Unclealbert

Made the mistake of going down the Diamondbrite route 18 months ago and have now realised that it is sh!te. Been lazy and just using DB conditioner and shampoo for 18 monthes and no longer good enough. Sportswagon is blue mica and I think in very good condition for 2007 wrx.

Should add I am not an expert and just buying British because I should

So I have ordered AG Shampoo 2.5l
AG Clay Kit
AG HD Cleanser
AG HD Wax
AG Trim Gel

So my question relates to sealent

If I just apply wax over cleanser as per manufactuers instuctions does one or both of these substances act as a sealent?

Or do I need to do something else as well? Only interested in AG products.

Will do a trial run on the birds Mondeo first

Cheers

stonejedi

iTrader: (51)

To start with autoglym makes some quality products so no need to worry about that.Cleanser is to get the paint nice and clean before the application of your wax,you could glaze after the cleanser but before the wax to bring some wetness to your finish.the order to use the products would be wash,clay while car is still wet no need to dry,paint clense with the HD cleanser then finish off with the wax.there is plenty of other stages that you could do like snow foam,tar remover and a iron x product to decontaminate the paint further which would be done after the wash and before you clay.I hope I have not given you to much info.if you are really interested about car technics and products have a look on a site called detailing world.SJ.

Unclealbert

Thanks for info. Pitched it just at the right level and everything makes sense.

Just been reading detailing world. I will order some tar remover. I suspect the previous owner never clayed and has generated swirl marks from sponge washing. Therefore should I cancel HD cleanser and order a big tub if SRP or DGF?

Could you recommend any cheap wax to cover alloys as well?

Thanks again.........slowly learning

Unclealbert

Should not answer my own question but according to research:

Every 4 months - shampoo, clay, HD cleanser, SRP (new mix), HD wax?

Once a week - shampoo and chammy

Not sure about wheels - been using wonder wheels but think it could be damaging brakes (replacing brakes next week) - should I stop using WW and do something else?

Plastic interior scratches - cannot find an autoglym product so use Megiiars PlastRX to rub out
Scratch

Fabric preserver on seats ????

Cheers

stonejedi

iTrader: (51)

Right where to start,SRP is very good that is the only product that is always in my kit after more then 20 years detailing my cars properly so would recommend you pick it up if you have not already got it,HD cleanser is also a good product and when you use it you will realise how good it cleans as your paint will be squeaky clean in readiness for your chosen wax.I use numerous different waxs on my wheels depending on what I have,you can get a dedicated wheel wax like poor boys wheel wax,but you can use any wax on rims I have and have never had problems the key to keeping wheels clean is staying on top of them once you deep clean them and put a good couple of coats of wax you will only need your normal shampoo and a sponge to keep your wheels clean.plastX is good but I usually just use it on headlights and rear lights and it works good it takes all the minute scratch's out.but should be ok on plastic trim depending how deep the scratch's are.SJ.

ScoobyClaire

a good cheap product will be for a (sealant jet seal 109) or a (wax collinite 845). very durable and wont break the bank. my bf does it for a living he is a detailer cant help but take notice what he says lol. only really need to clay once a year unless you live in a very bad area with lots of fallout (contamination).

stonejedi

iTrader: (51)

About time scale with detailing its a personal thing so if you want to have a routine that is every 4 months as you stated that would be fine but if you wanted to do it every single month that would also be ok it comes down to how much time you have and are prepared to use on keeping your car clean if like me it would be very regular and even more so when the weather starts to get good.SJ.

Unclealbert

Thanks Clare and Sj. Less claying
And use of the HD cleanser then

The plastic scratch is deep and long - already done when I bought car. Distinct ridge can be felt with nail
And it goes about 15cm across
Glovebox. Irrepairable without using a heat gun ?
I'm not prepared to risk using a heat gun.

Will look at jet seal 109

Thanks for advicr

ScoobyClaire

no problem albert jetseal is a great product. take a look here this is with jetseal used.
. sorry about the crappy microfibres covering the number plase he was having new show plates made up at the time

Unclealbert

Well I have looked at lots of products now and these are the ones I cannot quite decided on. Have bought Bilt Hamber (soft and normal) clays, AG HD Wax, AG Shampoo & AG Tar Remover

PLease could someone guide me on the following, bearing in mind the compatability with soft WRB Subaru paint and the products I have already bought:

Pre-wax cleanser

AG HD Cleanser or R222 Gloss or Dodo Lime Prime Lite???

I guess am leaning towards HD Cleanser purely because of the fact it AG HD. R222 is heavily recommended by PB & LPL seems popular.

Polish / Glaze

AG SRP or Poorboys Black Hole or Dodo Need for Speed

This is the area of most concern for me. I have read AG SRP is recommended, but it is abrasive and I know the Subau paint is delicate. There are exising swirl marks and I would them covered. Which one of these is the best?

I am also looking at the AG bumper gel and the Poorboys natural look interior cleaner.

Hope some one with more knowledge can guide me in the right direction

stonejedi

iTrader: (51)

bilt hamber is my clay of choice as you use it with just water and not a lube,SRP is what you need based on performance and price black hole is another good product with lots of fillers to mask out scratchs but SRP works better by hand and black hole by machine it can be used by hand but not as easy as SRP.the trim dressings and pre wax cleansers you have mentioned are good as well especially dodo juice lime prime light i used it a couple of days ago and the results were superb,make sure you post up some pictures of your car when all your hard work is done.SJ.

Unclealbert

Thanks SJ. Hope you don't mind me asking you some more questions directly bearing in mind my final layer will be HD Wax

1) You advise SRP as polish over Blackhole. Do you also advise Lime Prime Lite over AG HD Cleanser?

2) What are your views on R222 gloss cleanser? Could this effectively be a replacement SRP & LPL/HD Cleanser?

3) if I deviated from the HD Cleanser - SRP - HD Wax route
For instance went R222 - Jet 109 - HD Wax is this wrong ? Basically I want the best combination to give best performance for the best value for a not excessive workload.

4) once the cleaning process is finished, is an AG shampoo once a week enough - for some reason I do not want to use detail sprays unless they really are very effective - they just seem like a cop out.

I'm stuck offshore and bored hence the detailed researching and web shopping!

Cheers

Unclealbert

Taken the plunge and gone AG HD Cleanser, revised SRP, HD War, tar remover, bumper gel, shampoo and PB natural look

Hopefully I'll have something half decent and significantly
Better than diamondbrite. Have bought some more diamondbrite fabric spray guard because that is good stuff.

Cheers

stonejedi

iTrader: (51)

Yes,really Albert you would only use hd cleanser or SRP not both as a base for your wax, black hole is a base for wax but more for darker colour cars but it mostly does the Same job as SRP.R222 is a nice cleanser when using there R222 concours wax but what you have ordered will do a very good job.if you find the PB natural look dressing to look oily just give it another wipe down with a clean buffing cloth,if like me you prefere the more mat look,autoglym shampoo wash is very good because you don't need to use a lot of it,it does not really give you a lot of bubbles I.e SUDS but the lubricity in the wash allows for a good clean.time scale is really up to you I wash my car quite frequently but there Is not really a schedule to when you should wash your car,my car never really gets dirty because I like trying out different products and other Detailers recommendation's.just enjoy cleaning your car and you will soon have the OCD bug.SJ.