New VW - What Should I Do?

[JIMMYP]

Hi fellas (and felletes!),
Love this forum.

I'm getting a new Mark VI TSI 118 this Friday, and was just wondering what thoughts you guys might have on car care for a new care.

Specifically:

1. Leather and dash/trim - Was thinking an application of 303 Aerospace Protectant? Any better suggestions or problems with this?

2. Outside plastic trim - Was thinking on an application of Aerospace 303 Protectant. Good choice? Any other suggestions?

3. Tyres - Was thinking of Zaino tyre/tire gloss. What do you guys think?

4. Wheels - Zaino P21 to clean any crud off them from the trip over. What do you guys think of the Nanolex wheel sealant? Worth it, or other recommendations?

5. Paintwork - This area I'm confused about. I am assuming there is no point in polishing a new car, but would a clay bar be appropriate/beneficial? I was then thinking of applying one of the Swissvax waxes. What do you guys think? Anything I should do differently/better? I am assuming if I put wax on as close as possible to after the car is from the factory, much like a new pair of shoes, I will protect the paint (leather) to minimise damage, rather than trying to fix stuff once it's happened. Am I on the right track????

Finally, are the headlights something that would benefit from 303? I just know on my parents' Honda, the perspex(?) headlights have really started to look "foggy" and cracked due to UV/weather.

Thanks alot everyone, and happy Dubbing!cc

[Mrk_Mickey]

Hi fellas (and felletes!),
Love this forum.

I'm getting a new Mark VI TSI 118 this Friday, and was just wondering what thoughts you guys might have on car care for a new care.

Specifically:

1. Leather and dash/trim - Was thinking an application of 303 Aerospace Protectant? Any better suggestions or problems with this?

2. Outside plastic trim - Was thinking on an application of Aerospace 303 Protectant. Good choice? Any other suggestions?

3. Tyres - Was thinking of Zaino tyre/tire gloss. What do you guys think?

4. Wheels - Zaino P21 to clean any crud off them from the trip over. What do you guys think of the Nanolex wheel sealant? Worth it, or other recommendations?

5. Paintwork - This area I'm confused about. I am assuming there is no point in polishing a new car, but would a clay bar be appropriate/beneficial? I was then thinking of applying one of the Swissvax waxes. What do you guys think? Anything I should do differently/better? I am assuming if I put wax on as close as possible to after the car is from the factory, much like a new pair of shoes, I will protect the paint (leather) to minimise damage, rather than trying to fix stuff once it's happened. Am I on the right track????

Finally, are the headlights something that would benefit from 303? I just know on my parents' Honda, the perspex(?) headlights have really started to look "foggy" and cracked due to UV/weather.

Thanks alot everyone, and happy Dubbing!cc

Hey mate,

Sounds like you're fairly on track with the products and timing. Here's some suggestions:

1: 303 will be good for everything except the leather, where you'd really need to use something like a leather conditioner (Duragloss or Nanolex are both good examples).

2: Either 303, or Black wow, or Forever black. They're all good.

3: I personally don't use tyre gloss because it's so hard to make tyres look good without them slinging silicone all over the front doors! I'd be using 303 on the tyres if you wanted them to look cleaner, as the 303 creates a black satin sheen rather than a gloss and won't sling everywhere like a glossy finish would.

4: Anything you want to use to clean them will be fine basically...if you wanted, you could go with the heavy duty washes or something to give them a ''good'' clean. I would recommend the Nanolex wheel sealant, I think it's nuts!

5: There are a lot of personal preferences involved with paint protection and exterior detailing. If someone comes to me with a new car asking for it to be protected, I perform the following:
-de-wax wash - usually with autoglym powermax 3, but you can use heavy duty wash or anything that is not pH neutral that will strip the delivery wax off the car.
-clay of the entire car. This is just to ENSURE the surface is clean and ready for a sealant or wax.
-usually I slap on the Duragloss two-part sealant for long lasting protection and durability. However, under customers' requests I have used things like the Nanolex paint sealant before, and also the Dodo Juice hard waxes.

Just so you know; the dodo juice hard wax will probably look a bit more natural and warm, especially on a dark car. However it will not last as long as a sealant, and it is possible to put a sealant underneath a coating of wax anyway (most do that for the look). I personally recommend sealants as they are a very strong source of protection for cars, providing months of care-free car cleaning. With the Duragloss and Nanolex, I'd be putting it on once every 6 months. It may last a bit longer (especially Nanolex) but this is just to be on the safe side.

Oh, and for the headlights - just put whatever you're putting on the paint over the headlights too - it will offer the same protection.

Hope that helps!

[JIMMYP]

Wow, thanks alot Mickey!! Really appreciate your detailed answer.

Couple more questions:

1. Do mean the Nanolex wheel sealant is "good nuts" or "bad nuts"?

2. It's a candy white Mk6. Can you put say Nanolex paint sealant on first and then put say Dodo juice wax on over the top?? Someone wrote somewhere here or elsewhere that the manufacturer states that it can interfere with the sealant's "self-cleaning mechanism" or similar. If you had to choose one, what would you choose - wax or sealant?

Thanks alot Mickey - awesome having so much knowledge available on this board!

[Mrk_Mickey]

Wow, thanks alot Mickey!! Really appreciate your detailed answer.

Couple more questions:

1. Do mean the Nanolex wheel sealant is "good nuts" or "bad nuts"?

2. It's a candy white Mk6. Can you put say Nanolex paint sealant on first and then put say Dodo juice wax on over the top?? Someone wrote somewhere here or elsewhere that the manufacturer states that it can interfere with the sealant's "self-cleaning mechanism" or similar. If you had to choose one, what would you choose - wax or sealant?

Thanks alot Mickey - awesome having so much knowledge available on this board!

Haha mate I love Nanolex rim sealant...good nuts

And as for the interference, I haven't heard that before. My car is white and I've layered duragloss and then dodo juice over the top and I liked the result. If I had to choose one though (and if I'm honest, you'd only really need one...) then I'd go with the sealant. Say, Nanolex or Duragloss.

[JIMMYP]

Mickey, you are a scholar and a gentleman! Thanks again!

[spiff]

I went with 303 for interior and exterior plastic/rubber, Duragloss leather shampoo & conditioner, and Duragloss polish/sealant.
Congrats on your car. Can't wait to see pics.

[JIMMYP]

Thanks alot Spiff!

Just a quick question - I thought that the VW leather in the Golf is the "treated" or "sealed" type, that doesn't soak up/benefit from conditioner? Or have you got different type of leather? Is conditioner only of benefit to old leather, or would a new car benefit from it?

Thanks again.

[Mrk_Mickey]

Thanks alot Spiff!

Just a quick question - I thought that the VW leather in the Golf is the "treated" or "sealed" type, that doesn't soak up/benefit from conditioner? Or have you got different type of leather? Is conditioner only of benefit to old leather, or would a new car benefit from it?

Thanks again.

BIG EDIT: I learned something new today; seeing as newer leathers are synthesized, they don't actually benefit from a conditioner as much as real leather would.

The sealant such as Nanolex caters to the newer types of leather, as it creates a barrier like any normal sealant - effectively sealing everything in that is already there. The conditioner - such as Duragloss - will still work, but not as effectively as with older, purer leather.


I previously thought it was the other way around because I wasn't taught about this ^^ until today hehe.

[DMS_Dan]

New VW leather is coated. My preference is to seal it with Nanolex textile and Leather sealant