bueh, si no les gusta, que hacen en el foro? jajajajaj
Another weekend meant yet another detail, this time in the form of a brand spanking new candy white Mk 6 GTI. Having already been 'detailed', albeit unsatisfactorily, I was tasked with getting the paintwork back into the condition it was the day it left the factory.
Having seen the Mk 6 GTI in various showrooms my initial impressions were mixed and I even went so far as to say the Mk 5 was the prettier machine. Having inspected this particular car the weekend before whilst I was busy with a Mk 5 GTI, changed my mind completely. When viewed together the newcomer is far more aggressive and alot more athletic...Nothing groundbreaking but a step in the right direction IMHO.
Righty then, saturday morning arrived bright, early and chilly with the car arriving just after 8. Having seen the car the week before and having noted only minor swirling, I was confident this would be a 'simple' detail and I would be done sometime early evening...Boy was I in for a surprise!
The car as she arrived
A quick walk around revealed some minor tar spotting along with some accumulated muck and road grime. Nothing too serious or out of the ordinary was noted at this point.
Filthy tailpipes
Some dusty wheels and calipers
First up the wheels and once again the customary Sonax Extreme Rim cleaner was applied liberally and left to do it's thing.
While the Sonax was working away at the wheels I put my old Motoquip wheel brush and some 5:1 APC to good use cleaning out the tailpipes.
The wheels & arches were then scrubbed with a variety of brushes and 5:1 APC solution. My new Daytona wheel brush is proving to be a worthwhile purchase, with it's extra length being able to reach all the way to the back of the barrels.
With the wheels out of the way I gave the entire car a thorough rinse to remove as much surface dirt as possible. While the car was soaking I set about cleaning up all the nooks and crannies with my trusty detail brushes.
With all the intricate bits out of the way the car was rinsed with the pressure washer set to a fine spray before being washed using the 2BM (2 bucket method) and a 10:1 APC solution with a drop of Sonax High Gloss shampoo for some added lubricity.
With the wash stage complete and the car re-rinsed I set about claying the surface. Meguiars fine clay was the clay of choice as I didn't want to inflict any surface marring, and being new and relatively smooth I didn't feel anything stronger was necessary.
As suspected the clay turned up virtually clean apart from a few random bonded contaminants.
After a final rinse it was time to dry her off and see what condition the paintwork was in. This gave me the opportunity to test a new drying towel I had ordered some time ago. One of the biggest advantages I feel a plush drying towel has over a waffle weave is the deep pile which helps lift dirt away from the surface where it can scratch and marr your paint. Sure a freshly washed car 'should' be free from dust, but in SA's dry and dusty conditions it is almost impossible to have the car completely dry before some dust manages to find it's way onto your paint.
Anyways onto the actual towel, a Chemical Guys Miracle Drier. The towel is super soft with a short nap side for streak free glass drying and a long, deep nap on the other for soaking up water. Straight out of the packet I did notice a bit of linting, but after rinsing the towel in a bucket of clean water it was lint free. Despite rinsing, I still managed to dry the entire car and windows, streak free without the need to wring it out. An impressive towel IMHO and needless to say my waffle weaves have been relegated to drying mag wheels and door shuts
Presenting the Chemical Guys Miracle Drier
Mini-blower doing duty getting all the water out of the trim
Tailpipes looking like they should
With the wash and dry completed I could begin to see some of the defects more clearly
With the car all nicely dry it was pulled into the sun to inspect the paint now that it was properly clean. Overall the car was covered in swirling and marring with virtually no panel free from defects. What exactly the initial 'detailers' did to the car wasn't exactly clear but what was clearly evident was the aftermath of some terrible washing techniques.
Bonnet
Roof area
Doors and side panels
With the outdoor inspection completed I moved the car inside to be taped up in preparation for the paint correction and further inspection under artificial light.
All taped up
Defects revealed by the various lights, this time the halogens