HassanZ Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Hi everyone! I'm sure most of you have spotted a few of my threads with questions on machine polishers and detailing products. Well after a lot of help and advice provided by fellow members on this forum, I have completed my first major detail with a machine polisher I have been planning to carry out for the last few weeks! I am so glad I didn't get someone else to do it for me, it has been one of the most satisfying experiences in my motoring life so far (not as satisfying as handing over my hard earned cash for the Zed itself though!)! Well, firstly I was after a machine polisher which would suit my requirements. I was advised to purchase the Kestrel DAS6, which I got hold of at a very good price. Then I went on to find out which compounds, pads and glaze was the best for the Zed paintwork. After taking advice from Tim (Envy Valeting) and another local detailing product supplier, I ended up purchasing the following (some stuff I had from before) to carry out my detail: - Karcher pressure washer - Meguiars Gold Class Shampoo - A few detailing cloths, drying towels and wash mitts - Meguiars Ultimate Compound - Kestrel DAS6 DA polisher - Meguiars polishing and finishing pads (yellow and black) - Poorboys White Diamond glaze - Auto Glym HD wax - Turtle wax Nano-Tech tyre gel - Autosmart 'Chewing gum' scent air freshener - Auto Glym Surface Detailing Kit - 3M detailing tape - Meguiars Ultimate Protectant Dash & Trm restorer - Auto Glym Engine De-greaser - Auto Glym Vinyl & Rubber Care - Auto Glym Leather Care Cream - Auto Glym Leather Polish - Auto Glym Window Polish - Autosol Chrome Polish As far as I remember, that's everything I used. The interior and engine bay were cleaned last week. The exterior was cleaned on Friday and Saturday, the total amount of time spent on the exterior was approximately 17 hours. The steps taken to clean exterior: - I first began by rinsing the car with the Karcher pressure washer. - The Zed was then soaped with the Meguiars Gold Class shampoo using the 'two bucket' method. - The shampoo was then rinsed off and dried. - I clayed the full body and lights with the Auto Glym Surface Detailing kit (the bodywork weren't bad at all as I clayed it when I first purchased it 3 months ago). - The car was then rinsed again to ensure the bodywork did not pick up any contaminents whilst carrying out the claying process. - I then pulled out the Kestrel polisher for the first time (yes I was nervous!) and attached the polishing pad (yellow). I first lightly sprayed the pad with my detailing spray (2 squirts) to make it damp. I then marked an 'X' on the pad with the Meguiars Ultimate Compound and began to polish the car. I worked on a foot squared surface area, first starting off on speed 2 and gently spreading the compound, then increasing the speed to 5 and working the area. The next area I worked on, I applied two spots of compound instead of an 'X', as the pad was already full of the previous compound applied. - I applied a line of blue detailing tape on the bonnet and polished one side of the tape. When comparing the difference, the treated surface had a much crisper reflection. - Once the whole car had been detailed, I buffed the residue off with a buffing cloth. - I then went on to detail the headlights and tailights, as they were very hazy (some of you may have seen my thread on this before). The headlights came out unbelievably clear!! I could not believe the difference the machine polisher made! Even at night you can see more of the road when driving. - I then pulled out the Poorboys White Diamond Glaze and black finishing pad and applied it onto the polisher. I followed the same steps as the polishing step but used speeds 2 and 4 on the Kestrel machine polisher. - I let the Poorboys glaze haze on the car for about 10 minutes and buffed it off with a buffing cloth. - I then glazed the car with a second coat to deepen the shine further. - After buffing off the second coat of Poorboys glaze, I then decided to wax the car and lights with the Auto Glym HD Wax. Due to it being a hard wax, I had to apply this by hand. - I let the wax haze on the car for about 10 minutes and buffed it off. - I then applied a second coat of wax on the car and lights and buffed it off again. - I applied 1 coat of wax to the wheels also and buffed it off. Please let me know what you think of the results. If you have any suggestions, I am more than happy to listen to them. I have tried my best to remember everything I did, if I have forgotten any steps or detail I will edit it when necessary. Enjoy the photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonk Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Very impressive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 looks great. well worth all the effort. top job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
