Feed from UK Street Cars - new posts to the forum http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:23:14 +0000 5 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=24 Cruisenorthants have a weekly meet down at Riverside in Northampton. It starts at 8pm. Everyone welcome! ;) Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:23:14 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=24 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=38 Seen you driving past Topgear at 4.20 today!!! :lol: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:35:19 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=38 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=48 when i 1st got her


down graded to saxo alloys as i had lost a fight wit ha pot hole

took random shots while was at diamonds


treated her to some new alloys



she got smashed into :( at tescos parked up... pulled out most of dents


it had bent my seal and twisted my chasis more and bent my torsion bar..
and so dint realise how much damage was done.. so i drove he about still then she spun out on me on the a45 facing the wrong way goin the right way .. lorry wasnt stoppin... no one was ... just bibbin.. pulled her back in just about.. snapped my steerin lock as it came on :huh: engine cut out.. yanked hand break steered off to the hard sholuder missed the truck by an inch if that

so now....... i dont really like drivin.. my mum has toook my keys off me as its a death trap and so here she is now ... slowly bein stripped



so if u know of a car goin for sale cheep guys give me a shout! i need wheels!!!!]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:42:10 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=48 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60 Im member 20..do i get a prize?!?!!? lmao! :blink: :P Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:21:52 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=71

Whats Wrong With A Sponge?
Millions of people wash their car using a sponge. But if you read the threads on this forum you will see that hardly any members are washing their cars using a traditional sponge... Why is that? It all comes down to the flat flace of the sponge:



Imagine automotive paintwork with your typical dirt and grit paricles sutck on the top of the paint, that you want to wash off to revela your car's shine. Some of these dirt particles are sharp:



Now, if you place a sponge down ontop of these grit particles as you would do if you were washing your car with a sponge, the grit particles become trapped between the face of the sponge and the paint - they have no where to go owing to the flat face of the sponge:



When you wipe the sponge across the paintwork, you wipe the sharp grit particles straight across the paint. As they move over the paint, the dirt particles leave a thin hairline scratch:



These little scratches are highly visible in bright light because they catch the light, and this is what gives you the dreaded swirl marks that rob yuo paint of gloss and colour and ruin the car's look. A pic of bad swirl marks, the result of sponge washing of a car:




Wash Mitts
Lambswool and Sheepswool wash mitts have been developped to get around the problems of sponges trapping grit particles by the flat face. If you run your fingers through a lambwool mitt, you can see that it is deep pile and not flat faced:



Returning to the grit partciles on paintwork, when the wash mitt is placed onto them, the grit particles are absorbed into the mitt - safely away from paintwork so that they cannot scratch the paint:



Therefore, sweeping the mitt across the paint doesn't sweep the grit over the paint also and so you don't inflict lots of tiny hairline scratches.

Note: While washmitts are considerbaly better than sponges, it is impossible to completely avoid inflicting the odd swirl marks here and there using a wash mitt. What follows in this thread are tips on how to keep these inflicted swirls to an absolute minimum.


Which Wash Mitt?
There are a great number of washmitts on the marked nowadays, ranging from lambswool and sheepswool to cotton chenille to microfibre. In my experience the best mitts are the lambswool and sheepswool. When choosing a mitt, choose one with a soft deep pile that will be kind to paintwork. Two excellent mitts are:

Meguiars Lambswool Wash Mitt
Eurow Sheepskin Wash Mitt

and there are others too.


So Many Shampoos! Which to Choose?
At the end of the day, shampoo choice for your car is going to come down to personal prefernce. But there are so many shampoos on the market its hard to know which ones to go for! A couple of things to look for when choosing a car shampoo:

1. Lubricity in the washing solution - you want a shampoo that makes the washing solution feel nice and lubricated so that dirt particles can be encapsulated by this lubricant and any that aren't absorbed into the wash mitt will slide off the paint without scratching in the rinsing water. Soapy suds are pleasing and can make car washing fun, but lubricated wash solution is more important.

2. A shampoo should contain no harsh detergents if you are washing a car that you have spent many hours polishing, sealing and waxing. Harsh detergents strip wax straight off the paintwork leaving your paint surface dried out and unprotected. Fairy Liquid is therefore a big no no for washing cars. You feel what happens to the sking on your hand if in prolonged contact with harsh detergents, it dires the skin out - it will do similar damage to paint.

