Hi all,
I've spent most of today polishing my car, sad i know, but there was more tar on my car than on the roads ( if you can call them roads, they're more like tracks ), but there you go. So, i started off using Halfords own brand super resin polish, it did the job okay but i had to scrape some of the tar with my nails to get the polish to shift it, it wasn't doing the paint any favours that's for sure.
Then i found some Auto Glym polish, so i tried that. Once the tar got a whiff of the stuff it virtually jumped onto the cloth. It came off easily compared to the Halfords stuff, i know you only get what you pay for but how can two similar types of polish be so different ? I know you can buy Tar Remover but i prefer to polish the stuff off, plus you don't have to polish it once the tar's off !
My question is, what do the readers like to use to polish their pride and joy, and are certain brands worth paying the extra for ?
Regards,
Ash
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Autoglym or Mer are my favourites. If you can find an "AutoSmart" van delivering to your local car showroom they have a range of professional valeting products but I find the polish can be a bit short lived. However they do a product called "101" which is a universal cleaner/degreaser. This stuff is absolutely the bizz for cleaning interiors especially nicotine stained dash and door trims prior to retreating with a dashboard sheen.
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I use Autoglym Super Resin polish topped off with a couple of coats of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection. But be warned, it's quite a long job and you need to choose a bone dry day. I reckon Mer is great on solid finshes that are fairly thick, for example MB 190s and VWs. It gets all the dirt out of scratches behind door handles, etc. But I prefer Autoglym as a top coat polish.
HJ
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Mer is non-abrasive and can be used when the vehicle is not completely dry, after washing.
Unlike other products, it can be left to dry before polishing--you don't have to treat each panel separately.
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Having read about Autoglym polish a few years ago in HJ's column, I thought that I'd give it a try. It is simply the best thing available. Initially, I just bought a few products (Shampoo, Polish, Extra Gloss, Glass Polish), and was very pleased. Then I heard about the Autoglym valeting video (about £6.99 from stockists). It is only 1/2 hour long but is full of useful tips and tricks. This encouraged me to buy a fuller range of their products, and I have been delighted. Also, the tips and tricks mean that I can now do a much better job in half the time that it used to take me. I now have over £130 of Autoglym products in my garage at any one time. It has paid enormous dividends, though - people think that my 11 year old car with non letter year plates is only a few years old because it is so immaculate inside and out.
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Ashley, Never try to polish tar off! there may be grit sticking to it which might scratch the paintwork.I myself prefer to gently coax the stuff off using white spirit,and then I polish the car the "Honest John"way,it realy is a great product On the subject of polish what do others think of those "polymer" paintwork treatments such as "autogaurd" I recently had work done on one of our cars and the bodyshop manager was so gratefull for &1200 worth of work he gave my car the "autoguard"treatment free this only confirmed my suspicions that it is just a glorified wax polish (it did not last any longer than "autoglym"polish!) ps white spirit has never harmed my paintwork. Regards,Malcolm.
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I find the paintwork on later model cars to be abysmal. I believe that its probably because it is water based and environmently friendly.
I only have to touch my car and it scratches. And unlike paintwork of only a few years ago they can not be removed easily by T cut or similar. You polish away with it and the scratch is still there. 10 years or less ago you could remove quite deep scratches with these products.
Cars don't rust away like they used to but they are virtually non-resistant to any abrasion on their paintwork.
Alvin Booth
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I was given a tin of Ferrari polish which was very long lasting & effective.I now use Autoglym with super resin finish which equates.
I too find water based metallic paint finish to be thin & fragile on current models. HJ recommends Armorfend, has anyone any experience of this product please?
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Hi Ashley.
I'd agree with the others - Autoglym takes some beating. I'd also recommend white spirit for removing tar - it does an excellent job, and I've never found it to cause problems, but it needs a polish afterwards as it removes any polish that there is.
I find the slight abrasive effect of Autoglym ideal - I've red car which tends to deteriorate rather. And, yes the modern paints (esp. non-metallics) seem rather soft and very prone to stone chips - however I find they rarely remove the undercoat, just the colour coat. Would you believe my red Vauxhall appears to have white undercoat?
Regards
John
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Hi all,
Many thanks to you all for taking the time to reply to my question. I am now a little wiser with regards to my polishing antics.
The tip about using white spirit i will test the next time i need to remove the lumps of tar off my car, and judging by the state of my local roads it won't be too long.
Regards,
Ash.
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Hi John,
You say your car deteriorates rapidly? Well, mine's getting to the stage of nearly having a white bonnet (VW Tornado Red) and I desperately want it back to red without having to respray. Have you ever used T-cut or anything similar to cut the paint back? I'm a little wary of trying it as the car's 13 years old and I don't know what PO's may have done in the past and don't particulary want to cut through the top coats.
Any suggestions or tips on how to restore the colour to my car? Any help would be much appreciated.
Mark
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Simoniz coloured polish, Then MER or Autoglym Super resin Polish
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Thanks Andrew,
I'll have to hope for good weather this weekend so I can give it a try!
Mark
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