Preparing for new car - Cleaning kit list... ;)

[fatmcgav]

Hi there,

As you may know, my new DSport Plus in Belle-ile Blue/White should be delivered in just over 2 weeks...
I'm now thinking about what I need to get in order to keep it looking in tip-top condition...

Ideally what I'm looking to achieve is keep it as low maintenance as possible, whilst still looking good... Though that's guna be a challenge I suspect when I cover ~250 miles a week commuting to work and back I don't mind spending a full day every month or 2, and hopefully just a quick wash down every week or 2...

I've used a lot of AutoGlym stuff in the past thanks to a Christmas car care kit present, so have a reasonable stash from that kit.
I've also got a Pressure washer and claying kit, so will be using that once I've got the car.
One addition to the pressure washer will be a AB Foam Lance and Magi foam as hopefully that should make my weekly care a lot easier..

I'm thinking of the following additions:

• AB Foam Lance and Magi foam
• Very Cherry Wheel cleaner
• PoorBoys or Very Berry Wheel sealent
• Pink Sheen for Trim

What I'm stuck on atm is what to use to Wax and protect the paintwork, and get the best out of the color...
Any suggestions for the Metallic Blue?

Any other bits I should really have???

Cheers
Gavin

[Clairt83]

CliveP will be along soon to advise you, he is DS3Clubs resident OCD car detailer, and what Clive dont know about cleaning cars aint worth knowing. But i can recommend the AB foam lance and magi foam and the pink sheen for interior, its lovely stuff and smells of Dove.

[fatmcgav]

CliveP will be along soon to advise you, he is DS3Clubs resident OCD car detailer, and what Clive dont know about cleaning cars aint worth knowing. But i can recommend the AB foam lance and magi foam and the pink sheen for interior, its lovely stuff and smells of Dove.

cheers for that... will put those on my defo list then.. just waiting on CliveP now... ;-)

Gav

[CliveP]

Hi Gavin,

How long have you got?

OK you've got a good start there (whilst it isn't what I do for a living I'm also a trainer for AB!)....

However, most importantly I trsut you know about the 2 bucket wash method? The blue is lovely but will show swirls marks almost as easily as black if you don't wash it correctly...NO sponges, NO leathers......you need nice plush wash mitts, and nice plush drying towels...that's the important bits.

I also recommend AB Citrus Wash as a pre-wash degreaser, muck remover...the important thing is to remove as much muck as possible before phyiscally touching the car, to help minimise the risk of inflicting swirls.

I also suspect your car will benefit from a machine polish, that is a nice colour that machining will bring to life.

There's lots of colour charged waxes on the market, but I have mixed feelings on these, even the £7K waxes only look great on a well prepped car - the quality of the polishing is so important to get the best out of a wax - however I recommend to start you get some Colinite 915 - it's superb and around £25...spread it thinly - to give you an idea I could wax 60 cars with one tin, the most common mistake with waxes is applying them way too thick.....

If you prep the car properly it will take less than 60 minutes to return it to the same finish.....with more intense goes needed every so often.

I hope you enjoy, you'll also catch me on detailingworld.co.uk under the same user name, on here's there's some post of my DS3 after I machined it, they do come out lovely!

Regards,
Clive.

[fatmcgav]

Clive

yeh, got the 2bm method down with some existing deep wash mits... need to treat myself to a drying towl though...

machine Polishing isn't something I've done before, but definitely be up for giving it a go if it's guna keep the car in tip top condition... and can always practise on the gf's car first... ;-)

will give 915 a go.. I've seen a few suggestions that it with the Metallic Blue, a good glaze will help as well... worth it?

and noticed your DS3 detail in another thread - - certainly does come up nice.. hopefully can keep mine at a similar standard...

cheers
Gav

[CliveP]

Hi Gav,

I wouldn't worry about a glaze to start with, they can be lovely but are more sensitive to the right combination in my opinion to get the right results. But if you fancy trying go for it...

Regards,
Clive.

[fatmcgav]

Ok, will keep it simple to begin with...

appreciate it's probably covered in great detail on dw, buy any tips on getting started with machine Polishing?

Gav

[Chris_Blue]

You into fish Clive?
CBLUE

[CliveP]

Ok, will keep it simple to begin with...

appreciate it's probably covered in great detail on dw, buy any tips on getting started with machine Polishing?

Gav

There's a complete pdf guide on it in DW Gav, it's something that's easy at the basic level (which gives great results) but to really achieve you need to work your way through all the techniques...

You into fish Clive?
CBLUE

Chris, yes, I've got a 7000 gallon heated koi carp pond. I go to Japan to buy my fish.

Regards,
Clive.

[fatmcgav]

Clive

Cheers again...

Have got one more question - What's best for Chrome?
As I've never had to clean/polish Chrome bits before?

Cheers
Gavin

[Chris_Blue]

Blimey Clive, huge - into my Rift Valley Cichlids me- 400 litre tank upgrading to a 600 litre soon
Prefer watching fish indoors - Ha!

To answer Gav- if youre talking chrome on the DS3- Its not chrome
Some plastice chrome effect stuff
CBLUE

[fatmcgav]

...
To answer Gav- if youre talking chrome on the DS3- Its not chrome
Some plastice chrome effect stuff
CBLUE

Ah, ok... So don't need to be too worried about what I use?

Gav

[Chris_Blue]

No- not really. Used chrome polish myself till realised it wasnt chrome
Good dose of elbow grease does it- and mebes a plastic cleaner
CBLUE

[fatmcgav]

Quick update, was in Halfords earlier and bought a few bits:

• Autoglym Bug and Insect remover
• big drying towel
• several more microfiber polishing clothes
• mf applicator pads
• Autoglym surface prep kit - - clay plus lube n mf cloth
• The highlight - Autoglym High Definition Wax

So got pretty much all I need to get the car looking good...

Now just gotta find the time to do it... Hopefully it stays nice till next weekend "

Cheers
Gav

[Heaton]

Have fun lol. I did my first wash, polish and sealant/wax on Friday and it took me 5 hours. That was without the clay barring and bug n tar removal as I had done that a few days before on a previous attempt to get it all done prior to the rain. 7 hours what I've seen/read for doing the full works start to finish

Can't see me being OCD as CliveP but once you get it all done it will last a few months and should just need a wash and quick wax. I'm using a wash and wax product for in between washes and Autoglym Aqua wax in between the big monster details to keep it clean and tops up the protection