With this in mind, there are still a huge number of car shampoos that fit the bill - ones that I have used and rate are the following, so if you're struggling on which to choose, try one of the following:

Meguiars #62 Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner (my favourite)
Meguiars Gold Class Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner
Meguiars Hyper Wash (awsome dilution ratio of 400:1 - lasts ages!)
Poorboys Super Slick & Suds
Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner
Einszett Perls


What is the "Two-Bucket Method"
Again, millions of people use a single bucket of car wash solution to wash their car, but if you read the threads on this site you will find most members wash their cars using the "Two-Bucket Method" - whats that?

As suggested by the name, the two bucket method uses two buckets, not one. In thie first bucket, you have your car wash solution as normal. In the second bucket you have clean fresh water. First off you soak your mitt in the wash solution and begin washing the car (as described below). Then, before dunking the wash mitt back into the wash solution, you rinse it out in the second bucket of fresh water - this rinses out the dirt and grit particles from this mitt so that they cannot come into contact with your paint, reducing the number of swirls inflicted.

A grit-guard is also a very worthwhile investment and sits at the bottom of the bucket (I have two, one in the rinsing bucket and one in the wash solution bucket). When dunking you mitt into the fresh water bucket, rub it across the grit guard to increase the amount of grit particles which are removed from the mitt. Also, it keeps them trapped at the bottom of the bucket so even less chance of the mitt picking them back up and them reaching your paintwork to inflict scratches.

Thanks go to DaveKG From detailingworld for the use of this guide!]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:24:35 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=71 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=72

What Is Detailing Clay??
While clay is growing in popularity with many detailers now, it has certainly not become a well known "household" car detailing product. Detailing clay is a substance that is designed to remove bonded contaminatns from paint, leaving the paint smooth as glass, allowing easier and more fruitful applications of polihses, glazes, sealents and waxes. Detailing Clay is wiped gently across the paint which needs to be lubricated with a lubricant such as a Quick Detailer spray.

Clay, like polishes, comes in levels of aggressiveness - if you are a beginner with clay, do start with a mild clay such as Meguiars Quik Clay, Meguiars Professional Mirror Glaze Clay (mild, the blue bar) or Sonus Green Clay. These mild clays should be enough to remove bonded contaminants from most cars, only step up to a more aggressive clay if absolutely needed.

Clay can be used on paintwork, glass, and wheels. Always use separate clay on each - ie dont first clay your wheels then use the same clay to clay your paint, as all the brake dust embedded in the clay from the wheels will scratch the paint.


What Are Bonded Contaminants??
When you come to wash your car, the paint will be covered in lots of fresh contiaminats such as dust, mud, possibly bird boms and many others. In addition, the paint will also have a growing amount of bonded contaminants attached to it, which accumulate over time:



When you wash your car, the fresh contaminants are removed from the paint and the paintwork looks clean. However, washing will leave behine the bonded contaminats which are attached to the paint as if they had been glued on:



These bonded contaminats are hard to see, so after washing your paintwork looks clean. However, if you gently run your fingers acorss the paintwork you may feel that the paintwork feels rough - a bit like stubble in a way. This roughness, grittiness that you are feeling is the bonded contaminants in the paint.

Examples of bonded contaminants are:

> Brake dust - sharp, so embeds itself in the paint
> Industrial fallout
> Tree sap - very sticky so adheres strongly to the paint

and there are many others as well which you're car is subjected to on a regular basis.


Removing Bonded Contaminants - Clay
In order to remove the bonded contaminats and restore a glassy smooth feel to the paint, detailing clay is used. As well as leaving a pleasingly smooth feel to the paint, when you come to polish, glaze, seal or wax, it means that you are now sealing in remaining bonded contaminants if you have removed them by clay. Simply washing and waxing will not remove bonded contaminants, they will be left behind and then just waxed over.

Clay basically works by grabbing hold of the bonded contaminants and pulling them off of the paint surface:



The contmainats become stuck in the softer clay where they remain. A safety note when using clay here - these bonded contaminats are stuck into the clay and the clay represents a flat surface. Therefore, surface marring can occur if not enough lubricant is used, or the clay is not kneaded regularly enough to a clean side - please see also the section on using clay...

This leaves the paint finish glassy smooth. Clay can remove the bonded contaminants listed above, however some adhesive contaminants such as tar may need a dedicated tar remover as they are very highly adhesive.


Using Clay
Before claying, always wash fresh contaminants off of the car. First and foremost, always follow the manufacturers instruction for the correct use of their detailing clay. What follows here is a generic guide of tips for the safe use of clay which I use from experience of using clay.

