VII Car Care
New Member
Ok guys, I have been asked by James to do a little write up on car care as I failed on my last attempt as I was being lazy! This Is just my pennies worth.
There are many people out there who are happy to take their cars to the £5 car wash, little do they know the damage they cause, or Indeed the drive threw car wash. These £5 car wash people will rush the job, they won’t care for your car or worry what the outcome will be like so you are better off doing It yourself!
Here Is an example of the damage caused by £5 car washes. It belonged to my brother who took It weekly to his favourite hand car wash!
Some lovely random deep scratches there for you, plus very dull & flat paint.
So firstly, get yourself a good wash kit. You don’t need to rush down to Halfords & spend a silly amount on gear, once you have purchased the basics your laughing.
Get yourself a good shampoo. Remember your looking for a shampoo that helps lift dirt & lubricate at the same time, and I suppose a good finish Is Important too! A nice mild one Is best, Dodo Juice btbm Is great!
Drying, throw away that leather! These are not kind to your paint, they can catch the smallest amount of grit left on the car & leave you a nasty reminder. Ultra plush towels are the way forward, or If your really sad like me you can get a drying machine!
Lets not go there! Anyway, these towels are very thick & there Is lots of nooks & crannies for grit to hide In & be drawn away from the surface.
Buckets! The two bucket method to be precise. These are the best way to avoid heavy swirls. They are Inevitable but washing the 2b way Is a lot safer & reduces the risk. Remember to use two separate mitts for the top & bottom & rinse the mitt after each panel.
Clean your car are a very good place to get all your car care needs. Its very good with the discount points too!
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-a ... cat_1.html
Wheels, always clean your wheels first. Well It Is best to get the worst jobs out of the way early on, they have to be my most annoying part of caring for the vee, all those spokes! Its best to clean your wheels when cool. A good wheel cleaner should be non acidic, Autosmart, Mark V & Dodo Juice make extremely good cleaners. Use a squirt of all purpose cleaner on the tyres & Inner wheel arches. Work on only one wheel at a time. You’ll find It best to use a selection of brushes too, here’s a brush I wouldn’t be without! The best £15 I’ve ever spent!
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-an ... d_391.html
So, you’ve got the gear ready. Pressure washer or Hose? For me It has to be the PW. You can’t get all the loose dirt off with a garden hose, even with a dedicated film remover you would be hard pushed.
If you have a pressure washer, why not get yourself a foam lance. This Is designed as a pre wash stage, you apply a nice thick coat on the car & let It dwell for around five minutes It clings to the paintwork & any loose dirt, helping lift off all the crap. I find a dash of G101 In the mix helps when you want a good strong mix but this will remove any remaining protection.
Once you have washed your car and find the water Is leaving marks then apply a little quick detailer to the panels as drying. This will help reduce water spotting.
Well I hope this has been a useful guide, I hope I didn’t bore you with all of It! More to follow shortly :approve:
There are many people out there who are happy to take their cars to the £5 car wash, little do they know the damage they cause, or Indeed the drive threw car wash. These £5 car wash people will rush the job, they won’t care for your car or worry what the outcome will be like so you are better off doing It yourself!
Here Is an example of the damage caused by £5 car washes. It belonged to my brother who took It weekly to his favourite hand car wash!
Some lovely random deep scratches there for you, plus very dull & flat paint.
So firstly, get yourself a good wash kit. You don’t need to rush down to Halfords & spend a silly amount on gear, once you have purchased the basics your laughing.
Get yourself a good shampoo. Remember your looking for a shampoo that helps lift dirt & lubricate at the same time, and I suppose a good finish Is Important too! A nice mild one Is best, Dodo Juice btbm Is great!
Drying, throw away that leather! These are not kind to your paint, they can catch the smallest amount of grit left on the car & leave you a nasty reminder. Ultra plush towels are the way forward, or If your really sad like me you can get a drying machine!
Lets not go there! Anyway, these towels are very thick & there Is lots of nooks & crannies for grit to hide In & be drawn away from the surface. Buckets! The two bucket method to be precise. These are the best way to avoid heavy swirls. They are Inevitable but washing the 2b way Is a lot safer & reduces the risk. Remember to use two separate mitts for the top & bottom & rinse the mitt after each panel.
Clean your car are a very good place to get all your car care needs. Its very good with the discount points too!
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-a ... cat_1.html
Wheels, always clean your wheels first. Well It Is best to get the worst jobs out of the way early on, they have to be my most annoying part of caring for the vee, all those spokes! Its best to clean your wheels when cool. A good wheel cleaner should be non acidic, Autosmart, Mark V & Dodo Juice make extremely good cleaners. Use a squirt of all purpose cleaner on the tyres & Inner wheel arches. Work on only one wheel at a time. You’ll find It best to use a selection of brushes too, here’s a brush I wouldn’t be without! The best £15 I’ve ever spent!
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-an ... d_391.html
So, you’ve got the gear ready. Pressure washer or Hose? For me It has to be the PW. You can’t get all the loose dirt off with a garden hose, even with a dedicated film remover you would be hard pushed.
If you have a pressure washer, why not get yourself a foam lance. This Is designed as a pre wash stage, you apply a nice thick coat on the car & let It dwell for around five minutes It clings to the paintwork & any loose dirt, helping lift off all the crap. I find a dash of G101 In the mix helps when you want a good strong mix but this will remove any remaining protection.
Once you have washed your car and find the water Is leaving marks then apply a little quick detailer to the panels as drying. This will help reduce water spotting.
Well I hope this has been a useful guide, I hope I didn’t bore you with all of It! More to follow shortly :approve:
