GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk8 => Topic started by: Carl_45 on 21 September 2021, 17:08
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In the past I’ve always polished my cars, typically with Autoglym Super Resin Polish.
After seeing Foxy367’s lovely looking Atlantic Blue GTI on the “what have you bought post”, I’ve been trying to research car wax as I’m thinking of switching to this for my CS 45, if it ever arrives :whistle:
A few questions:
-I’ve been looking at the Bilt Hamber website, what’s the procedure? Wash with auto-wash, apply Cleanser-Fluid, then wax?
-Is it advisable to wax the painted wheels? With what?
-How long do you have to leave a new car before the first wax?
-How often is waxing required?
-Do you need any other shampoo for washing off the old wax when redoing or is the auto-wash the correct stuff?
Looking forward to your advice.
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Been into this stuff for 20+ years, there is no perfect solution but for me:
I prefer sealants to waxes. I use chemical guys Jetseal109 which lasts longer, is easy to use and to my eyes gives a better finish. Apply thinly with a foam pad, leave 30+ mins and lightly buff off. It lasts 4-6 months while most waxes won’t last 2 weeks (most not all I must say).
You can use it on wheels, glass, body, plastic, lights and mirrors so nice and easy and no issues if you get it on other surfaces.
I would clean, potentially correct and seal the paint ASAP when you get the car. Any wait just gives dirt more time to settle.
Washing the car use something ph neutral. I use chemical guys honeydew foam or mr pink in a foam gun and it’s a good blend of gentle cleaning.
I also use Iron X occasionally on callipers, and exhaust tips etc but it’s pretty potent stuff.
Have fun with it!
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Make your life easy, a few sprays of Gyeon WetCoat every couple of washes and rinse it off, and some Polish Angel RapidWaxx for when you want to be a bit more hands on, this is what I tell my clients.
Below is my Mk7 after a bit of Koch Chemie Qf (Quick Detailer I use).
(https://i.postimg.cc/XJVBQ3sS/IMG-0642.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CZQKKyym)
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As above, spray sealants seem to be the go-to these days. Much easier and much quicker to use and longer lasting. Also as said, don’t need to worry so much about getting it on rubber / plastics which is a real pain with traditional waxes.
I would also say preparation is key. What I mean is, make sure the paint is totally clean first. Tar, iron deposits, etc. Remove all that first with tar remover, iron X, etc and you’ve a good base to work from.
I’ve read a lot of good things about GTechniq stuff, so I’ve stocked up a bit in advance of getting my new CS. Their C2v3 spray sealant gets very good reviews. Easy to apply and long lasting.
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Hi Carl
There is a vast amount of detailing products these days but a good wax is the one to to spend your money on its the main protection for your paint unless you pay out for a ceramic coat .... you can go the easy route and use sealant sprays but I’m a bit weird and enjoy waxing my car gives you time to see any problems that may need sorting early doors before they get bigger issues ..... you mentioned you use autoglym super resin polish great product but it’s not a wax just for deep shine and small swirls . The bilt hamber is a great wax and well priced , of all the wax I’ve used personally found the Japanese Soft 99 Fusso Coat to be the best and longest lasting great protection and beading. So polish then wax to protect
It’s worth even on a brand new car to use Iron out Spray to lift any metal imbedded in the top coat something like auto finesse iron out to autoglym magma.
There are lots of YouTube this hours of fun 😁
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Currently, Collinite 845 Insulator Wax is my go-to wax. I’ve tried others but keep coming back to Collinite 845 and have been using it for probably 8-10 years. It’s the liquid form of Collinite 476S and as it’s a liquid, it’s easy on, easy off and has very good durability too; applied to ‘clean’ / decontaminated car to ensure good bonding to the paintwork, I find it gives a good 6 month’s protection before it needs to be reapplied. It can safely be used on alloys, piano black plastic trim (not black plastic with a grained finish though!) and headlamps / tail lamps too. At around £16 - £19 a bottle which lasts ages, it is very good value too.
After washing using a safe wash technique (snow foam, three bucket method and ph neutral shampoo, lambs wool wash mitt, blow dry with warm air dryer), I apply a thin coat of Collinite with a foam applicator pad, and leave 15 - 20 minutes in warm weather (but not in full sunshine) to cure and then buff off with clean microfibre cloths, turning them frequently. I then apply a second thin coat to ensure full coverage in case any areas were missed with the first application.
Edit; @Carl_45; when you’ve got your car and you’ve spent time and effort making it gleaming and super shiny, never ever let the VW dealer wash it when it goes back for servicing / warranty work, unless you like the ‘scratch n swirl’ look for your car’s paintwork! :shocked:.
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Is ceramic coating worth the price to have done?
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Is ceramic coating worth the price to have done?
If your paint is in excellent condition definitely in terms out outright looking it’s best, but it’s really not cheap so consider how long you’ll keep the car and how you’ll use it.
