Bought a runabout a month back. It’s done enough miles to nearly reach the moon…I did not feel proud.

However I’m growing quite fond of the thing – mechanically it’s a corker – it’s just a bit tatty, so I’m going to sort out it’s appearance issues this weekend and bring it back to glory. Basically it’s just got numerous light scratches and a stained cloth upholstery (ex Hertz vehicle).

I was going to wash, claybar and then t-cut all over with a lint-free cloth, is this the right order? Are t-cut ‘pens’ any good? Will an amateur bork it by getting a polishing cloth attachment for the drill?

And how to clean the interior? I’m thinking something steam-related but is there some super-miracle upholstery cleaner?

All a bit random, but any experienced thoughts on hints & tips appreciated!

(It’s a black 04 focus if that’s of any relevance)

Ta.

Talc rubbed into seats with a damp cloth allow to dry then vacumm off.

Wash, cutting paste, cutting paste+T-Cut, T-Cut.
Just a thought, it’s not metallic, is it? ‘Cos that process will cut through the clear-coat, and the paint will oxidise, become porous, and flake off.
Then you’re stuffed, and left with a really tatty car!

Good paint cleaner and claybar should be sufficient, t-cut is getting a bit long in the tooth, and depending on how many repairs it’s had to the paint, might be a little harsh. Good wash, and concentrate on the shuts, it’s the little bits of dirt that a quick sponge doesn’t get that really makes a car look tatty.

Black exterior trim, the meguiars tyre gel works wonders on it, and brings it back from the gray to a black, worth also using on the wiper arms, but keep it off the blades. Good glass cleaner as well, inside and out, should get it to the point it looks like no glass is fitted.

What colour are you dealing with?

This is the best ‘how to’ guide I’ve seen:

How to clean your car.

As to the interior, I just use the foam cleaner and a softish brush on the upholstery, with a surface cleaner on the plastics.
Standard supermarket stuff.

Works fine.

nealglover of this ‘ere parish is, I think, the man to ask.

I was going to wash, claybar and then t-cut all over with a lint-free cloth, is this the right order?

Yes.

Make sure the car is spotless before clay bar though. And make sure you know what you are doing with the clay bar too.
I’ve made a fair bit of money correcting the damage caused by people who didn’t know what they were doing and scraped bits of grit all over the car with a clay bar.

And if you want to polish it after clay bar, I would avoid t-cut if I were you.

Get a decent quality compound that designed for hand application. But to be honest, without a fast rotary machine, and the ability to use it, I wouldn’t bother.

Are t-cut ‘pens’ any good?

No.

Will an amateur bork it by getting a polishing cloth attachment for the drill?

Yes, more than likely.

And how to clean the interior? I’m thinking something steam-related but is there some super-miracle upholstery cleaner?

Rug doctor machines (hired from all over the place) with the hand attachment make a pretty good job of interiors.
Not the best, but easily available and easy to use.

Lots of advice, thank you. (Neal, assume this is your business so an extra thanks)

Will rugdoctor interior.

Exterior: So wash well, claybar carefully and then I will have got a very clean car….

…but what do I now use to get the now beautifully-exposed scratches sorted?

ta daaaah!

🙂

G3 paste (ebay) is a great, fine grinding/polishing compound.
I’ve used it on many scratches and been amazed at the results, can’t recommend it enough.

T-Cut is usually a no-no. It’s the WD40 of the car washing world. The stuff ‘you should never use’ but probably actually has its uses (like polishing turds).

Normal course of events would be something like:

wash (look up the two bucket method)
clay
polish (machine polish if you’re really serious about correcting the paint)
wax

Exterior: So wash well, claybar carefully and then I will have got a very clean car….
…but what do I now use to get the now beautifully-exposed scratches sorted?

As above G3 is good. You can do it by hand but its hard work (I use a fast rotary machine and its a breeze)

Once all that is done you basically have “naked” paint.

You are going to need a couple of coats of decent quality wax.

For something really easy to use I would recommend G3 super paste wax (halfords) about £30 a pot.
It’s easy to use and doesn’t leave white residue everywhere.

