Author Topic: New Car Protection Detail  (Read 5547 times)

Offline Jim_mk7.5

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Re: New Car Protection Detail
« Reply #10 on: 21 August 2018, 11:16 »
Hi Neil,

Great job!

I'd be keen to know your tips for 'correction' of the B pillar trims - mine have a couple of minor marks on them.

The piano black B pillar trim seems to be quite a ‘soft’ plastic, so very susceptible to swirl marks, even with a good, careful washing and drying technique.

I’m fortunate enough to have a dual action (DA) machine polisher, and a few minutes polishing with the DA and an appropriate combination of pad and polish removes the swirl marks. I follow this up with a couple of layers of wax or sealant for protection - applied with foam applicator and buffed off with a soft microfibre. I usually correct my B pillar trim a couple of times a year, because however careful you are washing and drying them, the swirl marks are likely to come back.

I’ve never attempted to polish mine by hand but it might be worth trying a product such as Gtechniq P1 on a hand polishing foam pad, followed up with a couple of layers of wax or sealant for protection. It’s essentially a paintwork correction polish, but should also be OK to use on the plastic B pillar trim. I’d recommend masking off the area to be polished to prevent getting polishing compound trapped between the plastic trim and adjoining rubber window seal. I’ve not used Gtechniq P1 so can’t vouch for its effectiveness at swirl removal from plastic trim by hand, but it does generally get good reviews. There are also a number of videos on YouTube - try searching on ’Gtechniq P1 by hand’.

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/gtechniq-p1-nano-composite-polish

DA not ideal for small trims like that - you get much more control with a rotary and 75/80mm pad  :smiley:
NOW - 330e M Sport
GONE - 2018 Mk7.5 GTI Performance 5dr DSG, Tungsten Silver, 2017 Mk7.5 GTI 5dr DSG, Indium Grey


Offline SRGTD

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Re: New Car Protection Detail
« Reply #11 on: 21 August 2018, 12:39 »
Hi Neil,

Great job!

I'd be keen to know your tips for 'correction' of the B pillar trims - mine have a couple of minor marks on them.

The piano black B pillar trim seems to be quite a ‘soft’ plastic, so very susceptible to swirl marks, even with a good, careful washing and drying technique.

I’m fortunate enough to have a dual action (DA) machine polisher, and a few minutes polishing with the DA and an appropriate combination of pad and polish removes the swirl marks. I follow this up with a couple of layers of wax or sealant for protection - applied with foam applicator and buffed off with a soft microfibre. I usually correct my B pillar trim a couple of times a year, because however careful you are washing and drying them, the swirl marks are likely to come back.

I’ve never attempted to polish mine by hand but it might be worth trying a product such as Gtechniq P1 on a hand polishing foam pad, followed up with a couple of layers of wax or sealant for protection. It’s essentially a paintwork correction polish, but should also be OK to use on the plastic B pillar trim. I’d recommend masking off the area to be polished to prevent getting polishing compound trapped between the plastic trim and adjoining rubber window seal. I’ve not used Gtechniq P1 so can’t vouch for its effectiveness at swirl removal from plastic trim by hand, but it does generally get good reviews. There are also a number of videos on YouTube - try searching on ’Gtechniq P1 by hand’.

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/gtechniq-p1-nano-composite-polish

DA not ideal for small trims like that - you get much more control with a rotary and 75/80mm pad  :smiley:

Maybe, but i think I’d struggle to justify spending £120+ on a compact rotary polisher to ‘de-swirl’ my ‘B’ pillars and other small trims a couple of times a year. If I was polishing more cars on a commercial basis then I’d definitely have one :smiley:.

Spot pads on my DA give a result I’m happy with; maybe not 100% correction, but an acceptable level of correction and control for me.
2020 Polo GTI Plus; Pure White, DSG (because they all are)
Gone but not forgotten;
2016 Polo GTI; Blue Silk
2011 mk6 Golf GTD; Carbon Grey
2007 mk5 Golf GT (2.0 170bhp TDI version); Deep Black Pearl
2002  mk4 Golf GTI (the 150 bhp diesel version); Deep Black Pearl

Offline Jim_mk7.5

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Re: New Car Protection Detail
« Reply #12 on: 21 August 2018, 13:23 »
Hi Neil,

Great job!

I'd be keen to know your tips for 'correction' of the B pillar trims - mine have a couple of minor marks on them.

The piano black B pillar trim seems to be quite a ‘soft’ plastic, so very susceptible to swirl marks, even with a good, careful washing and drying technique.

I’m fortunate enough to have a dual action (DA) machine polisher, and a few minutes polishing with the DA and an appropriate combination of pad and polish removes the swirl marks. I follow this up with a couple of layers of wax or sealant for protection - applied with foam applicator and buffed off with a soft microfibre. I usually correct my B pillar trim a couple of times a year, because however careful you are washing and drying them, the swirl marks are likely to come back.

I’ve never attempted to polish mine by hand but it might be worth trying a product such as Gtechniq P1 on a hand polishing foam pad, followed up with a couple of layers of wax or sealant for protection. It’s essentially a paintwork correction polish, but should also be OK to use on the plastic B pillar trim. I’d recommend masking off the area to be polished to prevent getting polishing compound trapped between the plastic trim and adjoining rubber window seal. I’ve not used Gtechniq P1 so can’t vouch for its effectiveness at swirl removal from plastic trim by hand, but it does generally get good reviews. There are also a number of videos on YouTube - try searching on ’Gtechniq P1 by hand’.

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/gtechniq-p1-nano-composite-polish

DA not ideal for small trims like that - you get much more control with a rotary and 75/80mm pad  :smiley:

Maybe, but i think I’d struggle to justify spending £120+ on a compact rotary polisher to ‘de-swirl’ my ‘B’ pillars and other small trims a couple of times a year. If I was polishing more cars on a commercial basis then I’d definitely have one :smiley:.

Spot pads on my DA give a result I’m happy with; maybe not 100% correction, but an acceptable level of correction and control for me.

Yes agreed. I find lots of people seem to pushed into buying and using DA, when for most jobs, a rotary is actually better.
NOW - 330e M Sport
GONE - 2018 Mk7.5 GTI Performance 5dr DSG, Tungsten Silver, 2017 Mk7.5 GTI 5dr DSG, Indium Grey