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lawrenceSA
07-09-2014, 01:49 PM
I put this post together initially on the local VW Club forum I am a member of as this was one of the club member's cars I detailed.

I have removed the links to that forum and have tried to give credit where it was due, and may have 'paraphrased'? in my summary of things, but am not trying to claim his process as my own - more just trying to educate my fellow dubbers, so I hope 'no harm done'.

It was quite an experience trying to replicate it for the first time though and I am very grateful that us 'geekers can draw on a resource such as Mike.:dblthumb2:

_________________________

I had been looking forward to this detail ever since it was booked in the better part of 6 months ago, not only because the car is still wearing it's original 30 year old single stage paint, but also because I simply love this little car.

How can any dubber not?

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0418_zpse5f1d580.jpg

The car belongs to club member slownick. Here is the rides thread *link removed*

So.... firstly, I must give credit to Mike Phillips (ex Meguiars, currently at Autogeek) who compiled the most comprehensive guide on dealing with single stage paint, that matters to you. , without which too many a caveman would hack up this delicate paint, by applying modern approaches on something older than some of them. It was an invaluable source of information. Thank you. Here is the link to the thread should anyone want to read it http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/25304-secret-removing-oxidation-restoring-show-car-finish-antique-single-stage-paints.html. It focusses on single stage metallic paint but the principles are the same.

Single stage paint is effectively the base color (red in this case) with no clear coat on top if it. This is how older cars were painted, and in fact how some still are. The problem with these paints is that they are prone to oxidation (where the sun's UV rays break down the pigment in the paint) fading the color and turning it a chalky white kind of color. Red fades to orange to pink to white for example - by the way, red is the color most prone to oxidation because red is at the opposite end of the light spectrum to Violet and thus 'absorbs' all Ultra Violet Rays' energy from the sun.

Manufacturers eventually changed to the modern base/clear system to mitigate oxidation by introducing the harder clear coat on top of the base coat. The downside is that these paints are more 'scratch sensitive' and their 'issue' is thus swirl marks (very fine scratches) which make the paint look dull through the refraction of light. Single stage paint still gets swirls inflicted (as you will see later), but usually the oxidation is the first thing you will notice making the paint look dull.

Single stage paint is also a lot more porous than moder base/clear coats (Polony/Strat can tell you just how much rater a modern car's paint can absorb) and so it is able to suck up any oils you feed it via capillary action, either through a wax or something like Meguiars #7 and this is where the real trick comes in when dealing with these old paints.

By first gorging the paint with oils you 're-hydrate' it and this means that you get to polish paint which is less 'powdery' and so you land up removing LESS paint, reducing the chance of having to re-spray the car which, IMO on an old beauty like this, would be sacrilege - I know the owner feels the same way. Some caveman (or many a caveman?) has unfortunately burnt through 2 spots on the bonnet, presumably by simply climbing in with the polisher on 'delicate/brittle/dry/powdery' paint, and obviously showing no regard for the raised edges.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0442_zps837f2f2f.jpg

So this wasn't to be the normal type of detail for me and so the car was detailed over 2 full weekends and during the week after work in between them. It was a lot more work than I expected :lol: but a whole lot of fun.

Right.... let's talk about washing an old car like this....

Well.... DON'T...

Not the normal way anyway..... you see 2 bucket washes, HP rinses and flooding the car will on drive water into place where it will sit and eventually turn to rust.... so instead a 'rinse-less' wash is the way to go. Think of it liking wiping the car clean instead of washing it. BUT, you use the correct products and process. You can't just grab any old rag and a bucket of water.

Now the first thing to understand is the dirtier the car, the more likely this method will inflict swirls, so you will need to perform this 'wash' more often, which really shouldn't be a problem because it is so quick to do. I took me around 20 minutes to do the car including the wheels, which weren't really dirty to start with.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0423_zps9d1a90c2.jpg

But did need a good tire cleaning

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0594_zpsb4dfdebd.jpg
So how do you do it....

You get a bucket, ideally with a seal-able lid. You mix up a solution of your rinse-less wash of choice - in this case it was Optimum No Rinse. The dilution ratio is 1 ounce of No Rinse Wash & Shine to 2 gallons of water, or for us, 30ml to 7.5l

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0542_zps0c1a208b.jpg

Then you put some MF Towels in - I used 14 for this car - put the lid on (so no dirt gets in) and let them soak overnight [this only takes a few minutes to do]

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0547_zps94992d07.jpg

Then when you are ready to wash the car, simply grab one of the towels out your bucket, give it a little squeeze to get the bulk of the water out and fold it half then fold it again. Moving from the top of the car down work your way around the car, changing out to a new towel after you have dirtied each clean side of the towel (by folding in half and then in half again you effectively get 8 clean sides to the towel). Only wipe one short stroke with each clean side of the towel so you don't re-grind dirt back into the paint.

This is how much solution I used to clean the car.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0566_zps8edefffb.jpg

You can also spray some pre-mixed solution onto the car via a spray bottle to further 'lubricate' the surface, should you want to.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0560_zpsc946f0b2.jpg

But let's back up a little and see what the general condition of the car was

Some battle scars

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0428_zpsb7581664.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0439_zps9153d779.jpg

A little bit of dirt

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0446_zps6b952a18.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0517_zps4ad532e5.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0516_zpse0db1011.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0515_zps116f8a72.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0519_zps9dbe3b99.jpg

Wax in the cracks

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0506_zps098d4d84.jpg

And some faded bumpers that had 'splotches' of what may have been a silicone dressing

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0524_zpsca588e97.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0503_zps88ee4397.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0499_zpsc141f122.jpg

So after giving the outside a rinse-less wash it was time to start cleaning up the interior, which for the most part is really clean.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0473_zps4d1c7050.jpg

But upon closer inspection we find

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0461_zpsb6c344ec.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0459_zpsfd182a7a.jpg

And looking even closer we see this horrendous shiny 'dressing' (I started cleaning it off on the right)

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0674_zps0ecd7ada.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0676_zpsc6536542.jpg

It was everywhere...

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0688_zps9fc201f4.jpg

So with the inside and outside of the car now cleaned, it was time to start working in more earnest on the paint. I obviously did not use an iron remover (you need to rinse is extremely well and I did not want to introduce water to the car) or a tar remover (sticker kit would not have liked it, plus you should rinse off, again not something I wanted to do). So the only decontamination process was claying.

Now you can see the swirls under some focussed lighting

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0614_zps2f87eed7.jpg

And some deep RIDS

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0718_zpsbf662a31.jpg

Once this was completed, it was time to start gorging the paint with oils....

The weapon of choice.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0648_zps49f3a419.jpg

So we know that applying #7 will feed oils into the paint via capillary action, but by changing the way in which it is applied, we can also remove part of the dead/oxidised layer of paint. If you use a terry towel which has a loop designed pile, these little loops will scrape the paint, removing it while you work #7 in. A MF Towel due to its design (more of a tuft of individual fibres) will be less aggressive, and given how little oxidation the car presented on arrival, I chose not to use the terry towel method but instead used short nap MF Towels)

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0649_zpsa0687601.jpg

Worked in with some passion

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0650_zpsa142842d.jpg

And this is the result

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0666_zpsd66dcf98.jpg

This coat of #7 was applied on Saturday afternoon and left to soak in until Sunday lunchtime whereafter it was wiped off and a second coat applied. This was repeated on Monday and Tuesday too and all in all I used about 2 bottles and a lot of energy :lol: but you could literally see the deepness of the red starting to return to the paint.

In the meantime I had completely cleaned all the plastic trim working a relatively stiff bristled brush to work the cleaner in, which helped to remove some of the dead/oxidised plastic. All in all the dried out bumpers soaked in 10 applications of dressing over the course of the week.

After the 2 applications

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0638_zps861a235c.jpg

Then on Thursday night, after wiping off the final application of #7 it was time to start the laborious task of taping up, and on these cars, there is a lot of taping to be done.

Excuse the cruddy cell phone pics

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140705_081941_zps2bb6aca4.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140703_185912_zpsbc8e8a80.jpg

Then on Friday night I performed some test spots, dialled in my process and started polishing, which finished late Saturday afternoon. The first coat of wax was laid down and a second coat applied on Sunday morning.

The rest of Sunday was spent polishing the exhaust, cleaning the interior glass, cleaning and treating the exterior glass, polishing and sealing the door and boot shuts, vacuuming the interior and cleaning and treating all the rubbers and dressing the interior plastics.

lawrenceSA
07-09-2014, 01:49 PM
This was the end result.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_151336_zps5e7cb3fc.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_151446_zps0d580c10.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_151423_zps5cde6b71.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0804_zps408d23d9.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_151929_zps0b6ca0d5.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0839_zps5b25c6db.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0834_zps052fc13d.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0851_zps80bba441.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_151621_zpsca4c18d5.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_152027_zps392d9df2.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0891_zps72d9d05b.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0888_zpsd5051ad1.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_155951_zps17d90da4.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_155535_zps7dd4b234.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_154728_zps2a5ec4cc.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_154533_zps939e6d21.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/IMG_0869_zps1959dc12.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd393/polo_playa/Detailing%20-%20Nick%20Mk1%20Gts/20140708_155922_zpsa5ef4274.jpg

