New FR 150 ordered

[Gar300]

Hi all,

Just taught id say hello,

As of Friday I have ordered what will be my 3rd Leon

to date i have had a 2008 1.4 TSI - First Car and loved it has it for about 4 years

then moved to a 2014 1.6 TDI for the economy as the daily drive went up - Great car had a few little problems ( rattles from the dash and doors and a couple of rear lamp replacements due to fogging up) but all in all great car to drive.

and now given the good PCP deals at the minute i have ordered a Leon FR (150), added Full link and the upgraded interior but that is about as far as i could afford

As I am in Ireland i am waiting until July as i will get the new 162 plate.

Have been told by the dealer there is one on the with my spec / Colour so should only be 5/6 weeks till i have it.

will post some pic's when i get it.

cant wait to get my hand on it!!

I was going to get the Life shine done but was a tad expensive, any suggestions for a DIY Job?

 

[MrRilo]

Hi all,

Just taught id say hello,

As of Friday I have ordered what will be my 3rd Leon

to date i have had a 2008 1.4 TSI - First Car and loved it has it for about 4 years

then moved to a 2014 1.6 TDI for the economy as the daily drive went up - Great car had a few little problems ( rattles from the dash and doors and a couple of rear lamp replacements due to fogging up) but all in all great car to drive.

and now given the good PCP deals at the minute i have ordered a Leon FR (150), added Full link and the upgraded interior but that is about as far as i could afford

As I am in Ireland i am waiting until July as i will get the new 162 plate.

Have been told by the dealer there is one on the with my spec / Colour so should only be 5/6 weeks till i have it.

will post some pic's when i get it.

cant wait to get my hand on it!!

I was going to get the Life shine done but was a tad expensive, any suggestions for a DIY Job?

Hi GAR300.

I would also be interested in advice from members on protection for my soon to arrive FR.

Have been through the detailing section of this forum and been on Detailing World. Many different products recommended and so many different opinions

At the moment I am leaning towards a coat of AG HD wax every couple of months as it seems the sealers are a difficult DIY job.

 

[skk]

Autoglym HD wax for the body
Autofinesse Mintrims for alloys
Gtechnic G1 for the windscreen and G5 for other side/rear window +healights
Gtechnic T1 for tire dressing

And a lot of different chemicals for prepwork ( for example Autofinesse Iron Out, Oblitarate, etc.)

Use quality products and you will have good, longlasting results

 

[MrRilo]

Autoglym HD wax for the body
Autofinesse Mintrims for alloys
Gtechnic G1 for the windscreen and G5 for other side/rear window +healights
Gtechnic T1 for tire dressing

And a lot of different chemicals for prepwork ( for example Autofinesse Iron Out, Oblitarate, etc.)

Use quality products and you will have good, longlasting results

Thanks for the list, will be giving the debit card a bashing later.

Never had a new car before, would you say every 2 months is about right for the HD wax?

 

[JMAC]

There's no need to wax every 2 months, 3-4 is more than enough and some really good products can go closer to 6 months in terms of protection. I tend to do it going into a new season.

What colour car are you getting? If you've gone for a bright colour or white then a synthetic wax or sealant would be better as they tend to have gloss magnifiers in them that will help add an extra level of reflection to the paint surface. If you've gone for a mid or dark colour then a carnauba based wax would be better as it will really add depth to the colour.

I've tried numerous variants of both and IME synthetic products don't last as long but some of them can really make the most of metallic paint - Chemical Guys products are great for some metallic flake popping.

My favorite brand at the moment is Bilt Hamber. In terms of ease of use and overall finish I think they are pretty damn good. I'm also a big fan of Chemical Guys, especially their detailing sprays.

As a wildcard option and if you're tight on time then this stuff is quite good too:

https://www.nielsencdg.co.uk/acatalog/Armorall-SHIELD-Polishing-Wax---500ml-ARM_17500EN.html#SID=703

It costs closer to £20 from Halfords but IME it's a doddle to apply offers good shine and protection and works out to be really good value.

Take a look at the advice on here:

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/car-care-advice.html

One of my favorite online shops and places for advices is Clean Your Car, the forum can be especially useful but if you're ever in need of product advice or recommendations then just give them a call:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/

FWIW don't bother with Lifeshine. Utter rubbish, half the garages don't even apply the products correctly or get anyone half competent to do the work - usually the valet monkey, scratchy scratchy

 

[JMAC]

Metallic flake pop with Chemical Guys Hybrid v7:



Bilt Hamber maintenance wash:



Full detail a few weeks ago include claying and machine polishing. All using Bilt Hamber products (apart from Ultimate Finish snow foam):

 

[MrRilo]

There's no need to wax every 2 months, 3-4 is more than enough and some really good products can go closer to 6 months in terms of protection. I tend to do it going into a new season.