To clay your car, you will need a clay bar and an associated lubricant to lubricate the surface and the clay bar - examples of such lubricants are:

> Meguiars Quick Detailer Spray
> Meguiars Last Touch Detailing Spray
> Meguiars #34 Final Inspection
> Clearkote Clay Lubricant
> Pinnacle Poly Clay Lubricant

and there are others that can be used too.

About 40 - 50g of clay is sufficient to clay a moderately sized car. If using Meguiars Quick clay, for example, break off one third to one half of the clay bar (the bigger the car, the more clay you may need).

Roll the clay up into a ball, then out into a sausage shape and finally flatten it out into the palm of your hand. When doing this ensure that the clay is warm and quite soft. It clay gets cold, it can be hard or brittle and this can risk inducing surface marring on the paint. Throughout the claying process, always ensure that the clay remains nice and warm and doesn't go brittle or hard.

Work on small areas at a time, I start with the roof, and then the bonnet, then the top half of the sides, then the boot, then the bottom half of the sides (like washing, do the cleaner areas first). I always spray a panel with quick detailer and wipe off before claying it to remove and rogue dust particles that may have blown onto the paint that may induce marring.

Work on small areas of paintwork at a time - about 2' by 2'. Spray the area with the clay lubricant, enough to wet the surface quite thoroughly. Also spray the clay with lubricant as well. Gently wipe the clay in a fore and aft motion over the lubricated area using only finger light pressure:



Never clay over a dry area of paint, and if the paint begins to dry out before you are happy that the surface contaminants have been removed (paint will feel smooth), spray on more lubricant. Keep the clay lubricated as well. Once the paintwork feels smooth, gently wipe the remaining clay lubricant away using a soft microfibre towel.

Knead the clay very regularly - this not only keeps the clay warm, but when kneading expose a clean side of the clay. Remember that clay is picking up sharp particles, if you do the whole car with one side of clay you will induce surface marring as all the sharp particles stuck in the clay will ineveitably come into contact with the paint. For this reason, knead the clay regularly and only ever use finger light pressure. When a clean side of clay can no longer be revealed, discard the clay.

Continue until the car is completed. Note that many clays will remove some or all (depending on aggressiveness) of the wax/sealent protection, so always follow up claying with polishing and glazing if required, followed by sealing and/or waxing.


Some Notes on Safe Clay Use
Clay is safe to use if used with care. However, if not used with care it can induce surface marring.

Always regularly knead the clay to a clean side.

Always keep both the clay and the paint surface well lubricated.

Use only finger light pressure

If you drop the clay on the ground, discard it as it will pick up tons of dust and grit and dirt from the ground that will inflict damage to paint.

Keep clay warm, and supple - if it gets cold, hard and brittle it will induce marring, so another reason to keep kneading regularly, especially in winter.


And there we have it, a quick generic starters' guide to clay.

Thanks go to DaveKG From detailingworld for the use of this guide!]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:35:23 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=72 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=59
Pass on the links to everyone you know: www.section59.co.uk

Topgear now have an online mail order shop and a nice new website which can be found at: www.splitthediff.co.uk

Woohoo :lol:]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:51:08 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=59 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=65
]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:54:55 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=65 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=86 i seen you oh oh i seen you,,,, parked next to me at top gear.. :unsure: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:46:13 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=86 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=81 So, what is everyone doing tonight? I am being dragged to the meet at Riverside with Mickey and then off to the Hungry Horse for a few drinks as early as poss... Lol. :D Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:41:34 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=81 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=91
Some Recent:-









Some Promo Work:-





Some More:-







Spook My Ride Winner!



Others:-



Boot Install:-



Interior:-



Enjoy! Jobo :P]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:33:10 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=91 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=45
Cheers :D]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:03:36 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=45 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93 he was spotted online but never posted :D Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:17:15 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=23








































































































]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:16:19 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=23 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=113












Thanks For Looking

Chris]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:50:29 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=113 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=127
Thanx for your patience.

XplosiV]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:29:57 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=127 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=118 Maybe this is me being a slight IT idiot or maybe i'm just the only person who's noticed!

Hx]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:34:08 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=118 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16



Now looks like this...best shots i could find im afraid :angry:



Open sesimi :o


New dash :ph43r:


Amps in the doors ;)


Well thats my lil run around.... :D]]> Fri, 20 Apr 2007 11:20:50 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=139 Saw you by Sainsburys at 3.40pm today! I did wave but you would not have recognised me as i was in Mickeys yellow poo (Punto) Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:03:25 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=139 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=145 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 19:30:20 +0000 http://www.ukstreetcars.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=145