DA and Kit

Jkulin · Jul 6, 2016

Hi All,

I'm fed up with some of the half hearted attempts at polishing my car, they look nice for a few days and then look cr@p.

Can anyone recommend a good DA for polishing and what mops and type are needed and then the types of cutting compounds and waxes to use.

Much appreciate your help.

spkennyuk · Jul 6, 2016

Hi john

Have a look at the kestrel DA kit by auto finesse. You can either buy from ebay or auto finesse direct. Prices around Â£175 you get a Kestrel DA pro starter kit including 3 stage polishing compounds which are colour coded to the supplied mops.
The only thing you need on top of the kit is your chosen wax or if you prefer glaze.

There is enough product in the kits to do 6 to 8 or more cars depending on the size.

There are other kits available by poor boys and the like but i would suggest you stick with a kestrel DA or Kestrel DA pro based kit.

spkennyuk · Jul 6, 2016

Couple of pictures of what can be achieved with the kit. First two pictures are my 4200 after the 1st and 2nd stages have been done.

The 3rd picture is my previous alfa 159 which i used stages 1 and 3 to achieve.

highlander · Jul 6, 2016

2nd the kestrel. Good machine for the money. I mainly use blue 3M pads and find them good for using with scratch removal products like poorboy or putting on fine polish layers like meguirs...........warning, you will become addicted

mjheathcote · Jul 6, 2016

https://restorfx-uk.com/

Just launched in the UK, saw the UK distributor at a local classic car show at the weekend.

He had an old Vauxhall Astra in black, one half just typical of a 10 year plus unloved car, scratched to ****, swirls everywhere etc.
The other side was simply immaculate with a perfect mirror deep black flawless finish!
I first thought he was advertising his detailing business, and half had been mechanically polished etc but no, all down to a permanent coating they apply on top of the paint lacquer, that fills in all the scratches and swirls. It actually adds thickness on top of the lacquer that you can feel with your nail on the 50/50 split line, and is harder than lacquer so it is swirl and scratch resistant in the future.

Must say I was sold, they are charging Â£300 for a typical car.

Anyone heard of this before? The end of cutting away the lacquer thickness that can only be done so many times?

highlander · Jul 6, 2016

Not heard of it Mike but am starting from a sceptical point that any miracle product for only a couple of hundred quid just may not be the miracle it claims to be.........this view is not reduced any by the poor typing on the website I have to say. Willing to be proved wrong though, just with someone else's car that is!

mjheathcote · Jul 6, 2016

Having seen the results myself, I honestly could not believe the results.
I was convinced that one half either had been machine polished, or resprayed.
It was a scrapper they had bought, and the one side that had been treated was better than when it was new.
It's a permanent bonded coating, not something that washes off within a few weeks.

highlander · Jul 6, 2016

Did you see them apply it Mike?

CatmanV2 · Jul 6, 2016

highlander said:
Did you see them apply it Mike?

*ding*

C

mjheathcote · Jul 6, 2016

highlander said:
Did you see them apply it Mike?

No, I asked how they applied it, and they would not tell me, trade secret!
It's a Canadian company who have developed it, and the first UK distributor (who I saw) has only just been appointed this year.
They are having an open evening this Friday, they are based in Rotherham if anyone is interested.

mjheathcote · Jul 6, 2016

You go on their web site and see the results:
https://restorfx-uk.com/results/
Naturally you say to yourself, 'yeah right', but honestly, that old Astra they had on display I saw really did look like the before and after shots!

Jkulin · Jul 6, 2016

Thanks Kenny, I looked on there site and couldn't find a DA, maybe I am being blind, but looked on eBay at this Kestrel, is this the one to get?

I don't want to get hooked into a DA and then find other heads don't fit. Can you let me have a link to the kit you suggest?

That Restorfx looks good but I wonder what would happen if you applied it wrongly, would you be stuffed with a respray?

