Washed & Waxed - Renault Twingo II

[Man of Steel]

About a year ago I entered the world of more 'professional' car detailing. Yes, as a hobby actually!

Recently I washed & waxed our Renault Twingo II, with a very pleasant result. Now I use it as a mirror

This is what I used:
- A few days off and a nice end-of-September sun
- Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo
- DAP500 Polishing Machine
- Monello Raffini Mezzo Polish
- Monello Raffini Finale Finishing Polish
- Meguiar's Gold Class Wax

Note:
Not such a 'tough' vehicle in comparance with my user name. But that is more of a joke. The name, not the vehicle, that is economical and blue and stuff I am saving for a 'Bella Machina'...

[Revo]

It's looking really good.

[Man of Steel]

Thanks! Buying the polishing machine certainly made the difference.

[Ferrer]

1.2 16v 75bhp?

EDIT Sorry, I don't know much about detailing, or polishing or this sort of thing...

[LeonOfTheDead]

So, how much for a very well DYI washing, detailing etc?


Definitely a good job, guess our cars need that too...

[roosterjuicer]

nice looking car.

[VOGUE_MAN]

Wow, that's incredible. I know nothing about washing or waxing but I never would have thought that could be done at home. Being that time is what I seem to have most of you've really got me thinking because I spend a fair amount on getting my cars professionally detailed each year and would much rather do it myself but just never thought I could, you may have inspired me.

[Man of Steel]

I am having trouble to multi-quote, so here goes.

To Albert:
60 HP, no 16V (but 900 kg kerb weight). Luckily the rear spoiler provides the necessary downforce

To Daimano:
Well, I spend 3 days on finishing such a small car (I am not even going to think how much time I would spend on a larger vehicle)! I would also need to fly over to your lovely country... All kidding aside, let's leave this as a hobby please

To Vogue Man:
Good to hear!

Have a look at Internet forums for car detailing enthusiasts and do some research. You can really reach amazing results by investing some money in better car care products.

Regarding a polishing machine, please note that I bought a 'professional' one, model DAP500. This model operates with excentric movement, meaning it will not create scratches. The costs are approx. EUR 180. This seems like a lot of money, but eventually it will save you money.

With the DAP500, you can remove scratches and achieve results which you can never obtain with handwork (it will also save you a lot of sore muscles)... Pictures speak for themselve and this was the first time I used it. It is really foolproof and easy to use.

Please do not buy a "cheap" polishing machine at a local shop (you can buy them as cheap as EUR 40 here), as these are not excentric ones and only will create scratches instead of removing them.

Any questions please PM me! Alternatively, if any one is interested, I could write a new thread regarding do's and don'ts, tips etc.

[ozzycarnut]

nice job mate, really impressive. i would say better than alot of 'professional' detailing places i have seen. i use the old bucket and sponge etc on my corolla, she doesnt need fancy treatment, she is just a work / shopping chariot so nothing fancy required. when i get something nice though, thats when she will get the daily massage with baby oil thing.

[Man of Steel]

Good to hear that I might inspire people. Plus, thanks to the Internet, some of these people are living at the other side of the world actually!

Indeed I would dare to say that the car looks better then when we bought it new. A lot of dealerships don't even know how to treat a car correctly.

I also have a colleague who let his car done professionally for approx. Eur 200. Sure it was clean (especially the interior). The outside was still full of swirls and scratches though - most of these can be seen in direct sunlight.

Please note that I am no professional detailer and the results as showed above are easier to achieve then you would think. It just takes the good stuff and patience.

85,6% of my neighbourhood thinks that I'm mentally ill, treating such a car in such a way (they only expect rich people to do that on high-end exotics). Untill they see the result of course...

I will now stop raving about a misunderstood hobby, to save my image from the last bit of remaining sanity. I also fully understand this is no car detailing forum. It is a fact that 96,78% of the world's population do not give a sh*t whether their car is dirty or scratched. I can not blame them.

