How to clean a Golf GT Sport TDI - full detail

[abhardwaj1990]

Hey guys, haven't posted up a thread on here in a while. Here's someone's golf that I detailed last weekend. Couldn't believe the condition of the paint seeing as the car was relatively new (08 plate!), so took quite a bit of working on!

Equipments used:
Nilfisk Pressure washer
Snow foam lance
2 x lamb wool mitts
2 x buckets
2 x Detailing brushes
Spray bottles
Kestrel DA-6 Dual action polisher w/ 6" backing pad
Chemical guys Hexlogic pads
Extra large microfibre drying cloths
Plenty of microfibre buffing cloths
Fine wire wool


Products used:
Bilberry wheel cleaner
Meguiars All purpose cleaner
Valet Pro Snow foam
Meguiars Gold Class Shampoo
Sonus Ultra fine Detailing Clay
Meguairs speed detailer
Meguiars 80-83 cut speed polish
Meguiars Endurance tyre gel
Chemical guys wheel guard
Autoglym HD wax
Autoglym Fast glass
Rain X
Tiki car care Plastic ***** seal
Autosol Metal polish


Here's the car as I got it:

Wheels sprayed with Bilberry Wheel Cleaner:

Tyres/arches sprayed with APC, and worked in with a brush

Door shuts cleaned:

 

[abhardwaj1990]

Window/door rubbers and fuel cap sprayed with APC and worked in with a detailing brush:

Car was then thoroughly rinsed, then out came the snow foam:

All crevices were worked in with a detailing brush again, left to work its magic for 10 minutes.
Out came the buckets, 2 buckets, both with grit guards, Gold class shampoo mixed into one. Used a high quality lamb wool mitt.

Worked each panel one by one, starting from the top of the car working down. Once done the car was well rinsed again.
Car was then clay barred, this was after just the front end!

It was then rinsed again, dried with the microfibre drying towel and bought into the garage. Got it under the light to look at what I had to deal with!

Started on the rear wing, with 80 cut and a heavy cut pad. Didn't correct it as well as I thought it would so moved up to 83. Did a decent enough job so moved on to the rest of the panels with this.

Some 50:50 and some before and after shots below

50:50 Passenger side rear wing

 

[abhardwaj1990]

Drivers side rear wing before

After

50:50 Drivers side rear wing

Drivers side front wing

After one pass

Faded and swirled front passenger side front wing

After

Passenger side rear wing

After

Exhaust polished up using Autosol metal polish and fine wire wool

 

[abhardwaj1990]

Car was then coated with Autoglym HD and left to cure for around 30mins per panel. Then buffed away. After this the plastics and rubbers were then sealed with Tiki car care plastic ***** seal, windows cleaned with Autoglym fast glass and then sealed with RainX. Tyres and wheels next, wheels were coated in Chemical guys wheel guard and tyres in Meguiars endurance gel.

Finished product

Didn't manage to get many pictures unfortunately as my camera died! Also was unfortunate that it was raining as he left
It was a shame I couldn't have it for longer, some of the marks in the paint were deep so didn't manage to get them all out, and would have liked to polish up the headlights, but didn't get chance. However on the whole was quite pleased with the results, as was he

Comments welcome!

 

[n_d_fox]

Looks really healthy in the afters mate. My brother has the same car but in a slightly darker shade of blue... the paint on the roof, bonnet and boot was rock hard when i last worked on it with a DA, the sides less hard but still pretty solid.

He's been adding / changing up bits on it this year so we're looking at another session with the rotary to try and refine the paint further early next year some time.

Nice to see the results you were getting with the hex-logic pads and megs...

 

[DavidN]

looooookinnnnn guurd!

attacked ma bezza with a rotary the other week, compounded and then finishing polish after, was bit rushed as i have a shiny hologramd car! damn you holograms.

im asuming using a da with a finishing compound should remove the holograms?

 

[n_d_fox]

yeah, DA and finishing compound / pads should knock the holograms down and bring the gloss up nicely.

 

[abhardwaj1990]

Looks really healthy in the afters mate. My brother has the same car but in a slightly darker shade of blue... the paint on the roof, bonnet and boot was rock hard when i last worked on it with a DA, the sides less hard but still pretty solid.

