Tlc For Tt

[JR001]

I contacted a friend from a few years ago and persuaded him to allow me to work on his 7-year old TT. He has only had it for a month now but did not need much persuasion to take it to the next level, having shown him what was possible.

Got the car to wash and clay on the Friday night and got the machining done on Saturday with a finale on Sunday morning.

No before pics as again my time was limited.

WASH AND CLAY

Pre-soaked with Autobrite Super Snow Foam and Meguiars All Purpose Cleanser. Wheels treated to Megs Wheel Brightener and washed with microfibre mitt. Wheel arches foamed with Megs APD cut 4:1. Rinsed with hose.
Repeated above body treatment with wheels coming up well.
2-bucket lambswool mitt wash using Chemical Guys Extreme Body Wash and Wax, with Megs APC into the bargain.
Rinsed with hose.
Poorboys waffle weave dried in prep’n for claying.
Sonus Grey clay used on this 7-yr old and boy was it needed. Megs Last Touch used as lube, cut 1:1.
Washed again, as in steps 3-5.This car was rough! The mitt had to be dragged along every panel. Never experienced this level of friction before. The lube was running from each panel ALMOST BLACK. What appeared to be a very clean car to start with very quickly showed itself to be very heavily contaminated with firmly bonded grit. Total time here 2.5 hours!

PC DUAL ACTION MACHINE POLISHING

Menzerna 3.02 on Megs Soft Buff Polishing pad on bonnet to start with but not convinced of its ability here to remove some of the more obvious swirl marks. Moved onto Sonus Yellow Cutting pad. Worked in on each panel for 2 passes at speed 1. Followed by 8-10 passes at speed 4-5. This worked well only leaving some of the deeper scratches under the clearcoat that were not terribly visible.

This brought out a nice gloss that I was happy with. No need for final finish polish. This car’s youthful skin had now returned. I was very happy indeed despite being quite concerned at the start as to how much of an improvement would be possible – my first silver car.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1536.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1536.jpg)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1535.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1535.jpg)

CLEANSING AND PROTECTION

Each panel cleansed using Zymol HD Cleanse using a German applicator pad. Following on from that, to super cleanse this paint I applied JEFFS Prime Acrylic to also set a reflective acrylic basecoat before applying Zymol Carbon wax (sorry Rich!!!!!). All these chemicals were buffed using Poorboys DMTs.

Windows cleansed using HD cleanse.

Wheels cleansed and sealed using JEFFS Prime Acrylic and left to cure for the regulatory 30 mins before being buffed with MF cloth.
Tyres dressed with Poorboys Bold and Bright dressing (thanks Rich and Angela!). I like this dressing very much.

FINAL VERDICT
Unable to spritz later with Zymol Field Glaze due to the intermittent rain that characterised Sunday morning and afternoon. This annoyed me as part of me feels the job was not finished.

As you will see from these final pics, the paintwork was left very glossy and wet with increased clarity in the reflections. I was very pleased with the results and the owner said it was way beyond his expectations. TOTAL MACHINING AND PROTECTION TIME: 12hrs.


http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1542.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1542.jpg)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1539.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1539.jpg)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1540.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1540.jpg)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1538.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1538.jpg)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1525.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1525.jpg)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1561.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1520.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1520.jpg)


http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1546.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/jr001_2007/100_1546.jpg)


Hope you liked! Cheers, JOHN

[new to vw]

looks bloody good john........just got my pc the other day and cant wait to have a go on the passat
cheers
lee:D

[JR001]

Thanks a lot!

You won't be disappointed I'm sure.

What polishes are you going to use on the VAG paint? And what are your thoughts on cleanser, sealant/wax etc?

What colour is your Passat?

I'm looking to repeat this job fairly soon and can't wait.

The PC is a great tool and you can get very good results with patience and good decisions!! But it also has its limitations that a full Rotary can better. Hope you've done your research!!

Have fun.:D

[new to vw]

Thanks a lot!

You won't be disappointed I'm sure.

What polishes are you going to use on the VAG paint? And what are your thoughts on cleanser, sealant/wax etc?

What colour is your Passat?

I'm looking to repeat this job fairly soon and can't wait.

The PC is a great tool and you can get very good results with patience and good decisions!! But it also has its limitations that a full Rotary can better. Hope you've done your research!!

Have fun.:D

hi john....i only intend to use the pc on mine,wifesfather in laws and brothers car....so i weekend warior with the pc....
as for polishe's i got some pourboys *1 and 1.25 to remove the swirls
wax will be AG SRP AG Supreme polish and AG Radiant wax polish
and the passat is a metalic grey....
i have only just got started on car detailing so still getting to grips with all the products....
cheers
lee:D

[new to vw]

hi john....i only intend to use the pc on mine,wifesfather in laws and brothers car....so i weekend warior with the pc....
as for polishe's i got some pourboys *1 and 1.25 to remove the swirls
wax will be AG SRP AG Supreme polish and AG Radiant wax polish
and the passat is a metalic grey....
i have only just got started on car detailing so still getting to grips with all the products....
cheers
lee:D
pourboys ssr1 and ssr2.5

[JR001]

Have fun and don't forget to post up the fore and aft pics mate.:D

[new to vw]

hi there bud....what pads do you use on your pc......and where can i get spare pad's from..
lee

[JR001]

Sorry for the late reply, PC been on the blink.

