Author Topic: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)  (Read 16838 times)

Offline Booth11

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #20 on: 26 November 2016, 16:13 »
:grin:

I no longer subscribe to leaving it for 6 months either. I left it the first year and the paint felt terrible in March, so didn't do it again and won't leave it so long this time.

I have just completed its full clean since spring this year (SF,wash,korrosol,tardis,clay,detox,hand polish,2 coats of HD wax)ready for winter and while its quiet therapeutic, a day and a half is not something I want to tackle too often, but I worry about doing a quick winter wash being worse for the paint without the full works.

Whats your quick routine? Without introducing too many scratches, being a black car you must need to be even more careful? 

Depends what you mean by quick routine. I do exactly what I do in the warmer months, with a couple of tweaks and slightly less frquently due to weather constraints and the fact I have to do all my detailing outside on the driveway so am at the mercy of the weather.  As a rule, I don't really do a half interim washes like some do, i.e, jet washing and snow foaming then leaving it, I prefer do a full wash, but if the weather prevents this then it's better than nothing to tide over until I can do a proper wash.  A month between proper snow foam+2 BW washes is the very longest I would leave it.

Twice a year, Post and Pre winter (Spring and Autumn) it gets the full works (like you have just done) then it's a case of regular maintenance washes and protection top ups as required.  A winter maintenance wash is exactly the same as summer with a couple of extra considerations.

The snow foam stage is particularly important to remove as much salt and winter grit and grime at the 'touchless stage of the wash' and I often do a double snowfoam in winter if I feel it's needed. But it's business as usual albeit with colder hands which a pair of nitrile gloves help keep a bit warmer. I always use 2 lambswool washmitts in winter - one for the upper panels and another for the lower panels. My exterior winter maintenance wash routine goes like this (takes about 1-1.5 hours with a couple of tea stops): 

Wheels pre wash spray on wheel cleaner- diluted 1:10 or less as required
Snow foam using lance (with pressure washer)
Pressure wash rinse
Wash wheels (wheel brush/wheel mitt) use separate bucket to rest of car
2 Bucket wash (with grit guards and lambswool mitt) - one mitt for roof and upper panels, second mitt for lower panels - starting from top down - roof - upper sections of car first, lower (dirtiest) sections of car last
Pressure wash rinse
Final rinse with open ended hose to reduce standing water to a minimum
Dry - blot dry with MF towels/Metrovac air dryer for water traps etc
External glass clean
Dress tyres
Metal polish tailpipes

Bodywork / glass / wheel protection topped up as required.
« Last Edit: 26 November 2016, 16:15 by Booth11 »
Black Beauty: MK7 R 5dr DSG, DBP, 19" Pretoria, DCC, Vienna leather, Keyless, Dynaudio, DNS Pro, Rear camera, HBA
2012 MK6 GTI DSG
2008 MK5 GTI DSG
2005 MK5 GTI Manual

https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11

Jackie Treehorn

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #21 on: 26 November 2016, 16:53 »
All sounds good, and makes me think I am on similar lines, apart from the air dyer and chrome exhaust tips.   For some reason I REALLY dislike chrome on my car so i leave them to get as "Eau Naturelle" as possible.

I clean a just a little less frequent, but the car is garaged and doing 50 miles a week only, i guess the Da polisher corrects anything you get on the car over the winter .  I keep looking at them but shy away each time i build up to it...


« Last Edit: 26 November 2016, 16:56 by Jackie Treehorn »

Offline Booth11

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #22 on: 26 November 2016, 17:18 »
All sounds good, and makes me think I am on similar lines, apart from the air dyer and chrome exhaust tips.   For some reason I REALLY dislike chrome on my car so i leave them to get as "Eau Naturelle" as possible.

I clean a just a little less frequent, but the car is garaged and doing 50 miles a week only, i guess the Da polisher corrects anything you get on the car over the winter .  I keep looking at them but shy away each time i build up to it...


A DA is one of those things that you have a fear of until you get one and then you realise it's no big deal and you can't really go wrong.  Keep it simple to start, a DA machine and a couple of pads and polishes then add to it if required as you get more confidence.  And if you are a little nervous then get a few practice runs in on a lesser car so to speak.  I cut my DA teeth on my other half's van just to get used to the weight of the machine and arm pressure etc.