He's been adding / changing up bits on it this year so we're looking at another session with the rotary to try and refine the paint further early next year some time.

Nice to see the results you were getting with the hex-logic pads and megs...

Cheers dude. Yeah it is difficult to work on, shame I didn't have it longer to get it looking better. Saving up for a rotary, think it's time to get one tbh. DA doesn't cut it sometimes....literally!

I'm loving the hex pads, best I've used so far! Looking to change from Meguiars now, any good alternatives you recommend?

looooookinnnnn guurd!

attacked ma bezza with a rotary the other week, compounded and then finishing polish after, was bit rushed as i have a shiny hologramd car! damn you holograms.

im asuming using a da with a finishing compound should remove the holograms?

yeah, DA and finishing compound / pads should knock the holograms down and bring the gloss up nicely.

Exactly this!

 

[DavidN]

Cheers dude. Yeah it is difficult to work on, shame I didn't have it longer to get it looking better. Saving up for a rotary, think it's time to get one tbh. DA doesn't cut it sometimes....literally!

I'm loving the hex pads, best I've used so far! Looking to change from Meguiars now, any good alternatives you recommend?






Exactly this!

i was thinking so!

need to get myself a nice little DA. i feel unfulfilled

but thats besides the point as my money is currently being spent on a. . . . . wait for it. . . . . . . wait for it . . . . . .£2700 insurance premium

oooh yes. and they dont even know about the 560W RMS (2080W peak) sound system!

anyhoo i still need to resupply my detailing stock as i have used everything apart from at least 2 gallons of detailing lube. why i have that much, i dont know but i do!

is that APC good stuff for shifting grease and thick dirt Arun?

 

[n_d_fox]

David - Megs APC is one of the best all round cleaners imo... so many uses and it just does the job everytime. for cutting grease, depends on how bad it is, there are always limits to what an all in one product can do. In saying that though, i only ever use APC when cleaning an engine bay.

Arun - Pads... to be honest i have only been using Megs and 3M pads till now... there are a lot to chose from though so best thing is to look at what the pros are using on DW and see how you get on.. I was at a training day with Auto Finesse a while back and they reckoned the best pads were the flat surfaced ones as the polish had nowhere to hide or get stuck when machining... suppose it makes sense... thing is, different people rate different pads and compounds because everyone has a slightly different technique when polishing, if you find something that works for you then stick to it i say.

 

[abhardwaj1990]

i was thinking so!

need to get myself a nice little DA. i feel unfulfilled

but thats besides the point as my money is currently being spent on a. . . . . wait for it. . . . . . . wait for it . . . . . .£2700 insurance premium

oooh yes. and they dont even know about the 560W RMS (2080W peak) sound system!

anyhoo i still need to resupply my detailing stock as i have used everything apart from at least 2 gallons of detailing lube. why i have that much, i dont know but i do!

is that APC good stuff for shifting grease and thick dirt Arun?

lol, insurance is what is mainly stopping me from going out getting more products (which is next month!)

As ND said, Megs APC is one of the best all purpose cleaners on the market. I've been using it quite a lot now!

Arun - Pads... to be honest i have only been using Megs and 3M pads till now... there are a lot to chose from though so best thing is to look at what the pros are using on DW and see how you get on.. I was at a training day with Auto Finesse a while back and they reckoned the best pads were the flat surfaced ones as the polish had nowhere to hide or get stuck when machining... suppose it makes sense... thing is, different people rate different pads and compounds because everyone has a slightly different technique when polishing, if you find something that works for you then stick to it i say.

Yeah I've used the megs range of pads (a flat smooth face), they were ok but didn't suit me. I've been getting some brilliant results with the Chemical guys range, ordered some more to complete the collection last night! lol.

I've also ordered some of the Scholl polishing range, been hearing nothing but praise about them. Will get up results after using it soon

 

[DavidN]

lol, insurance is what is mainly stopping me from going out getting more products (which is next month!)

arun man, i feel your pain.

bet you cant beat the 2700 though lol, its so mad i could cry

and u wouldn think that it was worth it - this is were its going


but i love my little car

and hey im getting a mental ICE system put in on the weekend, so i dont care