Any tricks or tips for a Black Gti?

[JIMMYBRODIE]

Hi All,

I've a 2010 Gti in Black and after an detailing tips or specialist products people suggest, I know it's the hardest to keep clean and have proper paintwork.

Currently I'm cleaning and and using a goof leather weekly, once a months its a wash clay and polish with Poor Boys special polish for apdark cars, then every 6 months it's a light machine Polish after the usual processes initially with Autoglym Paint Restorer, then a fine swirl remover finally sealing with the poor boys.

Like all of us I want mine to be mint (most of the time) and after any tips on products, methods etc.

Thanks in advance.

[Booth11]

Hi Jimmy, it's a thankless task keeping a black car clean.

Sounds like you doing more than enough already.  If anything I'd say some things might be better carried out less frequently, such as claying and decontamination.  Personally, unless it's for a very specific reason, I would only clay a couple times a year, not monthly.  As you probably know, claying can cause marring even when done with great care, so you may be inflicting unnecessary marks on the paintwork, which you then have to polish out by hand or machine.  if you are machine polishing every 6 months, then it makes sense to save the decon phase and claying till then.

Other than that using a good 2 bucket wash method, decent lambswool mitt helps, soft drying towels all helps.  You might want to use snow foam as a pre wash using a proper lance with a pressure washer.  There's some recent threads on mitts and lances if you look.

Poorboys products are great especially their polishes, glazes, sealants/wheel sealants.  DoDo Juice also very good for shampoos and colour charged waxes.  Collinte good for waxes too. I also rate Chemical Guys stuff and their Hex Logic DA pads are great.  The right equipment helps alongside good technique and correct methods of application for the various products.

I tried many different waxes etc on my black car so give me a shout if you want specific recommendations.

[JIMMYBRODIE]

Many thanks for the i depth reply, any suggestions on waxes and other products would be fantastic.

It's allways good to hear from fellow black car owners, I need to look at using a better drying method rather than a shammy leather. Do you use microfibr drying towels?

Have you any suggestions for just the weekly wash aside from the snow foam etc?

Many thanks

[Wo-Wo]

The key is to use as many detailing bits and bobs that actually reduce surface contact. Unfortunately you can't avoid using a mitt so that's a good starting point, use a rinse aid to reduce the 'standing' water then use a drying towel. Ours can pretty much be used to dab dry if required and you'd easily get around the whole car with one towel.

It's a shameless plug but booth will tell you that the WoWo range was all tested by a very objective and thorough lady, who coincidentally drives a black golf.

Take advantage of the forum discount code too at the top of the detailing section.

Cheers and good luck!

Neil @ WoWo

[JIMMYBRODIE]

Good advice Neil, I will have a look at you web site. Would be more than interested to hear about the particular lady with the black Golf.

Thanks

[Booth11]

Hello again Jimmy, (from Rebecca, the aforementioned particular lady with the black golf) 

This is a lengthy post as I've got nothing better to do tonight    and if you're not feeling sleepy now you will after this 

Anyone into detailing has their favourite products and I'm sure others will hopefully share their thoughts too, but here's a few tips and recommendations from me, including products that will always have a place on my detailing cupboard, even if I do cheat on them with other stuff from time to time 

Washing
You asked about washing suggestions - the starting point has to be a good wash mitt.  I favour lambswool as the deep pile will gently clean the paintwork whilst any taking away grit and surface contaminants away from the surface.  Plenty of decent ones on the market but Neil shamelessly plugged the WoWo mitt and I have to agree, they are brilliant, I can't praise them enough.  I tested this mitt before it came on the market - see link to review at bottom of this post.  Always use a separate mitt or wheel brush for the wheels as you don't want wheel debris getting onto the body of the car.

Not sure how you currently wash your car and I don't want to teach you to suck eggs, but the 2 bucket method is best (actually for me it's a 3 bucket affair as I use one for the wheels too).  So a bucket for washing and one for rinsing. Grit guards are optional but they help to release grit embedded in the wash mitt and ensure that the grit stays at the bottom of the bucket instead of swirling around risking getting back into the mitt and therefore back onto the paintwork.

Now shampoo, my top choices are:
DJ born to be mild shampoo
DJ Supernatural shampoo
Also like - Chemical Guys Citrus wash & gloss; CG Glossworkz; CG Maxi suds II; Poorboys super slick & suds

Drying
Drying method is important and I recommend a few good soft microfibre towels.  After rinsing with an open ended hose, use the microfibre towel to gently pat the water off, don't rub.  Again the WoWo drying towel is very good, soft and super absorbent.  I also like DJ towels and Purple Monster edgeless towels.  Neil mentioned using a drying aid or quick detailer, which can help to reduce the need for towel drying.  They do work and I've used DJ Time to Dry which did cut the drying time BUT there's a trade off with these products in that they work by making the water sheet off beautifully but you tend to sacrifice water beading when it rains.  So if you like to see beading on a waxed or sealed car and you use a drying aid, you'll need to put something back on after using the drying aid, to get the beading properties back.  Something like DJ Tropical Red Mist does the trick or a new coat of wax.

There is a bewildering array of detailing stuff out there, but my favourites include:

Wax favourites:
DoDo Juice Blue Velvet Pro
DJ a Purple Haze Pro
Collinite 915
DJ Supernatural hybrid
Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax
Have also used Auto Finesse Desire or Natty's Blue Paste.  Not bad but disappointing so not top of my list.

Polish:
Poorboys SSR polishes, SSR1, SSR2 etc
DoDo Juice Lime Prime

I like to layer sealant and then wax on top.  You get the durability and longevity of the sealant but with the addition of depth and gloss from the wax.  Sometimes I chuck a glaze in there too.

Pre wax cleanser:
Lime prime lite

Clay:
Bilt Hamber
DoDo Juice clay and Born Slippy lube

Sealant:
Poorboys Ex-P sealant
Poorboys Black Hole Glaze
DJ Supernatural Hybrid

Other favourite products include:
WoWo microfibre buffing cloths and glass cloth set
DJ buffing cloths
Wheel Woolies wheel brushes
Poorboys Wheel Sealant
Bilberry wheel cleaner
Autoglym Fast Glass
Mothers Mag & aluminium polish for tail pipes
Meguiars Endurance tyre gel
Poorboys Natural Look interior cleaner
Auto Finesse Total interior cleaner
DJ Supernatural leather cleaner
Chemical Guys new look trim gel
Gtechniq L1 leather guard
Gtechniq panel wipe
Tardis glue & tar remover
IronX iron and fallout remover

Good detailing product websites:
wo-wo.co.uk
cleanyourcar.co.uk
waxamomo.co.uk
polishedbliss.co.uk
theultimatefinish.co.uk
juicydetailing.co.uk
i4detaling.co.uk

Here's a few useful detailing guide links:
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/car-care-advice.html
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=5
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=17
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/generalImg/guide.gif.
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=63859

Here's a few other reviews of products from this forum:
My WoWo wash mitt  review  http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=270223.0
My Wax comparison (for black car)  http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=269693.0
Another good wax comparison for black car http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=269498.0

Are you still awake 

[JIMMYBRODIE]

WOW, if Carlsberd did detailing replys!

This is going to cost me a fortune, seriously many thanks and I hope you got my message with the dilemma I have.

[Booth11]

WOW, if Carlsberd did detailing replys!

This is going to cost me a fortune, seriously many thanks and I hope you got my message with the dilemma I have.

Replied.

[Waspy]

Holy mother of detailing. That is surely worth a sticky.

[Booth11]

Holy mother of detailing. That is surely worth a sticky.

Haha, and that's my 'abidged' version