introspect Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Wow that's a lot of pictures Looking very shiney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon da silva Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Wow, the car looks bloody new.. Just rolled out of the dealership Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 The zafira doesn't look very happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Thanks a lot for your comments guys, it is very much appreciated! I'm quite glad I didn't refurbish my alloys in a darker gunmetal colour! The front bumper is badly stone chipped (if you haven't noticed) and will be getting resprayed soon. With regards to the Zafira, yes it has taken a bit of a beating unfortunately. What you see is not all of it. The car is dented on all sides of the car including the roof! The car was parked up on a hill and the handbrake failed and rolled down, straight into someone's garden and tipped over onto it's side then onto it's roof! Fortunately nobody was hurt... I know the owner really well, I feel really bad for him He like's his car a lot as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richt Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maccaman Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Not bad I suppose Looks like you have done a really fantastic job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Nice finish - I love the Poorboys glaze, amazing product IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 Thanks guys. Yes I am VERY impressed with the results the Poorboys glaze produced, this was the first time I have ever used it. I didn't think glaze was necessary until now! I was contemplating whether to use the Black Hole or the White Diamond due to the car being Gunmetal. I wonder if the Black Hole would have produced a better result...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 There are actually two shades of Gunmetal on the same paint code - an 'L' and a 'D' (IIRC). Light and dark in other words. Mine is light, some are dark. I went for the White Diamond on that basis. Black hole itself is actually dark itself and I didn't want to put that on and risk it bleeding into any of the layers (not that I know the exact chemical workings of it!). Have been recommended a new top coat for it so will be trying that out when I get the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 Oh! No wonder when I see other people's 'Gun Metal' cars, they seem more like silver! Is mine a darker shade or a lighter shade of the colour? Yeah I also heard the Black Hole has a chemical in it and White Diamond doesn't, so I thought the White Diamond would be the safer option. How often do you glaze your Zed using White Diamond? Make sure you show me some photos of the new top coat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomS Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 What's the best way to go about getting rid of small marks/scratches on the plastic interior? Mainly around the bottom of the door, the little hole you use to pull the door shut? Bought a decent amount of stuff for cleaning the exterior but noticed a few small marks on the interior that I'd like to tidy up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cragus Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Bang tidy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu350z Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Awesome job! Thats probably the cleanest car Ive ever seen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Adam Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Nice motor very clean. Makes me miss mine now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian@TORQEN Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hello haz65, Really nice job, mate! I'm trying to compile a list with the stuff you have used with links and prices and so far this is what I've found: =================================== - Kestrel DAS6 - £79.99 - Nilfisk C110 3-5 X-Tra Pressure Washer with 1400 Watt Motor - £64.95 - Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo & Conditioner - 1892ml - £15.99 - Meguiar's Ultimate Compound - £10.99 - Poorboys White Diamond glaze - £12.95 - Auto Glym High Defitnion Wax - £39.95 - Turtle wax Extreme Nano-Tech tyre gel - £4.99 - Autosmart Car Air Freshener Bubblegum Blast aerosol - £5.70 - Auto Glym Surface Detailing Kit - £26.95 - Ultimate Protectant Dash & Trim Restorer - £9.49 - Autoglym Engine & Machine Cleaner - £9.95 - Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care - £7.25 - Autoglym Leather Cleaner - £6.25 - Autoglym Fast Glass - £6.50 - Autosol Metal Polish - £5.99 - Meguiar's Lambswool Wash Mitt - £10.99 - 3M High Performance Masking Tape Blue - £1.95 - Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Soft Buff 2.0 Foam Polishing Pad - Yellow - £12.95 - Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Soft Buff 2.0 Foam Finishing Pad - Black - £12.95 - Autosol Metal Polish - £5.99 - FinishKare 1000P Hi-Temp Sealant - £17.95 ===================================== TOTAL = £370.67 Any chance you can help with links to the remaining stuff bellow, please? Also, are you aware of some better deals than the ones I found? - A few detailing cloths and drying towels - AutoGlym Leather Polish What about the snow foam stuff, buckets, adapters for the pressure washer, etc? