Thread: Wax & Paint Care Advice

AFAIK, clay bars are a cleaner rather than a protectant.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

AFAIK, clay bars are a cleaner rather than a protectant.

From what I understand, you use a clay bar if your paintwork feels a bit ‘bumpy’ after washing. But then there’s ceramic, polish, wax...

I think clay bars are a mild abrasive.

John. Take a look at the Bowdens Own website.

We use a lot of their gear - it’s great stuff and Aussie made.

Ignore Ceramic coatings.
Ignore most of what you read about ceramic coatings.
Ceramic coating is the new "Ming".
It's bull****!
If you want to totally protect your paint, from the environment in which it lives, vinyl wrap it!

In a previous life l was a detailer (for over 15yrs). So here we go...

Wash car. (With your chosen flavour)(not a wash and wax)!
Use clay bar (or equivalent) to make it smoooooth and lush. (Lubricate as per instructions)
Polish car. (Insert your fav polish here)
Then wax. (I'd suggest Carnauba Wax in a tin)
(Something like Mother's Gold for example)
Elbow grease is the ONLY way to keep your paint protected, shiny and new! (Apart from the aforementioned wrap)
Spray on products are absolute bull****!

Originally Posted by John_D4

The D4 is the most expensive car we’ve owned, so I’m after some advice on what products are good for paint protection. I understand that eventually it’ll get some Bush scratches.

I’m confused about ceramic sprays, nufinish, waxes/polishes and clay bars.

Could someone pls import some advice?


Cleaners, Polishes & Wax | Car Care - Autobarn

The main thing is,...don't get confused by going too "complicated".
First of all, if your vehicle is garaged when not in use, will be a big plus for your paintwork & go a long way to saving you heaps of work, ....rain, dew, frost etc followed by sunlight is not a good recipe for car duco.
I would firstly concentrate on keeping the car clean with a good car wash,....there are heaps of them, just get an ordinary basic car wash,...it will do the job. Make sure you clean in all of the nooks & crannies etc, do it in the shade, & make sure you've got rid of all dirt & dust before you chamois off the water residue,...I use an "ärtificial" chamois, some use a micro fibre to dry off
As far as waxing/polishing is concerned, once again don't get anything expensive. If your car hasn't been polished for a while you may need to start with a cleaner, just a little bit more abrasive than a normal polish, but if your duco is ok & not rough to touch, an ordinary protective wax is all you need.
If you ever cop bird droppings, insect hits etc, get rid of them asap, as they can "ëtch" your duco.
Everybody has their own idea, just plod along, take it slow, depends how finicky you are!
Pickles.

Originally Posted by 16PMark

Ignore Ceramic coatings.
Ignore most of what you read about ceramic coatings.
Ceramic coating is the new "Ming".
It's bull****!
If you want to totally protect your paint, from the environment in which it lives, vinyl wrap it!

In a previous life l was a detailer (for over 15yrs). So here we go...

Wash car. (With your chosen flavour)(not a wash and wax)!
Use clay bar (or equivalent) to make it smoooooth and lush. (Lubricate as per instructions)
Polish car. (Insert your fav polish here)
Then wax. (I'd suggest Carnauba Wax in a tin)
(Something like Mother's Gold for example)
Elbow grease is the ONLY way to keep your paint protected, shiny and new! (Apart from the aforementioned wrap)
Spray on products are absolute bull****!

Thank you very much for your advice Mark, I’ll do that. All though I do have quite a lot of CT20 wash and wax to use up. I’m not convinced that the wax component actually does anything though.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

The main thing is,...don't get confused by going too "complicated".
First of all, if your vehicle is garaged when not in use, will be a big plus for your paintwork & go a long way to saving you heaps of work, ....rain, dew, frost etc followed by sunlight is not a good recipe for car duco.
I would firstly concentrate on keeping the car clean with a good car wash,....there are heaps of them, just get an ordinary basic car wash,...it will do the job. Make sure you clean in all of the nooks & crannies etc, do it in the shade, & make sure you've got rid of all dirt & dust before you chamois off the water residue,...I use an "ärtificial" chamois, some use a micro fibre to dry off
As far as waxing/polishing is concerned, once again don't get anything expensive. If your car hasn't been polished for a while you may need to start with a cleaner, just a little bit more abrasive than a normal polish, but if your duco is ok & not rough to touch, an ordinary protective wax is all you need.
If you ever cop bird droppings, insect hits etc, get rid of them asap, as they can "ëtch" your duco.
Everybody has their own idea, just plod along, take it slow, depends how finicky you are!
Pickles.

Thanks Pickles, that’s in line with what Mark just advised also. I do like the idea of vinyl wrapping, but a quick over the phone quote was about $5k. I think I’ll wash and wax it more regularly instead.