New car detail - Non Mercedes

[chrisk2010]

Happy New Year!

We picked up the new car a week before Christmas and I wanted to get some protection on it while it had the new car smell rather than wait for it to put in the miles and make life a little harder.

So we got the keys on the Friday and on the Saturday i got up bright and early and realised how bloody cold it was! I got everything set up then settled into a couple of coffees and checked through my emails while i waited for the sun to come out so i could get a good look at it and make a plan.

When it did i decided to give the car a good clean to begin with as the missus had to do some running around the night before and got it dirty




I started by apply 15% surfex HD through a pump sprayer gave it five minutes to dwell and then covered in BH auto foam at 4% PIR i went around a couple of times with the snow foam when it started to run off to freshen it up which gave it about a 20 minute dwell time. What i really wanted to achieve is to strip off anything the the Valeters may have used on the car if anything and see if i needed to do a pass with the machine polisher as i wanted the Wowo's Crystal Sealant i was applying to bond as well as possible.



Luckily for me the water behaviour showed they hadn't used anything to protect the car so i made the decision to skip the machine polishing step as it would have been only to remove any protection the dealer may have applied.



I followed up with the Multi Mitt method, rinsed with DI water and dried ready for the next step.


Now i wasn't as scared to touch the car though the dirt i felt the paintwork and decided to scrap using a soft clay on it too as the car had about 85 miles on it and i may have had to pull the polisher out if i did whatever i would gain i'd lose so decided it would have been counter productive, plus finish was already like a mirror.


The next step was chemical decontamination by applying fallout (BH Korrosol) and tar remover (Autosmart Tardis) which is why i dried the car i wanted maximum contact between the chemical i was applying and what it was designed to remove.

So i first applied fallout remover jet washed and dried then followed with tardis then jet washed and dried i gave the fallout remover about 10 mins and the tar remover a little over 5 mins, i was really sitting there (with coffee) eyeballing how much time each would need as it was only about 5 degrees out side which although i was freezing it was given the chemicals a little longer.

Was there any point to this step? Well yes, although the car had moved very far on it's tyres it had sat around and been transported so had plenty of time to attract contaminants. I couldn't if the fallout remover was turning red from the car or reacting when it was hitting the floor but settled on it was probably a bit of both and moved on by soaping the car over to and pressure washing again to make sure i got all the chemicals off especially the tar remover which is fantastic but nasty stuff.

Rinsed with warm DI water i had one more thing to deal with before apply the sealant which was a white glue like substance which looked like it had run out the door. I started with a 10% APC and a detailing brush but got it in the end with 20% and a microfibre scrubber, it was very glue like and only came off initially with my nail which is why i worked my way to something more aggressive.


After that i rinsed and dried areas ready for the Sealant which it got two coats of all over the car with an hour cure time in between more to ensure every inch was coated rather than an attempt to stack the coating, i returned the following day to add a second/third coat.

As you can imagine the interior needed very little doing to it out side of a detail brush and vacuum but i applied a couple coats of Aerospace 303 to the interior to help protect it and that was that she was ready for the world.

Hope you enjoyed the post!

I haven't proof read it so forgive me for that and re the white glue stuff the reason i didn't use more tar remover on it is because i didn't have to really it came off before using anything stronger.

 

[LeeJV]

Thanks for doing that little write up buddy, it takes quite some time to do all the work and right it all up, adding pics etc.

The glue residue may have been from the film protection they apply to new cars while on the transport.

Moving forward are you planning on maintaining it with Elixir or something similar as a sacrificial layer?
I'd did a test with Elixir recently and couldn't believe how hardy it was as a standalone product esp as it's only a QD.

I've not tried the 303 products yet as I've been converted to Aenso inside. It's become very addictive lol

Finally picking up our daily whip today, so taking it to my Dads heated garage after it's been dechromed to a some light paint correction, wowo's, then Polish Angel Cosmic Spritz to maintain it.

Ceramic coat the wheels etc. My wife is working from home due to Lockdown down so it gives me something to do do for a week as she doesn't need the car.

 

[chrisk2010]

Thanks for doing that little write up buddy, it takes quite some time to do all the work and right it all up, adding pics etc.

The glue residue may have been from the film protection they apply to new cars while on the transport.

Moving forward are you planning on maintaining it with Elixir or something similar as a sacrificial layer?
I'd did a test with Elixir recently and couldn't believe how hardy it was as a standalone product esp as it's only a QD.

I've not tried the 303 products yet as I've been converted to Aenso inside. It's become very addictive lol

Finally picking up our daily whip today, so taking it to my Dads heated garage after it's been dechromed to a some light paint correction, wowo's, then Polish Angel Cosmic Spritz to maintain it.

