Cut and Polish

[nickchin1308 0]

Hi guys, finally since getting the car I did my first ever cut and polish ever. It looks much better and got rid of some light scratches here and there.

My question is how often should I be doing this?

[Mark 178]

Protect it with wax and you should only need to do it every 3 months or so.

Just make sure you use a gentle carwash soap and a soft woollen mitt to wash the car.

[kiwi535 538]

Hi guys, finally since getting the car I did my first ever cut and polish ever. It looks much better and got rid of some light scratches here and there.

My question is how often should I be doing this?

dont do it!

Every time you cut and polish you are removing some clear coat.Honestly i hardly EVER polish my 535 i just wash it lots and always use a wax frenidly shampoo and a wool mitt

1) hose down car(out of the sun if poss)

2) wash with arementioned mitt and shampoo with a 20l bucket.By the time i have finished the bucket is nearly empty.If the car is dirty i might use a seperate smaller quantity of water/shampoo to do the lower 1/4 and do that lower quarter seperatly from the rest of the car

3)Dry off

stand back and revel in the awesomeness of the e34

[nickchin1308 0]

Cheers for feedback guys.

dont do it!

Every time you cut and polish you are removing some clear coat.Honestly i hardly EVER polish my 535 i just wash it lots and always use a wax frenidly shampoo and a wool mitt

Sh*t really? Well this is my first time ever on the car and prob wont need another one for ages. Like u said I usually just use Armor All Wash n Wax mostly and maybe once a month a good waxing.

[kiwi535 538]

Cheers for feedback guys.

Sh*t really? Well this is my first time ever on the car and prob wont need another one for ages. Like u said I usually just use Armor All Wash n Wax mostly and maybe once a month a good waxing.

dont get me wrong you sometimes have to do it,but keep the cuts to a minimum Keep it clean with washing then waxing.A clay bar(very very fine "cut") is prolly kinder to the "paintwork"

[tyr262 0]

Thanks for the advice. I will be waxing the car in future rather then cut and polish!

Edited December 23, 2010 by Rob

[Mark 178]

Ok just to clarify:

- A Clay bar removes contaminants from your clear coat such as ground in dirt, grit etc. It is a cleaner not a polish. Claying leaves a clean surface ready for polishing.

- Polish is an abrasive. The act of polishing either by hand or using a motorised buffer removes the small scratches or "swirl marks" from the clearcoat. It is like a very fine sandpaper in the way it removes the top level of clearcoat, leaving a smooth clearcoat surface behind. Varying "grades" of polish are required to effectively remove swirl marks.

- Wax protects the clearcoat once you're done polishing. It is a barrier between your paintwork and the environment. It also adds that bit of extra shine. Once you have waxed, you only need to wash the car to make it shine again. Make sure to use a wool mitt and the "two bucket method" (one bucket for soap, one to rinse the mitt after every panel) to avoid creating more swirl marks.

- Gradually the wax will wear off, so you should clean it off completely with dishwashing liquid and reapply every few months.

- Polish again when you see swirl marks reappearing (proper washing technique will minimise their reappearance)

Full rundown here (whoring my own thread again)

http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....c=21747&hl=

[_Matt_ 42]

while you're here mark. how bout change 'Mark's rust repair" thread to 'Matt's' haha. d*ck

[Mark 178]

^ I did

[chippies 0]

i find that if i need to do a cut i buy the meguiars cutting paste that is very fine so i am only removing a very small amount of the clear coat at a time. and it seems to make the car look great. other than that i just use clay bar and pre clean before polishing.

[Apex 693]

Hi guys, finally since getting the car I did my first ever cut and polish ever. It looks much better and got rid of some light scratches here and there.

My question is how often should I be doing this?

I would say once every 20,000km or once a year, as said just maintain properly and keep it waxed up. Being white it should be low maintenance.

Black or dark cars need a bit more attention as mark recommends.

2c