[drZ]

Hi all..looking to order or buy some car care products, and am based in the ACT. Maybe someone could point me to the right direction. preferably local but if not maybe a vendor with good delivery rates?

some stuff i'm looking for:
iron x wheel cleaner
zymol leather cleaner and conditioner
opticoat or jetseal for a set of new wheels before being put on the car
neutradol odour neutraliser
autoglym stuff
dodojuice or poorboy wax and sealants
good microfibre towels (pack of 10 or whatever)

and any good car detailers + small dent repairs + bmw parts/salvage for parts anyone can recommend..I've lived here a year but have been so busy with work that the car hasnt had her fair share of being cared for..

thanks in advance

ps I have a black sapphire e92..nice when clean, not easy to maintain

[Socket]

May not be what you are looking for but there a NSW/ACT sub forum that may be of help

http://www.detailparadise.com.au/forum.php

[Scotty89]

Bunnings have monster packs of microfibre for really cheap.

I think they're like a set of 20 for about $6, which is incredibly cheap. I haven't bought or needed any others since.

They pack has 4 colours which is handy to keep colours separated for cutting, waxing etc.

[DR-JEKL]

Originally Posted by drZ

Hi all..looking to order or buy some car care products, and am based in the ACT. Maybe someone could point me to the right direction. preferably local but if not maybe a vendor with good delivery rates?

some stuff i'm looking for:
iron x wheel cleaner
zymol leather cleaner and conditioner
opticoat or jetseal for a set of new wheels before being put on the car
neutradol odour neutraliser
autoglym stuff
dodojuice or poorboy wax and sealants
good microfibre towels (pack of 10 or whatever)

and any good car detailers + small dent repairs + bmw parts/salvage for parts anyone can recommend..I've lived here a year but have been so busy with work that the car hasnt had her fair share of being cared for..

thanks in advance

ps I have a black sapphire e92..nice when clean, not easy to maintain

Funnily enough www.carcareproducts.com.au will you sort you out with most of that!

[drZ]

and are the microfibre towels as good as say the meguiars etc? i bought a pack of 5 in bigW about 6mts ago, and they dont even absorb water that well when drying the car after a wash..so i use them to clean the interior panels and leather seats instead now..

[Socket]

Originally Posted by Scotty89

Bunnings have monster packs of microfibre for really cheap.

I think they're like a set of 20 for about $6, which is incredibly cheap. I haven't bought or needed any others since.

They pack has 4 colours which is handy to keep colours separated for cutting, waxing etc.

Nice Scotty, if Bunning's wasn't closed right now, id be off to buy some MF towels

[drZ]

and what does everyone feel about pressure washers and soaping up with the attachment? which washers are popular here? i heard karcher ones leak pretty quickly at their attachements due to the inner connection rings being plastics rather than metal..

[Scotty89]

Originally Posted by drZ

and are the microfibre towels as good as say the meguiars etc? i bought a pack of 5 in bigW about 6mts ago, and they dont even absorb water that well when drying the car after a wash..so i use them to clean the interior panels and leather seats instead now..

Microfibre towels aren't good at drying anything, and they tend to leave fluff when cleaning windows.

They're used for wiping off wax or compound.

Chamois are for drying cars as they absorb water the best. I've tried expensive leather and synthetic and cheap synthetic ones.

I've found that meguiars synthetic soft buff chamois tends to be the easiest. The real leather chamois I tried would grip the paint too much as it soaked up the water, which was a pain in the ass as you couldn't simply wipe it back and forth due to it gripping and rolling up into a bunch.

[Socket]

Originally Posted by drZ

and what does everyone feel about pressure washers and soaping up with the attachment? which washers are popular here? i heard karcher ones leak pretty quickly at their attachements due to the inner connection rings being plastics rather than metal..

Karcher products are absolute crap !!!! I've been stung by Karcher and had go through a long drawn out ordeal to get my money refunded.....

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED PEOPLE !!!!!

[Socket]

I just like the bowdens web site for their ummm informative DIYs

http://www.bowdensown.com.au/how-to-use

[Socket]

and their coverage of ummm odd topics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=n_TgnRAXq2o

[drZ]

yes lurvely diy on that website indeed..the chicks are cute too..anyway back to topic, so if not karcher, then which? any other experiences? aldi used to have a pressure washer too but cant remember what it was but had quite good reviews. nilfisk was one that was popular in the british isles but dont think its available here..