What colour car are you getting? If you've gone for a bright colour or white then a synthetic wax or sealant would be better as they tend to have gloss magnifiers in them that will help add an extra level of reflection to the paint surface. If you've gone for a mid or dark colour then a carnauba based wax would be better as it will really add depth to the colour.

I've tried numerous variants of both and IME synthetic products don't last as long but some of them can really make the most of metallic paint - Chemical Guys products are great for some metallic flake popping.

My favorite brand at the moment is Bilt Hamber. In terms of ease of use and overall finish I think they are pretty damn good. I'm also a big fan of Chemical Guys, especially their detailing sprays.

As a wildcard option and if you're tight on time then this stuff is quite good too:



It costs closer to £20 from Halfords but IME it's a doddle to apply offers good shine and protection and works out to be really good value.

Take a look at the advice on here:



One of my favorite online shops and places for advices is Clean Your Car, the forum can be especially useful but if you're ever in need of product advice or recommendations then just give them a call:



FWIW don't bother with Lifeshine. Utter rubbish, half the garages don't even apply the products correctly or get anyone half competent to do the work - usually the valet monkey, scratchy scratchy

Mine will be Apollo blue, same 18" wheels, want it to look like these pictures amazing.

Thanks for such a detailed reply, looks like I have got some reading and internet shopping to do.

 

[Dr.Dash]

...As a wildcard option and if you're tight on time then this stuff is quite good too:
https://www.nielsencdg.co.uk/acatalog/Armorall-SHIELD-Polishing-Wax---500ml-ARM_17500EN.html#SID=703
It costs closer to £20 from Halfords but IME it's a doddle to apply offers good shine and protection and works out to be really good value...

FWIW don't bother with Lifeshine. Utter rubbish...

Definitely agree on the Lifeshine, having had it on a previous car it's not great and if you have to pay for it, it's way overpriced.

Some people like spending a full day cleaning and polishing their cars, I'm not one of them.
So I've been using the ArmorAll Shield Liquid Wax that JMAC mentions above:

- Very easy to apply( whole car done in 15 minutes), can be applied in direct sun, no nasty residues and mine is still beading after 3 months. [Full review here >https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=18051]
-Just use it sparingly and do no more than a panel at a time. Using too much or letting it fully dry can leave a slightly rough finish which will hold dirt.
- I use ArmorAll Shield Wash for regular washes and the "wax" is fully revitalised afterwards . I use my leafblower to dry the car after washing, then drag a clean MF over it.

Whole car washed, "waxed" and dried in under an hour. Only 2 products plus a couple of wash mits (one MF, one lambswool) foam polish applicator and some MF towels. Job done.

 

[MrRilo]

Definitely agree on the Lifeshine, having had it on a previous car it's not great and if you have to pay for it, it's way overpriced.

Some people like spending a full day cleaning and polishing their cars, I'm not one of them.
So I've been using the ArmorAll Shield Liquid Wax that JMAC mentions above:

Thanks for the advice, very thorough

I get the feeling that I will go to town on the car at first, wash, clay and wax everything in sight, then look for the easy options next time

 

[Gar300]

As MrRilo has said cheers for all of the advice.

will have to see what i can get me hands on form the above

thanks again

 

[MrRilo]

Thought I would give an update and a thanks for the advice.

Picked it up on Wednesday and asked the dealer what had been done so far. Apparently it had been polished with Autoglym, he explained that they did this to remove the residue of the coverings. I gave it a check over when I got it home and could see some residue of the polish. They appeared to have done a good job, no evidence of swirls and it was beading well.

Yesterday I gave it a careful hose down and wash with Autoglym shampoo, a dry with a meguiars towel and then a coat of Autoglym HD wax.



I think its looking good, I love how it looks a different colour in different lights.



Thanks again for the advice, today for the wheels and interior

 

[JMAC]

Nice work.

Car looks great. I've only ever seen Apollo blue 5dr FR's with the standard 17" alloys and didn't think the colour suited the hatch that much but the 18" Performance alloys make a big difference.

Enjoy.

Oh and if the garage used SRP then they're wouldn't really be any signs of holograms and swirls as it has fillers and light abrasives to mask any minor defects. On it's own SRP will give a reasonable amount of protection but topped up with HD wax it should be good for a few months.