Just finished washing the car

[Huhness]

This is my first car and i love it to bits i wash it every weekend but i'm not all that experienced with anything after a good shampoo, so i bought some of that Blue Turtle wax with the chip stick (not that i tried using it..) and it looks damn good! came up so much better that i had expected! Apart from wax what other things can i try to keep her looking shiny and clean and protect the paint also?

Here are some pictures,

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/Huhness/Astra/DSC00005.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/Huhness/Astra/DSC00004.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/Huhness/Astra/DSC00001.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/Huhness/Astra/DSC00002.jpg

some reflection shots!

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/Huhness/Astra/DSC00007.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/Huhness/Astra/DSC00008.jpg

Keen for some advise anything else that should be used?

[Vectracious]

Get yourself some Meguiars Nxt Generation Tech-Wash (expensive but worth it), a claybar, some polish and the Meguiars Nxt Generation Tech-Wax.

Wash whenever you want
Wash + Wax every 3 months
Wash + Claybar + Polish + Wax every 6 months.

Everyone is different though - thats what I do and works for me.

[xcgumby]

Check out www.detailparadise.com.au & products from www.waxit.com.au

I basically agree with the process outlined. You might want to think about products like paint cleaners.

You might consider:
wash+clay+paint cleanse or swirl remover+polish+sealant.

Zaino Z2 pro seems like the sealant to die for.

Look into the 'two bucket method' to keep swirls away. Sealant is your friend.... This will keep it looking wet for six months. Keep an eye on how it beads in the rain to see if it needs redoing.

I did my Astra G this weekend....

wash+clay (used megs QD as lube) + pinnalce advanced swirl remover on CCS white pad + poorboys pro polish blue on grey pad + sealed with megs NXT.

The underlying problem is that those swirls actually turned out to be scratches. Well, I'll have another crack in six months. Maybe PB SSR2.5 on orange pad followed by SSR1.0 on white pad. Seems a pretty common approach.

Oh the pain of my inexperience combined with too much information..

BTW your ride looks great! The washing must be working.

[Dave]

dam that be shiny ! intersted in detailing my car ?

[Huhness]

Thanks for the replies guys!

where do you guys get these clay bars?? any brands better than others?

Also where is the best place to get the cleaning products you guys are talking about? I been into repco and autobahn and neither had much of a range although repco had most of the meguires products people seem to used often.

Again whats the best thing to use to apply the wax and polish products? I have a applicator pad for teh wax and a buffing cloth to remove the wax. i also have one of those woollen sort of pad for washing but it is already falling apart and i'm thinking of a microfibre mitt are these any good?

My poor car is already dirty the thing i hate most about washing my car is i'm really anal and keep finding new scratches :(

Thanks dave haha i'm funny about letting others wash my car i don't know about you guys but i'd rather do the job myself just have to learn more about the products and techniques :rolleyes:

[MatsHolden]

Mate you can get the clay bars from Autobarn, I use the Meguiars clay bay. I get all my cleaning stuff from Autobarn usually, some are better than others with their range.

Best thing I think to apply polish and wax is a foam applicator pad and for removal I use a meguiars polishing cloth. For washing mits, the best one for the paint really is a lambs wool mit. For the little scratches you keep finding, giving it a polish and using the nxt gen tech wax will remove little shallow scratches and reduce swirl marks that you will notice on a dark paint. For slightly deeper scratches I use the Meguiars ScratchX which does a good job to remove them.

[oneightoo]

looks good mate.. love the number plate btw..

[Wraith]

:eek: You drive around with plates reading "what the f##k" :o appologies if it's meant to mean something else :)

BTW car looks very pretty all cleaned up n shiny, dark colours do look outstanding when clean...:)

[oneightoo]

lol they mean "what the **** barbeque"

it's 1337 :D

looks like my old SRi..

[R3N]

OMGWTFBBQ lol

[Huhness]

hahaha you bet i drive around in a car that has 'What The F**k Barbeque' number plates on it! I'm looking for the person who has 'Azn Barbeque' he'd be my new best friend!

Yea i'm quite suprised with how the blue looks after a good clean! My mum drives a dark green car and it gets no where near as shiny as my car does! Very impressed!

Whats the purpose of claying a car? :confused:

[oneightoo]

hahaha you bet i drive around in a car that has 'What The F**k Barbeque' number plates on it! I'm looking for the person who has 'Azn Barbeque' he'd be my new best friend!


you need to check out my mates band - Korean BBQ

lol:D

[Tfer]

hahaha you bet i drive around in a car that has 'What The F**k Barbeque' number plates on it! I'm looking for the person who has 'Azn Barbeque' he'd be my new best friend!

Yea i'm quite suprised with how the blue looks after a good clean! My mum drives a dark green car and it gets no where near as shiny as my car does! Very impressed!

Whats the purpose of claying a car? :confused:

Removes contaminents and stuff from the paintwork, making the paintwork so very smooth and lustrous! :)

Awesome effort btw, but if i could add get some exterior trim detailer (Meguiars do a good one) to do your side skits etc..... and that alone will make your blue, well more blue! :D

[xcgumby]

where do you guys get these clay bars?? any brands better than others?

Also where is the best place to get the cleaning products you guys are talking about? I been into repco and autobahn and neither had much of a range although repco had most of the meguires products people seem to used often. :rolleyes:

www.waxit.com.au
for more info...
www.detailparadise.com.au

[Huhness]

thanks guys! I'll get a clay bar and give it a go in a few weeks!

Not doing much to the side skirts and front spoiler just keeping them clean so i can get them colour coded in a few weeks. :dance: Then it will make my car nice and blue indeed!

[Wraith]

Don't be too fussed, you only need to 'clay' your duco if you have visible/heavy swirls or light scratches, otherwise you'll only be removing valuable amounts of clear coat and seeing you enjoy washing n polishing/waxing often, the less you remove the better....:)

Colour coding your front lip and side skirts will look outstanding, if you can, include your door handles as well, colour coded door handles look sooooo much better than the plain faded black plastic finish ;)