Auto Glym products

[motimon]

Ok guys, so I left my new rocco under a cover as i am on a round-the-world-travel. When I get back home I plan to do my first real wash and wax/polish/protection.

So I was wondering what Auto glym-product I should use for the best protection of the paint. I looked at the Extra Gloss Protection and the Super Resin Polish but I don't know what I should choose.

HELP?!?!

[quality reflects]

Good products, apply the SRP first then top off with the EGP. Worth a clay first too to give you a clean surface to work with. Preparation, as always, is the key. Post us up some photos when done,

[Sanders83]

Is it recommended to use a carnauba wax on top of SRP? Still have some in the bottle at home.

[quality reflects]

AG High Definition wax on top would work very well.

[Ian_Mac]

Just out of interest why are you limiting yourself to Autoglym products? If you're buying new as opposed to having them in the garage already would you not be better off looking at say Werkstat Acrylic range which gets rave reviews when used on white paintwork.

[marriedblonde]

Or products from the countless other companies that can supply them!!!!

[autoperfection]

Hi Montimon,

We'd have to ask the same question as Ian Mac... is there a specific reason you're looking at AutoGlym? If it's because you've used the products before and you like them, there fair do's, but in our opinion there are a lot better products available that are easier to use and do much better jobs.

We do stock AutoGlym and have it available on the shop, but it's not really a range we tend to recommend as we believe there are always better alternatives for whatever job you're doing.

For instance, if you're looking at protecting the paintwork, there are a couple of waxes avaiable from AutoGlym that do the job well, but there are also a lot of other waxes and sealants available too, some of which are better value for money and achieve much better results. One of my all-time favourite products on white is FinishKare. This sealant is really easy to use and gets great results on white, which can sometimes be a bit tricky to get looking really wet and glossy.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Fini ... alant.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Two wax alternatives that are great on white are the colour charged Dodo waxes specifically for lighter coloured cars - Light Fantastic and Diamond White. Again, both of these waxes are easy to use and get great results.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Dodo ... astic.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Dodo ... White.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you wanted to go with a sealant rather than a wax, an alternative to the FinishKare would be Duragloss 111 Clear Coat Polish. This one is definitely the best value for money out of all of them and really gets the paintwork looking wet and glossy at the end.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Dura ... h-8oz.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With regards to polishing, you could use something like SRP and it will do a good job, but we've always found the chakly residue it produces too much to bare after you've spent so long getting the car really clean. An excellent alternative is Lusso Revitalising Creme, however, this is a pre-wax cleanser rather than a polish so has no abrasives in it at all - just lots and lots of glazing oils and cleaning power.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Luss ... Creme.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you did want to give the paintwork a really good polish, you could go for Dodo Juice Lime Prime, or Poorboys Super Swirl Remover 1 - both of which have microabrasives, which give it that "cutting" power.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Dodo ... 250ml.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Poor ... -16oz.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope this helps

Taryn and Jim

[Ian_Mac]

Some very useful info there Taryn & Jim.
Thank you.

[scirocco11]

Auto Glym are good, but produce a lot of dust compared to others available.

[Grampa]

Taryn and Jim: I too have generally used Autoglym products, mainly because it was what was stocked by the place down the road. They've just closed down, so now I can no longer support a local business and I will have to travel to get any cleaning products, and all other options are chain stores, so I might as well order from the internet.
I've looked at the more serious products but without expert knowledge it's difficult to know what to get, so can I borrow your expertise please.
My Scirocco is Viper Green with black wheels (also have a metallic beige Mini with a black roof) and being only two months old has not been allowed to get dirty - I clean them very regularly - at least once, perhaps twice a week and rarely would either go more than a fortnight without a polish - no swirls yet on the Scirocco, but previous cars have shown signs of swirling at around 2 years old if you bent right down to look across the panel - some just showing on the Mini at 3 years old. So can you recommend one product (one only please or I will be back to square one again!) for washing, one for polishing (don't mind a second if there's a second stage product such as Autoglym's EGP) and one for tyre dressing. Ease of use is a key requirement - I would rather a not-so-good result, but easy to use - that way I will keep doing the cars often - if I allow them to get dirty it doesn't matter how good the shine is under the dirt!
Also is a wash mitt worth it? - I've always used synthetic sponges mostly because they're so cheap, I can relegate them to boat washes after a couple of uses to make sure there's no grit in the wash - does a wash mitt prevent grit getting into the wash, or am I better off just using a sponge and discarding it regularly?

