Keen to join the club, 2017 Passat

[JezzaWilliams]

Hi guys,

My name is Jez and I just picked up my 2017 Passat 132TSI Confortline.
Love it, although it can use a bit of love as it hasn't always been garaged.

Keen to get tips and tricks on how to make it look in top condition again.

Cheers!

Pic here
2017 Passat Comfortline 132TSI - Album on Imgur

[Lucas_R]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Nice looking Passat you have got yourself.

What needs attention in regards to the cars exterior? These cars have good quality paint but the clear coat is very hard so you need certain high quality polishes (Menzerna or Gyeon polishes are what I have found to be really effective on VW paint) to actually bite into the paint and remove scratches/imperfections etc. Polishing is also made not only faster but much easier if you have access to a buffer.

[JezzaWilliams]

Thanks Lucas!

I've started with polishing the chrome roof rails and window strips today. They were very milky and a good clean, chrome polish and wax has made them a lot more tidy. I just posted in the B8 forum some other things I'd like to get done asap.
After that, the paint also definitely needs some attention.
What are your thoughts on using a drill with pads for buffing? Absolutely no, or does it do the job?

Cheers!

[Lucas_R]

What are your thoughts on using a drill with pads for buffing? Absolutely no, or does it do the job?

Personally the days of a buffing pad on the end of a drill are long gone for me. It is really awkward (ergonomically) to polish like this and you have very little control over the polishing because of various reasons:

1) Some drills cannot be set to a certain speed and stay there (for consistency and optimal speed). So you risk going too slow and not generating enough heat to allow the polish to perform at its best, or you go too fast and risk burning the paint due to friction heating up the paint to a point where it can be damaged.
2) because of the length of the drill + the attachment + the buff pad you have very little control over the buffer. Its awkward 100% of the time but worse on the bonnet and roof.

I would seriously invest $120 in one of these at the very least. ToolPRO Dual Action Polisher 240V 720W 150mm | Supercheap Auto

Even if you sell it for $80 bucks after you have used it on your car, it will be worth it. Otherwise pop it in the cupboard as you will no doubt use it again.

These dual action polishers are literally fool proof for people with little to no experience in polishing cars, but give really great results without risking any damage to the paint. I have a dual action polisher myself (a different brand but very much the same design and concept) and have done for about 8 years now - they are great and definitely worth the investment.

And if you want better quality / more powerful machine that the ToolPro one Meguiars Autocosmetica DA Polisher 5 Backing Plate PRO-15 | Automotive Superstore

[JezzaWilliams]

Personally the days of a buffing pad on the end of a drill are long gone for me. It is really awkward (ergonomically) to polish like this and you have very little control over the polishing because of various reasons:

1) Some drills cannot be set to a certain speed and stay there (for consistency and optimal speed). So you risk going too slow and not generating enough heat to allow the polish to perform at its best, or you go too fast and risk burning the paint due to friction heating up the paint to a point where it can be damaged.
2) because of the length of the drill + the attachment + the buff pad you have very little control over the buffer. Its awkward 100% of the time but worse on the bonnet and roof.

I would seriously invest $120 in one of these at the very least. ToolPRO Dual Action Polisher 240V 720W 150mm | Supercheap Auto

Even if you sell it for $80 bucks after you have used it on your car, it will be worth it. Otherwise pop it in the cupboard as you will no doubt use it again.

These dual action polishers are literally fool proof for people with little to no experience in polishing cars, but give really great results without risking any damage to the paint. I have a dual action polisher myself (a different brand but very much the same design and concept) and have done for about 8 years now - they are great and definitely worth the investment.

And if you want better quality / more powerful machine that the ToolPro one Meguiars Autocosmetica DA Polisher 5 Backing Plate PRO-15 | Automotive Superstore

Thanks Lukas! Super clear and convincing. Will invest in a Polisher in that case, cheers!