Polish for Classics

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

Geoff Mackenzie wrote:


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

Jim Warren wrote:

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.

http://www.properautocare.com/autsuprespol.html

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.

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

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.


--
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Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
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Farecla do a specific compound for cellulose paints. I believe this is
because the ammonia or something in the other compounds upsets celly.

I think you'll find that's the other way round, for example Farecla G7
paste is used specifically on Cellulose and it *does* contain Ammonia,
although there's not that many compounds that do contain ammonia these
days.

The professionals tend to use Farecla or 3M products for their paint
care.

Stephen.


--
http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
Using a British RISC Operating System 100% immune to any Windows virus.
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

Aha. I knew it was something to do with ammonia. Certainly 2 pack is a hell
of a lot harder than cellulose and works differently, so IMO it'd be the
saner option to use a specific celly compound or get in touch with Farecla's
very handy technical man.


I'm not all that sure that professionals do much paint care. 3M and Farecla
are certainly the most used for rectification and finishing in the bodyshop
business, but most professionals don't hang onto any cars for long periods
of time or actually bother using waxes other than to fill minor faults. OTOH
modern car paint lasts long enough for most car owners with just regular
washing, and it's still uncertain as to whether the OP actually wants an
abrasive polish or a wax...

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.

--
*No I haven't stolen it , I'm just a shit driver*

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

<snip>

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

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...

--
*A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well*

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

wrote:


There are plenty of "wax polishes" sold as primary finishes (mainly for
woodworking) that have no abrasive capacity at all.  Now we can argue
about the etymology of polish and whether they ought to be called such,
but you can buy things, they're labelled "polish", they aren't abrasive.

Wonder where Speed 'n' Ease fits that equation? ;-)

--
*Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder *                            

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

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

<snip>

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.


--
Kevin Poole
**Use current month and year to reply (e.g. aug2007@mainbeam.co.uk)***

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

--
*Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

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

Geoff Mackenzie wrote:


Its the spray furniture polish with a damp rag fixes that problem.
Autoglym is full of silicon.
r