Paint Protection? Waxing? Washing? Advice please.
Discussion
Gentlemen
This is my first post on what is clearly an informative and friendly forum. A credit to you all.
I should be collecting an onyx black 2009 V8V in a week or so and despite me saying that after my black SL that I would never buy another black car again I was seduced by the way the Vantage looks in onyx. Amazing! The colour aside the car is so beautifully sculptured!
But now to the problem.......................black looks stunning for the 10 minutes that they are clean and are a nightmare to keep looking their best. These cars deserve to look as good as possible all the time so I wondered what advice and opinion you owners have with regard to protection the paint (supa guard. 3M. Etc) and detailing wax protections (Swisswax, Zymol, etc) and how to keep the car as clean as possible in our changeable British climate.
The car will be used regularly and garaged each night and my fear is that come the cold winter months that I will be reluctant to was and clean her in sub zero temperatures as it rains. I currently use a local car wash but I won’t be subjecting the V8V to that. Any advice and experiences you have would be greatly appreciated and any detailers used and recommended also received with thanks along with your thoughts on which products you like.
Many thanks.
Jason
This is my first post on what is clearly an informative and friendly forum. A credit to you all.
I should be collecting an onyx black 2009 V8V in a week or so and despite me saying that after my black SL that I would never buy another black car again I was seduced by the way the Vantage looks in onyx. Amazing! The colour aside the car is so beautifully sculptured!
But now to the problem.......................black looks stunning for the 10 minutes that they are clean and are a nightmare to keep looking their best. These cars deserve to look as good as possible all the time so I wondered what advice and opinion you owners have with regard to protection the paint (supa guard. 3M. Etc) and detailing wax protections (Swisswax, Zymol, etc) and how to keep the car as clean as possible in our changeable British climate.
The car will be used regularly and garaged each night and my fear is that come the cold winter months that I will be reluctant to was and clean her in sub zero temperatures as it rains. I currently use a local car wash but I won’t be subjecting the V8V to that. Any advice and experiences you have would be greatly appreciated and any detailers used and recommended also received with thanks along with your thoughts on which products you like.
Many thanks.
Jason
Hi Jason,
Try this link:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
It contains just about everything you need to know about looking after your new pride and joy. Also, Francis is a top man.
Cheers,
Ian
Try this link:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
It contains just about everything you need to know about looking after your new pride and joy. Also, Francis is a top man.
Cheers,
Ian
I've just had mine detailed by a friend in that trade and asked him the same question. His suggestion for an easy to maintain regime was;
Initial Prep
Wash the car in mild detergent using two bucket method
Rinse & dryer using microfibre clothes
Claybar and use tar/wax remove for any stubborn stains
Do any stone chips or paint correction you want
Get it machine polished (he used Poorboys SSR2.5)
Six Monthly
Wash car with car shampoo using two bucket method
Rinse & dryer using microfibre clothes
Use a sealer/glaze to protect & shine (Zaino 2 or Meg's NXT Techwax)
I like either of these two as the car doesn't have to perfectly dry and they can be built up in layers. They can also be used on trim, side glass, exhausts and wheels
Other than that just wash it & dry it as per Six Monthly!
I have a really good PDF on how to do a whole car including engine, PM me if you want a copy.
Initial Prep
Wash the car in mild detergent using two bucket method
Rinse & dryer using microfibre clothes
Claybar and use tar/wax remove for any stubborn stains
Do any stone chips or paint correction you want
Get it machine polished (he used Poorboys SSR2.5)
Six Monthly
Wash car with car shampoo using two bucket method
Rinse & dryer using microfibre clothes
Use a sealer/glaze to protect & shine (Zaino 2 or Meg's NXT Techwax)
I like either of these two as the car doesn't have to perfectly dry and they can be built up in layers. They can also be used on trim, side glass, exhausts and wheels
Other than that just wash it & dry it as per Six Monthly!
I have a really good PDF on how to do a whole car including engine, PM me if you want a copy.
I had 'Supa guard' on a black honda S2000 and couldn't identify any benefit whatsoever. It's only for lazy people who don't like washing cars is all I could think. You don't need to wax the car but it offers no stone chip protection at all. I shan't be getting it again.