Thanks so much to everyone. Got a full picture of what to do now

Just out of interest, how much would it cost Neal? Just wondering if I will spend days doing something that could be better done by a pro with the right equipment in a lot less time! (email if more suitable, in profile)

You cant polish a turd…. but you can roll it in glitter

Just out of interest, how much would it cost Neal? Just wondering if I will spend days doing something that could be better done by a pro with the right equipment in a lot less time! (email if more suitable, in profile)

Depending on the condition of the paint, I would normally charge anywhere between £100 and £250 for a full valet (inc interior) and clay bar, machine polish/paint correction and hand wax.

It would take between 4 and 8 hours ish.

there was me assuming it was an Ed Milliband thread

Neal, YGM.

I must confess to not really knowing why people do this. I’m not suggesting it has no value or meaning, but I really just don’t get it.

I went out on my bike today, did 50 odd miles in the sunshine, and a guy down my street was washing his car when I set off. He was just finishing it off when I got back.

I appreciate that he probably looks at me and thinks ‘Damn fool, spending all his time riding around in a big circle’, but why do people shine up their cars?

I must confess to not really knowing why people do this. I’m not suggesting it has no value or meaning, but I really just don’t get it.

I do it because

A – I enjoy it.
B – People pay me to do it, and that enables me to pay for stuff and live and wot-not.

If it wasn’t my job, I would do it approximately 195 times less than I do now, but I would still enjoy it.

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yiJ9fy1qSFI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyiJ9fy1qSFI[/video]

Good news is polishing a turd is totally possible

Fair enough. I hardly ever bother washing my car, and the scrapes and bumps it gets seem to have so little impact on the resale/trade in value that it seems like a false economy to me.

Fair enough. I hardly ever bother washing my car, and the scrapes and bumps it gets seem to have so little impact on the resale/trade in value that it seems like a false economy to me.

The car before last, when I sold it the guy on buying said it was a bit dusty – had I not washed it for a while. I’d not washed it since the day I’d bought it, 5 years previous. Nor had I cleaned out the inside either.

Fair enough. I hardly ever bother washing my car, and the scrapes and bumps it gets seem to have so little impact on the resale/trade in value that it seems like a false economy to me.

Seems odd, as I regularly get paid £300+ to machine polish cars for dealers that they have taken in part exchange.

So they are obviously bothered about it.

You’ve got my sympathies man. I’ve got a w reg avensis estate that I got off my dad.

The thought if fitting the leather seats from the nicer version and getting the paint sorted is a constant nagging.

make sure you get some before photos!

That £300 gets added on to the sale price, but no one ever says ‘Ooh thats a nice shiny car, I’ll give you £300 more for it’.
It’s the kind of thing people do to sell cars, hence my cynicism.

Whatever, if it pays, it pays. 🙂

roll it in glitter

I’ve taken a seat out of my car a different washed it in the shower

It’s the kind of thing people do to sell cars, hence my cynicism.

Yup. They do it because it adds more value than it costs to do it.

I’ve done it myself.

Had a T4 for sale at £7k for ages and it wasn’t shifting, loads of people looking but nobody bought.

Machine polished the whole van and sold it 5 days later for just short of £8k.

+1 on 2 buckets wash method, then claybar and polish. Don’t forget to seal it.

Waxing car is so yesterday.

For more info see http://www.detailingworld.com tonnes of know how.

Shining up your car isn’t a hard work, its more like developing relationship with your pride and beauty. It is possible to polish it up by hand, it won’t be as easy as if it was done by machine but its doable.

You need to understand your paint and carefully pick your car products, then you may join sunday polishers league 8)

p.s. waxing is actually good, but for car shows (carnauba wax is king) only, as its not really that durable.

Paint correction and sealants thats where its at. But by the sound of it, your car should be plenty good enough with normal tidying up.

Anyone tried using a heat gun on lighly scratched plastic interior? Seems to me that the white marks are caused by the top surface of the plastic ruffling up slightly – a heat gun should melt the ruffles away. I’m sure I’ve heard of this being done.. or maybe I dreamed it.

p.s. waxing is actually good, but for car shows (carnauba wax is king) only, as its not really that durable.

You are using the wrong wax then.

Anyone tried using a heat gun on lighly scratched plastic interior? Seems to me that the white marks are caused by the top surface of the plastic ruffling up slightly – a heat gun should melt the ruffles away. I’m sure I’ve heard of this being done.. or maybe I dreamed it.

It works a treat for getting grey bumpers back to a proper glossy black.
Really does It’s like magic ! They come out far better than new.

Never done it on interior plastics, but I have some test panels and stuff in my unit so I will have a go any see what happens.