Ceramic coat the wheels etc. My wife is working from home due to Lockdown down so it gives me something to do do for a week as she doesn't need the car.

Thanks fella, it's been a bit of a struggle getting them off the iphone with my computer being down plus i have so many photos on there it kept timing out as the phone tries to convert them from HEIC to JPEG as it transfers them, so the easiest way in the end was to import the HEIC files and convert them myself. Plus the laptop has being playing up over Christmas which i have now got that back up and running but i think it's going to be replaced this year.

That was my thoughts on the glue as well, I imagine whoever valeted it probably used a strong TFR or solvent and that was the run off. When we collected the car the dealer was trying to use polish to remove it i politely told him not to worry about it as it was being detailed and protected the next day.

Although i do have Elixir i shamefully have been using up my store of of Autoglym Polar Seal which i stock pile for the winter months, I like that is applied though a foam cannon and rinsed off and it is a really easy way to finish off the cars this time of year without any extra contact with the panel.

My process with it is apply through a the cannon, rinse of as instructed but then i fill a 25ltr bucket with warm DI water and using a clean 6ltr bucket and starting with the roof rinse each panel to encourage sheeting, it works really well and leave the car probably 70% dry then i just lightly draw my Tommy drying over it and that's about it apart from the weight of the towel itself no pressure is used.

Owning a black car and now a second one it's always in my mind to touch it as little as possible due to light marring which is why i steered away from QD's and turned to the above. Credit to Autoglym (which they don't get much of) Polar seal works really well and is ideal for someone like me that cleans the cars regularly and isn't necessarily seeking longevity from a sacrificial layer, that being said when i first applied Wowo's to the Zafira trying to remove Polar Seal was a massive pain and had to machine polish in the end to get it off and the went through a full decontamination and it still resisted against BH auto foam, Surfex HD, korrosol and auto smarts tar remover.

I saw your test on facebook and was really surprised at how well Elixir performed against the others especially Hydro 2 which has been on the cards for a while and I'm looking forward to trying out very soon.

303 is very good and has been a staple for interiors in my kit for a while and they do a marine version which i use on the exterior plastics of friends cars (free jobs) it bonds and revives well and give some UV protection here's a qick pic from my boss truck, you can the line just above the handle where is hasn't been applied.



Lastly re the wheels i'm going to leave them as the car doesn't have a spare but one of those puncture kits instead but i'll be working on my summer wheels soon while they are of and putting some KKD Revolve on them.

 

[TeddyRuxpin]

Good job, and nice practical car - good job for not getting a 4x4 too!

 

[chrisk2010]

I wanted to do a little write up about Wowo's Crystal Sealant and how well it held up when applied to the Zafira last June/July and the reason i chose it for the new car.




When Lee recommended this i was a little sceptical like i am with anything new but i had to say his recommendation was well founded it's really really great stuff and even with my heavy hands when it comes to dilutions of snow foam and citrus pre-washes it held up till the end.

The Zafira had a couple of plastic areas that were always a problem when it came to chemical staining mainly the tops of the wing mirrors, plastic grills in the lower part of the bumper and the roof bars.



The pic is after it was detailed and treated with sealant and right up to end Wowo's held up really well and kept those plastics looking like new which did get me wondering if the stuff was nearly as good as gtechniq c4?! i know shock right! They were previous treated with C4 earlier on in the year January but it had faded before the detail was done but seeing as Wowo's is suitable for most surfaces i skipped applying C4 to see how it would fair.

As far as sealants go i'm still very impressed with it and it's ones of those products for me you get a bit stuck at and prevents you from discovering new things as it performs so well.

I do apply AG polar seal every 2nd-3rd maintenance clean to help any LSP last longer as i have said above and any hydrophobic properties would be more masked by the polar seal but with the Zafira it really was a family bus it wasn't cleaned as often as my car as it was always being used so could go 6-8 weeks between washes at the most so it really was a prime car to test this out on.

The application of Wowo's isn't to bad either on a well prepped surface, i can be a bit of a pain to bring up to shine but no than Fusso products and if anything i definitely found this easier than fusso even when applied in the heat of the summer as it was less likely to create a ghosting affect particularly enhanced by dark paintwork. I simply spray onto a microfibre applicator and gently work each panel in a cross hatched fashion to ensure coverage and then buff off twice, once to get the majority off and you'll find you'll need to do it again to bring the shine up but being a liquid rather than a solid sealant you can apply easily with very little pressure.

It is a spray so my tip would be don't be tempted to spray directly onto the panel rather onto the applicator to avoid over spray finding it way back to a panel you have already done.

I won't be able to measure how much longer it would have lasted as the car has gone but i'm looking forward to finding out with the new one.