I also don't believe in the paint protection film at all. It ruins the finish of the car. It doesn't protect from bigger stonechips and one day you'll need to rip it off and it'll take all the paint with it. A total fad.
The only thing for it is to wash and wax the car yourself and get the nose resprayed every few years. It doesn't cost much more than the paint protection stuff anyway and you end up with a totally brand new looking car too.
Besides, I don't know about you but I love washing my car. It's absolutely the best way to give it a close inspection. You find scratches and dings you'd never otherwise know about. And when you have a car as beautiful as an Aston Martin it's nice to spend an hour looking at it and stroking it!
My only tip for a dark car is to use wax that can go on wet. You get a better finish and it's much quicker than drying the car and then putting on dry wax. Autoglym do one and 'Mer' would be another brand I've used. I find they work well.
I also don't believe in the paint protection film at all. It ruins the finish of the car. It doesn't protect from bigger stonechips and one day you'll need to rip it off and it'll take all the paint with it. A total fad.
The only thing for it is to wash and wax the car yourself and get the nose resprayed every few years. It doesn't cost much more than the paint protection stuff anyway and you end up with a totally brand new looking car too.
Besides, I don't know about you but I love washing my car. It's absolutely the best way to give it a close inspection. You find scratches and dings you'd never otherwise know about. And when you have a car as beautiful as an Aston Martin it's nice to spend an hour looking at it and stroking it!
My only tip for a dark car is to use wax that can go on wet. You get a better finish and it's much quicker than drying the car and then putting on dry wax. Autoglym do one and 'Mer' would be another brand I've used. I find they work well.
I had my car detailed and treated at www.gtechniq.com a month after I bought it. Its lasted really well and a good option if you have a daily driver, that wont be getting pampered once a month
Its the same stuff they put on yachts and planes to protect the paint and the only coating stuff Ive ever tried thats delivered the goods
here is a pic 17 months after treatment - I just wash it myself, 2 buckets/mitts, filtered water to rinse, then do the glass/plastic bits, about 1 hour every 3-4 weeks ....I much prefer driving cars to cleaning them
with a polymer coating, it will never have that "just detailed " look when someone has spent 8 hours with clay/polish/wax, but it is easy to clean, shiny and still beads water....
oh - wheels were originally silver, again as im lazy at cleaning, I had the dealer refinish them before delivery, in MATT anthracite (not gloss laquer) as Ive found on the last 3 cars, matt finish dosent attract the dust so much, and grey always looks dirty anyway....so a quick wipe with sponge every 3-4 weeks is all they need to
[URL=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2385225920039429722FDdVSL]
[/URL]
Its the same stuff they put on yachts and planes to protect the paint and the only coating stuff Ive ever tried thats delivered the goods
here is a pic 17 months after treatment - I just wash it myself, 2 buckets/mitts, filtered water to rinse, then do the glass/plastic bits, about 1 hour every 3-4 weeks ....I much prefer driving cars to cleaning them
with a polymer coating, it will never have that "just detailed " look when someone has spent 8 hours with clay/polish/wax, but it is easy to clean, shiny and still beads water....
oh - wheels were originally silver, again as im lazy at cleaning, I had the dealer refinish them before delivery, in MATT anthracite (not gloss laquer) as Ive found on the last 3 cars, matt finish dosent attract the dust so much, and grey always looks dirty anyway....so a quick wipe with sponge every 3-4 weeks is all they need to
[URL=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2385225920039429722FDdVSL]
[/URL]Edited by bogie on Monday 9th August 12:38
Edited by bogie on Monday 9th August 12:42
The Pits said:
I also don't believe in the paint protection film at all. It ruins the finish of the car. It doesn't protect from bigger stonechips and one day you'll need to rip it off and it'll take all the paint with it. A total fad.
The only thing for it is to wash and wax the car yourself and get the nose resprayed every few years. It doesn't cost much more than the paint protection stuff anyway and you end up with a totally brand new looking car too.
Besides, I don't know about you but I love washing my car. It's absolutely the best way to give it a close inspection. You find scratches and dings you'd never otherwise know about. And when you have a car as beautiful as an Aston Martin it's nice to spend an hour looking at it and stroking it!
My only tip for a dark car is to use wax that can go on wet. You get a better finish and it's much quicker than drying the car and then putting on dry wax. Autoglym do one and 'Mer' would be another brand I've used. I find they work well.
