GolfGTIforum.co.uk
General => Detailing => Topic started by: I wanted a GTi on 03 January 2017, 21:11
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I'm not into detailing but as this car is a dark colour and I hate to see swirling on paintwork I need help.
First up I live in an apartment so I can't wash the car myself unless I go to a £ per 5 minute wash where I can just use the jet wash part of it. I want the easiest way to keep the car clean with the least amount of hassle so protection is my main question.
I don't mind spending a few hundred pounds(max £500) on a detail to get started as long as it makes life easier to maintain the finish afterwards.
What would be the best way forward and is there any recommendations for a detailer in the West Midlands area? I have asked the dealer and they have said that it is ok for me to have a detailer to detail the car at the dealers instead of them doing it so would this be my best option or let the dealer do there thing and then have it detailed?
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It doesn't really matter to be honest if they do it at the dealership or on their own premises, as either way they'll be doing a new car detail which will include polishing, so even if the dealership prepare the car and swirl the paintwork, it will be corrected. Perhaps better to have the detailer to do the work at their own premises, which might be better than at the dealership (less dust, better working conditions etc?). Or you could have the dealer do the PDI but not prep the car and take it directly to the detailer.
As for protection, as you don't have the facilities at home to wash and need to keep the maintenance as simple as possible, then you're best off looking at a good nano or ceramic coating and sealant, such as Gtechniq offerings or similar, which will offer maximum long term protection and help make maintenance easier. A good detailer will be able to take you through the protection packages they can offer and which would be the most appropriate for your situation.
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Thanks for the advice. Looking at your car and the amount of work you put into it makes me wish I had someplace to work on my cars.
In that case I think I would be better letting the dealer do their thing and just ask them to be as carful as they can. I know the dealer offers a protection plan but even the dealer didn't seem too impressed with it and said that most if not all dealers use the cheapest labour and products and are not in anyway skilled at cleaning a car. On a plus side they have a pearl black GTD in the showroom that was swirl free.
Is there a one stop shop for all things detailing where I could prepare myself by getting everything needed to keep the car looking great after it is detailed? I see you and others use a snow lance to go onto your power washers but is there a good hand held non power washer equivalent.
I don't mind having to bring everything needed to the self wash place I drive past most days, including water for washing and just using the self wash for hosing down and rinsing the car.
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Booth11 is correct regarding the detailer correcting the paintwork if the dealer causes swirls, but there are two negatives to that:
You'll be paying more for the correction
You'll be removing (albeit only a small amount) lacquer unnecessarily
If you can find a detailer that will carry out the detail at the dealership, you'll probably find that the dealership will allow the detailer to remove the transport packaging (or at least do that while the detailer is present). Lowest risk of damage that way.
In terms of using £ per 5 minute jet washes, you can still use the 2BM - carry warm water in empty pop bottles, or empty 5L screenwash bottles etc. Get two codes for the jet wash, use on to pre-wash, then 2BM wash with the products and buckets you've brought with you, then use the second code to rinse off - drying towel with your choice of drying aid after that.
Just seen your post pop up before I post the above, the car may look swirl free thanks to fillers and glazes, the reality is probably somewhat different (although some dealers are actually pretty good, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in this case). That said, dealership protection products/packages are never worth the money.
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Booth11 is correct regarding the detailer correcting the paintwork if the dealer causes swirls, but there are two negatives to that:
You'll be paying more for the correction
You'll be removing (albeit only a small amount) lacquer unnecessarily
If you can find a detailer that will carry out the detail at the dealership, you'll probably find that the dealership will allow the detailer to remove the transport packaging (or at least do that while the detailer is present). Lowest risk of damage that way.
In terms of using £ per 5 minute jet washes, you can still use the 2BM - carry warm water in empty pop bottles, or empty 5L screenwash bottles etc. Get two codes for the jet wash, use on to pre-wash, then 2BM wash with the products and buckets you've brought with you, then use the second code to rinse off - drying towel with your choice of drying aid after that.
Just seen your post pop up before I post the above, the car may look swirl free thanks to fillers and glazes, the reality is probably somewhat different (although some dealers are actually pretty good, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in this case). That said, dealership protection products/packages are never worth the money.
Yes I would have no problem bringing the water to the wash place myself but does it have to be warm/hot water?
