Waxing & Polishing

[TonyAYGO]

When the weather gets good again, ive decided to give my car a polish (or wax?) lol..

Just wondering what is the actual difference between the two? And what do you guys use on your aygo to keep it clean?

I just really want to buff out some small scratches and marks etc, aswell as protecting the paintwork from the crappy weather

[ewen1605]

Look what I found, read this:

What is the difference between a wax and a polish?

[feldman]

Polish is an abrasive which means it'll remove any old wax/resin/sealant and leave you with 'bare' paint i.e. unprotected. Some products like the excellent Autoglym Super Resin Polish is a bit of an all in one. It's a mildly abrasive polish (it will provide SOME correction to scratched paint but not much), it's a filler that covers swirls and smaller scratches and it does afford a very small level of protection good for about a month. It's definitely not an alternative to waxing, though- even the cheapest £10 wax.

A wax provides a layer protection for the paint. And you can spend what you want on it- some cost about £10, some cost thousands of pounds (no joke)

I currently use the above SRP for mild correction/filling and bringing a good shine to the paint as well as removing traces of old wax etc:

There's an excellent FAQ about SRP here: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/show...ad.php?t=100889

And then use Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection which is a synthetic sealant. Similar to wax in some ways but more 'short term' protection but the bonus is it's a doddle to apply and one bottle lasts ages and affords good protection from the elements:

There are all kinds of protective/polish products for cars. The main questions:

A how much do you want to spend?

B how much time do you want to put into it?

Hope this helps :)

[dawesy]

as said you really should do both.

meguires do a good range. they do a 3 step system that isnt bad money.

stage 1 is a paint cleaner, removes residue, old wax etc.

stage 2 is a polish, this removes fine swirling and small marks and gives a good surface for....

stage 3 carnuba wax, this is the last stage and gives depth and shine to the paint and also seals it.

if your car feels 'gritty' after its been washed you may benifit from claying it. for this you use a bar of special detailing clay and a spray lubricant.

spray some lube onto the car and then rub the clay over the surface paing special attention to any marks or spots. after you have done the whole car it wll feel like silk.

[Legreen]

I too am really confused with it all!!

I am expecting my shiny new Aygo Blue within the next week or 2 and I would really like to look after it and keep it like new for as long as possible.

I currently have in my cleaning toolkit Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner and Super Resin Polish.

Should I be using the Polish every time I clean the car? Should I also get some wax. How often should I use that?

As you can tell I am quite clueless and would like some advice. I have checked out the detailing forum but there is so much info in there!

[feldman]

It's up to you- how often do you think you'll be washing it?

If you use the Super Resin Polish then that will remove any wax you've applied and put you back to square one. So if you do use the polish, then re-use the wax as well. If it's a good wax then first time give it a thorough wash, polish, good coat of wax and then the next few months you can just wash the car, dry it and top up the wax if you wish. Most good shampoos (including the one you have) won't strip wax.

Like I say though it depends on the wax- your standard waxes will last 1-3 months depending on the weather and the kind of driving you do. Some of the high end waxes will last over a year before needing a fresh application!

There is a lot to absorb on detailing forums but this is one thread worth reading advising on good wash technique for your car:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4637

Especially as most Japanese cars have very soft paint.

Good luck and enjoy your Aygo when it arrives! Just remember, stay away from the car wash ;)

[Legreen]

Thank you, very useful info and tips. :D

[dawesy]

a good quality wax (£25+) will last about 6 mths. use a detailing spray (meguires last touch is very good) and your shine will last a good while with minimum maintenance