I was like you on the film until I bought my V8VR which had it on.The only thing for it is to wash and wax the car yourself and get the nose resprayed every few years. It doesn't cost much more than the paint protection stuff anyway and you end up with a totally brand new looking car too.
Besides, I don't know about you but I love washing my car. It's absolutely the best way to give it a close inspection. You find scratches and dings you'd never otherwise know about. And when you have a car as beautiful as an Aston Martin it's nice to spend an hour looking at it and stroking it!
My only tip for a dark car is to use wax that can go on wet. You get a better finish and it's much quicker than drying the car and then putting on dry wax. Autoglym do one and 'Mer' would be another brand I've used. I find they work well.
The car has 16k miles on it in 18 months and there is not a single stone chip on the protected parts. On my S2000 a front bumper respray is £200 on an V8V I was quoted £2,500! It is also very easy to remove and replace. I will be keeping it on mine and replacing it when it looks "tired"
Can you see it in this picture
Good points on the washing to inspect and wax going on "wet" on dark cars however watch out for water stains from evaporating water
Steer clear of Mer though!
Firstly, nice colour choice. One of my favorite colours.
The first thing to do is to get it properly detailed. Ive done many a onyx black aston, for both pistonhead member and general public and they always give the wow factor when you stand back after ive finished.
The trick then is to buy a decent wax, similar to the guide in which ian posted the link too (cheers ian). Admittedly, that is quite swissvax heavy, but for me, best of show is one of the best waxes money can buy.
Now, as you are going to be using the car through winter, you need to get a pressure washer and foam lance. To be honest, everyone should have one of these and use it every time they wash the car. You then need a good shampoo, such as the swissvax car bath or duragloss shampoo, a couple of lambs wool mitts and either a soft drying towel or like a couple on here, use filtered water to rinse and then leave it.
Personally, i would get the front bumper covered in a plastic film, but thats it, though its your call and everyone is different.
Any more questions, dont be afraid to ask.
I'll be detailing johns (993targa) onyx v8v on sunday, ready for our factory tour on the monday, so im sure he'll post some pics of what it could look like. With a one day detail anyway. Or look at a car done by jay (gleamingklean), his work will show you how they should look too.
Francis
Emerald detailing
The first thing to do is to get it properly detailed. Ive done many a onyx black aston, for both pistonhead member and general public and they always give the wow factor when you stand back after ive finished.
The trick then is to buy a decent wax, similar to the guide in which ian posted the link too (cheers ian). Admittedly, that is quite swissvax heavy, but for me, best of show is one of the best waxes money can buy.
Now, as you are going to be using the car through winter, you need to get a pressure washer and foam lance. To be honest, everyone should have one of these and use it every time they wash the car. You then need a good shampoo, such as the swissvax car bath or duragloss shampoo, a couple of lambs wool mitts and either a soft drying towel or like a couple on here, use filtered water to rinse and then leave it.
Personally, i would get the front bumper covered in a plastic film, but thats it, though its your call and everyone is different.
Any more questions, dont be afraid to ask.
I'll be detailing johns (993targa) onyx v8v on sunday, ready for our factory tour on the monday, so im sure he'll post some pics of what it could look like. With a one day detail anyway. Or look at a car done by jay (gleamingklean), his work will show you how they should look too.
Francis
Emerald detailing
The Pits said:
I also don't believe in the paint protection film at all. It ruins the finish of the car. It doesn't protect from bigger stonechips and one day you'll need to rip it off and it'll take all the paint with it. A total fad.
The only thing for it is to wash and wax the car yourself and get the nose resprayed every few years. It doesn't cost much more than the paint protection stuff anyway and you end up with a totally brand new looking car too.
I disagree. I've used paint protection film on my cars for 10 years, and while I've had no reason to remove the film from any of my cars yet, I know many people who have removed it -- without ANY damage to the paint underneath. Also, it can protect the paint from more than stone chips. The only thing for it is to wash and wax the car yourself and get the nose resprayed every few years. It doesn't cost much more than the paint protection stuff anyway and you end up with a totally brand new looking car too.
