# R32 Gets EXO!



## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

*10 Week update on page 7.* 

Just a few impressions, photos and videos of Exo for people who are curious about this exciting new Gtechniq product.

I started preparation a few months ago by removing the different waxes (Z Vintage, SV Crystal Rock, RG Black Label and AF Spirit) that were applied last autumn and shown in THIS Thread. All waxes were still beading well but my car is garaged 24/7 and is little used so no surprises there given they are all very durable carnauba products.

The car was lightly machine polished with my trusty Rupes LH18EN rotary and Menzerna's wonderful PO85RD polish in preparation for some original C1 that I was fortunate to purchase thanks to a kind DW member :thumb:. Before applying C1 numerous Eraser, Panel Wipe and diluted IPA (25%) wipe downs ensured all oils from the Menzerna polish were thoroughly removed and the paint was squeaky clean. C1 application was simple enough and the resulting gloss and finish genuinely took me by surprise. This was the first time I had used C1 and never had I seen the Deep Blue Pearl paint looking so bright, shiny and reflective!  Even my wife commented that it had never looked shinier, as did a neighbour.

With C1 applied and left to cure indoors for a week it was time for a light wash with G-wash before being taken back indoors again for some Exo. Just in case G-Wash had left anything behind, and knowing how critical panel cleanliness is for Exo durability, I did a diluted IPA (25%) wipe down of the C1 coated panels as recommended by both Nick at SLRestoration and Rob at Gtechniq. (Thanks for the advice guys).

It was now time to apply Exo but there was a problem. The weather wouldn't play ball for a week or so and panel temperatures were well below the minimum 20 deg. C recommended for application.  We finally got a nice sunny day and I raced home from work and ran out to the garage with my new IR Laser thermometer to find panel temperatures of 24 to 25 deg. C - hooray! :lol: Having watched the excellent video made by Kelly and Rob I knew exactly how to apply Exo and application and removal was similar to a Quick Detailing product. Paint, glass, trim and window rubbers were all coated. I worked slowly around the car doing half a panel at a time, applying with a folded MF as shown by Kelly in the video, and then buffing off the quickly flashing residue/film with a clean MF. The buffing MF was changed a few times just to be on the safe side and prevent possible smearing although it never felt damp or sticky. I only got one coat on before panel temperatures started to drop to the low 20's and therefore called it a night with the first coat on and left to cure. First impressions were that it had perhaps added the slightest amount of gloss to the paint which now felt slick……………….very, very slick! 

It was another frustrating week of poor weather before the temperature finally crept back up into the 20's and I was able to remove my dust sheets and apply more Exo - bl00dy jetstream has a lot to answer for! :lol: This time I cut a 4" wide strip from a new MF and folded it into a 4" x 4" pad for applying the Exo in the same manner as above, ie half a panel at a time before buffing with a clean MF. The smaller 4" applicator pad meant that it was primed with product after a few squirts of Exo and only required a small amount to be added for each new panel. The product went on easily and removed easily although good lighting is required to ensure you remove all residue/film and don't leave any smears. I took my time to check each panel thoroughly before moving on to do the next one. The whole car was again coated in this way including glass, trim and window rubbers.

Well, that's it for now. 2 Coats of Exo applied and the finish and gloss are superb, the paint being slicker than I have ever felt before! :argie: I hope to add more because I've got a whole can to play with (thanks to a very generous DW supporter! :thumb. Unfortunately I didn't think to weigh the can before I started but it doesn't feel much lighter now so bodes well for doing quite a few cars with a 2 coats as recommended.

Photos are below and a couple of videos showing the beading and sheeting we all like to see!  Apologies for the photo quality but it was a very overcast, dull and grey day.

I hope the above is useful to potential purchasers of Exo and please feel free to ask any questions.

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy!

Alan W














































Hose Spray Video (Click Photo)



Open Hose Video (Click Photo)



Some new photos due to the sun coming out!


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## Zetec-al (Feb 28, 2011)

Looks lovely alan.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Very nice Alan. It is super slick hey. Did you do just paint or glass and trims etc?


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

what will you need to do to maintain that finish? looks awesome.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

It's looking very slick and Glass like :thumb:

Still the best colour in the Golf Range.


