New baby bath-time blues

D Johnson · October 14, 2021

1 hour ago, LenT said:

Ultimately it depends on how much you are prepared to spend and how much you can do yourself. I did what you have done and consulted a professional Detailer. The IS300 is quite a big car and preparation, ceramic coating and film wrap for about £2K is not unreasonable. I paid almost that, without the wrap, for four days work and have been delighted with the results.

We’ve had accounts here of owners taking their brand new Lexus straight round to a Detailer to have the factory finish ‘corrected’ prior to ceramic coating/wrapping. So you can never start too early.

Incidentally, my Lexus is white, but your red is a much better colour for ceramic coatings and the results could look stunning.

One comment about wrap. A really determined stone may make a mark, but remember it also depends on how fast you are driving. Also the film will recover from small impacts and, of course, can be removed to reveal the immaculate paint finish underneath it.

I see you’ve already resigned yourself to the reality that once you’ve invested in some serious Detailing, it’s goodbye to the quick visit to the car wash. I didn’t think I’d be back washing my cars at my age!

With regard to ChipsAway, they are a franchise so results can vary. But I managed to kerb two alloys in the first week of ownership - they were hidden by snow, in mitigation - but our local ChipsAway guy did an excellent job of repairing the wheels. However I realised that in our narrow country lanes ‘kerbing’ could happen again, so I invested in a set of Alloygators. Now if I see a scuffed rim I think of the money I’ve just saved!

I see you’ve responded to an earlier post regarding dashcams. Well a front/rear set up could be the best protection your car could have!

Finally, remember you bought it to enjoy it. These cars are meant to be driven. They give pleasure to owners and passers-by. But stuff happens. Just like real life…

Hi Len, like you, I never thought I'd be hand washing my car again lol. I am not sure such close encountesr are good for my nerves as I am constantly discovering imperfections! Thank you for your comments, they are helping me to keep a perspective and knowing what others have done is a great help in making one's own decisions. I am now going to google Alloygators!

Malc · October 14, 2021

1 hour ago, D Johnson said:

Thanks for all the detail, that is just what I am here for! That Williams stuff sounds great! and I just noticed this is Williams as in Frank Williams? I don't think they sell it in Halfords (where I'm getting my club discount!) and I wonder if the Meguiars might be an adequate substitute. I've just spent two hours washing and drying the car and I could definitely see my way to adding a little gloss after some refreshment!

Earlier today I followed a car cleaning van that was recommending it's SOY product being used .... can't remember anything else about it tho'

Soy has many uses .. Chinese too :unsure:

Maybe worth investigating ?

Malc

D Johnson · October 27, 2021

On 10/14/2021 at 3:09 PM, D Johnson said:

Thanks for all the detail, that is just what I am here for! That Williams stuff sounds great! and I just noticed this is Williams as in Frank Williams? I don't think they sell it in Halfords (where I'm getting my club discount!) and I wonder if the Meguiars might be an adequate substitute. I've just spent two hours washing and drying the car and I could definitely see my way to adding a little gloss after some refreshment!

On 10/14/2021 at 2:17 PM, Adge2376 said:

Hi mate I have 2016 f sport the same colour as yours and I polish it once a week with Williams Waterless. Absolutely love the stuff. My car gleams like new and its relatively effortless, you an use it on the windows and interior surfaces also. I might add that I am as zealous as you over caring for my vehicle and cannot stand seeing even a bit of grit on the mats lol. I've used the product on all the family vehicles and can't recommend it highly enough. My days of water and a chamois leather are firmly behind me. Several work colleagues having seen the results have become converts too. Re the doubters who fear any grit present on the paint surface might scratch the paint I can assure you this is very much not the case as it is magically lifted and removed by the microfibre cloth. You will not see a single 'swirl' on my paintwork. My kids laugh every birthday and xmas when they ask me what I want and I always ask them to get me some Williams. Its relatively cheap, around £20 for four litres with five cloths on E bay or Amazon. I know I sound like an advert for the shopping channel mate but honestly its as good as the reviews say it is. Beads beautifully when it rains. Try it you wont be sorry.

Well today my Williams waterless wash and wax arrived and I ventured forth, tentatively, to give it a try.

Although the car was not really dirty I couldn’t quite bring myself to just spray and wipe from the outset and had to resort to a good hosing down with water to start. Must admit it was nerve racking doing it and I wasn’t sure how much I should put on so I decided better be generous rather than skimp! I got through my entire supply of microfibre cloths (a 5 gallon bucket full) as didn’t want to risk using a gritty cloth.

I forgot that you said you could use it on the windows and did those after with windowlene but I’ll def try it next time. The only minor annoyance was the spray was more of a splodge and I kept getting over-spray onto panels I had already done and had to go over them again. Maybe I’ve just got a dodgy spray mechanism on the bottle. Now I am waiting for rain.