Last week, it more than proved its worth when the car in front of me ran over something and fired it back at my V8V. It was about 2 feet square, made of hard plastic or something similar, and it bounced off the road just in front me, breaking into several still-large pieces. I had no place to go (another car was in the lane next to me), so I hit the brakes hoping to miss most of it (I was going about 65 mph), but still smacked a fairly large piece. I felt sick, sure that the film wouldn't be able to completely protect the car. To my surprise and delight, after a little effort with some wax, there is just one very small scuff in the film on the bumper, and it's only visible because I know where to look for it. There is no question in my mind that, without the film, there would have been enough damage to the paint that I'd need to repaint the bumper.
I have the film on the front portion of the bonnet/hood, the front bumper and the mirrors. It's not invisible, but if you're careful to prevent white wax residue from accumulating at the edge, you barely see it. It does have more of an orange-peel texture than the paint, which is the major reason I did not cover the entire front end -- I wouldn't want to cover more of the gorgeous paint as you do lose a little bit of the gloss and reflectivity. While I do think the car looks best without the film, I think the film looks better than the stone chips.
For me, repainting the nose every few years does not appeal at all. Once you start repainting, you have to worry about getting a PERFECT match. This means matching not only the color, but also the texture -- not getting both exactly right means it doesn't look like it should, and one can tell it's been repainted. Masking tape lines and other issues can also mar the result. IMO, the film looks better than any of these other issues, and if it gets damaged, it can be removed -- without damaging the paint -- and simply replaced. Also, the paint is only original once. Of course, many things can lead to a respray, but the film is a good way to push the odds in the right direction.
Jason, great choice of car -- congratulations. Mine is also a MY09 V8V in Onyx. I use Zymol Concours, two buckets, microfibre mitts to wash, and a blower followed by a microfibre towel to dry. Here it is at the AMOC Lime Rock event in June:
A massive thank you also goes to Francis of Emereld Detailing (Paddy328 on here) to make what seemed impossible, possible. The car was a spiders web of swirl marks before Francis got to work. He spent an extra days labour with no additional cost to get the glass finish he wanted. We went out and ate late Thursday night to celebrate. Top bloke, cannot recommend highly enough. Thanks again Francis.
Just to let you see the mess the paintwork was in before work was started.....
Just to let you see the mess the paintwork was in before work was started.....
If car is going to be used regulerly during the winter months perhaps look at having a sealant applied such as Nanolex or GTechniq, certainly will offer more protection than a wax will over the cold wet winter months.
If worried about about stone chips then i would certainly look at getting some PPF (paint protection film) applied to the front of the car and wing mirrors
Here is a black AM looking they way it should
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
If worried about about stone chips then i would certainly look at getting some PPF (paint protection film) applied to the front of the car and wing mirrors
Here is a black AM looking they way it should
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
'It's not invisible, but if you're careful to prevent white wax residue from accumulating at the edge, you barely see it. It does have more of an orange-peel texture than the paint, which is the major reason I did not cover the entire front end -- I wouldn't want to cover more of the gorgeous paint as you do lose a little bit of the gloss and reflectivity.'
I take your point that the above is better for you than stone chips but it wouldn't be good enough for my £100k+ Aston.
For the miles I do I'd prefer to keep the car honest and have a few stone chips.
I also think your view about respraying is a bit old school. It's been a long time since I've seen a poorly match after a respray. The work I've seen has been outstanding and besides its very easy to mask off a front bumper up to the car's shutlines.
I was warned against paint protection film by a dealer who had seen it wreck the original paintwork and I'm glad I followed his advice. The car in question (a TVR Sagaris) had its nose resprayed by the dealer I sold it to and it looked absolutely as new, if not better. It cost £800 to do but it was first class work. How much is paint protection film by comparison?
I think it's a case of each to their own but protection film isn't for everyone. For a car that doesn't do very many miles a year I don't think it's the answer.
I take your point that the above is better for you than stone chips but it wouldn't be good enough for my £100k+ Aston.
For the miles I do I'd prefer to keep the car honest and have a few stone chips.
I also think your view about respraying is a bit old school. It's been a long time since I've seen a poorly match after a respray. The work I've seen has been outstanding and besides its very easy to mask off a front bumper up to the car's shutlines.
