[Thad E Ginathom]

People have removed it. I have a feeling that member Bottle had posted about doing so, but I couldn't find it. While the car is new would be the time to do it, before the sun has done much fading.

I haven't bothered, but it is ugly, and feels unusual, because VW have always relied on their logo and not plastered the name on the car itself.

[adimicra]

Wanted to share some feedback with every one.

Recently, did some shopping for micro fiber cloth, wash mitt and chamois from 2 websites -

Cardekho - http://shop.cardekho.com/car-accesso...-products.html

and

Snapdeal - http://www.snapdeal.com/products/automotive-car-care

Cardekho was pathetic, took 2 weeks to deliver and even then the packet was tampered. They also gave me a wrong tracking number (which was for Bangalore, instead of Hyderabad). I had to call several times. Overall, the worst online shopping experience ever. Will never buy anything from them again.

Snapdeal was fantastic, delivered in 2 days flat and the courier agency was bluedart. The packaging was good and they also offered Cash-on-delivery. Overall, extremely satisfied and will shop from them again. And, they do have a good range of auto accessories and detailing stuff in their website.

A word on the products I bought.
ABRO microfiber cloth-
http://www.snapdeal.com/product/abro...37025?pos=1;21
Excellent cleaning ability. By far, the best MF cloth I have used when it comes to cleaning or quick detailing. Tough spots go away with little effort. Planning to buy more and at Rs129/-, excellent value-for-money.


ABRO microfiber wash mitt - http://www.snapdeal.com/product/abro...46763?pos=9;21
very easy to clean, makes washing a whole lot easier. I wish the elastic wrist band would have been a size smaller. May be it is designed for bigger American hands. But still, very happy.

ABRO synthetic chamois - http://www.snapdeal.com/product/abro...237053?pos=1;2
Still to use it

Cheers,
Aadi

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I haven't bothered, but it is ugly, and feels unusual, because VW have always relied on their logo and not plastered the name on the car itself.

Yes if you see the initial cars, they used to keep only the 'POLO' and that too on the left, as it was brought down straight from a LHD German car!
They had to mention the full form as they wanted the company name to be know locally i guess.
Well for that, i have removed the 'volkswagen' lettering & looks pretty clean. For the dis-coloration, its not an issue as i just got the car detailed at 3M on Monday. They have done a splendid job.

[arup.misra]

Got a chance to do a much awaited detailing session on my ride. More about it on my car ownership thread.

Link Here -

Let me know your all views. Thanks.

[maverhick]

I was looking to detail my car - here is what I understand

1) Wash the car well and get it dry with some micro fibers
2) Use ONR/similar product along with clay to remove the impurities on the surface

I'm a bit confused on #3

Do I wax it with collinite or use a paint sealant? What the suggested paint sealants available online?

Thanks

[arup.misra]

Originally Posted by maverhick

Do I wax it with collinite or use a paint sealant? What the suggested paint sealants available online?

maverhick, washing can be done with a car shampoo (Meguiars, Amyway etc) or with ONR. ONR helps conserve water and also acts as good lubricant for claying hence its preferred.

On the other hand if you use a car shampoo, you'll need a lubricator (Megs Quick Detailer, Mothers Showtime Detailer or ONR mixed in ratio of 1:16 with water) before you start claying

Paint Sealant contains polymers are which linked together. A sealant when applied bonds to the vehicle’s paint, it forms a rigid shell like a metal suit. The are more durable and can easily last 3-6 months with one application

Carnauba wax (Collinite is one eg of it) is natural wax which when applied will protect the paint from UV rays, heat, moisture, oxidation, and environmental contamination. The luster post application of carnauba wax is seen to be believed something which paint sealant cannot achieve. However they are not as durable and easily wear off within 3 months.

Ideally use wax over a sealant to give you best of both.

Difficult to source quality sealants like Black Fire, Klasse, Wolfgang locally as they not available here. If you have someone coming over from US its best to get them to get it for you.

[ThinkBig]

Got my new car on Sunday evening. It is a Black Suzuki Kizashi. Posting some before photographs of the scratches and the dull exhaust (on the right side-drivers). The left side I spruced up with some metal polish a friend of mine got from USA.

The car had about 10 scratches, swirls. There were plastics stuck on during transportation, which I told them just to remove but not to remove the glue (I was told they would use diesel to remove it). Swirls I think were got when the dealership tried cleaning the car with the Rs.10 flannel cloth (dry) and hard.

Shall keep posting some before and after photographs for those interested.

[Parthasarathig]

Got my Jopasu Duster and mini duster combo delivered today. Had ordered it the day before and Snapdeal did a great job in delivering in 2 days.

Couldn't resist trying it out. I think they should name it magic duster :P The entire car was cleaned within 5 minutes. Wow. Much less effort than using mf cloth. Even my guard/cleaner guy was happy with it as now it would be less effort for him without having to wash every 2-3 days.

