Ford Puma Forum

I am going to give this a try:

Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax.

It sounds too good to be true, but it gets very good reviews on Halfords and Amazon.

Video here:

It gets good reviews across the board. I’ve watched some YouTube videos where it’s used/reviewed.

Turtle Wax Dry & Shine is a very good alternative, but without the ceramic element. Much cheaper and the hydrophobic element is excellent. Only a couple of sprays per panel is needed. I have a bottle on my shelf.

This has been my goto after a maintenance wash.



Really cheap, long lasting, decent shine, good beading, easy application. Imo of course.

All I've been using so far is https://www.autoglym.com/polarpressurewasher

That’s my default, although I use UHD shampoo and the 2 bucket method as opposed to Polar Wash, although come next winter I’ll be using it with one bucket and several mitts.

Polar seal is excellent. Hard to avoid overspray on the windscreen and can leave white streaks/spotting it mixed too richly or left on too long.

Dry & shine (and the like) are alternatives that don’t require a snow foam cannon.

Amy protection is better than none

Neil, could I ask what “aftermarket short gun with various extension lances and nozzles” you use please?

Sure.


Short gun and nozzles. I use green for the pre wash and to wash off the snow foam, white for the wash rinse and final once over and sometimes the black for a lighter sprinkle. Colours are pretty generic in relation to nozzle degree whatever brand you get.


Short extension lance. Allows me to get in a little closer and under the arches.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333405357937 47.5cm with sliding grip. I can stand further back for a powerful wash, great for larger vehicles with a higher roof. I tend to connect the shorter lance too so I get the angled spray. If I don’t, I make sure I hold the lance at an angle.

With that set up, I can use just the gun (great for wheels) right through to any combination.

You’d obviously need to get one to fit your pressure washer connections and apparently they are rated for machine models like K2-4 and then K5-7.

Word of warning...........make sure the nozzles are inserted and locked in place before directing it at your car or anyone, or else you’ll regret it when it flies out and causes damage. I always point it away and downwards to test. Also, don’t use the red (zero degree) or orange (15 degree on paintwork)

Before upgrading to my K5, one of the best purchases I made was a 10m high pressure hose as the horrid standard Karcher 6m was awful. Not only did it keep on twisting, it wasn’t long enough and I had to drag the unit around. Nice to see the K5 came with a 10m hose.

Lastly, I imagine we all complain about the hose twisting up? I bought a swivel adapter for the end of the short gun, so no matter how I use it or put it down, the hose never twists.



You can buy most of the above as a complete set in various forms and it’ll probably be cheaper. I bought and added to mine over time as I wasn’t sure how I’d get on with it.

Dedicated detailer sites sell all of the above but can be more expensive depending on brands. Fortunately I’ve had no issues with any of mine.

Hope this helps.

Many thanks, that's great info (and tips!). Will get some ordered as soon as I've tested my K4 still works. Thanks again

No problem at all.

NeilS wrote: ↑Sun Apr 11, 2021 8:13 pm DI vessels/filters are great for preventing water spotting and not having to make unnecessary contact and letting nature take its course, however no good if you want a dry car to apply an LSP.

You can spend silly money on drying towels, Korean twisted loop etc. I prefer to have a few mid range towels, as opposed to one expensive one, especially if you drop it or get grit in the pile.

I’m currently using Martin Cox Giant Miracle drying towels. I’m sure these are generic as other brands all seem to be the same, blue with either a red or blue edging. Reasonably priced between £6-7 depending on where you look. Do a good job. I can get round the car with one towel without having to break out another but I always use a different towel for the lower sections. They wash up well (use liquid detergent over powder and no fabric softener/conditioner) and left to dry naturally on an airer. I’ve never tumble dried my cloths.

Autoglym’s Hi Tech microfibre is also very good. Will easily do an entire car and can be wrung out accordingly. I used mine with caution as it has a short pile and I found it easy to snag on those more intricate areas, but perhaps I wasn’t taking enough care around those areas.

A lightly dampened towel is better than a bone dry one. As such, I do the windows first.

Thanks, will try that about drying the windows first and thinking back thats what i used to do with my previous car ( different towel).
I've only given the one a polish and wax once and luckily it was a breezy/warm day so after using the filter/vessel by the time i had put everything away it was virtually dry.

I normally use autoglym polish and meguiars wax but tried turtle wax polish for black cars and their ultimate wax , all easy to use , no hard rubbing to get rid of smears etc and streak free and cost about the same for both as it would for one of the other products. Will try my originals next time for a comparison.
Thanks for the advise about the drying towels