When
it comes to selling a car, whether privately or as a dealer trade-in, you’ll
want to get the best possible price. The price you get depends on a lot of
variables, but one of the major concerns is the vehicle’s cosmetic condition –
and that includes the state of the paintwork.
If
your car’s paintwork’s seen better days and is wearing the myriad of small
imperfections that a life of commuting, school runs and supermarket trips
bestow on it, you might benefit from using a car polishing kit to breathe life
back into it.
The
best car polishing kits can remove scratches and small chips from paintwork and
return it to a glossy texture – you can then apply wax or other protective
coatings to keep the car looking spotless for as long as possible.
What
difference could a good polishing make? Well, if you’re thinking ‘it can’t make
that much difference to the value my car
when selling’ then pay a visit to an online valuation service – the best can
tell you how much your car is worth based on its condition, so you can see how
much of a boost polishing out paint imperfections could make to the valuation.
But
how do you know which polishing kits are any good? We’ve rounded up a few below
that are worth considering.
Autoglym Super
Resin Polish Complete Kit
This
is a popular kit from one of the biggest names in car care. Autoglym’s
polishing compound can remove small marks and scratches with ease and produces
a great glossy finish to car paintwork.
You
can also try this polish kit if your car
shakes at idle to find out the main
issue. A shaking car spoils the joy of the journey.
To enjoy a smooth driving,
it is necessary to fix the shaking car as soon possible.
Autoglym’s
polishing kit includes the polish as well as an applicator and a microfibre
cloth to buff it off.
It’s recommended to apply a sealant after using this kit
to protect the paintwork from further mishaps.
Meguiar’s Brilliant Solutions Paint Restoration Kit
This is more comprehensive than the
Autoglym kit above and contains everything you need for car paint care.
You get
a wash, detailer and clay bar which help you prep your paintwork for polishing
– they can also be used day-to-day to keep the car clean and sparkling.
Then,
you move on to the polishing compound for scratch removal, colour restoration
and gloss, followed by a wax for protection.
You also get microfibre pads and
an applicator, so it truly has everything you need.
Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Acrylic Polish and
Wax
It can be especially tricky to keep dark
or black paintwork looking spectacular, but this twinset is specially designed
to do just that.
You get synthetic polish and synthetic spray wax, both
specifically formulated for dark paint colours. The polish will help restore
that deep, rich colour as well as remove light scratches and swirls from
inappropriate washing.
The wax, meanwhile, is easy to apply as a spray and
perfect for adding a long-lasting protective layer.
Quixx Headlight Restoration Kit
Don’t think it’s just your paintwork that
can age poorly. Headlights, especially those with plastic lenses, can yellow or
scratch, which not only looks bad but actually impacts their performance.
The
Quixx headlight kit is easy to apply and very effective at getting headlights
looking and working like new again, with a plastic polish, sealant, clothes,
three grades of sandpaper and a sanding block included in the package – giving
you everything you need.
Sealey CPK04 Pro Polishing Compounding Kit
If you’re going to make polishing a habit,
a polishing tool is an essential – it not only takes some of the elbow grease
out but gives you a much more effective finish.
The 600W Sealey polisher
included here oscillates, rather than spins, so there’s less chance of burning
the paintwork off.
You also get a few products plus all the polishing discs
you’ll need. It’s a great option if you want a polisher on a budget.