El lobo i see that you have the 2.180 Karcher. This isn't available in India. There's this 3.550 and a 2.110. The 2.110 costs almost half of the 3.550. What benefit would I get by opting for the 3.550 or would my car washing needs be met by the humble 2.110?

Presently the 2 bucket method suffices, but cleaning the wheel wells and other hard to reach areas can be a headache with just a hose pipe. Earlier had thought of the Bosch aquatak, but after hearing from unsatisfied customers I was put off.

[archat68]

Does Metro cash 'n carry stock Karcher pressure washer models? Anybody from Kolkata with a Metro C&C card pls. confirm. Also if possible I need his help to buy one as I don't have a Metro card.

[thoma]

I'd like to give a bit of shine to our 4 year old Hyundai i10. For the Champagne Gold color, I intend to spend minimum of resources and would be satisfied with a polish and wax (or a polish alone) DIY which can take off the lightest of paint coat.

Can anyone suggest between the Armor All Wax & Polish, Sonax Car Polish and Turtle Wax Extreme Polishing Wax Cs06?

Should any of those be strictly avoided on the exterior black plastics? How do I apply the liquid(I guess) polish? Does it require lot of rubbing as with a wax? I'm a bit afraid of using a polish for the first time, whether it will take off any touched up spots?

TIA.

[mb_jg]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

El lobo i see that you have the 2.180 Karcher. This isn't available in India. There's this 3.550 and a 2.110. The 2.110 costs almost half of the 3.550. What benefit would I get by opting for the 3.550 or would my car washing needs be met by the humble 2.110?

I have the Karcher 2.110 & it is more than enough to wash the car. I don't see the need for the various attachments. The V-shape stream is just what I need for my car wash.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by archat68

Does Metro cash 'n carry stock Karcher pressure washer models? Anybody from Kolkata with a Metro C&C card pls. confirm. Also if possible I need his help to buy one as I don't have a Metro card.

Im not sure if they stock Karcher models. You can get bosch from there. Many months ago a member had agreed to accompany me to Kolkata metro as I didn't have the card. Just check the pressure washer thread once and pm him.

You can get good offers from Karcher dealers itself and even Snapdeal is selling the 2.110 at a much lower price than flipkart.

Black and decker and Bosch aquatak 100 are available for 6300 inr too. You can try those also.

Originally Posted by mb_jg

I have the Karcher 2.110 & it is more than enough to wash the car. I don't see the need for the various attachments. The V-shape stream is just what I need for my car wash.

Can it clean the mud and muck from the wheel wells easily or a brush is needed? Id also like to have the foam gun type attachment. Will that be available for 2.110?

Also I was checking Karcher India page today and they seemed to have removed the 2.110 from the catalog. It was there till yesterday 2 am last i checked. Is it being phased out or something?

How much power do these pressure washers need? And also how many buckets of water for washing a hatchback/sedan?

Thanks for answering my queries.

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by ThinkBig

Got my new car on Sunday evening. It is a Black Suzuki Kizashi. Posting some before photographs of the scratches and the dull exhaust (on the right side-drivers).

Shall keep posting some before and after photographs for those interested.

Do keep us posted with more pics, the LHS exhaust looks good after the treatment. Do elaborate more and waiting for more pics.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

El lobo i see that you have the 2.180 Karcher. This isn't available in India. There's this 3.550 and a 2.110. The 2.110 costs almost half of the 3.550. What benefit would I get by opting for the 3.550 or would my car washing needs be met by the humble 2.110?

K2.110 would suffice, K3 is not needed. The only thing being, it comes with a dirt blaster which is more than enough for cleaning the wheel wells and very tough dirt, but I wouldn't use it on the paint surface. You dd need a spray lance. Mine 2.180 came wit both spray lance & dirt blaster. Spray lance is used for cleaning the car and dirt blaster for wheel wells.

You could use dirt blaster to clean paint surface but from a distance though. Problem is finding accessory for Karcher in India. I would advice you to also get the water filter, must have. If someone is coming from overseas, he could get it for you. I got accessories for my Karcher from Oz which saved me the trouble.

Image showing both dirt blaster & spray lance.


Water filter.
Vario-Spray Lance.

Originally Posted by thoma

I'd like to give a bit of shine to our 4 year old Hyundai i10. For the Champagne Gold color, I intend to spend minimum of resources and would be satisfied with a polish and wax (or a polish alone) DIY which can take off the lightest of paint coat.

Can anyone suggest between the Armor All Wax & Polish, Sonax Car Polish and Turtle Wax Extreme Polishing Wax Cs06?

If I did need to pick one out of the three, SONAX would be my choice. Made in Germany and quality products.

Originally Posted by thoma

Should any of those be strictly avoided on the exterior black plastics?

Yes and even avoid the window rubber beading too. If by mistake it gets applied, remove it asap with a wet micro fiber/cloth.

Originally Posted by thoma

How do I apply the liquid(I guess) polish?

Same as you apply wax. No difference. Always take a pea size drop and apply it. In detailing, less is more.

Originally Posted by thoma

Does it require lot of rubbing as with a wax?

No. Simple just like wax on and wax off.

Originally Posted by thoma

I'm a bit afraid of using a polish for the first time, whether it will take off any touched up spots?

No. Polish is not abrasive, it just has fillers and hides swirls. Nothing to worry.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by el lobo 6061

K2.110 would suffice, K3 is not needed. The only thing being, it comes with a dirt blaster which is more than enough for cleaning the wheel wells and very tough dirt,

You could use dirt blaster to clean paint surface but from a distance though. Problem is finding accessory for Karcher in India. I would advice you to also get the water filter, must have. If someone is coming from overseas, he could get it for you. I got accessories for my Karcher from Oz which saved me the trouble.
.

Can this dirt blaster be attached on the 2.110? If so ill try looking around for this accesory. Does the 2.xxx model create as good a pressure as the 3.xxx? If i can get 3.xx with all the accesories at a reasonable price Id go for it.

Karcher India lists the water filter as accesory. It should be available in some corner of the country lol.

The problem is very few people use pressure washers in India, and perhaps thats the reason why they dont find the profit in stocking accessories.

Btw el lobo thanks for continuing to update this thread with your efforts in maintaining the car. Youve been my inspiration and now I know how good it feels when people stop and admire our cars

P.s what do you think of Meguiars g220v2 or the Makita polisher? Not on my buy list for now but if I have the budget would love to get something to ease the workload.

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Can it clean the mud and muck from the wheel wells easily or a brush is needed?

The dirt blaster can easily clean any dirt, much even after you have some some off-roading, that's the power of Karcher K2 series. I use it to clean my house terrace and it becomes all clean with least effort. Without Karcher, I did never be able to clean it that well.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Id also like to have the foam gun type attachment. Will that be available for 2.110?

Yes, its available. I have the Foam Nozzle 0.3 lt and works like a charm and makes terrific amount of foam/snow.

Link.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Also I was checking Karcher India page today and they seemed to have removed the 2.110 from the catalog. It was there till yesterday 2 am last i checked. Is it being phased out or something?

Very hard to say, try calling Karcher India. 91 120 4904949, that's there service related number, might be of some help.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

How much power do these pressure washers need?

Karcher works easily via a 6A socket, no problems.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

And also how many buckets of water for washing a hatchback/sedan?

Depends how much are you willing to shower the car with. 2-3 buckets for washing, shampoo. For cleaning wheel wells, depends how much the dirt is.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Can this dirt blaster be attached on the 2.110?

The Snapdeal K2.110 comes with dirt blaster, no need to purchase separately.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Does the 2.xxx model create as good a pressure as the 3.xxx?

More than enough to wash, clean any dirt and could very well rip the paint from metal surface as well. K3 is an over kill and weighing at 12 Kgs, too much weight, whereas K2 is 1/3rd of it.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

If i can get 3.xx with all the accesories at a reasonable price Id go for it.

I did not invest 15k in a pressure wash, when I could get twice K2 in the same price.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Karcher India lists the water filter as accesory. It should be available in some corner of the country lol.

Easily, a bit of phone calls & email and you did find it. I had checked last time on Macpowertools, where foam nozzle 0.3 lt it was listed for Rs. 999. Now it has been removed. At least you know a rough price.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

The problem is very few people use pressure washers in India, and perhaps thats the reason why they dont find the profit in stocking accessories.

Correct. Car detailing products like Formula 1 sell due to low cost compared to paint sealant which cost somewhere around Rs. 1500+ for decent ones. How many people are willing to wash their car with 7K pressure washer, leave 15K K3. I'm the only one in my bldg who employs it once in 3-4 months, else it does good job of cleaning terraces.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Btw el lobo thanks for continuing to update this thread with your efforts in maintaining the car. Youve been my inspiration and now I know how good it feels when people stop and admire our cars

Thanks for appreciation, that's one reason I continue to post more about it. A detailed car gets way more attention than a shabby looking car. Every relative of mine appreciates my black Vento whenever they come home. 3M guys were surprised to see a black color car to be maintained in such condition and couldn't guess it was a 1.5 year old car.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

P.s what do you think of Meguiars g220v2 or the Makita polisher? Not on my buy list for now but if I have the budget would love to get something to ease the workload.

I did stay away from it. DA polisher require prior usage & a bit of training. It rotates at an rpm greater than 3000 and easily could burn or mar the surface without proper use. Pads are costly and size of it is big 6". Too much to ask for when I could the work with my hands, though it requires a whole weekend and a hell lot of muscle power. Might be sometime down the line, i may purchase it but till then elbow grease. Wax on wax off.