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## Swell.gr (May 7, 2008)

Looking soooo good , great work Alan :thumb:

mike


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Zetec-al said:


> Looks lovely alan.


Thanks Al! :thumb:



stangalang said:


> Very nice Alan. It is super slick hey. Did you do just paint or glass and trims etc?


Paint, glass, trim and rubbers - virtually everything got it Matt! :lol: Not sure it's recommended for plastic trim but that got C1 first so I thought it worth trying EXO over it.



alfajim said:


> what will you need to do to maintain that finish? looks awesome.


Hopefully just G-Wash but time will tell.

Alan W


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Finish looks ace but the videos are seriously impressive. Super slick!


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Nice work Alan :thumb:


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Looks good mate :thumb:


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

Your car always looks so dam fresh Alan :thumb::thumb:


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Trip tdi said:


> It's looking very slick and Glass like :thumb:
> 
> Still the best colour in the Golf Range.


Thanks Trip - Deep Blue Pearl certainly is a beutiful colour and very rewarding to work with! 



Swell.gr said:


> Looking soooo good , great work Alan :thumb:
> 
> mike


Thanks Mike, appreciate your comments! 



Serkie said:


> Finish looks ace but the videos are seriously impressive. Super slick!


Thanks Sekan - paint is now slicker than a slick thing! :lol:



AaronGTi said:


> Nice work Alan :thumb:


Thanks Aaron! :thumb:



DMH-01 said:


> Looks good mate :thumb:





ITHAQVA said:


> Your car always looks so dam fresh Alan :thumb::thumb:


Thanks Doug, I'm a bit of a fussy bugger!


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

Nice job Alan, was wondering when we would see the pictures of your efforts! The videos look insane.

Car looks great as always.


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Seriously Slick! :thumb:


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## stolt (Aug 29, 2011)

looks very nice. keep meaning to try some more gtechniq products.


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## deni2 (May 4, 2011)

Looks like a very good product, :thumb:.


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

you can see from the paint Alan that that is your baby and a lot of time has gone into Jewelling the paint to perfection glad you got the old C1 now with exo and fact its a bit of a garage queen will see you right for a long time well unless you get bored nice work :thumb:


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Spoony said:


> Nice job Alan, was wondering when we would see the pictures of your efforts! The videos look insane.
> 
> Car looks great as always.


Thanks Stuart. The videos show EXO's main strength off better than any description could! 



Ns1980 said:


> Seriously Slick! :thumb:


It is indeed! Thanks Nick. :thumb:



stolt said:


> looks very nice. keep meaning to try some more gtechniq products.


Thanks - you should! 



deni2 said:


> Looks like a very good product, :thumb:.


It is if it suits your needs for a LSP. Not sure how long it'll last on a daily driver (time will tell) but there's no denying the superb water/dirt repellency that EXO will provide. :thumb:



BespokeCarCare said:


> you can see from the paint Alan that that is your baby and a lot of time has gone into Jewelling the paint to perfection glad you got the old C1 now with exo and fact its a bit of a garage queen will see you right for a long time well unless you get bored nice work :thumb:


Many thanks for the kind words Lee.  Appreciate that coming from you just now. 

Alan W


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## Jarw101 (Jun 7, 2011)

Looks lovely mate! Why did i sell my R32 :wall::wall::wall::wall:


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## Herby (Oct 2, 2009)

Seriously impressive second vid:thumb:


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## MAXI-MILAN (Oct 26, 2008)

Nice work Alan :thumb:


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## adlem (Jul 6, 2008)

Beautiful as always Alan! :thumb: At least it _should_ last being tucked away in the garage the majority of it's life - unlike mine!


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Jarw101 said:


> Looks lovely mate! Why did i sell my R32 :wall::wall::wall::wall:


Thanks! I don't know, why did you? :lol:



Herby said:


> Seriously impressive second vid:thumb:


Water/dirt repellency is superb and so much better than the previous 'sticky' waxes. 



MAXI-MILAN said:


> Nice work Alan :thumb:


Thanks Nasar! :thumb:



adlem said:


> Beautiful as always Alan! :thumb: At least it _should_ last being tucked away in the garage the majority of it's life - unlike mine!


Thanks Martin! I know your experience of EXO has not been the best. 

Alan W


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Glad to see this write-up after chatting about it at Shiny Towers. 