Also if the paint is poor then you are simply locking in the imperfections.
I had my car inc calipers and wheels coated in a 3-5 year ceramic in early summer and been really happy so far.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51315783223_04817c2f10_k.jpg)
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I've had ceramic coatings done twice before. I won't be getting it done again. Maybe its just not for me, but I didn't think it was worth it. It wasn't crazy expensive then but it seems to be crazy money now, like everything else. I just didn't think it lived up to the hype. The car still suffered the same issues as any car with no protection. Bird crap marks, swirls, etc. In the end I bought a DA polisher and rectified a few annoying issues myself.
Dealers also tend to get a bad rep when it comes to new car prep, washing, it, etc, and as a rule I'd generally agree but sometimes its not very fair. My dealer has always been good and my new CS (collecting it tomorrow) was absolutely gleaming when I went to see it under the showroom lights this evening. I posted a photo in the CS-orders thread. The guy who did the prep / PDI did an impeccable job imo.
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In the past, I’d use Bilt Hamber and sonax waxes. Now I just throw a coat of Autoglym Polar Seal after every other wash. It’s amazing stuff.
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I've had ceramic coatings done twice before. I won't be getting it done again. Maybe its just not for me, but I didn't think it was worth it. It wasn't crazy expensive then but it seems to be crazy money now, like everything else. I just didn't think it lived up to the hype. The car still suffered the same issues as any car with no protection. Bird crap marks, swirls, etc. In the end I bought a DA polisher and rectified a few annoying issues myself.
I’ve never had a car ceramic coated as I enjoy waxing a car. I have to admit that from pictures posted up by forum members just after having their cars professionally ceramic coated they do look good, but then for the cost involved, they should. I’ve read some claims that ceramic coatings will protect against stone chips - AFAIK no ceramic coating will provide that sort of protection; it’ll be necessary to invest in expensive PPF to protect against stone chips.
I’m assuming that in addition to the fairly sizeable initial cost, there are also some ongoing costs to consider with ceramic coatings applied by a professional. If the coating does become damaged or is removed (e.g. as a result of bodywork damage / bodywork repairs), then it will need to be reapplied to those affected parts of the car to maintain any warranty provided by the coating manufacturer or the company that applied it. There may also be a warranty requirement for annual maintenance checks which I’m assuming would incur a charge too?
Like you Joe, I also invested in a DA polisher a few years ago. As well as using it for polishing the whole car, it’s great for dealing with spot repairs such as bird poo etching, scratches that pass the finger nail test, and the inevitable swirl marks on the ‘soft’ piano black plastic trim that’s used on many cars these days. My DA has paid for itself many times over compared to what I would’ve paid to have my car professionally polished by a car detailer, and IMO there’s lots of satisfaction from seeing the result of your own efforts :smiley:.
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Only advice I can offer is 'wax on, wax off' :grin:
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In the past I’ve always polished my cars, typically with Autoglym Super Resin Polish.
After seeing Foxy367’s lovely looking Atlantic Blue GTI on the “what have you bought post”, I’ve been trying to research car wax as I’m thinking of switching to this for my CS 45, if it ever arrives :whistle:
A few questions:
-I’ve been looking at the Bilt Hamber website, what’s the procedure? Wash with auto-wash, apply Cleanser-Fluid, then wax?
-Is it advisable to wax the painted wheels? With what?
-How long do you have to leave a new car before the first wax?
-How often is waxing required?
-Do you need any other shampoo for washing off the old wax when redoing or is the auto-wash the correct stuff?
Looking forward to your advice.
Thanks!
A bit about my story with my cars, my previous car was ceramic coated with a 3yr coating, at first it looked fantastic, 12 months in it wasn't beading as much and whilst the paintwork was protected underneath I'd read that it would still need work to bring back to its former glory. When I bought my CS I couldn't stomach another £500ish to coat it so I started reading about wax's and QD sprays.
At first I'd use a decent car wash Autoglym UHD wash, dry it and finish with a QD spray which still looked great but reading up Bilt Hamber got the best write up for ease of use and longevity so I thought I'd give it a go.
Process wise,
- I washed the car as normal with Autoglym
- Rinsed it off and dried using a drying cloth and microfibre cloth then put the car away overnight to let it dry thoroughly
- I went at it a panel at a time allowing the 5-10 minutes it recommended over a couple of evenings
- Once buffed off I noticed on a couple of panels there was a slight haze which needed a second buff but apparently that is normal.
The finish as you saw from the photos was pretty good, I had a couple of swirls marks on the bonnet where I'd been a bit too vigourous with removal of a dead fly, managed to get rid of that with Autoglym Super Resin polish before coating it with the wax.
Going forwards a quick two bucket wash and then a spritz with a quick detailer should be good to get it through winter and we'll see how it lasts.
