"Glass like finish" paint protection on a new white Golf

**jaysingh** · 08-07-2016, 12:28 AM

Hi All,

I'm picking up my new white Golf and was given the usual dealer sell about paint protection and tints.
Now, I understand that these things are prized at a sweet premium and can be had outside for a fraction of the prise.

However, I was intrigued by the "glass like finish", which I assume is referring to high gloss. Is this correct?

My question is can you add high gloss to a white paint?
What is the best way to achieve this?

Thank you immensely for the help.

Regards

**donweather** · 08-07-2016, 10:24 AM

Opticoat gives you this glass like finish.

**Lucas_R** · 08-07-2016, 02:32 PM

There are 2 main types of paint protection coatings on the market these days - ceramic coating and glass coating.

They both offer an invisible but very hard/durable coating in addition to your cars existing clear coat. Both types of coating have their pro's and con's - Google will help you decide which one is right for you.

Personally, as an ex car detailer - the VW's have very good quality paint that is already very hard (not soft paint like a lot of Jap/Korean cars which scratches easily) and has a good shine to it. If you look after the car by washing it on a regular basis with good quality products and give it a polish/wax every 12 months you don't need any coating.

I don't use any ceramic or glass coatings on my cars - just good quality polishes and waxes/sealants.

**JW8885** · 08-07-2016, 03:30 PM

I second Lucas_R. I've waxed my GTI 6 - 12 months using good quality wax and it still shines like new (6 years old now). I've never polished it. These dealer "protection" packages are really over priced and not necessary if you take care of your car.

**Lucas_R** · 08-07-2016, 09:06 PM

^ agree. I purchased my Mk6 GTI second hand and it hadn't seen much love from its original owners. Paint was still reasonably shiny but had quite a few swirls from washing. As part of my super OCD detail (see my build thread to see what lengths i went to) i did a 3 stage buff with different grades of polish to remove swirls and scratches and restore shine, then topped it off with a few layers of sealant (wax). It looked amazing once done. Ive waxed it 3-4 times since and it still looks great (its 6yrs old now and looks better than most cars that are only 6 months old).

If you look after the car then coatings are a waste of money. I wash my car every 1-2weeks and remove bird poo/tree sap as soon as i see it - although i understand many other people are not as fussy as me.

If you are the kind of person who likes it when it rains because "the car gets a wash" then perhaps a coating might be a good idea.

**jaysingh** · 08-07-2016, 09:30 PM

Thank you so much for your replies guys!

So if I understand correctly, the paint on the Golf is already very good and keeping it clean and cared should be enough?

Purely for cosmetic reasons, Is this about the most shine/glass/wet it will have or can it be "enhanced"

**Wolfgang** · 08-07-2016, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by Lucas_R

If you look after the car then coatings are a waste of money. I wash my car every 1-2weeks and remove bird poo/tree sap as soon as i see it - although i understand many other people are not as fussy as me.

If you are the kind of person who likes it when it rains because "the car gets a wash" then perhaps a coating might be a good idea.

That's a very broad sweeping statement...

Coatings are good for people who don't have the time or place to reapply a wax or sealant every 2 to 12 months. I really look after my car but have a coating on it (Kamikaze ISM) because it lives outside near the coast and I live in a unit block without a suitable place to rewax/reseal. To add to that, waxes last a month at best, sealants are lucky to last six months. So a coating was the best option, a top up with a spray sealant (Kamikaze Overcoat) prolongs the life of the coating.

Whatever LSP you go with, preperation and correct maintenance is key. No use spending the money on a coating then putting your car through an auto car wash.

**Polar B** · 09-07-2016, 04:31 PM

I'd agree that European paint work is historically harder but the boys at car care products reckon the new mk7 paint is actually pretty soft. This came as a crushing blow to me but since I got paint protection done, It went some way to buffer the cost of it.

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