Detailing my mk7

[troutstudio]

Hi. I have a new to me mk7 Golf, in very good condition. I've been thinking about getting ceramic coating; I've watched a ton of videos; but I don't have a garage to do it in and the cost seems too much atm. I'm wondering if I detailed the car the same way - using a clay bar gently - then used a regular non-ceramic polish - are the results going to be close and give good protection? What polish would you recommend for a "hand-detailed" VW? Thanks very much for your time.

[Lucas_R]

Ceramic coatings are (in my opinion) completely unnecessary. Ive been detailing cars both professionally and as a hobby for about 20years and have never used a ceramic coating. I use good quality polishes and sealants and my cars look amazing if I say so myself.

The most important aspect(s) to keeping your car looking good is to keep the car washed regularly (say every 2 weeks for a daily driver) and have some type of paint sealant on it, and to limit UV exposure where possible (park undercover or under a tree etc). Remove bird droppings ASAP also as the acid in bird poo ruins paint very quickly.

So to answer your question, yes its possible to detail your car yourself and get an excellent result.

I would suggest you go visit a shop called Car Care Products in Leichhardt and get some Menzerna or Gyeon polish (both excellent products) and I would recommend the Menzerna Power Lock paint sealant (a modern alternative to wax basically), along with some nice quality microfibre towels etc. Budget around $150-200 for this.

And the Duragloss Aquawax spray is amazing for adding additional shine and protection after a wash. Also great to remove bird poos.

Duragloss also have a great carwash shampoo.

As an alternative, if you would prefer to buy products from your local Supercheap Auto for example, Bowdens Own & Chemical Guys products are very good also.

[Suncoaster]

Great advice from Lucas. I have Ceramic Coating on one of my cars- T -Cross- but I had it applied through the dealer from new, and it is subject to the same warranty as the vehicle, and with no conditions for annual inspections etc. I use Bowden's products on that car and my MK 6 Golf, but after washing I also use Meguiars Kwik Detail which is a quick spray on/ wipe off product which is claimed to add polymer protection and shine. It is useful on a lightly dusty car between washes as it picks up the dust, bird poo, leaf stains etc and keeps your car looking great. Cheers-John