From the pics and videos it hasn't disappointed. Fantastic result. 

My original C1 is in the cupboard waiting for post correction duties!!


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## EliteCarCare (Aug 25, 2006)

R32 is looking amazing as usual Alan, the sheeting properties of EXO are awesome! :thumb:

Alex


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Buck said:


> Glad to see this write-up after chatting about it at Shiny Towers.
> 
> From the pics and videos it hasn't disappointed. Fantastic result.
> 
> My original C1 is in the cupboard waiting for post correction duties!!


It was good to chat Buck and you'll love the original C1 when you finally get to use it! :thumb: What's keeping you with the correction? :lol:



EliteCarCare said:


> R32 is looking amazing as usual Alan, the sheeting properties of EXO are awesome! :thumb:
> 
> Alex


Thanks Alex - EXO sheeting is it's major strength in my opinion and should reduce the number of washes required! :thumb:

Alan W


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Looking superb Alan, all that refining has certainly paid off the finish is immense:thumb:
Your 2 videos show some of EXO's properties off to a treat, granted it needs perfect application & certain after care but don't most if not all LSP's?


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## Tiauguinho (May 1, 2007)

Very nice Alan! Looks amazing!


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## dreamtheater (Apr 12, 2010)

1 word.....WOW..loving the colour and refelection


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Alan W said:


> It was good to chat Buck and you'll love the original C1 when you finally get to use it! :thumb: What's keeping you with the correction? :lol:
> 
> Alan W


It's just time to do it properly. Weeks are full with work and weekends with family I can see me doing a couple of panels at a time at this rate.


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## Mr Face (Jan 22, 2009)

Very sweet indeed Alan, so, when are all your drying towels going to be in the for sale section


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## TypeR255 (Jul 5, 2012)

That Video is class!


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

slrestoration said:


> Looking superb Alan, all that refining has certainly paid off the finish is immense:thumb:
> Your 2 videos show some of EXO's properties off to a treat, granted it needs perfect application & certain after care but don't most if not all LSP's?


Thanks for the kind words and your help Nick! 



Tiauguinho said:


> Very nice Alan! Looks amazing!


Thanks Tiago - have you had a play with your long awaited EXO yet? 



dreamtheater said:


> 1 word.....WOW..loving the colour and refelection


Thanks! :thumb:



Buck said:


> It's just time to do it properly. Weeks are full with work and weekends with family I can see me doing a couple of panels at a time at this rate.


Hey Buck, a couple of panels at a time here as well! You get there eventually! :lol:



Mr Face said:


> Very sweet indeed Alan, so, when are all your drying towels going to be in the for sale section


^^^ :lol: I hadn't thought of that Mike, thanks for the suggestion! :lol: After sheeting off with an open hose and using my Makita cordless blower I only need a 16" x 16" MF to mop up any surplus now! :thumb:



TypeR255 said:


> That Video is class!


Thanks! 

Alan W


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## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

Spot on as always Alan. Really looking forward to your Longevity updates mate:thumb:


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

Simply fantastic Alan! Car probably looks at it's best in the above shots! 

Exo continues to impress. I love original C1 as you know!


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

chillly said:


> Spot on as always Alan. Really looking forward to your Longevity updates mate:thumb:


Car is garaged 24/7 Chilly and also doesn't get out much  so you could be waiting a wee while, hopefully! :lol:



gally said:


> Simply fantastic Alan! Car probably looks at it's best in the above shots!
> 
> Exo continues to impress. I love original C1 as you know!


Cheers Kev - The photos were taken on a very dull and grey day and really don't do justice to the finish.  I'll hopefully get some more when/if the sun ever comes out again.  Could be a long wait though! :lol:

Yes, EXO is impressive and so is the original C1. Thanks for opening my eyes to the latter! :thumb:

Alan W


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## Ghostrider (Dec 17, 2006)

Alan, cars looks stunning !! 

The combination "old" C1 & EXO could be right one for the FRS.

Which shop is still selling the old C1 ?


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Ghostrider said:


> Alan, cars looks stunning !!
> 
> The combination "old" C1 & EXO could be right one for the FRS.
> 
> Which shop is still selling the old C1 ?


Thanks! 

Sadly the original C1 is been discontinued. 

Alan W


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## Ghostrider (Dec 17, 2006)

Thought maybe someone had some stock left ....


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## meraredgti (Mar 13, 2011)

bye bye drying towel lol magic!!!


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

Awesome advert for EXO my man cars looking great, as always I might add. Great write up to admire your dedication.


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

meraredgti said:


> bye bye drying towel lol magic!!!


:lol: Nearly, but not quite! 



Soul Hudson said:


> Awesome advert for EXO my man cars looking great, as always I might add. Great write up to admire your dedication.


Many thanks for the kind words! 

Alan W


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## gtechrob (Sep 11, 2006)

looks good Alan and sounds like the application went very well. from reading the thread I figure you must have used it pretty optimally and would have used less than 60ml of the can which is around £18 of product inc vat.


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

gtechrob said:


> looks good Alan and sounds like the application went very well. from reading the thread I figure you must have used it pretty optimally and would have used less than 60ml of the can which is around £18 of product inc vat.


Thanks Rob.  £18 per application is a very modest cost for what at first sight seems an expensive product. I'm sure the 160ml can, when available, will be a great seller! :thumb:

I've learnt my lesson over the years to use products sparingly  and EXO was virtually as easy as a QD to use. The only proviso being to check each panel carefully for product removal before moving onto the next and good lighting assists greatly in this respect.

The only issue I had was ensuring 20 deg. C + panel temperature as I am in Scotland (nice scenery but lousy weather compared with the south east :lol. I could have used a hair dryer or heat gun to achieve this but preferred to wait for a nice warm day.

Hopefull my Thread, and the videos in particular, will inspire more people to try EXO.

Alan W


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## FINCarbin (Mar 6, 2010)

What a brightness and gloss on that color. Looks absolutely superb with EXO. :argie:


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Looks great:thumb:


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

Like the narrative and look forward to updates. Certainly a MF applicator is what I will be using to apply.

Can't think of a better car for it either.


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

With this product covering everything such as the trim. Does this negate the use of trim dressings? Does it act like a dressing in that it darkens the trim or does the trim need treatment prior

As with the glass, do you need to use a glass polish etc? If so does this affect durability?

Does it revive the window rubbers etc or is it best to treat these prior as well? 

Apologies for questions just curious.


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

FINCarbin said:


> What a brightness and gloss on that color. Looks absolutely superb with EXO. :argie:


Thanks! :thumb: The photos were taken on a dull day and don't do justice to the finish.  I'll take some more when the sun comes out but don't hold your breath! :lol:



tonyy said:


> Looks great:thumb:


Thanks Tony! 



amiller said:


> Like the narrative and look forward to updates. Certainly a MF applicator is what I will be using to apply.
> 
> Can't think of a better car for it either.


Many thanks Andy, appreciate the kind words! 



Soul Hudson said:


> With this product covering everything such as the trim. Does this negate the use of trim dressings? Does it act like a dressing in that it darkens the trim or does the trim need treatment prior
> 
> As with the glass, do you need to use a glass polish etc? If so does this affect durability?
> 
> ...


Hi Soul,

The EXO sits on a base coat of original C1 on the paint and plastic trim. The C1 darkened the trim when applied but I didn't notice any change when applying EXO. C1/4/5 would be my prefernce on trim rather than EXO alone.

The glass was cleaned with panel wipe/silicon degreaser, as recommended by Gtechniq for all surfaces prior to application. Diluted IPA is insufficient preparation for EXO except when coating panels previously treated with C1.

I'm not sure EXO will bond to the window rubbers but I gave it and try and time will tell. It didn't change the appearance of the rubber.

Hope that answers your questions.

Thanks,

Alan W


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

It’s not just water that doesn’t want to stay put on the paint but 3M Blue 3434 masking tape has difficulty sticking to the EXO coated paint as well! :lol:

Alan W


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## Mailman (Jan 28, 2010)

looks fantastic!!


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

Thank you for answering my questions Alan. I'm not to familiar to the Gtechnic range yet hence my ignorance of C1. Orders in so I will soon be up to date. Cheers


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## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

lovely 

cant wait to try it on my garage queen, haha.

briefly tried it on my van last week, panel wiped the bonnet (no polishing or claying done) and 2 quick coats of EXO onto a 27deg panel. shame it rained within the next few hours, as the beading is pretty dam good for the 5/10 mins i spent trying it


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Mailman said:


> looks fantastic!!


Thanks Mailman! 



Soul Hudson said:


> Thank you for answering my questions Alan. I'm not to familiar to the Gtechnic range yet hence my ignorance of C1. Orders in so I will soon be up to date. Cheers


No problem, glad to help! :thumb: Not familiar with C1+ myself though.



ianFRST said:


> lovely
> 
> cant wait to try it on my garage queen, haha.


Thanks Ian! :thumb: Ideal for garage queens in my opinion! 

Alan W


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## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

Stunning car Alan!


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Scrim-1- said:


> Stunning car Alan!


Thanks Scrim! :thumb:

Alan W


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## kyrenia (Jul 11, 2012)

mint car lovely work


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## North east Car Care (Jan 14, 2008)

Looks stunnng Alan


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

kyrenia said:


> mint car lovely work


Thanks! :thumb:



North east Car Care said:


> Looks stunnng Alan


Cheers Shaun! 

Alan W


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

The sun made a rare appearance yesterday :lol: and I've updated Page 1 with some new photos. 

Alan W


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## Rabidracoon28 (May 31, 2012)

That looks stunningly gorgeous, I would love one of these esp in that, better than showroom condition


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## Wheelzntoys (Jan 28, 2012)

Description mentions good for interior, have you tried it this way?


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Rabidracoon28 said:


> That looks stunningly gorgeous, I would love one of these esp in that, better than showroom condition


Thank you! :thumb:



Wheelzntoys said:


> Description mentions good for interior, have you tried it this way?


I have a leather interior and it's not one of the recommended substrates for EXO. 

I have seen carpets and fabric mentioned althouth not plastics. However, Gtechniq make suitable products for each of these surfaces that cost a lot less than EXO and I would keep EXO for hard exterior surfaces. 

Alan W


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

10 Week update on the C1/EXO combination and it still looks as though it was applied yesterday, feels as beautifully slick and beads/sheets the same. What more could you ask! :thumb:

Videos and a few photos below.



Spray Hose Video (Click Photo)



Open Hose Video (Click Photo)


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## adlem (Jul 6, 2008)

But have you even used the car Alan 

:lol:


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

adlem said:


> But have you even used the car Alan
> 
> :lol:


:lol: Yes Martin, and in the rain as well! :doublesho

Spoony and Caledonia will both confirm! 

Alan W


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Very nice Alan


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

Looks lovely. Any idea how many miles you covered in those 10 weeks?


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## adlem (Jul 6, 2008)

Alan W said:


> :lol: Yes Martin, and in the rain as well! :doublesho
> 
> Spoony and Caledonia will both confirm!
> 
> Alan W


Are you feeling alright? I bet you were wincing every single inch of the way! :thumb:


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

amiller said:


> Looks lovely. Any idea how many miles you covered in those 10 weeks?


Thanks Andy. 

It can't have been too many miles because I didn't need to fill the tank! :lol:

Alan W


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## Nemegog (Jan 27, 2012)

Tidy car. Especially front grill with silver part appears very elegant.


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## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

best colour for the r32. this is a fine example


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

AaronGTi said:


> Very nice Alan


Thanks Arron! 



Nemegog said:


> Tidy car. Especially front grill with silver part appears very elegant.


Thanks, it's a US 'Holeless' grille. 



jayz_son said:


> best colour for the r32. this is a fine example


Thanks! :thumb:

Alan W


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Looking very sharp still Alan



amiller said:


> Looks lovely. Any idea how many miles you covered in those 10 weeks?


I've got a car thats covered 15k since EXO application & it's still as if it was applied yesterday


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

Thanks for the update. Still looking awesome as you say.


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

slrestoration said:


> Looking very sharp still Alan
> 
> I've got a car thats covered 15k since EXO application & it's still as if it was applied yesterday





Soul Hudson said:


> Thanks for the update. Still looking awesome as you say.


Thanks guys!  I'll try and keep the updates and videos coming. 

Alan W


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## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

Great work Alan


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## bazz (May 15, 2007)

nice car fella and that looks like a real good product for over the winter monthes maybe


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## colarado red (Jun 5, 2008)

Looks stunning


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