Just don't ask me to put up a separate thread regarding car detailing, as I just might do it And then, the biggest mistakes in car washing and detailing will be revealed. Rule number 2 is : Never, ever, ever use a sponge

[LeonOfTheDead]

At the end of the day, how much does it cost to have a car cleaned that way, doing it yourself? I can't see myself doing the same to our cars, but if only I owned a worth car, I may get interested

[ozzycarnut]

Just don't ask me to put up a separate thread regarding car detailing, as I just might do it And then, the biggest mistakes in car washing and detailing will be revealed. Rule number 2 is : Never, ever, ever use a sponge

i hear you man. but again, shes a corolla, a workhorse first and foremost. i used to drive 2000 - 3000km's a week in it, luckily i dont do those sort of k's anymore, i have moved alot closer to work and now i am lucky if i rack up 100k's in a week!. i am anal when it comes to servicing and looking after her, i guess i just dont pamper her, as ... gulp ... i dont consider her worthy of taking up 5 hours of my time on a saturday morning waxing, polishing, gently massaging alloys with toothbrush etc. if i had something that i kept a photo of in my wallet or on my desk at work, then its a different story. i hear the point in relation to the sponge, i do use a brush for the wheels and a sponge for the car, and rinse both thoroughly after use if its any constellation. probably not, anyhoo ... lol.

[Man of Steel]

i hear you man. but again, shes a corolla, a workhorse first and foremost. i used to drive 2000 - 3000km's a week in it, luckily i dont do those sort of k's anymore, i have moved alot closer to work and now i am lucky if i rack up 100k's in a week!. i am anal when it comes to servicing and looking after her, i guess i just dont pamper her, as ... gulp ... i dont consider her worthy of taking up 5 hours of my time on a saturday morning waxing, polishing, gently massaging alloys with toothbrush etc. if i had something that i kept a photo of in my wallet or on my desk at work, then its a different story. i hear the point in relation to the sponge, i do use a brush for the wheels and a sponge for the car, and rinse both thoroughly after use if its any constellation. probably not, anyhoo ... lol.

Understood mate. Sounds like a tough car. Happy motoring!

[Man of Steel]

Damiano,

A late reply here.

How much effort and money it will cost you depends on:

- The current condition of the vehicle;
- The result you would like to achieve;
- Your desired budget

Note : It is hard to judge what you will need to achieve the result as on the pictures. In my case, we are talking about a car which we bought new 2 years ago. Car has always been washed correctly and therefore had very few scratches. By just washing a car in that state and using clay (see below) once a year and waxing again the result will already be ‘wow’.

If you are interested, I would just start with basic washing and drying. You can build in or leave out the later steps depending on the above mentioned factors.

The below mentioned stuff to buy can also be purchased from other brands, it is only a guideline. Prices may vary as well, the below are based on Dutch price in Euro’s.

1) Washing (regularly)
Washing is recommended once a week, but honestly (even) I can’t be bothered. I simply don’t have the time, so what I do is to try to stick to once a month.

Precautions:
- Avoid car washes or wash boxes.
- Use high pressure water first to take off the worst dirt
- Only wash by hand using plenty of water (having your own water supply helps a lot)
- Don’t use sponges on paint, as they will hold all the sand and dirt

Stuff to buy:
- Good car shampoo (e.g. Meguiar’s Gold Class shampoo) – Eur 10
- Wash Mitt (e.g. Meguiar’s). A wash mitt is some sort of ultra-soft glove which replaces a sponge. It may look ridiculous, but it saves a lot of scratches and time – Eur 18
- You can buy a bucket, or use an existing one. Preferably use two: One with car shampoo and one with plain water to rinse the Wash Mitt in.

Using the above measures will drastically reduce scratching your vehicle while washing. It
doesn’t not cost you loads of money either.

2) Drying
In extremely sunny scenarios, chalk which is in regular (no rain) water can leave stains on your car when drying up. Not too much of a problem here. However, just leaving your car to dry without taking the water off doesn’t provide a pleasant drying result. OK, you washed your car, but there are dried water spots all over the place.

Precautions:
- Rinse your car with a steady beam of water (do not use a ‘spray’ or ‘fog’ of water). In this way you make sure that most of the water will be literally pushed off the car.
- Open all doors, trunk and bonnet and leave everything open for about a minute. Then take off with drying towel.

