ODSSOCKS41

Picked up my new car (56 black golf tsi) tried cancelling the life shine but apparently it had been ordered so it was to late to cancel, and my worse fears were relised when i picked the car up-looked nice and shiny in the sun but when i got home, a closer look and theres swirl marks all over and some nasty scratches on the roof.

Thing is i told dealer that i wanted the paint prep properly before they put lifeshine on and seal the scratches in. I've been on the phone trying to get it sorted but im not sure i want them touch my car, it cost me £300 quid and i dont know what to do.

Anyone got any advice?

Rich from PB-do you travel???
Hear South Wales is nice this time of year!!

Anyone know of a good detailer in south wales?

Seriously tho rich have you got any advice what i could use to get rid of scratches-will it take the lifeshine off?

Cheers J

STiLtd

I have sympathy! I had DiamondBrite put onto my (black) 07 STi Limited when I bought it. Admittedly, I didn't pay that much (they did it for "cost") but the amount of swirls visible is depressing! I wish I'd never had it done.

I'd post a pic here if I had a photobucket (or similar) account. Something else I need to get round to!

I'm not sure whether a "filler" would help?.....Blackfire do one I think? I've not gotten round to fixing mine yet....so I've continued to wash, dry and use the "conserver" for now. As soon as time and money allows, I'd love to get the car up to PB (as they seem to work miracles), but it's well over a thousand miles there and back.

However...if anyone has any tips or things to try in the meantime, I for one would be grateful!

top_fuel

iTrader: (1)

Could look into Envy Detailing, they are mobile.

Envy Professional Vehicle Valeting Swissvax trained vehicle valeting cleaning polishing waxing and detailing - cars, bikes, vans, all forms of transport - Swissvax trained specialists. - Envy Professional Valeting - Swissvax trained professional car,

wish PB was a lil' closer too!... theres only a handful of detailers you can trust!

StickyMicky

just clean it off with a TFR, its not some kind of uber coating that will never remove,

this kind of stuff makes me giggle, you get "pro`s" who tell you that these coatings are crap and never last, and then you get other "pro`s" that tell you the stuff is a nightmare to remove and they will have to bump up the price before they sort your paint (i kid you not, i know somebody that was told this!)

i have 3 weeks back i used some sealant on the MG and last monday i removed it to respray the side of the car without an issue

STiLtd

Sorry.....meant glaze rather than "filler"!

I guess I'll continue to use the DiamondBrite "stuff" until I can get some time to get the swirls corrected properly. At least it DOES make the bird poo a damn site easier to remove!

Maybe if it had been applied better I'd think differently.....but otherwise, I'd never touch the stuff again!

Tim Bomford

LOL Mickey
Its crap and wont last!
Cheers for the recommendation Top Fuel though I think the travel costs will put the nail in my prices.
Dealer prep, a shame and you'd have been happy if there wasnt the scratches or swirls....
I'd suggest Peter Richards at Eclipse auto-valet. He's Swansea based, tell him Envy sent you and you want a good price.
Best wishes
Tim

Rich @ PB

iTrader: (3)

Pretty much as above; Lifeshine and almost all other dealer applied 'long-life' treatments are simply average quality sealant systems... which should cost around the £20-£30 mark. Essentially, such systems are simply mechanisms for dealerships to make much more profit from every car sale, so are best avoided at all costs, particularly given that they are typically applied by low paid valeters with little or no training and not much interest in your brand new pride and joy - hence the free swirls with most applications.

With defects now in the paint, there are two ways to proceed. The first is to try and hide them as well as possible, by applying multiple coats of a quality glaze and then locking in the fillers with a fresh topcoat of a decent wax or sealant. This could all be done by hand easily enough, but the effect may be limited if the defects are deep... and the effect is just an illusion; the defects will still be there, and will reappear over time unless the glazing is repeated on a regular basis. The second option is proper paint correction by machine polishing, either doing it yourself or by bringing in a professional. With proper polishes and pads, a very high level of correction should be achievable, but the costs involved will vary greatly depending on which route you go down, i.e. DIY vs professional, and in the latter case, which at detailer you use.

More useful info on polishing hard German paints by hand here...

Car Care Advice - Frequently asked questions about car care products and techniques

...and more info on polishing hard German paints by machine here...

Car Care Advice - Frequently asked questions about car care products and techniques