I go between the SONUS cutting and polishing ones (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/cat_2.html)
and the Meguiars soft buff polishing ones.

Cheers.

[AndyV5]

Hi, Was just wondering whats the best start I can give my new TT (arriving Sep 1st) with regards to looking after the painwork (petrol blue). I purchased some of Autoglyms Lifeshine from some dodgy source on e-bay a few weeks ago for about £8..! but am doubting its authenticity. The dealer wanted almost £400 to supply / apply the stuff so I thought I would have a go myself. I only usually use Auto-glym products, and reading your various posts I have been put to shame. Any feedback and advice would be much appreciated, as I would like to keep my new purchase in top condition.

Thanks in advance,

Andy

[JR001]

Hi Andy,
Congratulations on your new TT. Apart from the black, the petrol blue has got to be the best looking colour IMO. You must be well chuffed!!!:D

I used to use AG stuff in and out of my previous cars but not on my paintwork. I never really wakened up on that front until about 6 months ago. I went off the smell of their internal products once I discovered new ones whose products also work. AG have a good range of products and I still use their Engine Degreaser when detailing the engine bay.

You are a wise man seeking to protect your pride and joy. Personally, I put aside between one and two hours a week for doing a full safe wash. It gets me out you see! If it looks as though it's going to rain at some point and I had planned to wash the car, then I still do it. Keep the dirt at bay and their will be less of it that gets to bond firmly with your clearcoat. The less there is firmly bonded, the fewer swirl scratches you will put into it, come the next wash. And ultimately that's the name of the game.

Having a glass-like surface is what should underpin the whole regime of paint care. Your car is new, so it should only have minor oxidation and other bonded contaminants. It may also have swirls already on it from its travels and possibly dealer valeting - it does happen. Swirls will always find their way onto your clearcoat, even when taking care, but the idea is to use techniques that minimise their frequency and their severity. Not everyone who washes or wipes your car bears this in mind unfortunately. You will probably get away without clayin though> Many people still clay a new car since the panels are not fresh off the production line by any means> The choice is yours>

Claying will remove these minor issues but may leave some surface marring in the form of broad scuffs on your clearcoat. These can be polished out by hand or machine. Which method you use will depend on the number of panels afflicted and agiain on their overall number and severity. If claying does not mar the surface then you are laughing. All you would need to do thereafter is give the car another wash and dry, followed by a chemical cleansing, topped off with a layer or layers of acrylic sealant or quality carnauba paste wax or both!!! Mind boggling to begin with if you decide to go down that route. Having said that you can normally home in on what it is you're after.

Quality acrylic sealants, like KLASSE and JEFFS, will give you up to approx. 9 months protection. Waxes tend to be more variable, but the Carbon I use at the moment should give about 4-5 months on my driving schedule. Again I top up every month because I like getting out and doing it. Other people may not be suited to this approach. Into the bargain, there is a website offering 50% discounts on Zymol products across the board.

So where do you go from here? Do you use AG SRP and EGP, or do you venture into the 'other stuff that's out there beyond the retail park'?
Personally, I went my way as detailed in my other threads, but others on the forum will have other opinions. It's just like any other mode of preference. I personally think that the AG paint products give a good shine and may mask certain defects, but IMO I don't think they give the depth and warmth in colour or imaging that I was after on my own dark car.

Good references to spend some time looking at are as follows:

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html

http://www.griotsgarage.com/pdfs/DetailersHB_BW.pdf

You can also search You-Tube for videos on many of the aspects of detailing. The Meguiars videos can be very informative.

The other option to get your car protected beyond the AG spectrum is to have a detailer in your area come round and do the decontamination and protection. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg and besides, your car shouldn't need a machine polishing stage, unless you really wanted it.

Don't know where you're based. I could get the names of perhaps a couple of detailers who could show you the ropes in all of this. This might take a couple of days if you decided to go down that route.

As for choosing your sealant/wax, good luck! Reading the above guides should get you started on the path of deciding what to do>

I hope this has been helpful>

Regards<

JOHN

[JR001]

I've just returned from a paint prep job on a 1-yr old red A3 sportback and would thoroughly recommend SONUS Green mild clay for your car. I did not notice any marring on the paint from the clay but perhaps my technique has just improved!

It's a dream to use and I now prefer it to Meguiars Mild and SONUS Grey agressive. It has brought the owner's car up extremely well and he couldn't believe his eyes as the work porgressed. He will be even more amazed after the 8 hours of machine polishing tomorrow, followed by the HD Cleansing and final wax protection.

The SONUS Green is a superb clay to remove your bonded contaminants.

Regards.