Thanks in advance.

[trix]

Grampa

may I just say one thing before T & J advise, please don't use tyre dressing a few people have found it reacts badly & stains the scirocco wheel nut covers white, get some fk high temp sealant or use the wax you use on the body of the car & treat your alloys instead

& re wash mitts/sponges, try using two buckets (1 x wash, 1 x rinse: wash bucket, car, rinse bucket, wash bucket & so on) if you want to stick with sponges as this will certainly limit the grit getting on them.

oh & my three recommendations would be;
wash: dodo born to be mild
polish/seal: dodo need for speed (cleaner wax that cleans & polishes)
alloys: FK (Finish Kare) High Temp Sealant
(T & J how did I do? )

hopefully that gives you something to think about for the moment

S

[autoperfection]

Hi Grampa,

If we were to pick out one product for each of the stages you've picked out, these would be our suggestions:

Wash - Lusso Auto Bathe. This shampoo is a pH neutral shampoo that is incredibly lubricious, smells delicious and has an excellent dilution ratio so is great value for money. The Dodo shampoo recommended by Trix is also an excellent shampoo, but the Auto Bathe has the edge for me as I think it leaves a glossier finish, makes slightly more bubbles and most importantly to me, smells of coconuts, which I love!
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Luss ... 237ml.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Polish - Dodo Juice Need for Speed. We have to agree with Trix on this one - if you're looking for ease of use then this product has got to be your number one choice as not only does it polish the paint work, but it also leaves behind a protective layer that means you don't have to wax over the top of it if you don't want to (you can of course still apply a wax or sealant on top if you want to, but with this product you don't have to if you're pushed for time or simply don't want to!)
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Dodo ... 500ml.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(This does also come in a 250ml bottle, however, I've linked to the 500ml bottle as you will more than likely need the larger bottle due to your dedicated cleaning regime)

Tyre Dressing - For this one I am going to recommend two products, simply because I'm not sure if I've understood your requirements correctly! I read your question as if you were asking for a tyre dressing for the tyres, however, Trix has answered as if you're asking for a product to treat the wheels themselves, so I thought I'd just make my suggestions for both to be on the safe side! For the tyres themselves we would recommend our own Tyre and Trim dressing, which can simply be sprayed onto the tyres and left to dry so couldn't be easier to use (you just have to be careful if you're doing this on a windy day, as sometimes the wind can pick up the spray and carry it down the side of your freshly cleaned car... in this instance, you might be better off spraying the product onto an applicator and applying it to the tyres by applicator).
If it's the alloys themselves you're looking at, I would have to go for Poorboys Wheel Sealant, as in my opinion it's easier to buff off than any of the others I've tried. It's not the most expensive top-of-the-range product, but I think that the Poorboys Wheel Sealant is a bit of an underdog, as it's sometimes overlooked because it doesn't cost as much as some of the alternatives. In terms of value for money, ease of use and the results that are achieved, I think this one would be a hard one to beat.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Auto ... 250ml.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Poor ... t-8oz.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And finally with regards to the mitt and whether it's worth it, my answer would have you a resounding yes. The problem with a sponge is that it has a fairly solid surface, which allows any dust or dirt particles to sit on the surface, which then in turn get scraped across the surface of the paint and can cause swirl marks and scratches. With a wash mitt, whether it's microfibre or lambs wool, the fibres are much longer than they are on a sponge, which means that dust and dirt particles get trapped deep within the fibres and are held well away from the surface of the paint. One of the ways to avoid this is as Trix has said, to use the two bucket method. If you're a real stickler for easy routines and regimes, then you may want to stick with just one bucket and this is also perfectly fine - the one thing we do always recommend, whether you're using one bucket or two, is to have a grit guard in the bottom. Each time you dunk your mitt into the bucket make sure you scrape it across the grit guard at the bottom of the bucket and this will work loose the trapped dust and dirt particles, which then sink to the bottom of the bucket and are held out of reach by the grit guard.
If, like me, you prefer the feel of a traditional sponge shape, rather than a mitt, I would recommend using a microfibre wash pad.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Auto ... d-Kit.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(We do also sell a double bucket kit if you did want to go for the double bucket method)
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Auto ... h-Pad.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope this helps!

