My new 2

Anonymous · July 21, 2003, 20:53

The local Toyota dealer phoned me earlier and told me my car would be ready on 27 August, but they offered to wait and register it on the 1 Sep.

So I'll be the proud owner of a black 53 reg '2 on the 1st September!!! s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s8)

s8)

The dealer keeps mentioning that I should 'diamond brite' my car, I have 2 questions:

1) What does this do? s:? :? s:?
2) Should I get it done?

Anonymous · July 21, 2003, 21:26

Quote from: "Lee"The local Toyota dealer phoned me earlier and told me my car would be ready on 27 August, but they offered to wait and register it on the 1 Sep.

So I'll be the proud owner of a black 53 reg '2 on the 1st September!!! s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s8) s8)

The dealer keeps mentioning that I should 'diamond brite' my car, I have 2 questions:

1) What does this do? s:? :? s:?
2) Should I get it done?

Very nice mate - 53 reg... jammy git! LOL!

I think it is one of these treatments to the car that means you need to wash it less as it protects the paintwork somewhat... get them to do it for free though as i think its quite expensive... im sure someone here know more about it....

dancarbon · July 21, 2003, 21:30

nice one!

Slacey · July 21, 2003, 21:31

I think WoodenDummy has Diamond Brite on his car, I have the AutoGlym equivalent on mine, but they are all much the same. I personally would recommend having it done (as Kris said, if free or cheap), and definately when new - mine was treated after I had been on the road 5 months and although the car looks the b*llocks when clean, there are still scratches and chips - this stuff doesn't hide them (but then, it's not meant to).

Humble Jim · July 21, 2003, 21:33

Congratulations s:D

s:D , you'll not regret this car buy!

I've had my 2 a couple of months now. I got the 'diamond brite' sell when I did my purchase. The product is like a seal over the the paintwork that should mean you have to wash it less and wax it not at all to get a superb gleam. I declined for several reasons. IMHO:

1) I'd had a similar sell to endure when me and the wife were buying her BMW. I said no to that on the grounds that I thought the BMW paint was good enough as it was. OTOH the 2's paint has been the subject of mild criticism. Soft and a little thin. So it's a good idea to apply a bit of early on protection - wax is good enough to do that, 'diamond brite' is overkill in my view. Do the waxing thing very soon after you get it.

2) I've heard that if you need any repainting then the 'diamond brite' seal interferes and has to be removed first (and reapplied afterwards if you wanted it again).

3) I don't think 'diamond brite' claim to offer protection against stone chips (I know of nothing that does that) so no advantage there s:(

s:( .

4) 'diamond brite' seems to be a nice little earner for the dealer, especially when you've bargained over the 2 itself and eroded his margin down.

5) I've heard (but don't know for sure) that extended exposure to sunlight can lead to variations in the seal (dulling in places).

6) If it was such a neat idea why don't they add it to the paint to start with.... s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

7) It is a real pleasure to keep the 2 clean conventionally. I love doing the wash and waxing thing s8)

s8) .

To repeat, the above is my view only. There are also alternatives to the 'diamond brite' approach. If you search for 'Autoglym' on this forum you'll find other forum members use that (you can get the stuff from Halfords) and find mention of other products people have come across/tried.

Looks like August is going to one of the longest months you've ever had to wait through!

HTH

Anonymous · July 21, 2003, 21:39

I use autoglym super resin polish and extra gloss protection on my current car, and that does a good job.

I think the diamond brite is around the £200 mnark, which is a lot of cash.

Anyone else have an opinion or used this stuff?

Anonymous · July 22, 2003, 08:44

Lee, I have only used the Autoglym stuff that you have just mentioned and I reckon its the dogs mate. £200 for something that you can do yourself seems a little stiff. If you can get it done for free, then it might be worth it. But, like Jim said, if it is THAT good, then why not do it from the beginning?....... s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Darth Paul · July 22, 2003, 13:12

I've got "Platinum Protection" on mine.

I've heard good reports about these systems on '2s of all colours – except black. Mine's black. s:? :? s:?

Therefore I think it's shite.

They say you don't have to wash it as often, and when you do it will take far less time. To totally clean my car – inside and out – takes SEVEN HOURS. s:shock: :shock: s:shock: They describe this stuff as a permanent shine, so the car never needs waxing – just shammy it off. Black cars watermark easily, especially if it is a warm day. And no amount of shammying will remove the marks. The only way to be rid of this curse is wax. Everytime. Autoglym Super resin polish, and once a month followed by Extra Gloss Protection. Something that the bastards who ripped me off to the sum of over £200 said I'd never have to do. It does not prevent stonechips. Period. And the worst thing? Spirals on the paintwork when it was brand new due to the application of this shit.

Metallics – get it done (and give the dealership even more money).
Black or dark solids – forget it.

Just my experiences...

DP

Anonymous · July 22, 2003, 15:11

Lee
Have a look at the Supagard topic listed on General page 4.

s:)

s:) s:)

s:)

Anonymous · July 22, 2003, 18:20

Ok, so I'm kinda of the opinion now that I wont go for the diamond brite.

Whats the best method/tools to use when polishing the 2. I dont wanna end up damaging the paintwork.

Lee

Anonymous · July 22, 2003, 18:30

I think a sponge is now a bit of a no-no for a wash as if you get some grit in the sponge you could scratch the paintwork. I use a big soft brush thing i got from halfords, and then apply wet polish with either a sponge or cloth, depending on what mood im in! The just give it a buff off with a soft lint free cloth and then a going over with another cloth, more like a towel to get rid of the bits of polish i miss.

Anonymous · July 22, 2003, 21:27

I found the "car care" link at m http://www.mr2roadster.net/index1a.html m
to be quite helpful. You need a couple of hours to do it as it says but I get a good long lasting shine on my red '2. I do it once every 4-6 weeks then just a quick wash in between time with the extreme wash and wax keeps it nice and shiny.

darrenjuggins · July 23, 2003, 00:51

Hi,

Cleaning is very personal, I'm lucky enough to be able to get hold of all the autoglym products at trade price and quantaties, so i use the resin polish, the high gloss protector (this is like a shell type finish) and then just use halfords tyre cleaner and texaco glass polish (same forumlation as autoglym but grey instead of white, which is much easier to clean off when left to dry whilst having a coffee).

Roof - Autoglym vinyl and Rubber care.

I personally still use a spong, one for the wheel and one for the body work, I have to disagree about using a brush.

if you are at JAE mines now done 45k and still looks just like it came out the showroom.

Have fun when you get it and enjoy cleaning it, it's a doddle being such a small car.

Cheers

Darren

filcee · July 23, 2003, 21:01

For a quick wipe down of the interior and exterior glass, and the interior trim, I use 'E-cloths'. I think I got mine from B&Q for about a fiver for a general purpose and a glass cloth in a pack. Just damp the cloths, then wipe away. Rinse them through when they start to show dirty, and carry on with the job. Took me about 15-20 mins to clean the interior and all glass last week. Looks as good as new too - and saves a bit of cash on chemical cleaners.

I still use Autoglym from time to time to make sure all the grime is gone and the 'like new' shine is restored - but don't have the time to do this every time I clean the car.

My new 2

Darth Paul