The Mitsubishi Pajero Owners Club®

[weedomjolly]

Hi all, by the looks of some of the photos on hear, I think most of you’s like to spend the day getting your cars covered in dirt! Me however, I like to spend my day getting the stuff off!!! One of my many pastimes is modding BMW’s and getting them featured in the Total BMW Magazine. So if, and that’s a BIG if, you want to do the opposite one week end and get the dirt off then try the following. Trust me on this, it will be worth it  

1 Wash.
The first hint or tip about washing is to get rid of the sponge! Use a Microfiber handmit, the sponge only traps dirt under it and grinds it into your paintwork, it’s also the main cause of the swirl marks you see on your paintwork, before you start working on your car, it must be clean. If it’s not, you’re only going to create more work for yourself later on. Use a bucket of water and avoid using the power wash.

2 Clay.
After you have washed your car, just run your fingertips lightly over the paintwork, especially over the horizontal surfaces. If you detail your car regularly, odds-on that it will feel smooth like glass. More likely though, is that it will feel gritty and course. That’s caused by airborne contaminants such as tree sap etc that has landed on your car, and bonded to the paint. If you park your car outside, it’s inevitable that dirt and dust will bond to your paint over time. Luckily, removing them is pretty easy and painless. You just need a clay bar, and some clay lube (usually just a quick detailer). If you don’t have these things, just drop by your local auto store and pick up a Meguiars or Mothers clay kit, or something similar.(my preference is Meguiars)
Break up the clay bar into 3 pieces, wrap two pieces up and put them away for next time, and use one piece. Now, all you need to do is spray a little clay lube onto a small section (say 50cm x 50cm) and lightly rub the clay back and forth over the surface. You’ll feel it if you don’t have enough lube, the clay bar will stick. You’ll also be able to feel when you have rubbed enough, because the clay bar will begin to just glide over the surface with no resistance at all. You don’t need to use any weight or pressure, just let the clay bar do the work. After you have finished each section, wipe off the residue with a microfiber cloth. Depending on the clay that you used, you may have left behind light marks on the paint, don’t worry about them, they’ll come off when you polish. You would typically clay your car every 6 to 12 months, but you’ll be able to feel when it needs it. Important!: If you drop the clay bar on the ground, through it out! Don't reuse it because it will have picked up dirt and this will damage your paintwork. After you have finished your car, save that piece of clay, it can be used in future for trim, wheels, glass etc. Once you have finished run the back of your hand over the paintwork, if done right it should feel like a sheet of glass!

3 Polish.
OK, let’s get one thing straight: Polishing is not waxing, and waxing is not polishing. They are 2 very different, separate and distinct processes, with different purposes. Polishing your paintwork is what gives you the shine, the reflections, the lustre. It is without doubt the most complex part of the process, because there are so many variables, different products, and different techniques. Because of this, I’m just going to talk about the basics to get you started. Basically the main thing hear is to take your time and stick to one panel at a time,(I know it’s hard)but do try and avoid doing a whole side, then falling back to take the polish off, if you take your time believe me the end result will be well worth it!


4 Wax.
The purpose of waxing is to lock in the shine that you got from polishing, and to protect the paint from UV damage, from bird poo, from airborne contaminants, from water etching, and from other nasties. Waxing will add depth and wetness to the shine, but if you didn’t do a good job polishing, then waxing isn’t going to magically give you a show car finish.
There are essentially 2 types of wax, natural wax based primarily on Carnauba wax, and Synthetic waxes, more correctly called sealants. However the purpose, and in most cases the method of application, is the same.(my choice is the Carnauba wax)
The normal method for applying wax is to apply a fine layer with a hand held foam applicator, let it dry to a fine haze (anywhere from 5 mins to an hour), and yes you can do a whole side if you want! Then buff off the residue with a microfiber towel. What you are doing is leaving behind a very very thin layer that will harden like concrete and protect your paint, and keep it looking good. Most waxes can be layered, i.e. you apply a new layer every week for several weeks, to give extra depth and protection. Be mindful though, that a coat of wax will take 24 hours to harden, and 72 hours to fully cure, you can’t put anything else on the paint until the wax is fully cured, including another coat of wax.
Most waxes will last around 6-8 weeks per coat, with some synthetic sealants claiming 6 months protection or more. You’ll be able to tell though, when you have enough wax on the car, water will form in tight, tall, perfectly round beads. As the wax wears off though, the beads will become less round, and they won’t sit as tall. Natural waxes are a little more work, and need to be applied more often, but will give you a warmer, wetter look. Synthetic sealants tend to be easier to work with, and last longer, but tend to look a little more clinical and plasticky, but these are general observations only.

