Polishing the car
 

Thinking of giving the car a decent buffing. Would you recommend using a random orbital sander (with appropriate heads!) as a polisher? Or something else.

Hi.

Short answer - No.

Here's my thoughts (apologies if this is teaching granny to suck eggs etc.).

First get hold of some car detailing clay bar or mitt (I prefer a mitt - I just find it easier to use)

Something like this: https://www.car-chem.com/shop/fine-grade-clay-mitt

If you've never used one you might be surprised just how much smoother the paintwork is afterwards. They take off particles that are embedded in the paintwork.

Then use a car polisher.

The number of variables is vast as is the amount of £££'s you can spend :D.

I started off by going the "cheap" route with the idea that if it works - great, if not I haven't invested too many £££'s.

Off to Argos for their Dual Action polisher and then some polish

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8647...polisher:2:8:1

and

Something like Scholl S20 https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/scholl-s20-black-1-step-compound)

That'll get you started.

After that you can get different sized backing plates, different pads, different grades of polish, different machines and types of machine etc. etc.

There's a fair few of us one here that are also on the Detailing World forum (https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/). While it's a truly awesome site beware that you can get totally overwhelmed by the amount of info/options/opinions there. My mantra is to Keep It Simple.

Like you would for any new tool, do a bit of homework about how to use it and what the risks are. Here's a video well worth watching:

https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/for...d.php?t=281047

Hope that helps.

Let us know how you get on.

Good Luck.

Andy

Thank you AndyN01. I know nothing about car cleaning you have been very helpful. Usually I leave my cars to gather dust and whatever and give them a desultory wash on occasion. Caught in two minds whether to sell or keep (merely to replace with another 75, preferably a v6 again). So a good clean will probably be beneficial either way. I have a couple of supermarket scratches which could do with some attention; why should my bonnet be thought a suitable place to park a fully loaded, metal-studded shopping bag? Wondered about using ChipsAway, any thoughts?

I’m also on DW, and I agree about claying the car before polishing. I use a G3 clay mitt (about £12 or so), and lots of lubricant, after a preliminary plenty-of-water wash.

I don’t have any sort of machine polisher, doing all the work by hand. After the claying, and another wash, I’d give it a coat of a polish that contains fillers, something like Autoglym SRP, followed by a wax. I’ve been using G3 Super Paste Wax, but I think I’m going for Harly Wax next.

Some waxes are expensive, but nether of these at around £25 should break the bank, yet give good results.

But see my sig!

You're very welcome. You and many many others including me at the moment as I have a huge amount of house stuff going on. ;).


Ah, the awkward question - to sell and buy, or keep. Yes, either way a good clean is a great idea.


Removal of scratches depends upon how deep they are. As a rough guide, if you can "catch" them with a fingernail then they need paint, if not they'll probably polish out. Like Baxlin says if you use a polish with fillers that may well do the job. Look for a "glaze" something like https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/poorboys-black-hole or https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/poorboys-white-diamond.


As for ChipsAway, get a quote and see. Done properly the results will be fine.

Cheers.

Andy.

I second the use of Poorboys Black Hole and/or White Diamond, I have both as Mrs B has a white car, and mine is red. I suggested SRP as it’s more readily available and I didn’t know what colour (light or dark) the car in question was. So any of those should help.

Malcolm