[corsaz22se]

Autoglym is expensive but it last so long and you don't need much each time. A tub of wax lasts me around 4-5 years with 4 cars.

 

[jewels]

Sisbrill wax is worth € 20 a pot, it lasts a year I think they say, and it smells of sour strawberry hahaha, I don't know how the waxes are going so I can speak little

 

[ozsubrosa]

I had a red Renault 5 that looked orange as soon as left alone (in the old T-Cut and Simoniz days). Malaga is absolutely terrible in summer. Only the white cars (and some silver) survive. Even my gold-coloured Modus has roof sunburn and headlamp polishing is a regular business there. The navy blue and black cars look like advanced psoriasis. I've done DIY ceramic coatings on the Combo Tour and Modus but I'm thinking of graphene top up spray as (I am a chemist - it does make sense rather than marketing BS) it would be quite effective in dissipating heat as well as the usual dirt-slides-off that the ceramic has been good for.

 

[Delta Romeo]

OZ you'll have to remind me what that hydrophobic spray is that you've used on your car before...

 

[Bostedsprocket]

Changed the gearbox oil on my combo van, whilst jacked up i noticed the front nearside spring is broken, ive ordered a replacement off ebay, i will borrow a pair of spring compressors off my mate and replace it next weekend, i was quite surprised i have not heard it knocking while driving.

 

[jewels]

The bellows may be broken and not make noise until it loses all the fat, when you change it before mounting it, move it well with your hand as if it were a music maraca so that the fat spreads well

 

[ozsubrosa]

OZ you'll have to remind me what that hydrophobic spray is that you've used on your car before...

Turtle Wax hydrophobic sealant wax or something like that. In USA/Canada they call it Ice Seal n Shine and gets rave reviews - and is on v2.0 now - but Europe hasn't taken up the name. Nerdy of me, but I suggested to TW they should and they said it's in their plan but they must have several reels of labels to get through. I like it. Easy on/off, good gloss and lasts a long time, but there are now these graphene sprays that are just as easy but have the longevity of ceramics.

Changed the gearbox oil on my combo van, whilst jacked up i noticed the front nearside spring is broken, ive ordered a replacement off ebay, i will borrow a pair of spring compressors off my mate and replace it next weekend, i was quite surprised i have not heard it knocking while driving.

I bought my Combo Tour, drove it back from Chesterfield and MOT'd it almost immediately (part peace of mind, partly I just wanted MOT to fall in May rather than July). Apart from the tyres turning out to be ancient (D'oh! Tread was good but I didn't look at the date codes) a rear spring was broken. OK, the vehicle was unfamiliar to me but I had no clue at all - no audible nor feeling.

 

[HarveyLear55]

I have found using Auto Glym HD Wax or Ultimate HD wax keeps the red paint better for much longer than any other polishes. only do mine once or twice a year. View attachment 36146

I will definitely take a look at those products then, I ran out of the auto glym super resin polish I use so I had to resort to their rapid detailer for the last few weeks

 

[corsaz22se]

I will definitely take a look at those products then, I ran out of the auto glym super resin polish I use so I had to resort to their rapid detailer for the last few weeks

It might be ultra H D wax? Not had to buy any for a couple years now. Their online shop seems as cheaper place as any to get it.

 

[ozsubrosa]

Delta Romeo, I should mention that JTF is far cheaper than ebay etc for the TW spray. Warrington is close enough and I have a membership card.

Turtle Wax Sealant Hydrophobic Wax 500ml

Turtle Wax hybrid products fuse traditional car care ingredients with the very latest technology for astonishing results and new ways to shine. Turtle Wax hybrid sealant wax contains proprietary hydrophobic sealants infused with natural carnauba waxes to create levels of shine and surface...

jtf.com

 

[ozsubrosa]

Just fitted a leather gaiter to the Combo Tour. It came from a BMW Mini and has the M stripes on it, which is a bit pfft, but it was £3 used and decent leather as opposed to the perforated teabag GM used so I took it. It came along with a bundle of nic-nacs I picked up. Interior light with map lights - which the Tour already has but a £3 spare is worth having - and Focus Mk2 Hekos. I'd completely forgotten how to fix in the clips (did it 2yrs ago on the Tour) and of course I'm too masculine to spend 3mins watching a YT video. Stupidly, I cracked and then snapped the driver's side Heko. Gorilla Glue Gel will fix it - it's a clean break - but the passenger side has gone in after watching the video and I'll do the other side once the glue's set. D'oh!

 

[Delta Romeo]

...there are now these graphene sprays that are just as easy but have the longevity of ceramics.

Are they easy enough to find and cheap enough? It'd be nice to use less effort to clean the car if dirt practically rinses off!

 

[jewels]

this post without photos is useless


I also know another

photos or report

jajaja

 

[ozsubrosa]

Are they easy enough to find and cheap enough? It'd be nice to use less effort to clean the car if dirt practically rinses off!

303 do a spray bottle about £23 on ebay (pricey, like their tyre-care stuff but I have the latter and it doesn't take a lot to do its work) and TW is even costlier at £30.

It's a whopping £100, 5 litres is more for a professional detailer (or a shiny new car owner) but 10x the volume for 3-5x the price

Infinity Wax QDX Graphene 5Ltr | eBay

The UK,s first Graphene enhanced detail spray 

•Powerful protection
•Slick glossy paintwork 
•Easy spray and wipe application 

The much loved QDX Ceramic has been a favourite for over 3 years now. With that in mind, we thought why reinvent the wheel?.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Delta Romeo]

I had a look on Youtube at Forensic Detailing Channel, he did a 6 month test of 24 different hydrophobic treatments to see what lasted, two clear winners exceeding 6 months but one of which is hard to get hold of. the other is called Carpro Lite and it's reasonably dear but extremely good

 

[ozsubrosa]

Jewels, talking to me I think, wants photos to support the text. Fair enough, if anyone wants to see how the BMW Mini leather gaiter looks fitted to the Combo or C gearstick.

The 'M' stripes might not suit everyone (I would prefer them not to be there) so perhaps there is a non-M leather Mini gaiter that might come up cheap in your area. I will say that the leather is thick and durable. Look at the state of my GM leather handbrake gaiter - which looked almost pristine one year ago.

 

[jewels]

Did you try to dye them with leather dye? I wear the corsa B adapter with the leather after which is somewhat fatter than the standard one

 

[Delta Romeo]

My year old replacement gear gaiter had a split in it, the leather had gone stiff and brittle. Maybe I could have used some treatment on it. That BMW one looks like it'll be good for years

 

[ozsubrosa]

I might get some black leather treatment sometime as the UK driver's - now my EU passenger's - seat has a light case of the seatbelt/door rub that all exclusiv and SXi+ seats suffer from. Fortunately, the (now) passenger seat is less used and my seat (which is unmarked) is treated very carefully when I get in, pull the belt across and shut the door.

However, the perforated leather (on the seat faces but particularly the gaiters) can only be partially improved with treatments. The leather is wafer thin and, as DR says, can get brittle with time. The BMW one is all leather - the GM looks like a thin veneer on cloth - and looks like it will stay in good condition. Not bad for £3 (used).

 

[jewels]

It would be curious to see the car with black leather seats and alcantara on lever and handbrake doors, at least that's the idea I have, along with the armrest