5 Maintain.
After you’ve done all of that work, you need to maintain it to keep it looking good. The most basic step is regular washing; it’s the best and easiest thing you can do. Only use microfibre on your paint work, don’t use terry towelling, old rags, lamb’s wool, chenille, chamois etc, just microfibre, it’s the best material we have available for the purpose, so use it. It’s cheap and effective. Carry some quick detailer and a microfibre towel in the car, so if you get bird poo on the paint, you can remove it safely soon as possible before the acids in it start eating into your paintwork. The one overall rule here is to avoid touching your paintwork as much as is possible. Any contact with the paint will simply grind the dust and dirt on the surface, no matter how fine it is, into the paint and cause micro scratches.
This usually takes me the best part of a morning to do!
Any questions on this subject then I’ll be glad to help.

[Google]

[wiggletiger]

ill wait for it to rain     same as always        

[m_attt]

as above and its a 4x4 should come with mud from the factory

[weedomjolly]

Knew it!

[wiggletiger]

you need to read GAZZIZ posts    you 2 shiny to extreme guys   would get on great        

[rich r]

Very useful to know what the current choice of techniques are, it does seem to change every few years as new products become available. Unfortunately, as you've discovered, the majority of people on here own 15-20 year old Pajeros and Shoguns, which are used off road frequently, deeply scratched by branches, flying mud and gravel, and where the odd dent is 'character' not a defect. I think most are beyond getting that showroom finish now

However, there are plenty of people with 'shineys' who do care about what they look like. Mainly newer models that rarely leave the tarmac, and I have to admit do look quite good when they're all polished and glistening.

Though I have to confess that our 1991 Pajero only really gets washed after green laning (to remove 500kg of mud from underneath), and even then it's really just a case of blasting it with a pressure washer, maybe chucking some sort of detergent on to get greasy muck off the windows. Still looks pretty good for it's age though! They do have a decent covering of hard wearing paint, so rust on the bodywork isn't usually much of an issue, even when damaged by scratches and dents. Unlike my Vectra where it looks like they were trying to save weight by spraying on the thinnest coat of paint they could get away with...

[samson110]

I fall into the "shiny" category and will be found most weekends cleaning my sport inside and out although not that often in these carp winter months. I employ much the same attention to detail as you only difference is I use a leather to dry off after 1st wash. Will have to read up on popular opinion regarding damage when using shammy...

[weedomjolly]

Horror Stories!! pressure washers/Mud/Green laneing and Crazy assault courses Don't get me wrong, it looks like great fun and hopefully i will attend one of these activities this year, but i will have a bottle of Quick Detailer in hand
I did watch a video on hear of some of you's guys, you's came across a couple of bikers, you's where going up a narrow road! and i use "road" very very lightly!
i take it that is Green Laneing? if so, then i would be up for that! but all that other crazy stuff you's get up to! think ill just watch
Going to post another topic on QD, but this is for me and Gazz  
edit and Samson

[weedomjolly]

Hi Samson, dry it off with a large Microfibre towel  

[gregorypestelle]

Nice write up thanks for the effort and time - useful tips that I'll apply to my other car but maybe not the paj

[ICUALL]

I only bought ours as a spare for the bad weather after the wife got stuck coming home in her motor and mountain rescue had to bring her home.
But........As soon as i get a chance she will get a few days spent on her in the garage with all of the above and finished with the makita and some Zymol.
All this talk of dirt gives me shivers.

[kfieldin]

[joncc]

Sorry I'm not following this technique - could you pop round and show me.

I should get it after being shown a few times.

[Walt]

[weedomjolly]

Mud, more mud and finish off with a high powered jet wash is the way to go hear i think!