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Booth11 is correct regarding the detailer correcting the paintwork if the dealer causes swirls, but there are two negatives to that:
You'll be paying more for the correction
You'll be removing (albeit only a small amount) lacquer unnecessarily
If you can find a detailer that will carry out the detail at the dealership, you'll probably find that the dealership will allow the detailer to remove the transport packaging (or at least do that while the detailer is present). Lowest risk of damage that way.
In terms of using £ per 5 minute jet washes, you can still use the 2BM - carry warm water in empty pop bottles, or empty 5L screenwash bottles etc. Get two codes for the jet wash, use on to pre-wash, then 2BM wash with the products and buckets you've brought with you, then use the second code to rinse off - drying towel with your choice of drying aid after that.
Just seen your post pop up before I post the above, the car may look swirl free thanks to fillers and glazes, the reality is probably somewhat different (although some dealers are actually pretty good, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in this case). That said, dealership protection products/packages are never worth the money.
Yes I would have no problem bringing the water to the wash place myself but does it have to be warm/hot water?
Not at all, just more comfortable to wash with warm rather than cold. When I've done it previously, I've filled from the hot tap straight into a few 2L plastic bottles, and the jet wash was only 5-10 minutes so it was still warm when I arrived.
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Thanks for the advice. Looking at your car and the amount of work you put into it makes me wish I had someplace to work on my cars.
In that case I think I would be better letting the dealer do their thing and just ask them to be as carful as they can. I know the dealer offers a protection plan but even the dealer didn't seem too impressed with it and said that most if not all dealers use the cheapest labour and products and are not in anyway skilled at cleaning a car. On a plus side they have a pearl black GTD in the showroom that was swirl free.
Is there a one stop shop for all things detailing where I could prepare myself by getting everything needed to keep the car looking great after it is detailed? I see you and others use a snow lance to go onto your power washers but is there a good hand held non power washer equivalent.
I don't mind having to bring everything needed to the self wash place I drive past most days, including water for washing and just using the self wash for hosing down and rinsing the car.
I think it's worth pointing out that even on an unprepped car fresh from the dealership, a new car pro detail will almost always include a refinement polish after decontaminating the car, so you'd be losing some clearcoat anyway, all that will be done in addition is most likely a little bit of swirl correction, and unless it's really bad won't make that much of a difference to the amount of clearcoat that would be removed anyway with the refinement polish. It may bump up the cost a bit as brettblade points out.
There are a number of very good detailing websites where you can buy the basics you need for maintenance washes and drying at the car wash place. Take a look at my guide in this thread http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=277318.0. which includes links to good reputable sites and also some info on equipment and other things which may be helpful. The list of equipment is on the extensive side as it's geared towards those doing their own detailing, but some basics such as a couple of buckets, PH neutral shampoo, wash mitt, wheel mitt, drying towels etc will get you started with a mobile kit you can take along to the car wash. You can add other things as you go along, and think about top up protection to complement whatever protection the pro detailer uses. There's also some links to washing and drying technique at the end of the post which might be helpful.
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http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/ is your friend if you want to gain knowledge on detailing.
You could take all the kit to a £ per minute wash, but I'm guessing it would be a pain and also battling the weather.
I live in the Midlands also, recommended detailers are MidlandsCarCare over in Walsall and Beau Technique which are in East Midlands. Examples of their work can be found on detailingworld or Facebook.
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Thanks for the all the replies, I now have a list of must haves to get for day to day upkeep after I get it detailed. I will get some sort of ceramic coating put on it but I suppose which one I use depends on which detailer I use, just looking into ones around my area at the minute.
As for ceramic coatings, how good are they at reducing swirl marks from washing/drying? Would it work with a jet black iPhone 7+?
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Thanks for the all the replies, I now have a list of must haves to get for day to day upkeep after I get it detailed. I will get some sort of ceramic coating put on it but I suppose which one I use depends on which detailer I use, just looking into ones around my area at the minute.
As for ceramic coatings, how good are they at reducing swirl marks from washing/drying? Would it work with a jet black iPhone 7+?
Ultimately they are only as good as your wash technique. If you use a good pre wash / snow foam and pressure wash dirt off, followed by the 2 bucket method with a good wash mitt and finally dry with a large good quality towel - then the chancing of swirling have dropped considerably.
I am not sure i understand what you are asking regarding an iPhone 7 + ?