Have a look in these threads for some guidance on DA and tips for usage.

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=276899.0

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=276985.0

My Pre-winter full detail including DA polish, has had to be postponed due to weather, work and family commitments so it looks likely I'll have to do my planned DA polish in early spring but not a problem. Car will be kept well protected during winter.  It is in need of a polish now, up till recently it was faring very well on the swirl front, but when it went into the bodyshop for repair a few months ago, despite being asked only to clean the areas they needed to to do the repairs, for some reason they washed and waxed the entire car!  Unfortunately in doing this they managed to inflict a some swirls so it needs a polish to get rid of them.  I was annoyed but they are a good bodyshop otherwise so not worth falling out over and rectifiable. 
Black Beauty: MK7 R 5dr DSG, DBP, 19" Pretoria, DCC, Vienna leather, Keyless, Dynaudio, DNS Pro, Rear camera, HBA
2012 MK6 GTI DSG
2008 MK5 GTI DSG
2005 MK5 GTI Manual

https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11

Offline wigit

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #23 on: 30 November 2016, 13:39 »
I believe the rental it is white, currently enjoying a diet of A and B roads on its its winter set up.

The aftermarket alloys and stock ride height are not offending me either with the slightly lower offset





Alpins so far have been superb

Offline p3asa

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #24 on: 30 November 2016, 19:23 »
2 tone exhaust  :laugh:
HIS: R 5dr DSG Lapiz: Tech Pack: Keyless: 90% Tints: Pretorias: Rear View Camera
HERS:  GTI 5dr Manual DBP: Parking Pack: Car-Net App: 90% Privacy Glass. Ordered 05-12-15. Delivered 03-03-16
DONATED TO SON:  GTD 5dr Manual White: Nav Pro: Dynaudio: Winter Pack: Sport & Sound Pack: Rear View Camera: Park Assist. Ordered 19-02-14. Delivered: 07-06-14

Offline Booth11

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #25 on: 30 November 2016, 22:05 »
I believe the rental it is white, currently enjoying a diet of A and B roads on its its winter set up.

The aftermarket alloys and stock ride height are not offending me either with the slightly lower offset





Alpins so far have been superb

Even though I still don't like the R estate, lol......I love those pics wigit.  It looks magnificent dirty, two tone exhaust tips 'an all..  :cool:

Black Beauty: MK7 R 5dr DSG, DBP, 19" Pretoria, DCC, Vienna leather, Keyless, Dynaudio, DNS Pro, Rear camera, HBA
2012 MK6 GTI DSG
2008 MK5 GTI DSG
2005 MK5 GTI Manual

https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11

Offline wigit

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #26 on: 30 November 2016, 22:11 »
It is due some tlc now my cleaning order has arrived

I still love who the fake exhaust sounds better than the hatch

Offline mcmaddy

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #27 on: 30 November 2016, 22:45 »
Are they the 18" tsw's wigit??
TCR, Pure Grey, DCC, Dynaudio and Climate Screen.

Offline Sootchucker

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #28 on: 01 December 2016, 12:57 »
I'll play. Don't think the car has ever been this dirty. Not been washed for 5 weeks now, and over 2000 miles.

Must try and do it this weekend (by the way, the wheels did get a quick once over last weekend, so that's just a week's worth of grime)  :grin:

Unlike Rebecca, I don't have any afters....yet !











« Last Edit: 01 December 2016, 13:03 by Sootchucker »
2022 Tiguan R-Line 2.0 TSI 4-Motion. Nightshade blue, pano roof, IQ lights, Nav Pro, Harmon Kardon, Heated Windscreen, Heated rear seats, Wireless charging, Heads up display, dual height boot floor, Keyless with electric tailgate, Electronic TPMS, underbody protection, Area View Cameras

Offline Booth11

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Re: Winter's here! Warning: Dirty pics enclosed ;-)
« Reply #29 on: 01 December 2016, 13:06 »
^^ Disgusting, yet strangely attractive......but..


GET IT CLEANED.  :grin:
Black Beauty: MK7 R 5dr DSG, DBP, 19" Pretoria, DCC, Vienna leather, Keyless, Dynaudio, DNS Pro, Rear camera, HBA
2012 MK6 GTI DSG
2008 MK5 GTI DSG
2005 MK5 GTI Manual

https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11