[Slobo]

Have a new 2006.5 GTI in Red and was wondering if the glossy black surround around the front grille and panels behind the door windows can be treated the same as the rest of the painted car with cleaning, polishing and sealant products (like Menzerna, Mothers, Meguiars, etc.).

Any tips for products and applicators/wipe-off cloths for these bits?

 

[Mr. Spool]

My suggestion to you to to treat those areas like the other PAINTED surfaces of the car, however not to aggressive. No compounds. No glazes. Just clean them well and protect them with a good quality HARD wax. Not a liquid wax. Also be leary of areas like that painted trim strip around the front grille. (I'm referring to the grille itself.) Don't get wax/sealant on the non-painted plastic. It is very hard to remove wax from these non-painted/texured surfaces.

I've had great success with some of the products from Ardex Labratories. If you have a Black GTI they make a machine polish called '4212 Seal-B'. Tremendous product. A little hard to work with, but well worth the effort. In your case, a Red GTI, there is a product called '4209 Flint Glaze Wax'. This works very well on bright colors (Red, Yellow, Blue, Bright Green, and Pewter/Silver). Check em' out.

(http://www.ardexlabs.com/index2.html)

 

[Thalo]

When you guys talk about hard wax, do you actually take a block of wax and rub it all of your car?

I washed my car yesterday. Sprayed all the mudd off with soapy water at a coin-op, then rinsed with clean water, then sprayed carnuba wax-water all over it to give it a nice base coat. Then I drove it out of the car wash and got it muddy again.

 

[Mr. Spool]

No. Hard wax and Liquid wax are two different things. Hard wax is the kind that comes in a can and a liquid wax comes in a bottle. Hard wax is traditionally much more durable than liquid wax. You apply both in the same way....a good old rag and elbow power.

 

[bcruzin]

Any difference in a hard wax gloss and a liquid wax gloss?

 

[Thalo]

I apply it with a pressure washer. Spending more than 5 minutes washing a car here is about as futile as drying your car off in Seattle in the winter.

 

[nitroburn]

LOL.

Very true thalo. that applys here in BC also.

 

[Mr. Spool]

I find that the best way to treat the look of your car is to.........(how does the old saying go?) get out of it exactly what you put into it. The difference between the glossiness of liquid and hard waxes is somewhat circumstantial. What makes a car shiny? Reflectivity and surface quality, right? The smoother the surfaces of a vehicle are, the more light it is going to reflect, therefore the car looks much more shiny. Example: If it is the middle of the summer and you know that the next day is going to be a scorcher, wax the car the night before. The logic behind this is that after you wax a car there are still small pieces of wax that sit on the surface. These particles break up the surface and reflect light in different directions. When the car sits in the hot sun the day after you waxed it, these particles melt down and become flat with the surface, reflecting light in one direction. Make sense? Bottom line: the difference in gloss between the two types of wax is really marginal. It is the durability that makes the difference. Hard waxes last much longer than liquid waxes and are much more resilient to the elements. Also remember to clean and polish your car in the proper order. (debug/detar, wash, rinse, clay, rinse, dry, compound/scratch remove (if needed), polish, wax/seal).

 

[deviltailedfast]

I apply it with a pressure washer. Spending more than 5 minutes washing a car here is about as futile as drying your car off in Seattle in the winter.

Living in Seattle, all I can say is you're dead right. I often consider washing the car in the rain, and letting nature take her rinsing course, but I have yet to purchase the waterproof poncho to do it.

 

[ande1978]

Have a new 2006.5 GTI in Red and was wondering if the glossy black surround around the front grille and panels behind the door windows can be treated the same as the rest of the painted car with cleaning, polishing and sealant products (like Menzerna, Mothers, Meguiars, etc.).

Any tips for products and applicators/wipe-off cloths for these bits?

Back to the topic, it looks to me like these parts are polycarbonate. I already have some micro scratches in the uprights behind the door and it drives me crazy. They could've made them flat like the mirror mounts (the Rabbit's are flat also).

Anyway, has anybody used a polycarbonate scratch remover and polish/ cleaner like Novus on these parts? It's usually a three-part system (two if you don't need the deep scratch remover).

 

[Dragon]

A friend told me to try this stuff: http://www.5starshine.com/ : I ordered it and I'll let you know how it works. It's supposed to last 5 years (if it lasts a year: I'll be happy).

The fast is a lil over a week old and I spent the weekend detailing it. (My arms are sore!)

#1 NEVER EVER use a buffer and only wax a clean car. Don't wax in direct sunlight.

As far as the gloss plastic on the grill and pillars: I use the NXT wax.

For wax: I prefer McGuires NXT paste wax (in a can) don't get it on the unpainted plastic as mentioned above.
For plastic and rubber: Vinylx (from Lexol)
I use endust for electronics on the huffs to keep the brake dust off.

Interior: Lexol conditioner (and it will absorb a few coats of it into the leather)
Dash and Instruments: Endust for electronics. ( I used it on the engine covers too- yeah: I'm a geek)

The better the wax job- the easier it is to clean the car and keep it clean.

I'll post an update on how good the 5 star stuff is: It's PTFE based, so it's not really a wax, so I may just do a test spot first and see how it holds up. 8)

 

[fyrefast]

I've been messing with cars for about 30 years now and I've tried a lot of waxes etc. I have had 5 Star Shine on two cars now and I couldn't be happier. I first put it on a BMW 330ci about 3 years ago. At the time, 5 Star said that after it was applied, you could just hose the car off and dry it. The PTFE is so slick that nothing sticks to it. Well, I couldn't bear the thought of not soaping my precious BMW so I would wash conventionally with a dilute solution of car wash soap in water. But every time I washed, the wash water never got dirty! The wash rag just didn't pick-up any dirt, because there wasn't any on the car. So now the GTI has 5 Star Shine (BMW's been sold) and I just hose off, water squeege, and dry with microfiber towels. Looks Awesome! And no more waxing!
I recommend rubbing the paint out thoroughly (by hand or buffer) with a quality polish or extra fine rubbing compound from a paint shop before applying 5 Star, to be sure the paint is as clean and smooth as it can be. The 5 Star isn't a cleaner. Also, if you want a 3M/xpel type clear bra (they are great, check out Starshieldarmor.com, they can refer you to an experienced installer in your area) put the bra on the car before the 5 Star. The bra may not stick to the 5 Star. Apply 5 star right over the bra.

 

[vw lover18]

this may have been mentioned already but i may have missed it but what do you use to make the plastic on the grille look like new again? a friend of mine that owns an acura rsx said he uses tire shine on his but i'm a little timid to try that. i thought about using armor all on it but what would be best