All the best

Taryn

[Grampa]

Brilliant - just what I needed!

I tried to order all that you recommended, and added a drying towel, and yes it was the tyres, not the wheels I wanted to dress - but your website won't let me register - it tells me that I must enter at least two letters for my county (Pembrokeshire) but there's just a drop down menu to select the county, so I can't enter one character, let alone two! - Using Safari on a Mac.

Is this a bug you can fix?

[iAmbu]

Brilliant - just what I needed!

I tried to order all that you recommended, and added a drying towel, and yes it was the tyres, not the wheels I wanted to dress - but your website won't let me register - it tells me that I must enter at least two letters for my county (Pembrokeshire) but there's just a drop down menu to select the county, so I can't enter one character, let alone two! - Using Safari on a Mac.

Is this a bug you can fix?

Try Google Chrome or Firefox instead. I'm a long-term Mac user and prefer Chrome to Safari

[autoperfection]

Hi Grampa,

I've spoken to Jim about this and he said that it is an issue we've had once before, the only problem is Jim can't replicate it to fix it, as we don't have a Mac. I know he's looking into a way round it because it's obviously something that needs fixing.

For the minute though, I think the best thing for us to do is for me to register for you so I'll send a PM with a note of everything I need.

Sorry that the process is a bit of a pain in the bum, but it will be worth it in the end!

All the best

Taryn

[Grampa]

Try Google Chrome or Firefox instead. I'm a long-term Mac user and prefer Chrome to Safari

Thanks for the suggestion - registered through Firefox OK - laziness leads to the use of Safari as it's what was there when I first changed to System X - been a Mac user for 20 years for work so messing about with software is a bit of a busman's holiday to be honest.

Hi Grampa,

I've spoken to Jim about this and he said that it is an issue we've had once before, the only problem is Jim can't replicate it to fix it, as we don't have a Mac. I know he's looking into a way round it because it's obviously something that needs fixing.

For the minute though, I think the best thing for us to do is for me to register for you so I'll send a PM with a note of everything I need.

Sorry that the process is a bit of a pain in the bum, but it will be worth it in the end!

All the best

Taryn

Order all sorted with Jim over the phone. Many thanks - if the products are half as good as the service, my car is going to shine, shine, shine!

[Grampa]

Order all sorted with Jim over the phone. Many thanks - if the products are half as good as the service, my car is going to shine, shine, shine!

and it does - products are a revelation, never appreciated how much better the 'proper' stuff would be over high street stuff - shinier than it's been before and about half the time to do it - 'need for speed' lives up to it's name and the car smells lovely too!!

The tyre dressing is brilliant, and the drying towel seems to have magical qualities.

I'm well impressed - if anyone's thinking about upgrading from high street products, all I can say is: do it!

Pics - the trouble is with a bright colour, the pics don't capture the shine in the same way they do with say black or Rising Blue, but anyway, here they are...

[infinidim]

Looks good

Infinidim

[autoperfection]

Wow! The car looks great!!!

Viper green is my all-time favourite colour for the Rocs

I'm glad you're pleased the products and the car certainly does look amazing, so well worth all the effort

All the best

Taryn and Jim