Murray is the expert on paint and repairs, so maybe he will be along shortly?

highlander · Jul 6, 2016

That is the Same one I use John, so yes, should be fine.

mjheathcote · Jul 6, 2016

Been around stateside for a while, US detailing forums have very divided opinions.
Don't think I would hesitate on a daily driver, on the Maser though....

[video=youtube_share;IoViVEzNe7Q]http://youtu.be/IoViVEzNe7Q[/video]

spkennyuk · Jul 6, 2016

Jkulin said:
Thanks Kenny, I looked on there site and couldn't find a DA, maybe I am being blind, but looked on eBay at this Kestrel, is this the one to get?

I don't want to get hooked into a DA and then find other heads don't fit. Can you let me have a ;link to the kit you suggest?

That Restorfx looks good but I wonder what would happen if you applied it wrongly, would you be stuffed with a respray?

Murray is the expert on paint and repairs, so maybe he will be along shortly?

Here is a link to the kit i bought.

http://www.slimsdetailing.co.uk/auto-finesse-revitalise-machine-polisher.html

There are two kestrel Das6 machines the standard one in your link and the pro version. The pro version is just a 850w motor instead of 500w of the original.
Both machines are great. it really just depends if you want to pay the extra for the Pro version.

The link above you can upgrade to the pro version for about Â£25 more. I paid Â£175 for the pro kit or its Â£150 for the standard kestrel Das6.

Your other options are the DoDo juice branded kits as they are a rebranded Kestrel Das6 machine as well. Example below

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dodo-Juic...662950?hash=item3ac6568866:g:HYcAAOSwPcVVrpW2

Jkulin · Jul 6, 2016

Cheers Greg and Kenny

spkennyuk · Jul 6, 2016

mjheathcote said:
https://restorfx-uk.com/

Just launched in the UK, saw the UK distributor at a local classic car show at the weekend.

He had an old Vauxhall Astra in black, one half just typical of a 10 year plus unloved car, scratched to ****, swirls everywhere etc.
The other side was simply immaculate with a perfect mirror deep black flawless finish!
I first thought he was advertising his detailing business, and half had been mechanically polished etc but no, all down to a permanent coating they apply on top of the paint lacquer, that fills in all the scratches and swirls. It actually adds thickness on top of the lacquer that you can feel with your nail on the 50/50 split line, and is harder than lacquer so it is swirl and scratch resistant in the future.

Must say I was sold, they are charging Â£300 for a typical car.

Anyone heard of this before? The end of cutting away the lacquer thickness that can only be done so many times?

It is known as ClearFX or RestorFX. Its basically a polymer topcoat that bonds to the clear coat of you car. They are as far as i can tell just like any other polymer based coating. it will wear off in the end which is why the ask you to use a specific top up product every 3 months.

Much like superguard and the like in the 90's and 00's then im sure it does a job and if you follow the maintenance procedure it will probably last a few years.

The Gtechniq crystal serum products are along similar lines but have many more independent reviews available for them without the need for spin doctor sales mumbo jumbo that the Restorfx guys are using.

spkennyuk · Jul 6, 2016

Jkulin said:
Cheers Greg and Kenny

If your not confident enough when you get your kit to start the the Maserati then see if you can pick up an old wing or bonnet from a scrapper and practice on that first or a metal bodied lawn mower.

you will at some point end up with polish on the black rubber trim or plastic trim of the car round the windows or grill. It can be an absolute PIA to get rid of as most products just mask it for a few washes and the it will start to appear again. The quickest way i have found to remove them is to lightly rub a pencil eraser on the affected area and it will lift the polish out of the rubber and plastic.

Jkulin · Jul 6, 2016

Thanks Kenny, I'll try it on my Missus's Lexus as she won't notice cos she never washes the **** thing anyway

beau · Jul 6, 2016

I have a das6 pro from cleanyourcar, It's not easy though with a da sometimes I need rotary depends how bad paint work is

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