 

[chrisk2010]

Good job, and nice practical car - good job for not getting a 4x4 too!

Thanks fella, my better half was a bit put off when i suggested it as i describe VW's no thrills but a good solid car that we won't have to worry about to much, but when she test drove it she was convinced.

It's nice car to to drive to be fair has a good kick off the line for a small engine and handles everything really comfortably, although shorter than the zafira we can get all the kids in comfortably and although they don't appeal to me as much it has enough gadgets and features to keep her happy. The only gadget i like using is the proximity senor when using using cruise control.

The thing for me i would say is that my shoulders overlap the seats a bit making it a bit less comfortable for me than her

 

[LeeJV]

Sorry for the late response Buddy, I've had my detailing head on today lol

great little write up about the Wowo's, it really is good stuff, and goes a long way I got six months out of 1 coat on the GLE, being washed weekly with BH Products, and topped with Elixir every 6weeks or so.
I will be using what I have left on some parts of the latest addition to our family.,

 

[chrisk2010]

Sorry for the late response Buddy, I've had my detailing head on today lol

great little write up about the Wowo's, it really is good stuff, and goes a long way I got six months out of 1 coat on the GLE, being washed weekly with BH Products, and topped with Elixir every 6weeks or so.
I will be using what I have left on some parts of the latest addition to our family.,

Morning Fella, not to worry i'm looking forward to seeing your new daily.

I think it's a really under estimated product and also one of the few that does what it says on the tin.

I bought mine in a Black Friday deal but on an average day for £19 i used about 3/4 of a bottle applied near on 3 coats generously to every inch of a 7 seater which will give the car easily 6 months protection maybe more and really i have enough for another coat which will take it past 12 months for my £19.

I posted the above in #5 for those that haven't used it, it's a weird one to do a write up about to be honest and difficult to explain the experience and what you get from it.

With a solid sealant or wax you open the pot and see whats inside and you know that when you are putting it on the car that you are 100% rubbing a solid on the car that when buffed of and and buffed up to shine there is something there because you have worked up a sweat doing it.

Because of it's liquid form it really evades all first impressions from the second you open the box to buffing it off, applying with an applicator it goes on really easy being a liquid which is great because you can ensure good coverage with little or no effort but your thinking in your head "how is this milky mess going to give me 6-12 months protection?"

As the carrier (liquid the product is suspended in) evaporates and the siloxanes (silicones) are left behind you quickly become aware you are putting something on the car the second you make the first wipe to remove it, it's very sticky and you think hang on i wasn't expecting that! it's that sort feeling you get when you pick up something heavier than it looks lol.

Once you have wiped the excess off you need to buff it to a shine as you normally would which is no worse than anything else i have used before and you're left with a beautiful shiny panel. Like apply anything else applying a second coat is always easier because the first has formed a lovely smooth coating so it is well worth going to have a coffee recovering and apply again.

Owning a black car this stuff really ticks all my boxes as i am not a fan of wax at all for dark cars as they show the tiniest scratches, when some waxes are applied they leave ghost or streaking affect which you can try and sort out with a QD or wetting the panel and buffing again, or wetting the applicator and applying again and in the heat of summer on a dark car you sometimes see the wax "refloat" almost like an oil slick, again this can be corrected with cold water and another buffing but all the time while you caring for the wax your touching the car creating more marring.

With lighter cars you don't really see all this happen, like the zafira i could apply what ever i wanted on it walk away and never thinking about it again and everyone will think i have done a great job but dark cars reveal a products true behaviour like putting it under a microscope.

A dark car like mine with products like Crystal Sealant is like cheese and onion it just works it goes on and you don't really think about it until you start seeing it degrade months down the line. I got into a heated debate on facebook with a well known reviewer about using waxes in the summer on dark cars and he was saying they are worth it and advising me how to correct the pitfalls of wax in heat but in the end it's just too much faff i wouldn't let him win, an LSP should be just that Last Stage Protection and not have to muck around it risking marring a clear coat you may have spent three days cleaning and correcting.

I have written a bit too much there as i have been adding to it for a while but to anyone that hasn't used it is definitely worth trying out.

 

[LeeJV]

I couldn't agree more buddy, I hate waxing, and TBh putting any LSP on in the summertime will cause some fine marring, as so much fine dust sits on the panels the moment you finish drying it, then add some products with a sponge application, you end up mixing all that fine dust with your Lsp and dragging it all over the panels. I'm convinced that it does just as much damage as a bad wash technique.

Dont get me wrong, some waxes are a real joy to use in the right environment and temperature, but as you say in most cases it takes 3 times longer than a liquid sealant LSP.

 

[Windwalker]

Great write up, and a cracking job too,
Now I feel even more guilty about mine

 

[Swany500]

lovely shine