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Thanks for the all the replies, I now have a list of must haves to get for day to day upkeep after I get it detailed. I will get some sort of ceramic coating put on it but I suppose which one I use depends on which detailer I use, just looking into ones around my area at the minute.
As for ceramic coatings, how good are they at reducing swirl marks from washing/drying? Would it work with a jet black iPhone 7+?
Ultimately they are only as good as your wash technique. If you use a good pre wash / snow foam and pressure wash dirt off, followed by the 2 bucket method with a good wash mitt and finally dry with a large good quality towel - then the chancing of swirling have dropped considerably.
I am not sure i understand what you are asking regarding an iPhone 7 + ?
The iPhone 7 in jet black is very prone to micro abrasions and I was wondering if it would help protect it.
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Thanks for the all the replies, I now have a list of must haves to get for day to day upkeep after I get it detailed. I will get some sort of ceramic coating put on it but I suppose which one I use depends on which detailer I use, just looking into ones around my area at the minute.
As for ceramic coatings, how good are they at reducing swirl marks from washing/drying? Would it work with a jet black iPhone 7+?
I think ceramic coatings can vary greatly. Something like Gtechniq Crystal Serum (which purportedly lasts up to 7 years!) is different to some other coatings in that it forms a bond with the paint/clearcoat at the substrate level thus becoming the new base to the point where it is for professional application only, and can only be removed by wet sanding, whereas most other coatings can be machine polished off. By all accounts supposed to be more resistant to swirls and scratches than some other coatings.
Whatever coating you choose, the greatest risk of swirls and scratches comes from regular washing, drying and application of protection. Therefore developing a good, safe technique for these processes is important. The more 'touchless' the better, so use of snow foams and/or other pre-wash solutions can reduce the amount of necessary contact, leaving the main contact with the paintwork being the bucket/mitt wash, and the drying phase. Even with drying you can reduce contact by usiing an air dryer, should you wish too, but a careful dabbing technique, as opposed to rubbing) with a towel will minimise swirls. And most importantly making the final rinse one done using a open ended hose (no jet washing lance or spray head attached) will make the water sheet off the car, leaving the minimum amount of standing water for the drying towels to mop up. Similarly when applying anything protection wise to the car, such as Quick Detailers, top coat sealants and waxes, careful and gentle application and buffing is key to avoiding marking the paint, and good quality applicators and buffing cloths can help a great deal. All these precautions and measures aid the reduction of inflicting swirls and scratches, thus prolonging and preserving your paintwork.
In terms of applying a coating or sealant to your gloss black iphone 7, yes you can apply it just as you would to the plastics on your car. I know a number of people, myself included, who use automotive coatings (like of C2v3, C1 etc) on other stuff including household stuff - bathroom stuff, kitchen surfaces, music speakers etc. I applied C2v3 to my white gloss kitchen units when had a new kitchen fitted last year and to the ceramic hob. I've got a gloss black iphone 7plus but haven't put any on it yet, but next time I have the spray out, probably will, lol. I don't think it will stop it scratching but will proably make it easier to keep clean.
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Thanks for the all the replies, I now have a list of must haves to get for day to day upkeep after I get it detailed. I will get some sort of ceramic coating put on it but I suppose which one I use depends on which detailer I use, just looking into ones around my area at the minute.
As for ceramic coatings, how good are they at reducing swirl marks from washing/drying? Would it work with a jet black iPhone 7+?
I think ceramic coatings can vary greatly. Something like Gtechniq Crystal Serum (which purportedly lasts up to 7 years!) is different to some other coatings in that it forms a bond with the paint/clearcoat at the substrate level thus becoming the new base to the point where it is for professional application only, and can only be removed by wet sanding, whereas most other coatings can be machine polished off. By all accounts supposed to be more resistant to swirls and scratches than some other coatings.
Whatever coating you choose, the greatest risk of swirls and scratches comes from regular washing, drying and application of protection. Therefore developing a good, safe technique for these processes is important. The more 'touchless' the better, so use of snow foams and/or other pre-wash solutions can reduce the amount of necessary contact, leaving the main contact with the paintwork being the bucket/mitt wash, and the drying phase. Even with drying you can reduce contact by usiing an air dryer, should you wish too, but a careful dabbing technique, as opposed to rubbing) with a towel will minimise swirls. And most importantly making the final rinse one done using a open ended hose (no jet washing lance or spray head attached) will make the water sheet off the car, leaving the minimum amount of standing water for the drying towels to mop up. Similarly when applying anything protection wise to the car, such as Quick Detailers, top coat sealants and waxes, careful and gentle application and buffing is key to avoiding marking the paint, and good quality applicators and buffing cloths can help a great deal. All these precautions and measures aid the reduction of inflicting swirls and scratches, thus prolonging and preserving your paintwork.
