Best Products BY HAND

[deadonkey]

Im currently using the following:

Poorboys slick n suds Shampoo
AG SRP
AG EGP x2
and no wax at all

I believe most of the "shine" comes from the polishing and not wax. However since its easy to spend say £40 on ONYX. (which I plan to buy) or £100+ on Best in Show etc.
Since we agree that most of the shine comes from the polishing stage surely there are expensive polishes available

What would be an idea product for me to upgrade to from the SRP.

I am also working by hand, for the time being atleast.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Tbh i'd stick with the srp and egp combo . Use a german applicator for the srp or a sonus applicator , it gives a slight cut to the paint , better than just using a normal applicator imo .

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/accessories/sonus-sfx-pro-applicators-pkg/2/prod_31.html

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/accessories/ultimate-german-applicator/prod_280.html

I'd stick with the chemical guys xxx hardore paste wax . I think alot of crap is talked about wax . Seems like people think the more you pay the better it is , the placebo effect . Wax , is wax , is wax . The only difference in wax is the durability . If you wax your car once a month then you won't go far wrong with the xxx .

http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/product_p/xxx.htm

 

[Mike_182]

I'd stick with the chemical guys xxx hardore paste wax . I think alot of crap is talked about wax . Seems like people think the more you pay the better it is , the placebo effect . Wax , is wax , is wax . The only difference in wax is the durability . If you wax your car once a month then you won't go far wrong with the xxx .

http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/product_p/xxx.htm

I beg to differ - my car looks a lot better with Onyx than it does with P21S, and better with P21S than with Megs Gold Class... There's a lot more to a product than 'it's a wax' - it's composition for starters...

 

[riz]

if ur gonna get a better wax get chem guys 50/50 its better than XXX, trust me i had both, but XXX is nto a bad wax either

 

[al]

The menzerna final finish is excelent for a good shine, just never used it by hand!

 

[Rich]

Both the Final Finishes work well by hand, the Final Finish (PO106FF) worked better on removing some mionor marring the other day than Megs Scratch X.

The depth of gloss achievable by machine will never really be achieved easily by hand, and though the likes of Final Finsih dop work by hand they are not easy. Scrtach X at least is formulated for hand polishing use, where as lots of others will causes marks to be put into the paint when used by hand as you won't be able to break down the abbrasives.

Polishes wise it is not a case of them being expensive it is a case of how effective they will work by hand. The Menzerna's which for me are the best polishes on the market at the moment and are not really that much more expensive than SRP purchased at shop prices.

You are entirley right 90% of the shine/depth and gloss comes from the polishing stages. Working by hand you wont get much better than what you have. A bigger investment than buying expensive waxes would be a polishing machine.


That said Swissvax Onyx is a big upgrade in looks over P21s and XXX on my Black car, and BOS looks a improvement over Onyx, so the last 10% of looks does make a difference just not as much as the polishing stage.

CG 50/50 as Riz Says is the Best wax for the 20-30 quid price bracket, but Onyx nudges past that in looks and most importantly ease of use, easyist to apply wax on the market for me at the mo IMO.

 

[deadonkey]

Another reason to get a PC. Not only to do paint correction but to do basic polishing too.

I would order one but im trying to hold out for the UK version discussed on this forum.

 

[Rich]

Polishing/Paint correction is all the same, just depends on the amount/sevcerity of defects. Even on what looks to be nearly A1 paint, the finish that can be achieved by machine even with a mild polish makes it a worth while buy.

I polished a few week old 2007 R32 on Sunday just with a Menzerna Finishing polish, despite it already being nearly defect free and glossy, it looked better still with Menzerna Final Finish PO85RD on just a finishing pad.

Sensible IMO to hold out and see what the new machine is all about IMO.

Also forgot to say in my origional reply to your post, if you want to take things up a notch looks wise, especially the better weather is here - lose the EGP and follow the SRP with a nice hand glaze and a wax.

Try something like Clearkote Vanilla Moose Wax Hand Glaze and/or Clearkote Red Moose Glaze and top with a decent carnuba wax.

Even by hand they will look awesome, glazes will add a real depth and wetness to the paint in a hand working routine. The compromise is the oily nature means you can only really use a wax over them as sealant won't bond.

Clearkote Glazes applied by hand on Black (car had never been machine polished at this point) CLEARKOTE GALLERY - CLICK ME