on ur detail though.

[greenymk7]

as long as you mix bilberry in the correct way then its fine with alloys.

i spray on at the same time as foaming leave for a couple of mins then spray a little more and clean with a detailing brush.

the snow loosens alot of the stuck on dirty for when you then bucket wash the car.

[zetec turner]

Can anyone help?

i only got my zetec last Monday

but when i cleaned my 58 plate zetec i use to wash it then dry with a leather and that was it

never really bothered with it

but now i have the mk7 zetec in white I'm trying to put the effort in

i have just ordered the dodo juice diamond white

and born 2 be mild and a drying towel

But as i have never waxed a car before I'm just looking for some tips, do you polish as well do i need this lime lite you seem to talk about?

please help:D

[greenymk7]

You don't need lime prime at all.

if its fairly knew then it should need much more than just a wash with a few layers of wax on top.

wash using 2 buckets 1 with shampoo 1 plain water for rising your mitt/sponge

dry off making sure u get all the annoying places like the mirrors and cracks round the windows.

waxing, make sure u have a foam applicator pad, a half twist or maybe a full twist round the pot depending on how hard or soft the wax is wen u get it out.

make sure u apply only a thin layer to the whole car, leave for 10 mins or so and buff off.

ideally if you have a garage park the car in there over night and and give it another layer the day after.

tip is its better to apply more thin layers and 1 thick layer!!

ps have fun!! :D

[zetec turner]

thanks, ill put up some pictures when I'm done

[sussex]

Whats the thoughts on alloy wheel cleaners? I've heard that Bilberry is good, but not heard of many other recommendations?

Very anxious not to damage my lovely "x-pack" 17'ers!!

[greenymk7]

bilberry is great stuff and u can dilute it down alot so it goes along way.

dodo juice are bringing out a wheel cleaner this friday called mellow yellow which i think again will be great.

or bilt hamber surfex HD will do the trick and can be used as an APC aswell

[Bashful]

Detail is complete...

Posted some pics in the members pics thread: http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/index...ost&p=46562

Hook, that looks amazing, I plan to do my winter detail later in the week - the pressure is on now!

[MarkyR]

Can I have a bit of help :)

I have a little Champion power washer, I used it with some old soap solution made for it I have, anyway, I also have an ad on rotating brush. It did an admirable job, but not brilliant.

So, is it ok to just use my power wash to loosen dirt on the car and then to rinse the car. Then resort to some manual labour with the following products:

1 of these (why do you need 2 buckets?):

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Megu...d_Bucket_1.html

This:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dodo..._Shampoo_1.html

Mitts:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dodo-Juice-Superna...6683&sr=1-2

A Zymol Sponge if I can find one.

Or this mitt:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dodo...ash_Mitt_1.html

This:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dodo...ng_Towel_1.html

Or This:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4D_...ng_Towel_1.html

Or these look good:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Sonu...ng_Towel_1.html

Wheels (Not bothered about my tyres) I've no idea, what do I need to clean them?

And this:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dura..._Aquawax_1.html

Do the foam lance add ons for power washers just spray the car with foam? Is that preferable to a bucket and wash solution?

I don't mind using one product like that wax or a polish if I can get away with just using one product that works rather then multiple products. I suppose I'm after mid range washing haha. And is a wax better then a polish? Thanks.

[DanGull]

Can I have a bit of help :)

I have a little Champion power washer, I used it with some old soap solution made for it I have, anyway, I also have an ad on rotating brush. It did an admirable job, but not brilliant.

So, is it ok to just use my power wash to loosen dirt on the car and then to rinse the car. Then resort to some manual labour with the following products:

1 of these (why do you need 2 buckets?):

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Megu...d_Bucket_1.html

This:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dodo..._Shampoo_1.html

Mitts:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dodo-Juice-Superna...6683&sr=1-2

A Zymol Sponge if I can find one.

Or this mitt:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dodo...ash_Mitt_1.html

This:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dodo...ng_Towel_1.html

Or This:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4D_...ng_Towel_1.html

Or these look good:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Sonu...ng_Towel_1.html

Wheels (Not bothered about my tyres) I've no idea, what do I need to clean them?

And this:

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dura..._Aquawax_1.html

Do the foam lance add ons for power washers just spray the car with foam? Is that preferable to a bucket and wash solution?

