Frustrated Beginner

[ScottA]

I happen to disagree about Halfords stuff, they sell some good, really underrated products. For example, AG SRP and EGP are great, especially considering they're off the shelf products, and they are often overlooked or avoided as they're available from Halfords. Likewise, Halfords sells Zymol Natural Car Wash which I really rate and Megs Nxt Generation Speed Detailer is pretty good too. I have found Halfords own brand Intensive Glass Cutter to be good, as have many others, although it doesn't beat Cerium Oxide for removing rain repellent etc, even when CO is applied with a MF - infact Cerium Oxide is the only thing I've found that will remove some repellents. You can even pick up a pretty good mitt and drying towels there.

Overall Halfords has less choice than any online detailing shop and may even be slightly more expensive but I certainly don't think it needs to be avoided.

.... and this is coming from someone who really doesn't like Halfords!

AG SRP and EGP might be ok... but users tend to use far too much SRP and end up with a very powdery result. SRP also contains a lot of fillers.

I can't comment on the Zymol car wash as I have never used it but £7 for 500ml is very expensive, same goes for the Megs SD.

Halfords does have much less choice than online detailing shops and is more expensive than online... its ok for an emergency sunday afternoon and that is it imo.

We're talking about quality of finish here and you won't achieve that just from products bought at Halfrauds.

I agree people tent to use too much SRP but that doesn't make it a bad product. SRP works as intended, it contains lots of fillers as you say which mask swirls and ultimately provide a better finish. It is also very, very, very slightly abrasive so will remove some light scratches and marks. As for Zymol car wash being expensive, it's no more expensive than Chemical Guys and it's actually cheaper than Dodo Juice and some others. Maybe expensive if you're cleaning several cars a day on the cheap but for your own car, it would last a long time, and it's convenient as you can pick some up if you happen to run out like I did recently. Don't forget p&p when buying online.

So in summary I totally disagree when say that you can't achieve a high quality of finish with products bought from Halfords alone. Don't get me wrong I have bought many products not available from Halfords, but I would still be very happy only using products for sale there. Zymol, AG, Megs and so on.

I think a lot of the detailing products are a waste of time anyway, e.g. snow foam. I foamed my last car for 2 years, then got bored and sold the lance and remaining foam, after all the a pH balanced foam won't remove anything a quick pressure wash won't anyway. People will disagree but thinking logically - if a pressure wash won't remove some dirt, then foam dripping off the car won't either. B0llocks to all this "dwell time" to let it soak. Get a mitt on there, 2bm and get it off 

[Jimble]

I would really step away from mits for polishing and waxing as you have very little control over the coverage plus you will use way too much product, use a mit for washing only imo, i use these for polishing/sealing by hand and rate them highly:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/zaino/zaino-6-tri-foam-oval-applicator/prod_462.html

If your paint is in decent condition ie no serious swirls etc then you can do worse than Autoglym Super Resin Polish, it's rated highly on detailing world and as Guy says is filler heavy so would fill any swirls you do have, just don't use loads!! A small amount on a damp applicator will be fine.

The spray waxes aren't the best either tbh, if you can get some collinite paste wax from Halfords that would be my choice.

I don't really get on with drying towels but that could just be i haven't bought the right one yet!

[Jimble]

@ScottA Guy does have point with regard to the shampoo tbh as it's not just about the size of the bottle but the dilution ratio, a 500ml bottle of say Dodo Juice BTBM would go a lot further than Turtle wax for example, although it may cost more it'll go a LOT further, i agree about the SRP though.

[Guy]

@ScottA Guy does have point with regard to the shampoo tbh as it's not just about the size of the bottle but the dilution ratio, a 500ml bottle of say Dodo Juice BTBM would go a lot further than Turtle wax for example, although it may cost more it'll go a LOT further, i agree about the SRP though.

Thanks Jimble... I was going to refer to Bilt Hamber autowash myself, its cost effectiveness is remarkable as you only need to use 5ml each time... so even with P&P thrown in you have a very good shampoo which is very economical.

and lets not forget that you have to use petrol when going to halfords!!  (some people don't live conveniently close to halfrauds)

I happen to disagree about Halfords stuff, they sell some good, really underrated products. For example, AG SRP and EGP are great, especially considering they're off the shelf products, and they are often overlooked or avoided as they're available from Halfords. Likewise, Halfords sells Zymol Natural Car Wash which I really rate and Megs Nxt Generation Speed Detailer is pretty good too. I have found Halfords own brand Intensive Glass Cutter to be good, as have many others, although it doesn't beat Cerium Oxide for removing rain repellent etc, even when CO is applied with a MF - infact Cerium Oxide is the only thing I've found that will remove some repellents. You can even pick up a pretty good mitt and drying towels there.

Overall Halfords has less choice than any online detailing shop and may even be slightly more expensive but I certainly don't think it needs to be avoided.

.... and this is coming from someone who really doesn't like Halfords!

AG SRP and EGP might be ok... but users tend to use far too much SRP and end up with a very powdery result. SRP also contains a lot of fillers.

I can't comment on the Zymol car wash as I have never used it but £7 for 500ml is very expensive, same goes for the Megs SD.

Halfords does have much less choice than online detailing shops and is more expensive than online... its ok for an emergency sunday afternoon and that is it imo.

We're talking about quality of finish here and you won't achieve that just from products bought at Halfrauds.