In terms of applying a coating or sealant to your gloss black iphone 7, yes you can apply it just as you would to the plastics on your car. I know a number of people, myself included, who use automotive coatings (like of C2v3, C1 etc) on other stuff including household stuff - bathroom stuff, kitchen surfaces, music speakers etc. I applied C2v3 to my white gloss kitchen units when had a new kitchen fitted last year and to the ceramic hob. I've got a gloss black iphone 7plus but haven't put any on it yet, but next time I have the spray out, probably will, lol. I don't think it will stop it scratching but will proably make it easier to keep clean.
Thanks, great information there, also I never knew about the dabbing the towel until last week when I looked at you guide so thanks for that.
What would you recommend as the best coating to go with for my case?
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Thanks for the all the replies, I now have a list of must haves to get for day to day upkeep after I get it detailed. I will get some sort of ceramic coating put on it but I suppose which one I use depends on which detailer I use, just looking into ones around my area at the minute.
As for ceramic coatings, how good are they at reducing swirl marks from washing/drying? Would it work with a jet black iPhone 7+?
I think ceramic coatings can vary greatly. Something like Gtechniq Crystal Serum (which purportedly lasts up to 7 years!) is different to some other coatings in that it forms a bond with the paint/clearcoat at the substrate level thus becoming the new base to the point where it is for professional application only, and can only be removed by wet sanding, whereas most other coatings can be machine polished off. By all accounts supposed to be more resistant to swirls and scratches than some other coatings.
Whatever coating you choose, the greatest risk of swirls and scratches comes from regular washing, drying and application of protection. Therefore developing a good, safe technique for these processes is important. The more 'touchless' the better, so use of snow foams and/or other pre-wash solutions can reduce the amount of necessary contact, leaving the main contact with the paintwork being the bucket/mitt wash, and the drying phase. Even with drying you can reduce contact by usiing an air dryer, should you wish too, but a careful dabbing technique, as opposed to rubbing) with a towel will minimise swirls. And most importantly making the final rinse one done using a open ended hose (no jet washing lance or spray head attached) will make the water sheet off the car, leaving the minimum amount of standing water for the drying towels to mop up. Similarly when applying anything protection wise to the car, such as Quick Detailers, top coat sealants and waxes, careful and gentle application and buffing is key to avoiding marking the paint, and good quality applicators and buffing cloths can help a great deal. All these precautions and measures aid the reduction of inflicting swirls and scratches, thus prolonging and preserving your paintwork.
In terms of applying a coating or sealant to your gloss black iphone 7, yes you can apply it just as you would to the plastics on your car. I know a number of people, myself included, who use automotive coatings (like of C2v3, C1 etc) on other stuff including household stuff - bathroom stuff, kitchen surfaces, music speakers etc. I applied C2v3 to my white gloss kitchen units when had a new kitchen fitted last year and to the ceramic hob. I've got a gloss black iphone 7plus but haven't put any on it yet, but next time I have the spray out, probably will, lol. I don't think it will stop it scratching but will proably make it easier to keep clean.
Thanks, great information there, also I never knew about the dabbing the towel until last week when I looked at you guide so thanks for that.
What would you recommend as the best coating to go with for my case?
If I were in your position with some of the challenges you have with a lack of space to wash your car etc, and to make life as easy as possible for yourself, and keep the routine maintenance manageable, and was going for a pro detail, I would go for Gtechniq Crystal Serum combined with Exo on top to give added hydrophobicity. It's a well tried and tested combination. Then perhaps stick with the Gtechniq family of compatible products that you can apply regularly to refresh at maintenance washes, such as C2v3 amongst others. It won't be a cheap job but a very good long term investment.
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Yeah you can't go wrong with Gtechniq products to be honest!
I also have a jet black IP7+ next time my c2v3 is out ill give it a coating :grin:
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Thanks for the all the replies, I now have a list of must haves to get for day to day upkeep after I get it detailed. I will get some sort of ceramic coating put on it but I suppose which one I use depends on which detailer I use, just looking into ones around my area at the minute.