I was warned against paint protection film by a dealer who had seen it wreck the original paintwork and I'm glad I followed his advice. The car in question (a TVR Sagaris) had its nose resprayed by the dealer I sold it to and it looked absolutely as new, if not better. It cost £800 to do but it was first class work. How much is paint protection film by comparison?
I think it's a case of each to their own but protection film isn't for everyone. For a car that doesn't do very many miles a year I don't think it's the answer.
Gentlemen
Well thanks to all your useful advice, comments and recommendations I've placed orders online with various detailing suppliers for a range of brushes, clothes, foam lance, sprays etc etc and am waiting for them to arrive over the coming days. Christmas in August, perfect!
Car is booked to go straight to driveandshine in Surrey when I collect her on Saturday for the full Swissvax treatment inside and out and I will then be lovingly washing and caressing her as and when needed pending her quarterly revisit to them.
I can’t wait to see their results. Ive asked them to take before, during and after pics and will post if you guys are interested.
Many many thanks to you all for your help.
Kind regards
Jay
Well thanks to all your useful advice, comments and recommendations I've placed orders online with various detailing suppliers for a range of brushes, clothes, foam lance, sprays etc etc and am waiting for them to arrive over the coming days. Christmas in August, perfect!
Car is booked to go straight to driveandshine in Surrey when I collect her on Saturday for the full Swissvax treatment inside and out and I will then be lovingly washing and caressing her as and when needed pending her quarterly revisit to them.
I can’t wait to see their results. Ive asked them to take before, during and after pics and will post if you guys are interested.
Many many thanks to you all for your help.
Kind regards
Jay
The finish on that V8 is incredible. Paddy, could you advise what results you could get on a lighter colour. My car is Celeste Blue and has no reflective properties at all.
Also, has anybody protected the front end with film or have advise on using it? I'm very conscious of stone chips at the moment as it currently has none!
Also, has anybody protected the front end with film or have advise on using it? I'm very conscious of stone chips at the moment as it currently has none!
I really don't get this whole 'detailing' fad. But fair play to the people who get away with charging huge amounts for it. I genuinely admire them. I wish I'd had the front to think that could be a viable business idea.
A 'detailer' would have to pay me if he wanted to wash my car. For me washing and waxing the car is a pleasure and I'm very happy with the results.
A 'detailer' would have to pay me if he wanted to wash my car. For me washing and waxing the car is a pleasure and I'm very happy with the results.
Many PHers have had their cars done by PHer Guam (Tom) at Paintshield near Peterborough. I had mine done a couple of weeks back, and they've done several Astons looking at all the Supercars they've got photos of on the walls there.
They did a very good job, and I'm happy with it.
Speak to Tom and he can tell you more. Their website gives a fair bit more info on the film and the misconceptions (IIRC).
They did a very good job, and I'm happy with it.
Speak to Tom and he can tell you more. Their website gives a fair bit more info on the film and the misconceptions (IIRC).
Simond001 said:
The finish on that V8 is incredible. Paddy, could you advise what results you could get on a lighter colour. My car is Celeste Blue and has no reflective properties at all.
Also, has anybody protected the front end with film or have advise on using it? I'm very conscious of stone chips at the moment as it currently has none!
The picture I posted earlier has film on it though you cannot tell easily from the pic! Also, has anybody protected the front end with film or have advise on using it? I'm very conscious of stone chips at the moment as it currently has none!
It has it on the mirrors, the wings by the front lights, across the bonnet from the top of the lights, all the front bumper, all of both sills and a larger area then AM do on the rear arches.
The car has done 16k miles in 18 months from new and there is not a single stone chip on the protected area and very little damage to the film
I used to hate it but I'm a convert after buying this car with it already on.
Pits - the great thing about a good detail is it makes it a lot easier to keep the car clean after wards
The Pits said:
A 'detailer' would have to pay me if he wanted to wash my car. For me washing and waxing the car is a pleasure and I'm very happy with the results.
Agree, washing and waxing is a pleasure that takes an hour or so, but it's not detailing, this takes these guy's 2/3 days to machine polish our cars. The 50/50 pic that Francis took is living proof of the before and after, on the left, washing and waxing without the car being detailed, on the right washing and waxing after being detailed, a massive difference in quality of finish, especially shown on dark colours.Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff