New Car: Exterior Care & Detailing

When you purchase a brand new car, protecting it right away is a top priority. By getting that first detail spot-on, you create a solid protective barrier from the very beginning. Recently, a new Volkswagen Golf R came into the Auto Finesse Detailing Academy, and we decided to take you through its first-ever professional detail.

First up, we tackled the wheels. Whether you choose to remove them for a more detailed approach or not, the wheels are always the first area to focus on during any vehicle detail, simply because they collect the most grime. We began by applying Imperial wheel cleaner to the entire wheel face, including the barrel, calipers, and tyres, allowing it to dwell for a few minutes to loosen any built-up dirt. If you've removed the wheels, they will be cleaned separately. Next, we used a range of agitation tools—such as our large barrel wheel brush, detailing brush trio, and wash mitt—to thoroughly clean every nook and cranny, ensuring a deep, effective clean. Since the tyre walls were also soaked in Imperial wheel cleaner, this is the perfect time to clean them as well. Repeat this process for each wheel.

With the wheels cleaned, we moved on to the bodywork. Before making any contact with the vehicle, however, a pre-wash cleaner is essential. In this case, we used our specialist Avalanche snow foam formula. This stage is crucial because most paintwork swirls and scratches occur during the contact wash stage. Snow foam helps break down 50-90% of the road grime present, reducing the risk of damage during washing. We mixed the snow foam with water in a snow foam lance and applied it to the entire vehicle, from top to bottom, letting it dwell for as long as possible. Be sure to rinse it off before it starts to dry.

Our snow foam contains Citrus Power, a powerful bug and grime remover, though you can also apply it separately for extra cleaning power in areas like the lower panels, front bumper, and number plate recess—places prone to bug splatter. While the snow foam works, and keeping an eye on it to avoid drying, this is a good time to go over grills and panel gaps with a specialist brush, adding a few spritzes of Citrus Power as needed.

Once the Golf was rinsed off and looking free of loose debris, we moved on to the contact wash. Using the two-bucket method, we added Lather car shampoo to one bucket and foamed it up with a pressure washer. The second bucket was filled with fresh water for rinsing the mitt. After dipping a deluxe wash mitt into the shampoo bucket, we took it to the bodywork, starting with the roof, then the bonnet, upper wings, upper sides/doors, quarters, front bumper, and rear. We then swapped to a microfiber mitt for the lower, grubbier areas of the vehicle.

The process follows a top-down approach, focusing on one panel at a time. After each panel, we rinsed the mitt in the fresh water bucket to remove any dirt before re-dipping it into the shampoo bucket. This ensures only fresh shampoo is used on the vehicle. Be sure to wash every part of the bodywork, including the windows, roof, and plastic trims. Finally, we gave the vehicle a thorough rinse with a jet wash.

With the car still wet from the wash and free of any shampoo residue, we began removing any bonded contaminants from the paintwork. First, we sprayed the entire vehicle with our Iron Out iron fallout remover, which dissolves any ferrous contaminants present. It's better to dissolve these contaminants rather than using a clay bar, as they are some of the sharpest contaminants found on a vehicle. Removing them with a clay bar can drag these sharp particles across the paint, causing fine scratches, known as "marring."

Once the car is fully covered, an Auto Finesse tip is to focus on the upward-facing panels along the rear and sides, gently agitating the Iron Out with a microfiber or foam applicator. Next, we tackled another common contaminant—tar. Using ObliTARate tar and glue remover, we sprayed it onto the lower half of the car, where tar tends to accumulate, particularly behind the wheels. We let it dwell for a couple of minutes before wiping it away with a microfiber cloth.

Finally, we rinsed the areas treated with the tar remover and re-washed them to ensure no residue remained, preventing it from interfering with the clay bar in the next stage.

The clay bar process is a crucial step in detailing preparation and must be done carefully. Working in straight lines and using plenty of Glide detailing clay bar lubricant, we tackled small sections of around 400mm x 400mm at a time. We followed the same order as the wash stage: starting with the upper surfaces, then moving to the top sides, front bumper, rear, and lower sides.

Once the claying was finished, we performed a final rinse of all surfaces to remove any leftover clay lubricant. After that, we thoroughly dried the vehicle, making sure to dry every area, including gaps, grills, and door jambs, to prevent any drips or water spots from forming.

With all the wet work complete, we moved the car into the bay and applied a generous layer of our specially formulated Rejuvenate pre-wax cleanser to prepare the paint for the next stage.

The final stage of our detail is protection. All the work we've done up to this point is pointless if we don't take steps to protect and maintain the finish. So, we applied our new Caramics ceramic coating kits for the paintwork, wheels, and glass. Each Caramics kit comes with detailed instructions, making the application process straightforward and easy.

For the paintwork, we started by putting on the included gloves, prepping the area with the provided prep-wipes, and then applying the ceramic resin protective wipes. For the wheels, we used the prep spray followed by the wheel coating spray for top-tier protection. When it comes to the glass, we applied the included residue remover before using the glass polish. Skipping any of these steps will reduce the coating's effectiveness and ultimately compromise protection against the elements.

Once all the protection is applied, wrap up your detail with a few finishing touches. Dress the grills and plastic trims with a high-quality all-purpose trim dressing like Dressle, and make sure to finish the tyre walls with a premium tyre dressing, such as our Satin Crème, for a polished, well-rounded look.