I love cars, to everyone who knows me that is quite obvious. What I REALLY love is CLEAN cars. Often I will see a beautifully maintained car on the road and think the owners must truly love their cars, just like me. Their pride of ownership is on dlsplay for all the world to see.
It would be over 50 years since I first took it upon myself to be responsible to maintain my families two cars. My father's Falcon Wagon had a lot of square footage for a keen teenager to try and keep on top of, especially during the Locust plague of the early 1970’s, where it wasn't unusual for the whole front of the car to be covered with the remains of kamikaze Grasshoppers, and the only way to get it off was to to use plastic flywire folded many times to form a scouring pad. Thinking back now it turns my stomach to think about the scratching I would have caused to the paint finishes on the front, but it was only a company car and would soon be replaced with a new one anyway, as that happened religiously every 18 months. I also remember fondly my mum's beautiful Burgundy Wolseley 24/80, which I used to cut and polish annually without exception. I still recall quite clearly that when i had finished, the polish cloth had more “Burgundy” on it than the car itself.
Having fought to try and maintain cars for over half a century, I took advantage of the chance to learn more about general automotive cleaning and paint maintenance in the current times, and try and get some pointers from the experts.
Our BMWDCM October meeting at Advanced Detailing, Cheltenham was that perfect opportunity to learn of the new age products and some simple car washing and detailing tips.
The evening was extremely informative, in their new pristine premises. You truly could have "eaten your meal off the floor". We all watched attentively as club member and Advanced Detail cohort “Micheal" gave us tips as he worked on his own newly acquired E92 M3. Some of the tips may have been somewhat obvious to some of us, from soaping the entire car over first, to working from the top of the car downwards, remembering to constantly rinse the wash mitt, and so on. But, I was especially intrigued by the "two bucket wash method” something I have been yet to try, probably the main reason for not doing so is that i am to miserable to go and buy a second bucket.. Of course the idea of two buckets is a very sensible one, to keep the wash mitt free of dirt and grit from the car, and anyone who is fair dinkum about caring for their cars paintwork should use this simple but affective trick.
Watch the video here.
The thing that struck me most on the night was the fact that even brand-new cars also require the “Advanced Detail’ touch. Within the confines of their premises was a brand-new red M2. Only under the luminous bright lights did it become blatantly obvious that finishes on a recently delivered new car can often leave a lot to be desired - paint blemishes, fine scratches and poor presentation of external plastics may leave a bad taste in the mouth of it’s new (but no doubt very proud) owner. It was distressing to be told “most" new cars (regardless of the make) are presented to unsuspecting owners with "paint in somewhat similar condition to this”. Hardly what any new car buyer would expect, me thinks. But don’t despair, I had no doubt that the owner would have been delighted with the finish once the “wizards" have performed their magic on this red fire breathing 2 door beast.
It was also fascinating to learn more about the benefits of "ceramic coating”, and how this product provides an enviable shine that can last for many years, while also making it easier to keep cars clean on a regular basis. Products such as this seem to have come along way in the relatively short space of time, a far cry from all the cutting compounds and polishes that still adorn the shelves in my garage.
To the the guys at "Advanced Detail”, thanks for an informative and enjoyable evening. For me it was well worth coming along to watch, listen and learn. So there you have it, it seems you actually still can "teach and old dog new tricks".
Steve Garth #40
