Polish for Classics

I was so staggered by the choice of car polish in Halfords recently that I decided I needed to hear the experience of others instead of choosing randomly.

This is specifically for a large, black pre-war car finished in cellulose, and I'm concerned about getting silicones near it because some of it will need spraying in the future.

Which polish do you use, and how did you settle on your choice?

Reply to
Autolycus
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Yes, can help through personal experience. The problem with just about all polishes is that they leave swirl marks, very obvious on dark colours. I was put on to some stuff called Express Wax by the people who did my bodywork rebuild some ten years ago. You have to get the car properly clean to start with - maybe T-Cut, although it's a bugger to clean off; thereafter, just wash the car - let it dry, rub this stuff on then once it's dry it's a doddle to dust it off.

Seemed expensive at the time - I think it was about £30 for a five pint container (sorry, don't do litres) but I'm only about a third of the way down after all this time. Might be worth comparing prices and quantity for whatever Halfords sell...

From the label (just dug the thing out of the garage in order to answer your query) it's supposed to be for trade use only, for PDIs. It says "Chemical Express", tel 01827 251431.

And I know a couple of demon tricks for cast iron exhaust manifolds, and tyres, at about a hundreth of the Halfords solutions. Both date from the thirties, but work. Let me know if you are interested - happy to share.

Geoff MacK

Reply to
Geoff Mackenzie

I remember watching somebody cleaning a Ford Corsair with Sparkle aerosol furniture polish. Got a lovely shine on it - though I only saw it that day and I don't know how long it lasted or how it affected the paintwork underneath! I think it is silicone based though, so no use to the OP.

Sounds like Black Lead - used in the 30s to polish up the kitchen range. Am I right?

Jim

Reply to
Jim Warren

Perhaps more commonly available is a finishing material that 3M manufacture called "Finesse-it" designed for use by machine or hand to remove haze or swirls. Or as another alternative, Farécla G10 extra fine grade super finishing liquid compound suitable for 2 pack, removes swirl marks and smears particularly on dark colours.

Stephen.

Reply to
Stephen Hull

Yep most of that stuff is silicon and white sprit. You spray it on to the car and polish off with a damp cloth. Works like a charm.

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This is good stuff, cover car let "dry" then buff off. To eliminate the unevenness you then above spray over with you furniture polish and polish with a damp rag.

Reply to
Rob

I don't think you should be too concerned about that otherwise it would be impossible to respray near any car.

I reckon on Turtle Wax Extreme. It includes a mild cutting compound - as do most polishes.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Do you mean polish or do you mean wax, (polish buffs, wax seals)?

Reply to
:Jerry:

All polishes do, otherwise they wouldn't be polishes!... :~P

Reply to
:Jerry:

Indeed. But most people call anything that shines and protects a polish.

I'd guess there are some 'waxes' around that don't contain any...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Spot on! Looks far more "right" than Tyre Black, or whatever it's called these days. And the trick with manifolds - run the engine to get it hot, then brush on Brasso. Might take two goes. Dries to a most acceptable light cream colour. A zillionth of the price of proprietory exhaust treatments.

You can still find both products in hardware stores, although probably not in Halfords....

Geoff

Reply to
Geoff Mackenzie

I confess to using the term loosely: I suppose I meant "which maintenance and enhancement products for paintwork, especially cellulose, do you use?"

Any Meguiars / Autoglym / Mer fans out there? Are their products really examples of "getting what you pay for", or over-hyped versions of ordinary items?

Thanks for the comments so far, gentlemen.

Reply to
Autolycus

According to the tests I've seen, the latter. Like most cosmetics really. 'You know your car deserves it.'

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

M KLASYK?

Reply to
Richard Polhill

Or maybe klasyczne samochody ?

Reply to
Richard Polhill

I've tried Autoglym on two dark blue cars - one cellulose, the other two-pack - and the dreaded swirl marks just wouldn't polish out. Wouldn't touch Meguiars simply because of the ridiculous advertising and publicity; no experience of Mer.

Geoff MacK

Reply to
Geoff Mackenzie

The best car wax that I have used was carnauba wax sold by a door to door salesman in Surrey in support of a local charity that employed disabled ex-servicemen and fed the profits back into care homes etc.

It was also pleasingly cheap compared to stuff sold at Halfords. Sadly since leaving Surrey I haven't seen any of these salesmen in Hants.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Autoglym is (was [1]) fine if you don't attempt to 'do to much at once' assuming that the paint is unblemished (if it is you'll end up highlighting it), it's also easy to use - I preferred the old style wax paste if I wanted a really deep shine and good protection.

[1] I would say that this experience was gained 15 plus years ago so the current formulation might be different now, since then due to being in a paint shop environment.
Reply to
:Jerry:

The best I ever used was bought as "Bankrupt Stock" in an open-air market, after the manufacturer went bust. It was a 3 tin set called the Porzelac Polishing System. This was years ago - about 1971 I think, judging from the car I used it on, which I bought in 1970. Tin 1 was a Deep Cleanser (a bit like T Cut, I suppose). You used it on a newly washed car while it was still wet, then rinsed it off with a hose. Tin 2 was the Shiner, which I suppose contained some form of wax. You polished the still wet car with it and then let it dry completely, which left a whitish film. Then you wiped off all traces of the film with a dry cloth, leaving a shiny surface. Tin 3 was a Sealer. You put this on a clean cloth and wiped it over the car, and before it dried used another clean cloth to wipe off the excess. Then you let it dry, and it left a hard deep shine.

The complete set took most of a weekend to apply (including an overnight dry after using Tin 2). But it was a magical finish. Bird droppings washed off in the rain. Even the sticky stuff you get if you park under lime trees washed off in the rain. I had that car for four years, and I never cleaned it again - the rain always brought it up like new.

No wonder the manufacturer went bust. Everybody would have bought just one set of tins!

Jim

Reply to
Jim Warren

Call yourself enthusiasts!

Zymol is the > >

Reply to
SuperMatey

Thanks! Ever since this thread started I've been trying to remember the name.... Porzelac it was, and every bit as good as you say. Trying to work out dates from other events I'd guess I bought the stuff in 1970. Used the last of it (Tin 2?) about 1984, and greatly hacked off to find it no longer available.

Geoff MacK

Reply to
Geoff Mackenzie

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