r/DetailingUK

I'm a weekend warrior, about to purchase my first machine polisher. However these paint defects have been bothering me for a while now.

The vehicle is a 2019 Mercedes E Class. I want to keep this vehicle for a long time, so I want a fix which looks decent but also helps to protect the paintwork and bodywork for the future.

Lacquer repair, it is behind the rear wheel arch on both side. Pretty minor, but I am worried it will lead to rust in the long term future or I will cause further damage when I machine polish the area. How would you tackle this? I've seen videos of wet sanding, taping off an area, heating the panel, spray can lacquer, wet sand, polish. It seems doable but is this legit? Should I just forget about it and pay for the repair? How much would that cost realistically?

Chips. There is probably half a dozen very small chips on the bonnet (very quick inspection). I have seen a video online where he adds paint with a toothpick (paint includes the base and clear coat), let's it almost fully set off, then machine polishes which takes off any edges without sanding. What are your thoughts on this? Seems a bit cowboy but it did look very good and seems low risk considering he doesnt sand anything.

Appreciate all help and advice!

Does this qualify as a disaster detail?

Hi All,

Ive got the autogylm polar set, was thinking id like to upgrade i've got a few options to choose from just wondering general concensus of which one owuld be best to get

from bilt hamber site:

• auto-wheel = for the wheels
• touch-less = prewash snowfoam
• auto-wash = bucket washing
• surfex-hd = interior cleaning

or i've found this starter bundle :

https://www.cadetailing.co.uk/products/detailing-starter-bundle?_pos=13&_fid=80e668bce&_ss=c

but i've noticed they are only 500ml compared to the 1 litre from bilt themselves

Any other websites or bundles i should get? or is either of these great? also might need to get some ferrosol? got quite a few black dots/tar i believe that i can knock off with a nail but not the microfibre mitt ive got

Thanks in advance!

We have two nice cars, a Lexus 450h and a VW e-up, that both need a deep clean and polish. Which products are your favourite products in these categories:

External Clean

Paintwork Polish

Hydrophobic Windscreen / Windows Polish

Internal Cleaning

Cloths & Applicators

I have a Karcher K5 pressure washer & Karcher vacuum.

Have you seen this product available in the UK, if so where please: https://www.turtlewax.com/products/ceramic-graphene-paste-wax

Thanks in anticipation.

Edit: I just found the Wiki so I’ll study that too.

What should I be charging for this job?

Hey!

I’ve recently had a panel of PPF replaced on my Porsche.

Immediately I’ve noted the adjacent side intake has gone milky white. It almost looks like spray damage from a chemical. Sadly it won’t wash away.

Any ideas on the potential cause? And resolution? It’s not a cheap component to replace!

Thanks

The grit guard doesn't fully fit at the bottom of the bucket which I'm assuming means it won't keep everything at the bottom?

Any suggestions on buckets and grit guards that won't break the bank

Is it ok to use this on a ceramic coated vehicle, for detailing. Want a product to use at the end of the wash to give it that final pop, the vehicle is ceramic coated and want something that will help the hydrophobic coating

I'm hoping the images are clear enough to see! I've described them nonetheless below...

Hi all! I got my first car this week and it's all very exciting, but at some point a previous owner did a pretty bad paint touchup job. Mainly because the paint doesn't match exactly.

Details:
They are mainly little scratches where I can see the paint chipped off under the touchup, very small though.
The 2 worse areas are a small round dent and a mild crease dent near the rear, above tyre.

I feel I should get a professional to adress the dents. However, I am currently weighing up if I can DIY the little scratches.

I'm planning on getting into detailing so I need this paintwork real nice and homogeneous!

Love to hear people's opinions and tips!

Any ideas what this is? Taken it back to the dealer who said they'd get their paint guys to look at it and it will buff out, but they are messing me around with dates.

On the same panel there is also hologram effects and hundreds of fine scratches from what looks like a bad polish job.

Im seriously considering rejecting this car. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Edit: Apologies if it is not clear. The issue is the large circular shadow directly left from where the black door handle trim meets the paint, and directly right from my phone reflection.

Ok so first question is what wheel/rim/whatever else cleaners would you recommend I use on my Mini Cooper S. I want to make sure I use the right stuff so I don't mess them up.

Second question is what is the difference between using cheap buckets vs expensive buckets? Two Buckets from B&M is like £4. One of the exact same buckets from Halfords is around £8 and then you have the branded buckets that are anywhere from £11+. What do gain (if anything) from the more fancy/expensive buckets.

Thanks in advance.

I'm currently reviewing the Nilfisk P200, Ava P80 Evo and brand new Karcher K7 Comfort Flex pressure washers and I want to know what you'd like to know about them?

I'll answer as much as I can in my upcoming video review.

My wife’s 2015 GLA has one door panel that has lost all its shine. Pic comparing it to the door next to it. Never been replaced, so I suspect some sort of cleaning chemical was left on too long without rinsing. Feels Matt to the touch. Any advice on what to use to bring back to normal? I was looking at Autoglym Advanced Paint restorer, I don’t have a polisher so would be doing it by hand. It’s only one door, so not too worried on the effort required! Thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions