Paint correction advice on Candy White MK6 GTI

Paulyfe12

Paulyfe12

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Hello everyone, I'm Paul. I have been working on cars and detailing them since I was 16. Now I'm the proud owner of a brand new 2013 GTI in Candy White. After inspecting the paint and noticing swirls and light scratches in the paint, no doubt from the dealerships "detailers" that tried to clean it up before I came to pick it up. I have decided to delve into the paint correction game. I have been doing everything by hand up to now. Unfortunately hand compounding and polishing isn't going to help much with what I'm going for here which is completely swirl and scratch free paint. So ive decided to get a DA polisher. I have been looking at The Porter Cable 7424XP. But after reading about the FLEX 3401 VRG, I don't know what to do, I'm nervous about the Flex do to its Direct drive and that makes me think I could accidentally mar the paint if I over pressure it. So the PC or the Flex? I'm going to use the Blackfire paint correction system. Along with the wet diamond sealant and midnight carnauba wax. Unless you think there is a better brand system for a white car German paint. And feel free to offer up opinions as to what waxes and sealants really make white look good.
 
First Welcome to AG...

1st Opinion. Browse the videos here on AG on detailing and DA. Of course budget. As you probably know this can get expensive.

Myself I have the Griots 3" and 6" and being a novice they work great for me on my Camaro and CTS. Again pads, polishes, this adds up.

You will get more comments and opinions on different DA, polishes and waxes from great people here on AG
 
Alright thanks man. I have already done a lot of research on the DA polishers and I was close to buying the Griots 6 inch, but I read a bunch of horrific review of them either dying after a few uses or actually exploding in peoples hands, so that made me think again lol As far as budget goes, I can afford the system, I teach and coach so money isn't an issue, its more my none-existent skills with the polisher and what brands to use. I have read and watched vids with mike Phillips and the section passes and doing small sections are all in my head now
 
I see the Camaro is white. what pads and products do you us on it?
 
Welcome to AG Online Paul - you are really in the best place if you want access to information, and should receive quality replies to your post, and can access so much existing content - it is awesome!!! :xyxthumbs:

I have detailed a fair amount of Candy White Golfs, being a bit of a VW nutter....

All of my work is done with a Meguiars Equivalent DA polisher so don't let anyone kid you it can't be done. Sure it may be slower than other machines, but it is pretty fool proof, and IMO a good tool to learn on.

If you only intend on cleaning up the initial dealer induced mess, and then maintaining your own car thereafter, and do not intend on becoming a weekend warrior such as myself, then I see no reason why a PC/Megs/Griots type DA won't work.

The Flex is something I am looking at, as in my scenario with a car every weekend, the added power will help reduce the workload to some degree. But it MAY be overkill for your 1 car maintenance type scenario....cost / reward?

I believe the Griots machine comes with a lifetime warranty so it should be a good buy.

As already mentioned, one of the most overlooked things when getting setup, is an ample amount of pads. Do not work a pad too long....

1. heat drys out polishes quicker, leading to shorter working times and will negatively effect the lifespan of the pad.
2. The build up of abraded paint can a) marr the finish giving you less than ideal results and will b) reduce the pads cutting ability

There are a plethora of products available and you can easily get lost in it all. As Mr Mike Phillips always says, Keep it Simple Simon, and find something you like and use it often.

5.5" Flat pads will work well on the more under-powered machines like these - Lake country Hydrotech's are a good option.

Cyan for heavy defect (and thus paint) removal
Tangerine for polishing
Crimson for finishing...

One of the key items when using this type of machine is to use a slow ARM speed.... maybe around 1"to 1.5" per second. watch some of the many videos available...

Knowing VW paint, you would probably be able to get the dealer mess sorted with Menzerna PF2500 on a LC tangerine pad, depending on how bad it is.... if it is minimal, SF4000 may work too?

Hope this helps a little.
 
I have nowhere near the VW experience that Lawrence does, but I can share my experience from detailing out my Black Mk6 a few weeks ago. I was really happy with the results. I too used the Blackfire SRC Duo. You can find the thread in the Show-n-Shine area.

I used the humble Harbor Freight DA polisher with a Lake Country 5" backing plate and LC 5.5" flat pads.

After washing and claying, I tested the car using only the white pad and the Blackfire SRC finishing polish. While it easily knocked out all of the swirls there were still some of the deeper marks so I decided to step down to the SRC Compound and the pink pad. That eliminated all marks and left a great looking finish. However, in the interest of going for the best look possible, I went around again with the SRC Finishing Polish.

The SRC Compound finished down so nice I could have stopped right there and applied the LSP. I also would have been pretty happy with using just the SRC Finishing Polish as the deeper marks were few and far between making them almost unnoticeable. Were I to do it again, I'd skip the compound and stick to the Finishing Polish. This was my first time working on a VW and my first time with the Blackfire products. I learned quite a big and nailed down my approach for when I repeat the whole process in the fall.
 
Paulyfe12 said:
I see the Camaro is white. what pads and products do you us on it?
Click to expand...

I used XMT line of products. I like the 5.5 micro fiber pads which worked well on my paint.

Again like posted before take your time and to a test spot first. Prepping is the most important part of ur process.

Meguiars DA Microfiber Correction System, paint polishing system, car polish, car detailing system, compounding system, remove scratches

Pinnacle XMT Series 3 Pack- Your Choice!

Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides
Good Luck
 
Hey there, fellow new purchaser here. I just finished a full detail on my car and here's what I learned:

1. Griots 6" DA was awesome. I loved it.

2. Megs Ultimate Compound works as a great all in one. Over the counter too. Now after pounding through quite a bit of it and needing something new I have ordered Megs 105/205. Just trying different things out and I've read a lot about it here. Although UC should do everything you want and it's relatively cheap.

3. I also have Blackfire for my new car. Haven't tried it detailed it yet, but I did get the TPnS as a light swirl remover with the Wet Diamond Paint Protectant to follow and then Crystal Seal.

4. Lots of pads! That is something I just learned today. I must have missed the recommendation about switching out pads. I finished polishing the second half of my car this morning and when I went to switch out pads for the wax below is what I saw.

It may have been my fault by pressing to hard (which AGO support told me) or I just need to change out pads more often. I honestly believe I don't press that hard but I will obviously humble myself and be more cognizant.

** Oh by the way, Microfiber towels is definitely where it's at. Get a bunch! **

Enjoy your spending spree!
 
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