The Car cleaning section , Please join in

[matt j]

Clay bar/mitt usually gets rid of tar for me.

 

[Dave H.]

Anyone know of a retailer that does a basic necessities kit for a decent price?

For various reasons I may need to start again from scratch (no pun intended!) so I’ll need buckets, mitt/MF thing (not a sponge!), shampoo, wheel cleaner & brush.

I’ll take my own earlier suggestion of AG Aqua Wax, which comes with a towel, so after-wash will be ok. But otherwise the above basics seem like a good collection for a bundle.

Yet the ones I’ve seen all seem to have one or another of the things missing, and/or be a bit expensive.

 

[hifilover1979]

Anyone know of a retailer that does a basic necessities kit for a decent price?

For various reasons I may need to start again from scratch (no pun intended!) so I’ll need buckets, mitt/MF thing (not a sponge!), shampoo, wheel cleaner & brush.

I’ll take my own earlier suggestion of AG Aqua Wax, which comes with a towel, so after-wash will be ok. But otherwise the above basics seem like a good collection for a bundle.

Yet the ones I’ve seen all seem to have one or another of the things missing, and/or be a bit expensive.

Do you have a power washer/snow foam bottle etc?

For basics I'd go with:

Car shampoo: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CZUYGY8/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
APC: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B011OKX44S/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Aqua Wax as you said: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0060KJLKY/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Tyre/Trim gel: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001TI3EEG/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21 (probably find it cheaper; but it's very good)
Lambs wool mitt: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CHFCFDX/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Drying towel: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01FKGIJ6A/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Various towels (better than the AG towels provided): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08F9G82FY/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Grit guards (use any bucket(s) then: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EACG1TM/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Wheel cleaning brush: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N9C7MGG/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Or detailing brush kit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08NVQNVQT/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

That'll see you through a good while...

If you have a power washer great; go for the Autobrite snowfoam canon (if you want to go down that route) and either AG Polar Blast, BH snow foam or Pro-Kleen snow foam

 

[tqineil]

That's sounds very expensive!

There are a few very respected car detailers local to me and a full clean, detail, polish and ceramic coating is c£350-£500 depending on the size of car etc

i had a figure of £700 in my mind so not overly expensive

 

[tqineil]

Good question. Interested in responses to this one, too.

If it is tar then either xylene or toluene should do the trick, might need to soften it with dabbing on cotton will initially?

 

[Dave H.]

Do you have a power washer/snow foam bottle etc?

For basics I'd go with:

Car shampoo: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CZUYGY8/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
APC: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B011OKX44S/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Aqua Wax as you said: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0060KJLKY/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Tyre/Trim gel: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001TI3EEG/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21 (probably find it cheaper; but it's very good)
Lambs wool mitt: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CHFCFDX/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Drying towel: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01FKGIJ6A/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Various towels (better than the AG towels provided): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08F9G82FY/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Grit guards (use any bucket(s) then: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EACG1TM/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Wheel cleaning brush: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N9C7MGG/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Or detailing brush kit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08NVQNVQT/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

That'll see you through a good while...

If you have a power washer great; go for the Autobrite snowfoam canon (if you want to go down that route) and either AG Polar Blast, BH snow foam or Pro-Kleen snow foam

Thanks for the comprehensive post, though I’ve already picked out the things I’d buy separately (several the same as you’ve suggested).

But I was specifically wondering about a bundle. I figure that if I were a retailer, I might put a bundle together, but as I say, the bundles I’ve seen tend to be missing things on my list, or to not be good value.

 

[hifilover1979]

Thanks for the comprehensive post, though I’ve already picked out the things I’d buy separately (several the same as you’ve suggested).

But I was specifically wondering about a bundle. I figure that if I were a retailer, I might put a bundle together, but as I say, the bundles I’ve seen tend to be missing things on my list, or to not be good value.

Chemical Guys do, I think... Personally I'd buy separately then at least you've a wider choice etc...

 

[stevec67]

Anyone have a good way to remove tar spots from paintwork? I've got the auto-glym tar remover stuff but it's rather poor if I'm honest.

Petrol, paraffin, or diesel are all effective and you have at least one of these available.
WD 40 works too, and it is conveniently packaged. Rub it with a rag, are more as needed.

 

[TheDecameron]

Is white spirit a safe substitute for paraffin/ petrol?

 

[tqineil]

I don’t think so, needs to be an alkane like petrol or an aromatic alkene like those I mentioned earlier in the thread

 

[venton]

Anyone have a good way to remove tar spots from paintwork? I've got the auto-glym tar remover stuff but it's rather poor if I'm honest.

WD40 is great for this

 

[stevec67]

Is white spirit a safe substitute for paraffin/ petrol?

Yes it is, for use as a general solvent.

In fact safer than petrol, less flammable.

 

[AnilS]

For tar spots, I use TARDIS. I'm about to run out of the stuff so need to reorder. A little goes a long way.

 

[tqineil]

Yes it is, for use as a general solvent.

In fact safer than petrol, less flammable.

don’t think it removes tar tho

 

[boneman]

AutoGlym tar remover works really well and as above a little goes a long way. I have a bottle that is nearly 10yrs old and have a quarter left!

 

[AnilS]

My Arteon is done but Sahara rain has visited! So here is my Z4 before that same rain hit.

Clean/Clay mitt/Clean/Decontaminated/DAS6 pro Polished/FK1000p sealant applied/Final Megs Carnuba wax to finish. Tyres dressed in Megs tyre spray (applied with a foam pad).

 

[hifilover1979]

My Arteon is done but Sahara rain has visited! So here is my Z4 before that same rain hit.

Clean/Clay mitt/Clean/Decontaminated/DAS6 pro Polished/FK1000p sealant applied/Final Megs Carnuba wax to finish. Tyres dressed in Megs tyre spray (applied with a foam pad).

Missed a bit

Good tyres; I'm a big fan of the Vreds as you'll know

 

[hifilover1979]

AutoGlym tar remover works really well and as above a little goes a long way. I have a bottle that is nearly 10yrs old and have a quarter left!

Fully agree... Give it some time to sit and it works superbly IMO

 

[stevec67]

don’t think it removes tar tho

It does. The cheap crappy turps sub might not, or it would take a while, but white spirit works.

 

[tqineil]

AutoGlym tar remover works really well and as above a little goes a long way. I have a bottle that is nearly 10yrs old and have a quarter left!

hey, guess what, it’s Xylene based
https://www.autoglym.com/pub/media/pdfs/INTENSIVE-TAR-REMOVER.pdf