New car = new products?

[imported_Progress]

Hi guys. I bought a new car at the end of last year (2018 GTI) and I need to reevaluate my detailing scheme as I have some old supplies that I need to replace, supplement, etc.



Washing - Ultima Paint Guard Wash and Shampoo, two wash mits, two buckets with grit guards and foam gun attachment. I think I’m good here. Any recommendations for different soaps or should this work? I have enough to get me through the summer. I’m buying new microfiber mitts, waffle weaves and microfiber towels (for polishing and protection).
Decontamination – Zaino Z18 clay bar. I’ve got two of these and one isn’t even open so I think I’m good here. Thoughts?
Correction - I`ve never done it but I have a PC 7424XP and I’m ready to try. The car was washed by the dealer several times, one after I asked them not to which is incredibly frustrating. At any rate, there are a fair bit of light swirls and if I elect to correct the paint, I want to make sure I’m properly tooled. The question is, what do I need to add to the following?

Menzerna Power Finish – I know they changed the name to this but on the cutting scale it shows maybe about 40-45% of the way up. Is this enough? I’ve never even used it.
Lake Country orange pad and green pad – Should I add a yellow pad? White pad?


Polishing – Klasse AIO. I’ve used this on all my cars and love the results. Should I try something else here?
LSP – I have KSG and Collinite 476. It will probably be a game time decision of three coats of KSG or one or two coats of 476.


Thanks in advance for any tips or advice!

[Accumulator]

Hi guys. I bought a new car at the end of last year (2018 GTI) and I need to reevaluate my detailing scheme as I have some old supplies that I need to replace, supplement, etc....

Hey, great car! Sorry to hear about the Dealership washes/marring, hope you read them the riot act over it in a way they`ll never forget. Watch that they don`t touch/wash the paint during servicing!

I don`t know from some of your products, but I`ll opine about the ones I do know and maybe something will be of use.

Like, I don`t know Z18... but I`ll assume (uh-oh!) that it`s an OK clay. Tear it into small pieces instead of using the whole bar, use *LOTS* of lube, and knead/replace it VERY frequently since the moment it picks up abrasive contamination it becomes sandpaper and you don`t want to instill additional marring.


Everybody loves that shampoo AFAIK.

If buying new MF Drying Towels, I`d switch from WWMFs to *plush* MF Drying Towels, which I find incredibly superior. I like the Dry Me Crazy ones from Microfiber Madness but others love the PFM from Griot`s.

Correcting VW clear (unless they`ve changed it) with a PC (even the XP model) can be challenging! Hard stuff and that`s a gentle polisher. Don`t try to use a ~6" pad, a 5-5.5" is the biggest I`d go and I actually prefer 4" ones many times as they`re that much more aggressive. I like MF pads ("disks" they call `em) for the aggressive work.

I UTTERLY HATE LC YELLOW CUTTING PADS AND WILL NEVER RECOMMEND THEM. How was that for emphasis? ;)

Use a MF cutting disk instead and then do a follow up with a foam polishing pad (I would use a POLISHING pad, not a Finishing Pad on that clear..well, probably). I`ll let somebody more up-to-date comment on which color (green vs. white).

I don`t use/like Menzerna`s compounds/polishes, and don`t know enough about Power Finish to comment on it, so I`ll let others chime in. I`d be using different stuff, probably from Griot`s although *my* fave approach is usually Meguiar`s M101 followed by HD Polish.

Note that KAIO doesn`t strip the Polishing Oils of any compound/polish I`ve ever tried it on. Get those oils off before doing the KAIO. That can be a little challenging so maybe look into some product like Eraser (the stuff I use just went off the market but many like Eraser).

Remember that KAIO is functionally nonabrasive on most autopaint (and definitely on hard clear), so get the correction done first. If you like how KSG lasts/protects/looks then just keep using it (I used it for years...preferring 4-6 coats and not believing it worth using with fewer than four). Try that additional fourth coat and maybe you`ll like it even better!

I`ve also used a *ton* of 476S over the years, but it`s an also-ran these days and hey...it`s what *you* like. You sure won`t go wrong with either approach, those two where my go-to LSPs for ages.

FWIW I`m all about FK1000P these days as I find it superior in almost all respects.

[rlmccarty2000]

Congrats on the new car. The GTI is a great drivers car. You may want to move into using newer products on your new car. The older products will get the job done but there are newer and better products on the market.

The Ultima soap is still one of the best.

Maybe buy one of the new clay towels to save time and aggravation.

i agree with Accumulater on using a microfiber cutting pad followed up with a foam polishing pad or you might be able to just use 3D One on a microfiber Finishing pad as a one step polishing. VW paint is hard, so I suggest a test spot. My favorite combination for a two step on hard paint is Jescar Compound followed by Menzerma 3500.

Before going on to your LSP wipe down with something like CarPro Eraser to remove the polishing oils.

For your LSP you may want to get into coatings. For your first Coating I suggest PBL Paint Coating. It’s super easy to apply and you get up to 2 years of protection.

If you have any questions about the newer products I’m sure everyone here will be glad to help.