I agree people tent to use too much SRP but that doesn't make it a bad product. SRP works as intended, it contains lots of fillers as you say which mask swirls and ultimately provide a better finish. It is also very, very, very slightly abrasive so will remove some light scratches and marks. As for Zymol car wash being expensive, it's no more expensive than Chemical Guys and it's actually cheaper than Dodo Juice and some others. Maybe expensive if you're cleaning several cars a day on the cheap but for your own car, it would last a long time, and it's convenient as you can pick some up if you happen to run out like I did recently. Don't forget p&p when buying online.

So in summary I totally disagree when say that you can't achieve a high quality of finish with products bought from Halfords alone. Don't get me wrong I have bought many products not available from Halfords, but I would still be very happy only using products for sale there. Zymol, AG, Megs and so on.

I think a lot of the detailing products are a waste of time anyway, e.g. snow foam. I foamed my last car for 2 years, then got bored and sold the lance and remaining foam, after all the a pH balanced foam won't remove anything a quick pressure wash won't anyway. People will disagree but thinking logically - if a pressure wash won't remove some dirt, then foam dripping off the car won't either. B0llocks to all this "dwell time" to let it soak. Get a mitt on there, 2bm and get it off 

I never clean cars 'on the cheap' and use whatever I use on a customers car on my own car.

As for snowfoaming and just 'get a mitt on there' - i'd rather pre-soak the car either using snow foam or, preferably, using a TFR (eg. Hazsafe) which is very effective at loosening dirt... I reckon I can remove roughly 75% of surface contaminates prior to touching the car with a wash mitt so the wash mitt stays cleaner and the risk of paintwork contamination is reduced.

I use autoglym micro fibre drying towel and meguiars water magnet. I also use the autoglym drying blade which makes it much quicker. You can get all these from halfords though are cheaper online

Stop using it, immediately! 

[mkviken]

never had a problem with it. used them on other cars and never had any scratches etc from them. MUST make sure is totally clean before using though.

[ScottA]

Thanks Jimble... I was going to refer to Bilt Hamber autowash myself, its cost effectiveness is remarkable as you only need to use 5ml each time... so even with P&P thrown in you have a very good shampoo which is very economical.

and lets not forget that you have to use petrol when going to halfords!!  (some people don't live conveniently close to halfrauds)

I agree people tent to use too much SRP but that doesn't make it a bad product. SRP works as intended, it contains lots of fillers as you say which mask swirls and ultimately provide a better finish. It is also very, very, very slightly abrasive so will remove some light scratches and marks. As for Zymol car wash being expensive, it's no more expensive than Chemical Guys and it's actually cheaper than Dodo Juice and some others. Maybe expensive if you're cleaning several cars a day on the cheap but for your own car, it would last a long time, and it's convenient as you can pick some up if you happen to run out like I did recently. Don't forget p&p when buying online.

So in summary I totally disagree when say that you can't achieve a high quality of finish with products bought from Halfords alone. Don't get me wrong I have bought many products not available from Halfords, but I would still be very happy only using products for sale there. Zymol, AG, Megs and so on.

I never clean cars 'on the cheap' and use whatever I use on a customers car on my own car.

As for snowfoaming and just 'get a mitt on there' - i'd rather pre-soak the car either using snow foam or, preferably, using a TFR (eg. Hazsafe) which is very effective at loosening dirt... I reckon I can remove roughly 75% of surface contaminates prior to touching the car with a wash mitt so the wash mitt stays cleaner and the risk of paintwork contamination is reduced.

Have never used Bilt Hamber but it sounds good. Zymol you would probably have to use a little more, but you get more in a bottle, really we're penny pinching here and it won't make much of a difference unless you clean your car five times a day, every day of the year lol

Sorry Guy please don't take it the wrong way I certainly wasn't claiming you are cleaning several cars a day on the cheap, I'm just saying if someone was cleaning lots of cars, such as running a hand car wash, then £7-8 per 500ml would be very expensive! Otherwise, for people who have a few cars to clean, I really don't think it makes much difference. 1 litre of gold class lasted me years and that's washing regularly.

My point about snow foam was that simply pressure washing is just as effective (in my opinion and experience). I would be interested in giving a TFR a go and seeing how it compares though. Hazsafe is AS right? As I believe I am due a visit from the AS guys so will pick some up too. Do you just spray on using a spray bottle? Will it strip LSP? specifically 476s.

Cheers for the interesting convo 

[EssexMiles]

Right i think i know where ive gone wrong and what i need to buy but theres one thing thats confusing me, whats the differnce with the polishing and finishing pads? I thought id just polish the whole car using a polishing pad then wax it using a waxing pad, so when would i use a finishing pad?

cheers

[Jimble]

When talking about Polishing and finishing pads, most would be talking about machine polishing, ie when polishing the pad would be more course or hard to get the most out of whichever polish/compound being used.
A finishing pad can be used for polish but generally fine polishes to get that final POP but can also be used for sealants and liquid waxes.

The pads i posted a link to are firm on the white side for polishing and soft on the black side for finishing, you can use the black side for wax but due to the size of them (about the size of your hand) they don't fit well into pots of wax, liquid is fine though.
You'd be better with megs foam pads as someones already said.

Blimey! I think i've confused myself!!

[Steve30]

I also use the autoglym drying blade which makes it much quicker. You can get all these from halfords though are cheaper online.

^^^^^^Yep what ever you do, don't use any drying blades scratch it to bits if there is any particles of dirt on there

[mkviken]

or you can just make sure there no dirt on the car (easy to do on a white car especially) and wipe the blade down with a cloth after every sweep. used properly they do work well but yes if theres any dirt there its going to mark it. for the glass they're very good.


also be careful of lamp posts they scratch it to bits too 

sorry just a bit of fun.