NB the Detailing pages on the main forum here are really good too for advice. :wink:
Foxy
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Like you Joe, I also invested in a DA polisher a few years ago. As well as using it for polishing the whole car, it’s great for dealing with spot repairs such as bird poo etching, scratches that pass the finger nail test, and the inevitable swirl marks on the ‘soft’ piano black plastic trim that’s used on many cars these days. My DA has paid for itself many times over compared to what I would’ve paid to have my car professionally polished by a car detailer, and IMO there’s lots of satisfaction from seeing the result of your own efforts :smiley:.
Completely agree on all fronts!
The DA polisher is a great tool to have, its simple to use and very very effective for the annoying little marks that you inevitably pick up - bird crap, small swirls (especially on gloss black trim). Very easy and instantly effective. A really satisfying tool to use!
And likewise, I think there's a lot of satisfaction and pride in doing a detailing job yourself. Paying someone else to do it is easy (assuming you have the wallet). But where's the fun in that.
As I mentioned earlier, I think careful prep and having some basic (and not expensive) products to hand is the key, i.e.
- good wash mitts
- ph neutral shampoo
- careful washing (2 buckets, etc)
- de-tar and de-iron.
Once you've all that done, applying your wax / sealant is the easy bit and the car will be easier to keep clean for longer.
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I generally use EZ Car Care stuff, its cheap and I find it quite good. I also love Chemical Guys stuff, some of which is amazing.
My process is as follows:
1) Snow foam and rinse
2) Wash with SI02 shampoo and rinse
3) Spray with Hydrophobic spray sealant
4) Apply wax, wax on, wax off
5) Apply a wax sealant
6) Apply a detailing spray
Some may say its quite a lot, but it works for me and offers freat protection
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I had a couple of swirls marks on the bonnet where I'd been a bit too vigourous with removal of a dead fly, managed to get rid of that with Autoglym Super Resin polish before coating it with the wax.
Foxy
Foxy, from my experience Autoglym SRP is more of a filler polish rather than being renowned for its cutting abilities to remove paintwork imperfections, so you may find the swirls reappear after a few washes when the fillers have been washed away. You can always reapply some more SRP if / when this happens, topped off with some more wax for protection.
I find a cheap and effective way to remove dead bugs with low risk of inflicting swirls is to soak them for a few minutes by laying a wet microfibre cloth on them to soften them. They (usually) then wipe away easily without needing to resort to hard rubbing. QD also works if the bugs are freshly splattered! :grin:.
I keep some QD and microfibre cloths in the car to deal with bird droppings if they happen while I’m away from home, rather than leave them to deal with later when they’re likely to have etched into the clear coat.
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I had a couple of swirls marks on the bonnet where I'd been a bit too vigourous with removal of a dead fly, managed to get rid of that with Autoglym Super Resin polish before coating it with the wax.
Foxy
Foxy, from my experience Autoglym SRP is more of a filler polish rather than being renowned for its cutting abilities to remove paintwork imperfections, so you may find the swirls reappear after a few washes when the fillers have been washed away. You can always reapply some more SRP if / when this happens, topped off with some more wax for protection.
I find a cheap and effective way to remove dead bugs with low risk of inflicting swirls is to soak them for a few minutes by laying a wet microfibre cloth on them to soften them. They (usually) then wipe away easily without needing to resort to hard rubbing. QD also works if the bugs are freshly splattered! :grin:.
I keep some QD and microfibre cloths in the car to deal with bird droppings if they happen while I’m away from home, rather than leave them to deal with later when they’re likely to have etched into the clear coat.
Ah I didn't know that, hopefully the wax will keep it in place, I assumed as it was the clear coat I wouldn't see anything it had 'cut' off so that makes sense.
Thanks for the tip on the bugs they get on my T1t5 at this time of year!!!
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Thanks everyone for your excellent advice.
I knew it was a hot topic but wow :laugh:. Defo a lunch time read of all the above.
Unless I’ve missed it scanning through, how long do you leave new car paint to fully “cure”?
All being well, if (big if :whistle:) I get the car in November as predicted, I was hoping to spend some time the week before Christmas on it as my missus and youngest are at work/nursery and there’s just me and the daughter off (she loves to help).
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Thanks everyone for your excellent advice.
I knew it was a hot topic but wow :laugh:. Defo a lunch time read of all the above.
Unless I’ve missed it scanning through, how long do you leave new car paint to fully “cure”?
All being well, if (big if :whistle:) I get the car in November as predicted, I was hoping to spend some time the week before Christmas on it as my missus and youngest are at work/nursery and there’s just me and the daughter off (she loves to help).
I wouldn't worry about leaving new car to "cure". It's well cured by the time you get your hands on it. Besides, the fad these days for some is to drive it straight from the dealers to the pro detailers for the ceramic coating.