List of products used

Mothers FX Wheel Cleaner and a Mothers Tire Brush
Autofinesse Gloss Tire Dressing
Shield Heavy Duty Clay
ONR at Clay lube dilution
Menerna Powerlock
Autofinesse Tripple
ONR at rinse-less solution
Waffle weave drying towels
MF Towels
Foam Applicator pads
Menzerna PF2500
Menzerna SF4000
Lake Country 4" white pads
Lake Country 4" grey pads
Lake Country 5" tangerine pads
Lake Country 5" crimson pads
Chemical Guys Pete's 53
Glossworx Glass Cleaner
Insta Finish Bead Off
Shield Heavy Duty Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner
Optimum Optibond Tire Gel
Autofinesse Spritz
Meguiars NXT Metal Polish

Total time spent
52 hours

Thanks for looking and as always and questions or comments are welcome

sproketser
07-09-2014, 02:42 PM
Top job again mate .

With what did you washed & protect rubber weatherstripes ! It s one part I have to figure .

oldmodman
07-09-2014, 04:04 PM
Very nice job on that tired old paint. You really got it to shine!

But tell the owner to do something out the wheel/tire fitment combo. The wheel should NEVER stick out beyond the rubber of the tire. Either the tire is too narrow for the wheel or the wheel is too wide for the tire. Which are actually two different things. Either of which can cause a bead to unseat with a catastrophic loss of air in the tire.

sproketser
07-09-2014, 04:16 PM
I know mate , it s the stance look , the owner wont listen to him .

Luis_Heineken
07-09-2014, 04:47 PM
Excellent work. :wow:

lawrenceSA
07-10-2014, 12:45 AM
Top job again mate .

With what did you washed & protect rubber weatherstripes ! It s one part I have to figure .
Thanks my friend. I used a locally available product manufactured by Shield - their Heavy Duty Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner to do all the cleaning, then dressed using Optibond


Very nice job on that tired old paint. You really got it to shine!

But tell the owner to do something out the wheel/tire fitment combo. The wheel should NEVER stick out beyond the rubber of the tire. Either the tire is too narrow for the wheel or the wheel is too wide for the tire. Which are actually two different things. Either of which can cause a bead to unseat with a catastrophic loss of air in the tire.\
Thank you. Yes the look of really wide rims on stretched tires with the car dropped low is just one of those things that dubbers do - form > function for the stance boys but I do get the associated risks. I am afraid any suggestions to 'make it safe' will fall on deaf ears. Fortunately the car is not a daily driver


Excellent work. :wow:
Thank you very much

sproketser
07-10-2014, 05:35 AM
Thanx for the comeback , will try to find something similar or try with Simple Green , or another APC . Might finish with 303 Protectant , have some .

Nice How To as usual .

HUMP DIESEL
07-10-2014, 06:54 AM
Thanks my friend. I used a locally available product manufactured by Shield - their Heavy Duty Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner to do all the cleaning, then dressed using Optibond


Thank you. Yes the look of really wide rims on stretched tires with the car dropped low is just one of those things that dubbers do - form > function for the stance boys but I do get the associated risks. I am afraid any suggestions to 'make it safe' will fall on deaf ears. Fortunately the car is not a daily driver


Thank you very much

Not just dubbers, that whole look is big here in the US, from Audis, to even old Mercedes, all on bags.

Enough of that, let's talk about your work...:dblthumb2::dblthumb2: Man, great turn around!

HUMP

lawrenceSA
07-10-2014, 06:58 AM
Not just dubbers, that whole look is big here in the US, from Audis, to even old Mercedes, all on bags.

Enough of that, let's talk about your work...:dblthumb2::dblthumb2: Man, great turn around!

HUMP

Thank you very much indeed!:dblthumb2:

Zelfiris
07-10-2014, 09:00 AM
Wow 52 hours! Amazing work!

antti@561detailing
07-10-2014, 02:19 PM
Nice work like always...old classic looks new again

lawrenceSA
07-11-2014, 01:07 AM
Wow 52 hours! Amazing work!



Nice work like always...old classic looks new again

Thank you both:dblthumb2:

Zubair
07-21-2015, 04:00 PM
Had to bump up this amazing thread:dblthumb2:

SKT
07-21-2015, 06:17 PM
Had to bump up this amazing thread:dblthumb2:

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Thanks for the bump, as I enjoyed it!

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