As for ceramic coatings, how good are they at reducing swirl marks from washing/drying? Would it work with a jet black iPhone 7+?
I think ceramic coatings can vary greatly. Something like Gtechniq Crystal Serum (which purportedly lasts up to 7 years!) is different to some other coatings in that it forms a bond with the paint/clearcoat at the substrate level thus becoming the new base to the point where it is for professional application only, and can only be removed by wet sanding, whereas most other coatings can be machine polished off. By all accounts supposed to be more resistant to swirls and scratches than some other coatings.
Whatever coating you choose, the greatest risk of swirls and scratches comes from regular washing, drying and application of protection. Therefore developing a good, safe technique for these processes is important. The more 'touchless' the better, so use of snow foams and/or other pre-wash solutions can reduce the amount of necessary contact, leaving the main contact with the paintwork being the bucket/mitt wash, and the drying phase. Even with drying you can reduce contact by usiing an air dryer, should you wish too, but a careful dabbing technique, as opposed to rubbing) with a towel will minimise swirls. And most importantly making the final rinse one done using a open ended hose (no jet washing lance or spray head attached) will make the water sheet off the car, leaving the minimum amount of standing water for the drying towels to mop up. Similarly when applying anything protection wise to the car, such as Quick Detailers, top coat sealants and waxes, careful and gentle application and buffing is key to avoiding marking the paint, and good quality applicators and buffing cloths can help a great deal. All these precautions and measures aid the reduction of inflicting swirls and scratches, thus prolonging and preserving your paintwork.
In terms of applying a coating or sealant to your gloss black iphone 7, yes you can apply it just as you would to the plastics on your car. I know a number of people, myself included, who use automotive coatings (like of C2v3, C1 etc) on other stuff including household stuff - bathroom stuff, kitchen surfaces, music speakers etc. I applied C2v3 to my white gloss kitchen units when had a new kitchen fitted last year and to the ceramic hob. I've got a gloss black iphone 7plus but haven't put any on it yet, but next time I have the spray out, probably will, lol. I don't think it will stop it scratching but will proably make it easier to keep clean.
Thanks, great information there, also I never knew about the dabbing the towel until last week when I looked at you guide so thanks for that.
What would you recommend as the best coating to go with for my case?
If I were in your position with some of the challenges you have with a lack of space to wash your car etc, and to make life as easy as possible for yourself, and keep the routine maintenance manageable, and was going for a pro detail, I would go for Gtechniq Crystal Serum combined with Exo on top to give added hydrophobicity. It's a well tried and tested combination. Then perhaps stick with the Gtechniq family of compatible products that you can apply regularly to refresh at maintenance washes, such as C2v3 amongst others. It won't be a cheap job but a very good long term investment.
How much do you think it would cost(approximately) to have that done? The more I look into this detailing it would seem that Gtechniq is the way ahead. Their products for everything including even dash and seats seem really good. I think I may need to review my spending limit for all this though, a well.
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In conjunction with a new car detail, for Gtechniq CS and Exo, at an accredited Gtechniq detailed, I think you'll be looking in the region of £600-700. Where are you planning on getting it done? Have a look on some reputable detainers websites and you should get an idea of what's on offer and prices.
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In conjunction with a new car detail, for Gtechniq CS and Exo, at an accredited Gtechniq detailed, I think you'll be looking in the region of £600-700. Where are you planning on getting it done? Have a look on some reputable detainers websites and you should get an idea of what's on offer and prices.
I'm still not sure about where I'm getting it done yet, still looking. From the looking I have done it is looking like it's going closer to £1000 than £500 but that is fine with me if it is going to last the 2-3 years I have the car.
As for what you said earlier about using car products in the house, I use Rain-X on the shower glass but I will be using something on the kitchen units in the near future to try and keep down the fingerprints.
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Right so to revive this thread, as you may have read over on the main Mk7 section my car came with some lovely swirls and a scratch. To cut a long story short I'm getting a two day detail and correction paid for along with car hire so happy days.
I'm paying the extra ontop for a coating and Barry at Auto Detox has suggested I use Gyeon MOHS or Nanolex Si3d because I will be only keeping the car until later next year.
Which of the above two would you recommend?