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Best polish for aluminium?
David Jenkins - 6/4/17 at 02:30 PM

My pot of Meguieres ali polish is almost empty, so I need to replace it - I see that there's a 'nxt generation polysh' (their spelling) but I have no idea how that compares with the old stuff. It's also around £10 for a small pot, so although the old stuff worked really well (just one polish per year has been good enough, so far) and was easy to use, now I'm wondering if there's something better/cheaper that's easily available.

Any suggestions?


[Edited on 6/4/17 by David Jenkins]


nick205 - 6/4/17 at 03:53 PM

My experience with chemically things is the manufacturers often have to leave certain chemicals out for H&S reasons. The resulting "new" versions don't usually seem to work so well. I've used Auto-Sol from a tube before on Ali and steel - seems to work OK and it's as much about the cloth used for the task.


Irony - 6/4/17 at 04:29 PM

I have lots of different polishes. The best cost effective solution I have found for hand polishing ali is Salvo Autosol. Cheap and really good. Yeah there might be others out there that are better but not at the same price. If you have big buffing wheels then 'proper' polishing compounds are better.


ian locostzx9rc2 - 6/4/17 at 04:44 PM

+1 auto sol in a tube as said use decent cloth I use to do my striker once a year nomally just before stoneliegh


David Jenkins - 6/4/17 at 05:40 PM

I found Solvol Autosol to be very hard work! At least with Meguiers it's 'spread it on, polish it off', with maybe a soft cloth and flour to finish off and get a clean shine.


r1_pete - 6/4/17 at 05:50 PM

Ive always had good and lasting results using Belgom Alu.


ian locostzx9rc2 - 6/4/17 at 05:57 PM

Never said it was easy but works ok


rusty nuts - 6/4/17 at 06:41 PM

California Customs Original Purple Metal Polish, makes Mguires look like rubbish. Only problem is finding some , not cheap but goes a long way .


mark.s - 6/4/17 at 09:13 PM

Been meaning to put a post up about this, I've just ordered some purple metal polish and deoxidiser so thanks for the heads up on it, I'll keep you posted how it turns out


David Jenkins - 7/4/17 at 08:19 AM

I've just tried googling for this stuff - could only find a couple of places asking stupid money (£74 in one place!). Everyone else seems to be out of stock.


40inches - 7/4/17 at 08:31 AM

I found Mothers Metal Polish about a year ago. Not be using anything else.
They now do Mothers Billet Metal Polish, supposedly better for ally.


Nathsx - 7/4/17 at 09:17 AM

Use auto sol with a steelwool grade 0000 excellent results

pic of an example



mark.s - 7/4/17 at 10:05 AM

California Custom Purple Metal Twin Pack Includes Huge Polishing Towel & Pad

Hope this helps David


David Jenkins - 7/4/17 at 10:20 AM

Thanks for that - but I'm not paying £42 for metal polish! Especially when each bottle of that stuff is only $14 in the USA - which is less than £20 total, I believe.

Looks like I'll be buying another tub of Meguieres... I'll let people know if it works as well as the old stuff.

[Edited on 7/4/17 by David Jenkins]


907 - 7/4/17 at 10:45 AM

Yes it's that time of year.

Just pop over and you will be supplied with Purple Polish and a rag, and shown how to use it.

I offer this at the giveaway price of £5 per hour, minimum session length 8 hours.

A ten minute tea break half way through the session when you will be sold a cup of tea.

Please form an orderly queue.

Paul G

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David Jenkins - 7/4/17 at 11:22 AM




mark.s - 7/4/17 at 12:39 PM

Well if mine looks anything like 907's I'll be well chuffed for 40 quid


David Jenkins - 7/4/17 at 01:29 PM

Now he HAS got a lot of ali to polish!


907 - 7/4/17 at 01:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark.s
Well if mine looks anything like 907's I'll be well chuffed for 40 quid




That bottle that's standing on the rear arch is now only 1/4 full and cost £17.99 from a stand at the Bury St Eds Motor Show.

June 18th this year I believe.


rusty nuts - 7/4/17 at 05:26 PM

Have had my bottle for several years after buying it at Stoneleigh probabl 10 years ago , it's still 1/2 full but then again I put it away after buying it and totally forgot about it for at least 4 years . I did email CC a couple of years ago and their reply was there are European agents in Spain . I did consider importing it myself.


mark.s - 7/4/17 at 06:29 PM

looking forward to giving it a go. i dont think £42 is to bad, you can soon rattle up a tidy amount on a few autoglym items


907 - 8/4/17 at 07:13 AM

The wife and I were rubbing away all afternoon. This morning we ache in places we didn't know we had.


At least it only needs doing once a month.

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redturner - 8/4/17 at 07:48 AM

I am not really qualified to say as for the last 40 years I have only used Solvol Autosol.....


rusty nuts - 8/4/17 at 09:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by redturner
I am not really qualified to say as for the last 40 years I have only used Solvol Autosol.....


Do you still watch black and white TV? Like most things metal polish has moved with the times. Not a dig by the way


mark.s - 8/4/17 at 10:32 AM

907 ... it looks absolutely spot on, well worth the effort, just been out and looked at mine and it's shocking, I'll do a before and after pic I think


Rusty nuts ...."do you still watch black and white tv"


redturner - 8/4/17 at 10:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
quote:
Originally posted by redturner
I am not really qualified to say as for the last 40 years I have only used Solvol Autosol.....


Do you still watch black and white TV? Like most things metal polish has moved with the times. Not a dig by the way


Why, have they invented colour telly yet, never catch on. I started using Solvol during my motorbike days and found it brilliant on crankcases etc. Ever since I have used it on the various racing cars that I have run, body panels, suspension parts, wings, tanks etc,. Always get lots of positive comments.


rusty nuts - 8/4/17 at 12:58 PM

First time I used the purple metal polish I thought this isn't doing anything as it needed no effort , then I wiped it off. So much easier than anything else I've used and better results. Seems to last well which is a bonus although I don't polish my car every month like Paul


David Jenkins - 8/4/17 at 01:03 PM

I last polished mine early last year - it still looks quite respectable, especially when I bother to wash it! I'll give it a birthday sometime over the next week.

I've just got some Meguieres from Halfords, and found out it's exactly the same stuff as I had before - just the artwork on the label has changed a little.