So after finally getting some time today.....decided to fully detail my 7 week old S3 SB. It's only done 700 miles so the paint is fairly fall out free. The dealer I bought the car from employs a proper detailer to get cars ready for collection which I think is quite rare. Under my sun gun there is minimal to no swirl on the panels. In fact there is so little I decided to skip the polishing stage as the paint is in excellent condition.
This car is Amalfi white (solid colour). White can be notoriously difficult to make look stunning as per my initial post. With the help of Brodster and his excellent website, have now got some Angelwax products to help bring out the best of the paint. Hope you like the pictures above.
So regime as follows:
Wheels:
- Wheels jet washed.
- Chemical Guys Max Suds 2 shampoo - whole rim scrubbed with mix of Sonax and Vikan brushes. Find both brushes excellent for removing break dust. Sonax brush has soft webbing on it that is great for behind spokes and curves. With a detailing brush I clean break dust from callipers and wipe them down as best as possible.
- With a lambs wool mitt regelated from paint work duty, then clean all spokes and re-do the inside of the rims.
- I personally don't use wheel cleaners. I don't do serious miles and personally feel they ruin wheels over time whatever the brand. The less chemicals I can introduce the better IMHO.
- Finish with jet wash and hosing down of rims / wheel arches.
Washing:
- Hose down and then jet wash liberally.
- Bilt Hamber snow foam applied with foam cannon. I have it on setting 3 which is slightly more concentrated than instructed. I apply liberally and then with lambs wool mitt gently wipe down panels after a good 5 minutes dwelling. It's OK but does "slide" off the paint bit too quickly.
- Wash away snow foam.
- Two bucket method and lambs wool mitt to clean all panels using Max Suds 2 shampoo again.
- Dry with mix of micro-fibre cloths / drying towels.
Paintwork:
- Paint prepped using Iron X and then clayed with Valet Pro mild yellow clay. I personally use Meguiars "final inspection" QD - find it very slippery for claying.
- Wash again with Max Suds 2.
- Tape up all chrome areas with 3M masking tape and anywhere I don't wish any excess wax to collect / overspray of sealant.
- Spray on Angelwax TI-22 sealant. Wipe down with micro-fibre. Instantly noticeable difference in reflection with this added on. Very easy to apply and did the whole car with 1/5 of bottle.
- Angelwax "Drift" white wax applied by applicator sponge panel by panel. Lovely stuff this, smells like coconut and it's especially formulated for white cars. Smells good enough to eat! Warms up quick and a small amount goes a long way.
- Wipe down each panel after curing time with micro-fibre. Use some QD to help with buffing as required.
Finishing off:
- Using Angelwax Elixir, apply on tyres with applicator.
- Then apply Elixir on all rubber areas and black trim. This stuff is ace. Gives a very natural look and has a really nice matt finish on the tyres. Worked very well on the plastic footrest in side the cabin which was a bit grimy. Looks new again now.
- 303 aerospace protectant on inside of wheel arches / liners.
- Auto Finesse Crystal glass clean applied with micro-fibre cloth. Glass already treated with Angelwax H2Go sealant. Find this the best glass cleaner after trying ALL of them. No smears, easy to apply and buff off. Used Stoner glass cleaner before which was good but this beats it hands down!
- 303 aerospace protectant on front grill and cooling holes. Applied with micro-fibre and fine detailing brush.
- Meguiars NXT metal polish for the exhaust tips. Dabbed on to microfibre and then buffed to shine.
4 hours in total. This is my trusted regime that has served me well over the last 7 years of detailing with tweaking here and there with new products. I'm really happy with the sealant and wax - Angelwax have a great combination here and personally feel my S3 looks better than the day I collected it. Excellent definition - even the Mrs noticed how shiny it was!
Massive thanks to Brodster for hooking me up with the Angelwax products as per my initial cry for help. Seem a fantastic range of products and will be using more of their stuff in time as their an excellent quality at a reasonable price point.
Any suggestions to tweak my regime are very welcome!