[drZ]

on the use of drying towels, I used to have a meguiars terry towel that was ever so soft and had best pulling power but still gentle enough to paintwork but with repeated drying it got hard and rough very quickly..not cheap either, I think they were close to $40/piece of 40x40cm..started then using microfibre as its gentle, i think..

[drZ]

colossal...boom!

[JJH]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

Funnily enough www.carcareproducts.com.au will you sort you out with most of that!

+1 - I happen to have used them a lot in recent times for all sorts of stuff. Very quick delivery is a bonus.

Menzerna: compounds and polishes for paint correction and maintenance
DodoJuice: wax
Duragloss: car wash concentrate, leather shampoo/conditioner kit (leaves that new leather smell!)
Nanolex: rim sealant (fantastic stuff to use to seal wheels; really works to keep brake dust from sticking to your wheels. A simple blast with a pressure cleaner gets them clean)

Canberra member here with Black Sapphire E92 too. For paintless dent repairs, see the guys at Dent Solutions, Unit 5/75 Wollongong St, Fyshwick. They do amazing work.

[drZ]

thanks for the info jjh..i might try ordering a few stuff. have been wanting to try dodojuice for a while now and really need something like nanolex as the new set has polished lips which are a pain to maintain..if i'm ordering some stuff, anyone from canberra wanna order at same time to save delivery or does it make any difference?

[JJH]

No probs. It won't make much of a difference if you plan to order several items.

[XIX]

Buy some proper microfibre, not the crap they sell in the shops.

A proper microfibre will dry the whole car without streaks and without needing to be wrung out.

Check final inspection for good micro fibre , there is no comparison.

[jevanh]

What you guys need are waffle weave drying microfibers for drying a car lint free.
Waxit just brought out a new drying microfiber towel called the TEMPEST it feels sooo good lol but u have to wash it in the washing machine before first use or it will leave lint. Try stay away from chamois they will induce swirls 100%

Also if you towels are not absorbing try throwing some white vinegar in the wash with them, and never use fabric softener on mf towels.


iron x get it from WAXIT.com.au they stock Carpro the company that makes iron x.

the Australian Vendors are great:

ZAS.com.au (free shipping if spending more than $150)
as said above carcare products and final inspection(i love their quick detailer )
waxit.com.au (free shipping if spending more than $150)
detail central is another

opticoat no longer is sold as a consumer product. only professional grade. Its now called glosscoat which is not a permanent coating.

I have always used Karchar and havent had any issues. Starting out i have a cheap one which lasted me about 3 years then i bought the best one they had at the time and use it weekly and for long periods of time on the concrete floor. Doesn't miss a beat. But everyone sayd gerni is Danish and a better make. the day my karchar breaks i will go to a gerni myself.

As for the foam. Its a must its called a foam lance and it makes cleaning cars much easier. also help reduce swirls.

[donR]

I have used these guys and you can get 12.5% off with a discount code:

www.waxit.com.au

Very knowledgeable and a lot of specialised stuff if that's what you want.

For a black car I would normally use Zymol Carbon Carnuba Wax which comes up great but you need a garage or car cover as it does not last out doors.

So instead I bought some Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, looks quite good and still going strong after a few weeks with lots of rain and being outdoors 24/7

I've also tried some Car lack 68 for longevity but the Collinite is much better so far.

[drZ]

havent used chamois for so long..maybe early 2000's when was washing my dad's mbs hehee..defo left alot of swirls..nowadays using meguiars microfibre since epic fail of bigW ones..

liteonled - what discount code do you have for waxit? care to share? i've read alot of detailers in the states using zymol carbon but most recently I think alot more reviews on use of collinite..never used myself but may give it a try..

[DR-JEKL]

I use zymol titanium, its more expensive than the carbon but lasts longer

Its an amazing wax, just wipe some between the palms of your hands and use your hand to apply it than remove it straight away. Quick easy and no mess!

Having said that i haven't used collinite, dodo juice or swissvax (which are also highly reccomended by a lot of other guys).

Haha a chamois!?! havent used one of them in years! a waffle weave towel is definitely the tool of choice.

They soak up the water easily, don't smear and marr the surface. Also when drying the car, I always use a detailer spray.

This enhances the shine, and also provides additional protection (you will notice after the wax isn't beading during washing, after you've dried the car and using a detailer spray the paint will bead like a freshly waxed car - this shall last a week or two) FWIW I use wolf chemicals quicky quick detailer spray from carcareproducts.

Cheap microfibre towels are useless for removing wax, they're good for cheap rags when cleaning the undercarriage etc and chucking them out, also the white vinegar method is the best method for washing the towels and no fabric softener, I use sunlight soap