I don't mind using one product like that wax or a polish if I can get away with just using one product that works rather then multiple products. I suppose I'm after mid range washing haha. And is a wax better then a polish? Thanks.

A lot to answer here. Pressure washer - great. Brush attachment - awful, step away from it. You'll get grit and all sorts in it, then nicely scrub that across your paint leaving swirls or worse.

A pressure washer doesn't loosen a great deal of dirt alone, at least not safely. Blasting large amounts of dirt all over the car at high pressure can cause damage in itself. Much better to invest in the foam lance, gently foam the car with indirect pressure, allow this dwell for 15 minutes or so and then gently rinse using the pressure washer, again not pointing it directly at the car where possible.

snow foam or similar should be done IN ADDITION to a bucket wash, not instead of. The pre wash is to loosen the dirt, the bucket wash removes it.

The two bucket wash is a the safest type of wash. One bucket contains your shampoo solution, the other is plain water. The mitt is charged in the shampoo bucket, but rinsed in the other. That way, dirt and grit collected from the car are left in the rinse bucket, rather than picked up again when you next charge the mitt and spread back over the car. I have a grit guard in both to make sure.

Wheels - Bilberry has been mentioned many times here and is an awesome product. It's an acid free wheel cleaner, so it doesn't eat the clear coat lacquer on the alloys. It comes in large quantities and dilutes down. Even neat, you'd struggle to damage alloys with it. You're making a mistake ignoring your tyres - some tyre dressing or gel is a dirt cheap way of making a huge difference to the look of the car.

The Dodo Supernatural mitt takes some getting used to - I sold mine. I think you're better off with a good microfibre mitt such as the Megs one.

Drying towels are all variations on a theme - the bigger the better as far as I'm concerned. I have all three of the ones you've shown, they're all excellent.

[greenymk7]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm beads

[MarkyR]

A lot to answer here. Pressure washer - great. Brush attachment - awful, step away from it. You'll get grit and all sorts in it, then nicely scrub that across your paint leaving swirls or worse.

A pressure washer doesn't loosen a great deal of dirt alone, at least not safely. Blasting large amounts of dirt all over the car at high pressure can cause damage in itself. Much better to invest in the foam lance, gently foam the car with indirect pressure, allow this dwell for 15 minutes or so and then gently rinse using the pressure washer, again not pointing it directly at the car where possible.

Snow foam or similar should be done IN ADDITION to a bucket wash, not instead of. The pre wash is to loosen the dirt, the bucket wash removes it.

The two bucket wash is a the safest type of wash. One bucket contains your shampoo solution, the other is plain water. The mitt is charged in the shampoo bucket, but rinsed in the other. That way, dirt and grit collected from the car are left in the rinse bucket, rather than picked up again when you next charge the mitt and spread back over the car. I have a grit guard in both to make sure.

Wheels - Bilberry has been mentioned many times here and is an awesome product. It's an acid free wheel cleaner, so it doesn't eat the clear coat lacquer on the alloys. It comes in large quantities and dilutes down. Even neat, you'd struggle to damage alloys with it. You're making a mistake ignoring your tyres - some tyre dressing or gel is a dirt cheap way of making a huge difference to the look of the car.

The Dodo Supernatural mitt takes some getting used to - I sold mine. I think you're better off with a good microfibre mitt such as the Megs one.

Drying towels are all variations on a theme - the bigger the better as far as I'm concerned. I have all three of the ones you've shown, they're all excellent.

Thanks mate, so I shall use the jetwash to rinse the car then. Also is the Durogloss Aquawax any good or is there a better product I could use on it's own. And what's the difference between wax and polish?

So it's either a sponge or micro fibre mitt too, and some micro fibre cloths?

[titanium_s_spec]

Thanks mate, so I shall use the jetwash to rinse the car then. Also is the Durogloss Aquawax any good or is there a better product I could use on it's own. And what's the difference between wax and polish?

So it's either a sponge or micro fibre mitt too, and some micro fibre cloths?

No to the sponge as they gaver grit and will gice you swirl marks and even worse scratches. Yes to the mitt 2 if you want to be pc 1 for top half and 1 for bottom half of car gosh i sound like a pro now :P

[DanGull]

Duragloss Aquawax is fantastic. If you didn't want to wax the car, then it's very very close. So simple to apply, and definitely puts a layer of protection down. I use it as a wax topper, but it would work alone.