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 What's the best way to go about getting rid of small marks/scratches on the plastic interior? Mainly around the bottom of the door, the little hole you use to pull the door shut? Bought a decent amount of stuff for cleaning the exterior but noticed a few small marks on the interior that I'd like to tidy up. Hi Tom, The best way you can hide these marks is by using the Meguiars ultimate protectant trim and dash restorer. Depending on how bad these marks are, I'm sure it will help hide them? Another option which a few people go with is wrapping the trim with 3M vinyl. There could be an interior specialist on this forum that could advise you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Awesome job! Thats probably the cleanest car Ive ever seen! Thanks a lot for all your comments guys, i really appreciate it. You have made me feel the time and effort put into cleaning it has been worth while! I'm sure you've seen a cleaner car than mine though Stu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hello haz65, Really nice job, mate! I'm trying to compile a list with the stuff you have used with links and prices and so far this is what I've found: =================================== - Kestrel DAS6 - £79.99 - Nilfisk C110 3-5 X-Tra Pressure Washer with 1400 Watt Motor - £64.95 - Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo & Conditioner - 1892ml - £15.99 - Meguiar's Ultimate Compound - £10.99 - Poorboys White Diamond glaze - £12.95 - Auto Glym High Defitnion Wax - £39.95 - Turtle wax Extreme Nano-Tech tyre gel - £4.99 - Autosmart Car Air Freshener Bubblegum Blast aerosol - £5.70 - Auto Glym Surface Detailing Kit - £26.95 - Ultimate Protectant Dash & Trim Restorer - £9.49 - Autoglym Engine & Machine Cleaner - £9.95 - Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care - £7.25 - Autoglym Leather Cleaner - £6.25 - Autoglym Fast Glass - £6.50 - Autosol Metal Polish - £5.99 - Meguiar's Lambswool Wash Mitt - £10.99 - 3M High Performance Masking Tape Blue - £1.95 - Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Soft Buff 2.0 Foam Polishing Pad - Yellow - £12.95 - Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Soft Buff 2.0 Foam Finishing Pad - Black - £12.95 - Autosol Metal Polish - £5.99 - FinishKare 1000P Hi-Temp Sealant - £17.95 ===================================== TOTAL = £370.67 Any chance you can help with links to the remaining stuff bellow, please? Also, are you aware of some better deals than the ones I found? - A few detailing cloths and drying towels - AutoGlym Leather Polish What about the snow foam stuff, buckets, adapters for the pressure washer, etc? Thanks! Hi mate, Yes I should be able to find you better deals on some products on that list (after spending hours shopping around). With regards to the pressure washer, I know a Karcher dealer Which could sort you out with a very good pressure washer and all the attachments you require at a very good price. PM is on it's way Regards, Hassan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian@TORQEN Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Wow that's shiny. Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Wow that's shiny. Well done Thanks mate My back was killing after that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Oh! No wonder when I see other people's 'Gun Metal' cars, they seem more like silver! Is mine a darker shade or a lighter shade of the colour? Yeah I also heard the Black Hole has a chemical in it and White Diamond doesn't, so I thought the White Diamond would be the safer option. How often do you glaze your Zed using White Diamond? Make sure you show me some photos of the new top coat! A couple of people commented on mine at Wales and Japfest last year that my GM 'always looks brighter than others' and I think it is down to the glaze. I glaze it every 6 months or so, just did it again yesterday. Am in the process of layering the top coat, will be taking it to Wales next weekend so you can see it there? If not, will get some pics up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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