mk4 detail

[Guy]

did a friends 1.6 mk4 the other day as they are selling it...

thought i'd share the results...

it started off pretty ropey with some paint marks on the car and also some scratches... together with a ton of tree sap and pine needles on the inside...  obviously hadn't been cleaned for ages...








jetwashed the arches then applied chemical guys citrus pre-wash all over





closely followed by a 2 bucket mitt wash with megs gold class shampoo and dried using megs waffle weave


alloys were covered in tar, cleaned with megs hot rims, auto glym wheel brush, megs wheel brush and megs wheel face brush




the washing process showed up some of the paintwork flaws more clearly

paint



scratches


tree sap


the paintwork was still feeling really rough and it was pointless going any further till it was clayed using sonus green clay


once I had done this I degreased again using citrus wash... this time paying particular attention to crevices and window surrounds


washed again using two bucket mitt wash (if i had snow foam I would have been using it at this point) dried using sonus drying towel



paint on door removed using auto glym tar remover


no real depth or clarity to the reflection as yet 


the next day decided to machine police to remove scratches and some light swirls...

taped up...


had to crack on as time was against me so there aren't that many shots

machine polished with meg 220 DA polisher with red cutting pad (where necessary) and megs #83 cutting polish and menzerna final polish po85 and a polishing pad

once the scratches cut out and the polish was complete... applied the following

collinite 845 sealant wax
jetseal 109 (left for 20 mins) taken off and then another coat added and taken off

the combination of the above is just superb... thought I would top it off with a finish wax of chemical guys 50/50 which is a high carnuba content wax and makes the paintwork feel sublime and like a mirror!

glass cleaned with megs glass cleaner - easy to take off and streak free



my favourite photo -


engine bay given a quick once over


interior was stacked full of pine needles...


took a while but it came up nice


lights cleaned with megs plastx

final shots - shame it was a bit dark by this point as I reckon would have looked great with decent light








no trace of any red paint


products used



not bad eh....

from this...


to this...


from this...


to this...

[Rhyso]

tob job mate superb correction work there 

couple of questions:

1) Whats the Megs polisher like? is it easy to use for a beginner like me? I've been considering one of these to keep my paintwork in tip top condition
2) Chemical guys citrus pre wash? does this strip the wax and other products or is it similar to snow foam (without the foam though)

Cheers

[Guy]

hi - thanks 

1) megs polisher is great... i used it in comparison with the porter cable the other week and it is smoother... dead easy to use and you can't really go wrong with it because it is DA... I am not too advanced myself and i'd recommend it... elite car care are doing it with a cutting and polishing pad and free shipping at the moment... sounds like a great deal to me!!  menzerna polishes ftw too... much better on VAG paints... although the megs polish isn't too shabby either!

http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=6&products_id=407&osCsid=25gq2j23uvqc742ttq789os7o6

2) the citrus pre wash is really just that... a pre wash... loosens up the dirt a bit. applied using a hand pump thing...  i was going to combine it with some traffic film remover but it didn't arrive in time... you can use the citrus pre wash in two different combinations... the lesser strength mix will not strip wax but I used it in a stronger solution to really get it clean. i found it was easy to apply and you can work the crevices really quickly using a detail brush at the same time... ie.. round the rear window... things like that make a big difference. It's not really like a snow foam... i would if I had a hose use snow foam after citrus pre wash and if the car had been de-swirled try and get away with a touchless wash... and not use a mitt but I don't have a hose  so I am currently looking for a 'hoseless' snow foam remedy? if anyone has any ideas i'd be grateful?   

[Ridg]

top job!

want to do mine 

but I don't have a hose  so I am currently looking for a 'hoseless' snow foam remedy?

i've got the same problem, no outside tap, going to fit one spring time though, wikes do an outside tap kit for about £10 (no plumbing skill required)

another alternative is to get the "bucket feed" for a pressure washer, this is like the normal connector but a mesh filter that goes in a bucket instead of a tap.

do you use one of these then?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_241043_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_76802_crumb_33958-33974_parentcategoryrn_76802#

[Guy]

hi thanks!

your ride looks smooth already? is it suffering cosmetically?

i can't fit a tap as I rent where I live... the only thing I can think off is getting a 'tap' connector kit and feeding it through from the bathroom... although I can envisage it slipping off and water going everywhere!!

nice ideas on the bucket feed... can see a pressure washer going through a bucket in about 5 seconds though? 

i do use a car wash pump thing but only for pre-wash at the moment... this is the one that i have

http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/product_p/4.5ltrspry.htm

[Conker]

Great job. Bet you was knackered though.

[Ridg]

mines just got a couple of light scratches, which look like they have come from going past bushes and the like, nothing major just be nice to get a machine polish at some point.

those tap connectors are awful, and they always come off, unless your tap is one of those square type ones.

i'm not sure on the flow rate of the pressure washers, my plan would be to fill a bucket in the sink, leave the tap running and then tape the feed to the bottom of the bucket, that way the bucket is always being filled and you wouldn't have to worry about the stupid adaptors that normally end up spraying the room with more water than the car.

mmm £10 might have to get one for the pre wash too.

[Guy]

Great job. Bet you was knackered though.

yes! halfway through the second afternoon I thought 'I've bitten off more than I can chew here' - but it was all good in the end... had it been my car I would have done this over a few days and taken it easier...

I combined this with going out to watch the rugby on saturday afternoon and got back at 1am... had a raging hangover the 2nd day too which didn't help!! when will i ever learn?! 

[Guy]

mines just got a couple of light scratches, which look like they have come from going past bushes and the like, nothing major just be nice to get a machine polish at some point.

those tap connectors are awful, and they always come off, unless your tap is one of those square type ones.

i'm not sure on the flow rate of the pressure washers, my plan would be to fill a bucket in the sink, leave the tap running and then tape the feed to the bottom of the bucket, that way the bucket is always being filled and you wouldn't have to worry about the stupid adaptors that normally end up spraying the room with more water than the car.

mmm £10 might have to get one for the pre wash too.

that's really what i don't want... rooms full of water! 

machine polish should get those scratches out... if you run your fingernail over them does it 'catch'?

[Ridg]

if you run your fingernail over them does it 'catch'?

no they are really fine and you only notice them when you're cleaning the car, i could get some scratch ex but don't want anything too harsh on her, would much rather have some one that knows what they are doing give her a full machine polish.