[parapaul]

I'd earmarked yesterday for detailing the car. Weather forecasts were inconclusive, so when I got up, and it was a nice sunny day, I took the bull by the horns and got cracking.

The morning started well - snowfoam, washed, clayed, washed again. Dried off and left it gleaming in the sun for a few minutes while I had lunch. Wheels didn't need any more attention as they're freshly refurbed, which saved a good couple of hours. Result!

So, fed and watered, I headed back outside with the machine polisher and 3M polish. Now, it has been a good 18 months since I've used it, but as soon as I started I thought something just didn't feel right. Nothing I could put my finger on though, and it all looked OK, so I carried on. The sun was blisteringly hot by this time, the back of my neck was burning and sweat was dripping off me. Nice...

Just then the ex wife turned up so I went inside for a cold drink, and we ended up chatting. In the space of maybe 5 or 10 minutes, that baking sun disappeared, the clouds rolled in, and the rain started. Not just spitting. Not just drizzing. A proper summer shower, absolutely torrential, and it lasted almost an hour

I was stuck inside, looking out of the window in dismay as a rainy, poishy emulsion dripped and ran down the car's bodywork.

As soon as the rain stopped, I went straight out and dried the car off again, hoping that I'd be able to salvage it, but sadly, no. The combination of (probably) past its best polish, baked hard in the sun, followed by a natural rainwater bath, had created some new kind of substance, that was bonded tighter to the paintwork than a scrote clinging to their benefit cheque

I'd normally expect to take anything between 30 minutes and an hour to buff off the polish. This crap was taking nearly 30 minutes EACH PANEL, and more elbow grease than I'd ever used before. A combination of wet microfibres, dry microfibres, and judicious use of QD managed to get most of it off. All that was left was the roof. Another 20 minutes later, I'd managed to get the spoiler done and just then, the rain started again.

By the time it stopped, it was dark, and I had to be up early this morning for work. So my car is currently on the car park ak work, hidden in a corner, with a roof covered in white swirls, and every other panel a smeary mess. I think the only way to sort it is going to be to start again, and polish off the polish.

It's really rewarding, spending a day detailing for the car to look worse when you've finished... Sigh

[Sportplus]

Have to admit, your post made me smile and cry at the same time. Good luck with your next attempt

[Danny.B.]

Doh! Thats got to hurt! But it means you get to spend more time with her as you do it all again :-)

Great post by the way!

[Pablo Pablo]

I feel your pain - at least as far as the weather goes. Can't get more than 30mins without a major change up here.

Hope the rescue job goes well - focus on the prize and bask in the eventual glory of a job well done, one and a half times.

[parapaul]

Originally Posted by Pablo Pablo

a job well done, one and a half times.

[Pioneer]

You should always remove the polish residue right away after you have finished the section you are polishing. Also it's not a good idea to do it in sunlight either, the polish will get sticky and dry out too quick. As said above at least you get to spend more time on the car

[chris_s1]

I always have a pop up gazeebo ready for this type of eventuality. £50 from Argos, and goes up in a few seconds. Saved me from this type of situation a few times in the past.

[JLR1969]

That will teach you to go inside for a cheeky knee trembler.

[ddogg35]

There is nothing worse then when the weather screws your cleaning plans.
Yesterday i came home to wash my car and bike, the very second i started to rinse them down it started to rain and didn't stop, i was not impressed.
To make things worse i washed my bike (in the rain) and as soon as i took it into the garage to dry it the rain stopped

[parapaul]

OK, after being up since 5am, and being at work for 12 hours, I got home, sat and looked at the lovely weather outside, spoilt by the mess that was my car I couldn't sit there and look at it, so I had the choice of closing the blinds and pretending it wasn't there, or going out and doing something about it...

I love the smell of Autoglym in the evening

Here's a taste of what I was faced with when I started:





Super Resin Polish saved the day a little effort and all those horrible marks worked out Once I'd done the roof, I thought I'd better just go over the bonnet again. Then the wings, because they meet the bonnet. Then the front doors. Then the back doors. Then the sills. Then the back bumper. And the tailgate... It was GLEAMING!

And it was still light! So, it seemed rude not to protect the paintwork I'd worked so hard on... twice Out came the remains of a bottle of Extra Gloss Protection, because I know it's quick and easy to apply. Half an hour later, just as it was getting dark, I buffed off the last panel and stood back to admire the finished result:



Stoke on Trent sunset... Not bad



And I'm happy again

[JLR1969]

Looks good mate, you will sleep happy tonight. Glad it got sorted.