Stuff to buy:
- Drying towel (e.g. Dodo Juice) – Eur 11,50

If you can’t be bothered about dried water spots, this step is skippable.

3) Claying (once a year)

Once a year, it is good to treat a car with a clay bar. Clay on a car? Yes, if you wash your car, it may look clean. But in fact it isn't. Acid rain, bird droppings and tar will attach to your paint and take away the gloss. I think everyone knows the black tar spots at the bottom of your car, which you can’t wash away. With a clay bar and a special spray you can remove these contaminants. In my case, clay bar was completely black and yellow after finishing a 'clean' car... When finished, the paint will feel like glass, with a very smooth finish.

This step is amazing and will already drastically improve the look of most vehicles! Note : This step will remove wax, so you should wax your vehicle after this step again.

Stuff to buy:
- Clay bar and detailing spray (e.g. Meguiar’s) – Eur 20
- Microfibre towel to wipe off detailing spray – Always use these and no old clothes etc. The brands and prizes are almost limitless. Good to have multiple in stock. E.g. Cobra Microfibre Towel – Eur 3,75 per piece

Note: Claying can cause some (small) scratches in the process, if not done correctly.

What you have reached with this step, is that your car is cleaner then a regular wash. However, the above steps will not remove any scratches or small paint defects! Please note that just like a skin, the paint is now ‘open’ for further treatment.

What you can do now:1) If your car has seen a lot of sponges or car washes, it will reveal the typical circular washing scratches in the sunlight still. Washing and claying will not remove them. If you can live with the scratches, just wax your vehicle (can be done by hand) and enjoy the already pretty result.
2) If you would like to further improve the look of your car by removing scratches (and thus adding super extra gloss) I would suggest to go for a polishing machine. Why?

I also tried to remove scratches manually with all sorts of stuff. The products all do their
job, but not without a machine. Don’t fool yourself that it will actually work by
doing it manually. Removing scratches can hardly be done (maybe a few tiny ones). It will only make sure that you will have very, very sore muscles. You could work on the bonnet of your car for hours for none to very little result. The polishing machine makes 1000’s of RPM’s, so human intervention is pointless for scratch removal. Again, what is your goal and your budget will further determine the need.

If your car doesn’t have scratches, manually will do the job. Just waxing your car manually is perfectly manageable as well.

4) Polishing - once a year (maybe skippable, see earlier)
Polishing is scratch and defects removal. This car only had a few small scratches, only noticeable in the sunlight. However, removing them on any car will make a hugh difference and reveal an ultra shiny vehicle with an impressive wetlook.

Precautions:
- First use the clay!

Stuff to buy:
- Polishing machine! Always buy an excentric one, which moves arounds its own axle, instead of circular movement only (those will actually creates scratches). The cheaper models are not excentric, so don’t save on this! E.g. DAP500 – Eur 180.
- Polish. Prices may vary starting from Eur 15. I used Monello Raffini Mezzo Polish – Eur 27,99. Very good stuff, hence the price. You can choose a variety of products for small scratches only, or heavy compounds to wipe out the most severely abused paints (off course not needed at all in this case).

5) Finishing (maybe skippable, see earlier)
The final step before waxing, only applied after polishing. Finishing will create an extra gloss wet look.

Stuff to buy:
- Polishing Machine
- Finishing polish. E.g. Monello Raffini Finale Finishing Polish - Eur 27,99

5) Waxing (approx. 2 to 4 times per year)
Waxing is the final step to seal the result of your hard work. The nice gloss will be protected by a fresh layer of wax. Your car will become hydraphobic and easy to clean. Wax results may last for 8 weeks to several months (depending on wax, layers of wax and other conditions).

Precautions:
- Make sure vehicle is clean and dry
- First use the clay (once a year)!

Stuff to buy:
- Applicator pad’s (e.g. Meguiars) – Eur 6,99 per two-pack
- Liquid Wax (e.g. Meguiars Gold Class Wax) – Eur 22,99
- Microfibre towel to wipe off wax when dried – Always use these and no old clothes etc. The brands and prizes are almost limitless. Good to have multiple in stock. E.g. Cobra Microfibre Towel – Eur 3,75per piece

That’s about it!