Exterior correction on my own 98' VW GTI (Pic Heavy)

[clordj12]

This is my personal vehicle that I've owned since I was 16. I bought the car used with 60,xxx miles on it as my first vehicle completely stock. I had taken decent care of the finish with what knowledge I had with just washing and waxing. The last few years as I started to get into detailing I started to see what my paints finish really looked like. This cars finish is what originally got me into doing paint correction as I wanted the car to be perfect. Since starting to detail and do correction jobs I just have not had time to do my own vehicle which has been killing me. I haven’t driven the car all winter and it was sitting outside and as you will see it was in need of a serious correction. The entire finish of the car looked horrible. I will let the pics speak for themselves. Hope everyone enjoys!

Process


Wash/clay
-Two bucket wash w/ heavy mix of dawn
-DP Extreme Auto foam/heavy Dawn mix via AG Foam cannon
-Red LC wash mitt
-Dried with LC HD WW towels
-Pinnacle Clay bar
-Pinnacle clay lube

Wheels/Tires
-Various Brushes w/ P21s Wheel Gel
-Meg's Gold class tire gel
-Wheel wells received some Aerospace 303

Correction
-PCXP 7424
-Megs 105 w/ LC Orange pad (2 Passes)
-Megs 205 w/ LC White pad (2 Passes)

LSP
-Black Fire Wet Diamond Paint Sealant
-Pinnacle Souverän

All exterior textured trim received some Aerospace 303 protectant

Total Time: 12 hours

Started with the car being extremely dirty.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-7.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-5.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-4.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-6.jpg

After I washed and clayed the car I took it out into the sun to see the real defects. It wasnt pretty. Actually it was really really bad.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpics03.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-47.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-46.jpg

Under the lights it was much worse.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-51.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-53.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-52.jpg

The entire cars finish looked like this. Very disappointing as I had a lot of work ahead of me.

Fender area

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-54.jpg
Rear quarter

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-10.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-9.jpg

I did a test section and found that 2 passes with LC orange and m105 and 2 passes of LC white with m205 would do the trick.

Here is the rear quarter after both passes

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-13.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-14.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-12.jpg
and a semi 50/50

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpics02.jpg

I followed this process the entire car. Here is the hood section 50/50 with just one pass of orange with m105

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-59.jpg

Batteries died and didn’t have anymore at the house so I didn’t get anymore during process shots. After I did the entire vehicle I took it outside to check my work and before LSP and after an IPA wipe down and another heavily mixed dawn wash.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-80.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-78.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-76.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-79.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-75.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-77.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-73.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-22.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-21.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-20.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-19.jpg

[clordj12]

Needless to say I was very happy with the outcome Pre LSP. I brought the car back in the garage and added a layer of Blackfire wet diamond paint sealant and let cure for a few hours. Wiped it down and layered on a coat of Pinnacle Souverän. Here are the finished pics from my hard work.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-49.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-45.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-27.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-40.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-36.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-32.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-30.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-25.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/clordj12/My%20GTI%20after%20correction%20pics/MyGTICorrectionduringandafterpic-85.jpg

[kids_gone]

From one VW owner to another LOOKING GOOD :goodjob2:

[christian900se]

Uh oh, I see an intercooler tucked away behind that bumper. ;)

Great looking car, those are definately timeless designs and you did it justice!

[clordj12]

Thanks for the compliments. The car is great fun weekend warrior and I can actually drive it around now that its been polished.

[TheCougarGuy]

That's a nice looking car. I like the stance. Too bad Virginia makes you wear a front license plate.

[pokerbob781]

Great work Bro! Let me ask a question. How did you know to do 2 sections of the 105 and 205. I'm almost ready to detail my car for the first time and I wasn't sure what steps to take.

For example, I was gonna start with 205 with a white pad. Why not just do 6 section passes of this or should I do less section passes with a more aggressive combo?

[DARK HORSE]

Nice work, your car looks great. Also good job w/ your pictures!

[Maldini]

Wow, great car and fantastic results. Your last steps really added depth and gloss to the paint.

I think I will be adding some Blackfire and Souverän to my next order as it seems to be a deadly combo on black. :xyxthumbs:

[AeroCleanse]

Nice work!

[clordj12]

Great work Bro! Let me ask a question. How did you know to do 2 sections of the 105 and 205. I'm almost ready to detail my car for the first time and I wasn't sure what steps to take.

For example, I was gonna start with 205 with a white pad. Why not just do 6 section passes of this or should I do less section passes with a more aggressive combo?


While doing my test section I started with the least aggressive method. I tried using M205 w/ white LC pad and it wasnt cutting through the swirls. I then stepped up to m205 on orange and it still wasnt giving me the correction that I wanted. Finally I stepped up to M105 on an orange pad and it was aggressive enough to be able to get out all the swirls I wanted gone in 2 passes. This was the reason I went with the combo I did. 2 passes of m205 on a white LC pad took out everything that the LC orange w/m105 put in. So that is how I came up with my process for this car. Test out a few pad/compound/polish combo's to get the correction you want. Rememer least aggressive method is always best but sometimes you just have to be a bit aggresive to get the correction you are looking for.

Thanks for the nice comments from everyone else, they are very much appreciated!!

[clordj12]

Wow, great car and fantastic results. Your last steps really added depth and gloss to the paint.

I think I will be adding some Blackfire and Souverän to my next order as it seems to be a deadly combo on black. :xyxthumbs:


It is an absolute killer on Black. Thanks!

[rohnramirez]

Stunning results. Excellent work there sir. :)