# My first ever detail



## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

(No, someone else did it) 

I've never had a car detailed before so I though I'd see what all the fuss was about and.... wow.
The guy I used spent 12 hours giving it the full treatment: snow foam, wash, decontaminate, clay bar, then a good compounding to lose years worth of swirly marks (and a couple of minor scratches), followed by a polish and an application of Swissvax.

The interior got a thorough clean too, all the leather cleaned and treated, carpets shampooed, all the little nooks and crannies cleaned.
The guy who did it (Jonathan Goodall @ JDG Auto Valeting in Disley) was great, gave me a reasonable, accurate quote upfront, then sent me progress pictures throughout the day.

I'll try to get some better photos later when the sun comes out but I'm astounded how good it looks.
I've never really appreciated the Phantom Black colour before but it looks great.

Now I need to treat myself to a half-decent pressure washer and some cleaning products.

Pics from the guy's social media page, more to follow!


----------



## wsantos (Sep 7, 2020)

Looks like he's done a great job! I got into the car detailing rabbit whole some 6 years ago. The TT looks worth a lot more when it's kept in this condition. The Swiss Wax is very glossy but won't last. You may want to consider protecting it with a sealant like Fusso Coat (12 months durability) or use something like Sonax BSD diluted 50/50 as a drying aid after every wash. Check out some tutorials on YouTube on how to care for black paint, how to wash a polished car, etc to minimise the scratches going forward. Good luck. 

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk


----------



## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

Nice work looks 😎


----------



## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

wsantos said:


> The Swiss Wax is very glossy but won't last. You may want to consider protecting it with a sealant like Fusso Coat (12 months durability) or use something like Sonax BSD diluted 50/50 as a drying aid after every wash. Check out some tutorials on YouTube on how to care for black paint, how to wash a polished car, etc to minimise the scratches going forward. Good luck.


Thanks, that's really useful to know


----------



## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

More pictures taken this afternoon, not as sunny as I'd hoped but still nice to document it.
Please excuse the hastily disguised number plates


----------



## ab54666 (Nov 18, 2019)

Detailing gets very additive, I dread to think what I've spent on Polishers and all manner of stuff over the past 10 years. My best (recent) purchase though was a DI vessel, really good for the house windows as well with a £45 amazon pole, no smear marks ever again, especially in summer.


----------



## wsantos (Sep 7, 2020)

ab54666 said:


> Detailing gets very additive, I dread to think what I've spent on Polishers and all manner of stuff over the past 10 years. My best (recent) purchase though was a DI vessel, really good for the house windows as well with a £45 amazon pole, no smear marks ever again, especially in summer.


I agree, I eventually managed to get to a point when I didn't have to try every new product coming out. I settled on a short list of what works for me after years experimenting and I'm sticking with those on the list. 

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk


----------



## wsantos (Sep 7, 2020)

@andy mac those seats would look even better if you try a coloured leather balm from the likes of The Scratch Doctor (UK brand). They make balms specifically for car leather. 

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk


----------



## Steviejones133 (Aug 18, 2021)

Some excellent results there, careful, you might get bitten by the detailing bug and do it yourself next time! - honestly, it’s loads of fun, sweat and sore limbs 🤣

FYI, here’s the detail I did on mine recently.









What Did You Buy Today for Your Mk2 TT...?


Got a second hand console trim as the one on mine has the usual bubbling and marks - this one’s almost perfect….I just need a new ashtray to match condition wise as mines also suffering the same marks as my original console trim. If anyones got one, message me! - posted in Marketplace WTB forum...




www.ttforum.co.uk


----------



## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

Thanks for the positive comments everyone, I can totally understand it being addictive!



Steviejones133 said:


> Some excellent results there, careful, you might get bitten by the detailing bug and do it yourself next time! - honestly, it’s loads of fun, sweat and sore limbs 🤣


I've thought about it a few times 
Now the major paint restoration is done, keeping on top of it should be easier than starting from scratch.
The only thing holding me back really is my car living in a private car park that's about 50 - 60 metres away from my flat.
However, my sister lives nearby and has a private driveway with a water outlet etc. so that might be an option.

I've already started looking at pressure washers and seriously tempted by something like a Stihl 120.


----------



## wsantos (Sep 7, 2020)

I hardly ever take the pressure washer out, personally. I keep a small kit in the boot and use the coin jet wash twice a week. When the car is properly protected with a paint sealant like Fusso Coat, a rinseless wash is all that's required for your maintenance wash. My routine:

Spray Bilt Hamber Surfex HD @7% dilution using a 2l pump sprayer, leave on for 3 to 5 minutes.
Rinse with the pressure washer 
Do a rinseless wash with a couple of damp high quality microfibre towels using Sonax BSD + Megs Last Touch detailer. See YouTube to learn how to do a rinseless wash if you're not sure.

Job done. Takes 15 minutes including the wheels. A collapsible bucket in the boot to rinse the towels every now and then is helpful. 

I only use car shampoo once a year before a detailing session. I also use an iron remover during the prewash step twice a year. You could see on the other post how good the paintwork looks and it's virtually scratch-free. 

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk


----------



## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

wsantos said:


> I hardly ever take the pressure washer out, personally. I keep a small kit in the boot and use the coin jet wash twice a week. W





> .< Why didn't I think of that? That's a great idea.


There's a garage with a coin-op jetwash not far from me but I don't use it often as all you can safely do is rinse unless you want scratches - they have a "foam brush" that smears the suds around along with a sizeable helping of grit and dirt from the previous user.

Still tempted to get the full kit to use at home so I can take my time but yours is an excellent stop-gap. and for those times when you just want a quicker solution.


----------



## wsantos (Sep 7, 2020)

Yeah the only thing I touch when using the coin washer is the water lance. I see people going over high end cars with the brush and it makes me want to take their keys away... They don't deserve their car! 

The TT being a small car makes my process quite easy to follow. I prefer driving a clean and spotless car than spending hours washing it during the weekend knowing it will get dirt in 2 days or so but for some people it's therapeutical so I get it. 

Just don't get too hooked up the two buckets process. As they say, foam is for the honey, rinseless is for the money. And IME, rinseless well carried out will cause a lot less love marks and no swrils compared to going over with a wash mitt and soap. 

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk


----------



## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

I'd never heard of rinseless so I looked it up, it seems an odd way to go about things 
Why wouldn't you want to rinse?


----------



## wsantos (Sep 7, 2020)

It's because you're not using soap but a cleaner that leaves a layer of protection. As such, it is meant to be left on and not rinsed. You can follow up with a quick detailer if you wish. 

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk


----------