[imported_Progress]

Guys, thanks for the advise as always. I`ve done some reading and from what I gather generally (save for the white paint) the newer VW paint isn`t as hard as the older paint and is generally soft and scratches easily (although I haven`t heard of many forum members talking about how good their new car paint is). My car is Night Blue Metallic. At any rate, I`d like to be prepared for both. Maybe my first section of correction I could start with a white polishing pad and something like M205. If that`s not enough, I`ll step up to a MF cutting disk and M105 and finish with the white pad and M205. Does that sound smart?

Could you recommend a good MF cutting disk and a white polishing foam pad? Are those polishes any good still?

I will now get a clay towel (or mit?). I will also get plush MF towels for drying. I will also get the CarPro Eraser to follow the correction. Am I right that the LSP comes immediately after the correction or is there a step in between I`m missing? I`ll probably get the FK1000P just in case.

Interesting about the coatings. Any warnings there? Can I put that on right after eraser or prep it with something else?

Lastly, a wrinkle is the timing of all this. I work full time and when I`m not working I`m chasing my three boys (5, 4 and 1). I`m very busy with the car and though I plan on taking days off work for this detail, do you have any recommendations about having to drive the car in between steps?

Let`s say on day one I have time to wash and clay the entire car but only enough time to correct only few sections of the car before I need to drive it again. Should I correct and apply LSP to that section and then drive the car (rest of it only clayed). Then on day two I wash the entire car (assuming the LSP is cured) and commence finishing the correction on the balance of the car. Thoughts?

[Accumulator]

Maybe my first section of correction I could start with a white polishing pad and something like M205. If that`s not enough, I`ll step up to a MF cutting disk and M105 and finish with the white pad and M205. Does that sound smart?

Yes indeed, that "first try the milder approach on your test-spot" is always a smart move when figuring out a new situation.


Could you recommend a good MF cutting disk and a white polishing foam pad? Are those polishes any good still?

I`d better let somebody else respond about what pads/disks are currently good, though I`m sure the ones from Griot`s are fine.

Those polishes are fine even though I for one despise M205. Some find others (much) more user-friendly, so maybe see what others recommend. Once again, the products from Griot`s are widely regarded as being great these days, so I`d at least take a look at those.


I will now get a clay towel (or mit?).

Oh man, those scare me to death...but others like them. Just be very careful that you don`t instill new/additional marring.


Am I right that the LSP comes immediately after the correction or is there a step in between I`m missing?

No, there`s no intermediary step. The days of "correct, *then glaze*, then LSP" are basically gone now, especially for a new car like yours.


I`ll probably get the FK1000P just in case.

If you do, I hope you like it as much as I do.


Interesting about the coatings. Any warnings there? Can I put that on right after eraser or prep it with something else?

If you go with a coating, that`d replace the FK1000P. Coatings aren`t right for me (except for wheels), but they are right for many others, and maybe for you too.


Lastly, a wrinkle is the timing of all this. I work full time and when I`m not working I`m chasing my three boys (5, 4 and 1). I`m very busy with the car and though I plan on taking days off work for this detail, do you have any recommendations about having to drive the car in between steps?..Thoughts?
I appreciate the importance of your other commitments. Here`s how *I* would do it (slight variation on what you`re considering), see what you think and what others recommend:

Do the whole decontaminate/correct/LSP process on a panel-by-panel basis, doing a section/two/whatever you can after each of a series of washes.

E.g., I wouldn`t decontaminate a panel and expect it to stay decontaminated (without LSP) during subsequent use.

I expect the correction to take much longer than you`re expecting it will...that`s just how it almost *always* goes. IF you work "definitely manageable"-size areas I believe you`ll be better off. Yeah, it might seem like that`ll take forever, but I`d be all about avoiding getting stuck at the wrong point in the process...like, having a big area half-corrected when Life intervenes. A single coat of FK1000P will protect a finished panel just fine and you don`t need to worry much (if at all, I wouldn`t) about it curing, not like that stuff is easily compromised.

Here`s an idea from way out in left field...bear with me here!...How about having a Pro do the initial work and then you just maintain it? As soon as I read "three boys", let alone their ages, I started to think "eh, I bet he`s busy enough as it is and not really looking to make life harder". I`m just thinking about how long it`d take me to do the job, and we don`t even have (human ;) ) kids to consider.

[TheMeanGreen]

Griots BOSS line of buffing fluids and their pads, minus the White Fast Correcting Pad and the MF Correcting pad, look to the Lake Country Foamed Interface Wool pad and Extra Cut Wool pad, they respectively cut and finish much better than any MF pad.

For towels, look to Luxurymicrofiberstore.

For protection, FK1000P or Soft99 Fusso Coat with the maintenance "wax" that plays with it, check out Forensic Detailing`s YT channel.

Body solvent, Duplicolor Grease and Wax Remover.

[Accumulator]

... Soft99 Fusso Coat with the maintenance "wax" that plays with it....
Gee, if Soft99 is All That I wonder why it needs a maintenance wax. Eh, I don`t mean that to sound as suspicious/critical as it probably came across...just thinking how the FK does fine with just IUDJ or FK425 as a Drying Aid.