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As has been said, prep will determine 75% of the end result. It matters not which LSP (Last Step Protection) you use if you've not put the proper effort in beforehand.
If you feel as though you're getting the bug for detailing or just want some good tips on keeping your paint looking tip-top, have a look in the Detailing section. It's a bit dead and could do with some love but there's some cracking advice on techniques and products in there. Maybe a modmin can move this thread over there?
Also, I would recommend looking up Pan The Organiser on YouTube. There are plenty of good detailing channels but Pan is one of the better ones from a beginner's perspective, in my opinion. I learned lots from watching his videos.
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Is ceramic coating worth the price to have done?
It depends on each individual person. I've dropped my own cars and clients down for servicing at a range of brands, and every time I get a "What do you have on that car? We've never seen a car shine like that".
But not everyone can care for the ceramic coating properly for me to justify it for them to get it. My rule of thumb is if you can last a year washing a 90% corrected car without adding many swirls you can look after a ceramic coated car.
There's a common view that ceramic coating is a apply and forget situation, like Foxy's car:
A bit about my story with my cars, my previous car was ceramic coated with a 3yr coating, at first it looked fantastic, 12 months in it wasn't beading as much and whilst the paintwork was protected underneath I'd read that it would still need work to bring back to its former glory.
But ceramic coatings are made up of two coatings, A hard coat that helps protect against environmental damage and swirls, and a hydrophobic coating which is your water resistant and glossy coat, these can be applied independently of each other.
The Hard coat - durability 2-5 years depending on brand
The Hydrophobic coat - durability 6 months - 2 years
Along through this you'll need to decontaminate the coating with iron remover, tar remover and you cannot wash the car with any shampoos that contain waxes as these clog the coating and effective dull the ceramic coating.
So it's actually a much more involved care process for ceramic coatings versus waxed/sealants.
Personally on my own car I've PPF Film, a 5 year ceramic coating, a 3 year hydrophobic coating, and I maintain it with a Silica and Titanium Dioxide quick detailer that lasts 6 months itself and produces more beads than an Amsterdam... ehm
I wouldn't worry about leaving new car to "cure". It's well cured by the time you get your hands on it.
Never assume it's original paint Joe! Many new cars I get in have been painted, only a full car paint depth report can tell you if you're safe.
As SRGTD has said earlier Collonite 825 is a great wax, but I've been recently very impressed by AutoGlyms Ultra HD Wax and EZ Car Care Ceramic Wax that clients have put on their cars.
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Each to their own although I have to agree with WillNI. I switched to AG Ultra HD wax about a year ago and it produces a deep shine and the beading lasts a long time. It only needs waxing a couple of times a year.
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Willni, some really good points and I'd agree with that I perhaps naively thought ceramic coatings was a fix and forget type scenario, I still cleaned the car religiously but perhaps the downfall was my detailer didn't tell me about the care process involved and I neglected to ask!!!
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Willni, some really good points and I'd agree with that I perhaps naively thought ceramic coatings was a fix and forget type scenario, I still cleaned the car religiously but perhaps the downfall was my detailer didn't tell me about the care process involved and I neglected to ask!!!
I have been there myself, that's how I know! The bare minimum I recommend is a monthly maintenance spray or sacrificial layer to help protect it. But that's just me I don't don't want to see clients back unless there's an issue or repeat business!
I even sometimes wax over my ceramic coat, just to add the nice warmth tone to the red paintwork. I don't advise others do it, but I the change from the clinical gloss from the ceramic.
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It definitely looked the part when it was done. I think part of me was terrified of damaging the coating
(https://i.postimg.cc/sxsT4ftM/IMG-4575.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9RgPW2X2)
(https://i.postimg.cc/1XBJChQJ/IMG-4576.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/n9s4rWMD)
(https://i.postimg.cc/kXMjV4QZ/IMG-4586.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/py7Q4P1Y)
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I think part of the problem with coatings, waxes and everything in between is that users don’t fully understand what they do and don’t (including me), which is made worse with all the advertising speak that comes with them.
Ceramic or graphene coatings are not for paint protection, they are essentially a much harder outer skin which is good for repelling liquid and dirt. Stone chips, scratches etc will still mark ceramics, and will be much harder to polish out.
PPF is a slight protection for scratches but still not going to help if someone opens a door into the car.
I think you need to consider how you use the car and how you want to maintain it. A good detailer should help you here but most I’ve encountered try to sell the most expensive options.
I wash the cars infrequently so ceramic makes sense for me as the car stays nicer for longer, plus I wanted the prep work on the paint to be locked in, but if you are a person who likes to wash their car every weekend it probably makes less sense to be honest.
You can also add waxes on top of coatings, which will probably extend the coatings life and will definitely help you tweak the finish in terms of colour temperature, but will also reduce its effectiveness as covered by another product.
There really is no right or wrong answer.