Car Detailing

[nastysven]

cheers.

Last time I did the wax by hand it looked fucking woeful. Will go grab another pad or throw it through the washing machine.

[Mr Ree]

cheers.

Last time I did the wax by hand it looked fucking woeful. Will go grab another pad or throw it through the washing machine.

Good idea buying another pad, makes it easier next time to be able to do both one after the other

What looked bad, specifically? Was there still product left on the car after you had buffed it off? What wax did you use?

[nastysven]

it looked all blotchy. Used McGuires.

.

[nastysven]

Doesn't matter now, I just sold it.

[Aaron]

it looked all blotchy. Used McGuires.

.

Blotchy can be:
- wax applied to heavily, and unevenly
- wax not allowed to dry fully so areas where it was still wet will be oily or blotchy
- Not properly mixed in the bottle, a lot of retail stuff sits for ages and the heavier components settle into an almost clay like sludge in the bottom of the bottles, because it’s quite frequently clay.
- Inconsistent pressure and motion in “wax off”
- Porosity in the paintwork
- Degradation of the paintwork like the starting of oxidisation that you don’t see with the naked eye.

A wipe over the whole car with a quick detailer after the wax has had the “wax off” done and been allowed to cure will usually even things out and also is a good time to clean up little missed bits etc

[nastysven]

Cheers for that. 1st two points are probably the issue.

[Mr Ree]

Doesn't matter now, I just sold it.

Success

[nastysven]

indeed, it sold pretty bloody well to. The HSV/covid tax is defo a thing.

[JGTC]

Bit late but from my experience with Boss Gloss (BG), After Glow (AG), Fully Slick (FS)

BG you can use as a drying aid without having to buff off after the first drying pass.

AG designed specifically as a drying aid but will need a second pass to buff the residue off,

FS more of a every 3-month sealant to add protection and beading, needs to be buffed off, and attracts more dust than BG and AG, so not ideal to be used after each wash.

Help with Bowdens products...

I was my car and use lazy wax. As a sealer / coating after each wash I have been using Boss Gloss. Am I beat to use;

- Boss Gloss
- Fully Slick or
- after glow

I only want to use one product after each wash. Thinking I should swap from boss gloss to Fully Slick.

[brasher]

Would this be a good starter kit? I've bought a car I actually give a shit about now, so time to look after it.

https://www.repco.com.au/en/car-care...lik/p/A5387999

I have a basic gerni too. One of those attachments and snow foam worth it?

[Aaron]

First thing you’ll want is more cloths, duplicates of good ones and a large number of “general use” ones.

otherwise the Nano and Shaggy are good for hand washing.
The bucket is well a bucket and arguably grit guards are a wank, but you will want another bucket for rinsing as part of a 2 bucket technique.

The rest of products will give a nice result and be easy to work with. There’s better stuff about but the Bowdens stuff is all Australian and easy to get so I’d say it’s a good start.

If you really get satisfaction out of detailing then you can always go down the prosumer rabbit hole later.

[brasher]

First thing you’ll want is more cloths, duplicates of good ones and a large number of “general use” ones.

otherwise the Nano and Shaggy are good for hand washing.
The bucket is well a bucket and arguably grit guards are a wank, but you will want another bucket for rinsing as part of a 2 bucket technique.

The rest of products will give a nice result and be easy to work with. There’s better stuff about but the Bowdens stuff is all Australian and easy to get so I’d say it’s a good start.

If you really get satisfaction out of detailing then you can always go down the prosumer rabbit hole later.

Thanks, definately not a detailing guy at all from my previous cars. Just want to get the basics covered.

Got a second bucket and a million microfibres here.

Is the snow foam thing a must do these days? Or just adds another step to the process?

[willsy01]

Is the snow foam thing a must do these days? Or just adds another step to the process?

I've got one but i'm not convinced it's necessary if you're going to hit the car with a pressure washer first.

If it's one of these though.....

https://www.bowdensown.com.au/the-crotch-cannon

[brasher]

Get fucked hahahhaa. Someone in the marketing department there is a legend. "snow job" etc.

[Aaron]

Personally I feel snow foam is simply a way to make “pre wash” palatable to consumers. There’s no magic, it’s a way of getting people to apply a detergent and make it dwell on dirt for easier high pressure wash down. I use regular wash diluted in a pump sprayer for the same purpose, then either hose or high-pressure wash off then do a standard 2-bucket.

in any case it improves the hygiene of the 2-bucket wash which in turn reduces swirls etc. It isn’t a replacement for the hands on though.

Be wary of the Bowdens pyramid too - realistically you only need one or two of their exterior products, with choice coming down to what results you want for the paint type. There are plenty of “enthusiasts” who are layering things in ways that defeat logic and just cost money.

So with that bucket you’d apply the lazy wax every couple of months and use the Boss Gloss after every wash.

Something like P&S Beadmaker would be a good all-round product to replace the Boss Gloss with, but then again rabbit hole