Polish is for correcting defects and increasing shine but smoothing paint. They are, as a result, nearly always abrasive and should not be left as your top coat product.

Wax is partly about enhancing shine, but mainly about protecting the paint - placing something almost sacrificial between air/dirt and paint.

Greeny tried a Zymol sponge recently that is supposed to work in the same way as microfibre and prevent swirls - he never brought it up again mind you! I say stick with a mitt.

[greenymk7]

ahhhhh yes the Z sponge

to be honest i did quite like it, it made washing quicker and didnt seem to do any damage.

i would say though that i still prefer the feel of a lambswool mitt.

[titanium_s_spec]

ahhhhh yes the Z sponge

to be honest i did quite like it, it made washing quicker and didnt seem to do any damage.

i would say though that i still prefer the feel of a lambswool mitt.

Is that the same sponge i have seen in halfrauds Grey in colour and apparently very good to paint work.

[greenymk7]

nope its a yellow sponge, they only sell them online.

try having a look on monza car care

[aph1101]

Evening chaps,

Just a quick question: First of all, I'm pricing myself up some detailing kit in anticipation of 'hopefully' collecting the fiesta next week.

My question is, could you reccommend me a fairly cheap yet effective wash mitt and drying towel. I really don't want this car to get all swirl mark-y like the last one :)

Thanks :D

[Gazjs]

My roads been getting re tarred all week now, and on going out to wash the car i notice hundreds of tar marks all over the paintwork :(, got these marks out with Meguiars tar remover and now its all back to normal .... BUT, its also covered my wheels (Oz superturismo GT's), i plan on getting bilberry at a later date, but for now, will it be safe to use the tar remover on my wheels? or should i nip up to Halfords and get a cheap wheel cleaner like wonder wheels? (My wheels currently have about 4 layers of poor boys, id like a solution that will not strip this)

Thanks

[DanGull]

If you've got poorboys on - the tar should shift with a good car shampoo like I'm sure you have. Wonder Wheels is acidic - rearrange this sentence: bargepole touch do not, same with most wheel cleaners Halfords stock, with the exception of AG Custom Wheel Cleaner.

Oh, and the tar remover you've used on the paint will strip any wax you had on, so you've got big holes in your protection I would be almost certain. In a 'tarry' situation I tend to take the whole lot back to bare paint, sort out the tar, then re detail.

To remove tar from wheels - I tend to use clay, which won't hurt your poorboys.

[Gazjs]

If you've got poorboys on - the tar should shift with a good car shampoo like I'm sure you have. Wonder Wheels is acidic - rearrange this sentence: bargepole touch do not, same with most wheel cleaners Halfords stock, with the exception of AG Custom Wheel Cleaner.

Oh, and the tar remover you've used on the paint will strip any wax you had on, so you've got big holes in your protection I would be almost certain. In a 'tarry' situation I tend to take the whole lot back to bare paint, sort out the tar, then re detail.

To remove tar from wheels - I tend to use clay, which won't hurt your poorboys.

Thanks for the reply, going to look into getting some bilberry's tonight to aid in the claying.

[MarkyR]

Just brought all my cleaning stuff, about £130 all in. I'll post a pic and details when I get it all. Thanks for all the advice guy's, now for some sunny weather and some energy haha.

[Gazjs]

Recieved my Bilberrys wheel cleaner along with chem resistant bottle and sprayer today :D

For those with experience of the product, which ratio of mixing do you recommend for tar spot removal?

Thanks as always,

Will need to get the next order in for more bubblegum

[aph1101]

Sorry to ask yet another question, but could someone give some advice on maintaining microfibre wash mitts and microfibre cloths... i.e how to wash and dry them.

I just gave our part-ex its final wash with my new MF stuff in anticipation of collecting the new car tomorrow... :D

Thanks guys ;)

[DanGull]

I never use Bilberry at stronger than 3:1 - normally 5:1. I would think either of those will shift tar if you've used wheel sealant.

microfibre can be washed at 30 degrees with normal washing powder - just don't use fabric softener. Alternatively, hand wash in warm water with white vinegar and washing powder, then tumble dry.

Foam applicators - very very hot water and fairy liquid will shift the products, although be prepared for the colours to remain.