Hello

My Ka has been neglected for some time now and its looking terrible, so its booked into the paint shop next week to get some rust removed/repaired and the odd carpark dent sorted. Now im doing a bit of a restoration and sorting out a few mods at the moment (coilovers, poly bushes etc) Where do I start with regards to getting her looking like she did when i got her?

I assume

Wash
T Cut
Clay Bar
Qick wash
Polish

That could be completly wrong though so any advice guys would be great

Thanks

 

I highly recommend this website http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/

They have a forum with some very knowledgeable people on, plus experts who do detailing work on cars, also you can buy all the kit off the site aswell(top service ive used it myself)

 

Tim's CYC site ^^ is great and the forum's good also, but if you want a MUCH bigger pool of brains to pick then join up on Detailing World (you'll at least know me as I'm one of the moderators). Everything you could possibly want to know, and tons of stuff you've never thought of on there .
Plus, as a member you get discounts from almost all the UK's detailing retailers. (Stick me down as your 'referral' if you do join up - Pit Viper over there, same as here )

www.detailingworld.co.uk

Just as quick guide to product order, you don't want to be doing any type of polishing (and certainly not T-cutting) before you've clayed the car as you've listed it in your post, as you'll just be grinding all the little above surface contaminants into the paint that the clay would have removed if you'd done it first, so the full order with everything included would be something like this, but you don't necessarily have to do all the stages:-


Pre wash lower areas with degreaser, mild TFR etc.
Snow Foam
Rinse
Wash with 2BM (2 bucket method)
Rinse
Clay
Wash & Dry
Polish (hand or machine in as many stages as necessary)
IPA wipedown
Glaze
Sealant or Wax (or if both then always sealant first then wax after)

As I said, you don't have to do every stage, the ones in bold are what you could get away with. And that's just bodywork, obviously there's wheels & tyres and door shuts, engine bays etc. to include as well.

 

Forgot to mention that site

 

I agree, Detailing world is a tremendous site for both inspiration and knowledge.

There is in my mind a world of difference to a car being Valeted and Detailed.

Either way get over there and have a look around.

 

Its a shame more people dont realise that. People think you can get the standard you see on these sites in an hour

 

Its going to take days I started on the bottom of the sills with some TFR and each side took about 3 hours and I havnt even used any polish or wax yet. 5 years of filth is gonna take some shifting. Tried to use the clay but the dirt was to thick so had to use hot soapy water and TFR.

Got some pics so I will post a befor and after once I have finished

 

I understand totally, i ran my own valeting business for 4 years and eventually got pissed off with folks expecting perfection for £40! Explain properly that paintwork correction was a lengthy complex process and they thought you were ripping them off.

I now only do it in my spare time for friends and family, it just aint worth the hassle otherwise.