How to get the perfect shine on your car
Mr Miyagi has taught generations how to shine a car. Remember that scene in The Karate Kid when the master sensei teaches Daniel a blocking technique by polishing a yard full of dusty classic cars?
Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you probably know his famous line, “wax on, wax off.”
The trick was to polish in a broad circular motion, but does Miyagi’s method work in the real world, or was it just a training method to teach Daniel the blocking technique?
RAA Car Advice Manager Andrew Clark gives us the lowdown on how to get your car’s paintwork looking spick and span.
Preparation
Preparation is the key to giving the paintwork on your car a good shine. You can save yourself a lot of time, effort and disappointment by picking the right tools for the job. That way, you’ll get the best results.
It sounds simple, but there’s more to achieving a pristine polish than you realise.
For example, removing deeper abrasions may require an ‘extra cut’ in the compound. However, this might not be suitable for a general polish of the whole car. So, make sure you choose the correct product for the job you’re doing.
Inferior product quality and the wrong type can bring all your hard work undone.
Target established brands and do your own research to get a good understanding of what the various products on the market are designed for.
It’s also worth spending the money on quality polishing mitts, cloths and applicators to ensure you’re happy with the final results.
Process
Don’t polish straight away. It will wash surface dirt into the paint, leaving blemishes you’ll need to fix later. Grab a sponge, fill up a bucket and give your car a good wash.
Now, if the water beads while you’re washing, it usually means that the polish or wax is still protecting the paintwork. If that’s the case, you can relax, unwind, and take it easy. Find something else to do, because you probably don’t have to worry about polishing the car.
The equation is simple: no water beads mean you need to reapply wax.
Now, it’s time to polish and wax. Do you “make the circle” as Mr Miyagi taught Daniel? Well yeah, you actually do. The Miyagi method is the correct shining technique. Apply the wax in a broad circular motion and polish off the exact same way.