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Discussion on how to keep your car shining bright and make them heads turn.. |
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05-18-2011, 08:27 AM
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#1 | | Need to Seek Professional Help
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Richmond
Posts: 1,027
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| Question about auto detailing
Hey guys
This might be a stupid question and i know most of you guys might know this already, but when you completely polish wax your car , how long does it last?
i know there is some maintaining involved in keeping your car in pristine condition after the polish job, i was just more curious that if i took my car to Autowerkes, 2-3 months later the car needs to be taken back to look the same way it did when it left their shop.
i guess it depends how thorough of a job you pay for, yes?
anybody care to shine some light on this topic?
i ask because im thinking of purchasing a Porter cable 7424 and i want to know what im getting myself into and how often i should do it VS me bringing to a place, have a smoke and watch somebody else work on my car.
thanks for any input guys.
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05-18-2011, 08:53 AM
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#2 | | My homepage has been set to RS
Join Date: May 2011 Location: Langley
Posts: 2,297
Thanked 503 Times in 282 Posts
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do it yourself saves yourself money and it isnt that hard..
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05-18-2011, 08:59 AM
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#3 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Van
Posts: 32
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It should last forever if it never gets dirty again 
Depending on if it is a daily driver, and how often you wash/protect it after, what techniques you wash will tell you how long it "lasts" (gets swirled up again). Type of paint (soft vs hard) and colour (black showing swirls the easiest) may also affect that.
If you took it to autowerkes for a polish job, it would most likely not need to be taken back 2-3 months later for another polish. What is your current washing regime? This will be the key factor in when you bring the car back for another polish up.
Ken will work with his magic even with his single stage polish polish so he is very thorough when it comes to polishing.
If you're interested and plan to do this again down the line then buying it isn't so bad. You recoup the costs after one polish, but it takes time so if your car is like a chore to you it probably isn't such a good idea.
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05-18-2011, 09:03 AM
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#4 | | SFICC-03*
Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: richmond
Posts: 8,063
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if you polish out 90% of the scratches, it'll probably still look better that it would have several years later assuming you use proper car wash techniques
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05-18-2011, 09:12 AM
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#5 | | Need to Seek Professional Help
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Richmond
Posts: 1,027
Thanked 429 Times in 118 Posts
| Quote:
Originally Posted by jjl  It should last forever if it never gets dirty again
Depending on if it is a daily driver, and how often you wash/protect it after, what techniques you wash will tell you how long it "lasts" (gets swirled up again). Type of paint (soft vs hard) and colour (black showing swirls the easiest) may also affect that.
If you took it to autowerkes for a polish job, it would most likely not need to be taken back 2-3 months later for another polish. What is your current washing regime? This will be the key factor in when you bring the car back for another polish up.
Ken will work with his magic even with his single stage polish polish so he is very thorough when it comes to polishing.
If you're interested and plan to do this again down the line then buying it isn't so bad. You recoup the costs after one polish, but it takes time so if your car is like a chore to you it probably isn't such a good idea. | heheh
yeah its a daily driver and i usually wash every 2 weeks, wax whenever the swirls start showing up again. The car being dark blue doesnt really help either, as i notice that it shows swirls quite quickly.
im assuming that a DIY polish/wax is a 7-8 hour job right?
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05-18-2011, 09:29 AM
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#6 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Van
Posts: 32
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
| Quote:
Originally Posted by cruz-in heheh
yeah its a daily driver and i usually wash every 2 weeks, wax whenever the swirls start showing up again. The car being dark blue doesnt really help either, as i notice that it shows swirls quite quickly.
im assuming that a DIY polish/wax is a 7-8 hour job right? | 2 weeks is pretty diligent, maintain the protection and if swirls are showing up really fast then make sure you wash properly and your paint will look fine for a longer time.
Sounds about right, could take longer, if you have a garage take your time. I did it over a span of 2 days.
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05-18-2011, 10:34 AM
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#7 | | Everyone wants a piece of R S...
Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: 852
Posts: 394
Thanked 44 Times in 39 Posts
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without polishing, I easily do 5 hours nonstop just on exterior lol
I'd show you a few detailing stuff as you're in richmond as well but sadly I'll be jetting back to Hong Kong soon and possibly never return (which then I'll have to sell some of my detailing goods like the 110V PC  )
but yeah proper wash technique very important to keep swirls n marring to minimum (its impossible to stay 100% corrected sadly unless you garage queen it)
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05-19-2011, 10:03 AM
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#8 | | Ready to be Man handled by RS!
Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Coquitlam
Posts: 86
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I've taking up to 8-9 hours from wash, claybar and wax and everything in between. Really depends how much you want to do
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05-20-2011, 06:09 AM
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#9 | | Need to Seek Professional Help
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Maple Ridge
Posts: 1,042
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Realistically, once the car is polished, you should be able to maintain the look for the balance of the year without issue. As noted, "how" you wash your car will play the biggest role as almost all paintwork damage is wash/dry induced. Your car, being a dark colour, may need a light polish each spring, but thats it. We have all the supplies to help you do it yourself and I can show you how to use the polisher. It's not rocket science, but it is time consuming.
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05-20-2011, 02:41 PM
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#10 | | OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Van/Bur
Posts: 5,019
Thanked 1,557 Times in 511 Posts
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You should try a clay bar if you havent already.. Big difference, Car feels like brand new and feels like glass to the touch. I do it once a year with bi-weekly washes..
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