# Polished Bliss®: MK II Golf GTi...



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

This was the latest one in for a full correction job, although it should have been an Audi Q7 and not a Golf! The owner sold the Q7 a couple of days previously and felt bad about having to cancel so he decided to bring the golf in and see what we could do with it 

The car was actually booked in for a respray in a few months so if we did our job properly then at least that would be some money saved :thumb:

The car was fairly clean on arrival, although looking a bit pink in areas:














































As always, the wheels were given a thorough pre-rinse and then sprayed with R222 Wheel Cleaner



















...Then agitated with a Raceglaze Detailing Brush










Then rinsed:










The wheels were spotless after that so no need for any further cleaning treatments 

Onto the tyres and arches:

Meguiars Superdegreaser was sprayed...



















Then agitated with a Raceglaze Detailing Brush for the tyres and a Wheel Woolie for the arches:



















Then rinsed:










The engine was given a once over with Meguiars Superdegreaser but nothing too detailed as a 2.0 TSFI engine is getting dropped in shortly - should be fun :driver:



















The car was then foamed with Meguiars APC and left for a few minutes:



















Rinsed off at high pressure:










Funny how a car can look in good conditon when wet 

Again, using the Raceglaze Brush all the exterior trim, badges, door shuts etc were cleaned:










After another rinse the car was washed with Meguiars Shampoo Plus and Lambswool Wash Mitt[/U before any tar spots were taken care of with Autosmart Tardis[

Now inside, the car was clayed with Meguiars Mild Detailing Clay and plain water for lube:










Then dried off with a Poorboys Waffle Weave towel and the Black Baron[/URL]:



















Paint readings were then taken:










As to be expected with a car of this age, it had seen quite alot of paintwork in the past so correction was going to be interesting.

Defect wise, this is what we were up against:























































We've been gradually getting Alan up to speed on the correction side of things with the DA machine so he took care of the paintwork on this one. The paint was rock hard and needed several hits of Meguiars 105 and a Cyan Lake Country Hydro-tech pad to get the desired result:










*Before*:










*After*:










*Before*:










*After*:










This lower section was really bad:










After several hits it was much improved, the deeper marks couldn't be removed as there wasn't enough paint left to warrant going any further:










*Before*:










*After*:










Once the desired level of correction was achieved the paint was refined with [Meguiars 205 and a Crimson Hydro-tech Finishing Pad



















While Alan was working away at the paintwork I'd been busy bringing some life back to the plastics using the heat gun, this pic is from the heat gun alone, no dressing applied:










Some areas were worse than others and took a bit of patience to bring back but the difference was massive.

The other biggest difference was the further cleaning of the trim with Swissvax Plastic Wash










Considering the trims had been cleaned with Tardis during the wash stage the amount of dirt and grime still pulled out by the Plastic Wash was unreal.

This then left the perfect base for applying Swissvax Protecton:










Meanwhile, Alan had finished the polishing and had cleansed and prepped the paint with [Swissvax Cleaner Fluid and applied a coat of Crystal Rock

The badges which had been removed for polishing were then cleaned up and fitted back onto the car:



















Tailpipes were polished with Swissvax Metal Polish



















I applied Swissvax Seal Feed to all window rubbers etc:



















The wheels were sealed with Swissvax Autobahn










And tyres dressed with [Swissvax Pneu Glossy using the Pneu Brush



















The glass was cleaned inside and out and the interior was also detailed, or what was left of it should I say - there was only the driver's seat as the rest was away getting re-trimmed so not much to see I'm afraid 

A final wipe down of the paint and trim followed by a final check left us with the following results:













































































































And here's a few taken on the Sunday morning:














































Needless to say the respray was cancelled 

Thanks for looking!

Clark


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## EliteCarCare (Aug 25, 2006)

Great work guys, nice to see you working on a decent car for a change!!  :thumb:

Alex


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

Very nice indeed. top work as always


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## Rasher (Mar 6, 2006)

lovely job


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

Ha, something different from the norm guys.


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## andy_ad567 (Sep 26, 2010)

looooooking good i must say  awsome work as usual.


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Great transformation guys, great correction work Alan:thumb:


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## AGRE (Sep 25, 2008)

Classic :thumb:


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## cotter (Aug 31, 2008)

Niiiiiice :thumb:


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

Killer work!


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## Bratwurst (Jan 23, 2009)

What a difference! :doublesho

Cool car too :argie::thumb:


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## horned yo (Feb 10, 2009)

stunning stunning work


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Thanks folks! 



EliteCarCare said:


> Great work guys, nice to see you working on a decent car for a change!!  :thumb:
> 
> Alex


Thought you'd like this one


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## Ian D (Mar 16, 2006)

Its great to see someone spending on a older car, I think most of the details done on older cars now are carried out by their owners, its nice to see one done!

Thanks Clark!


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## Pandy (Jan 19, 2008)

Looks superb :thumb:

On a side note i like how you guys hyperlink to the products you use at each step


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## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

Enjoyed that, nice work guys.:thumb:


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Pandy said:


> Looks superb :thumb:
> 
> On a side note i like how you guys hyperlink to the products you use at each step


Thanks for the feedback mate, glad to see it's worth while as it's a pain in the bum to do :lol:


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Stunning work the heat gun certainly worked a treat, i wonder how much more the audi would have fetched if that had been done before sale????


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## GSVHammer (Feb 7, 2009)

Fantastic write up. Nice to see a normal car get some Polished Bliss TLC. Another vote for the hyper linked write up. Nice and easy to go straight to a product on the PB website.

Why use the DA on this one rather than the rotary? Also is this paint type single stage or clear coat? Curiosity has go the better of me.


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## col8482 (Jul 11, 2010)

Lovely job as always.:thumb:


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

GSVHammer said:


> Fantastic write up. Nice to see a normal car get some Polished Bliss TLC. Another vote for the hyper linked write up. Nice and easy to go straight to a product on the PB website.
> 
> Why use the DA on this one rather than the rotary? Also is this paint type single stage or clear coat? Curiosity has go the better of me.


Due to resprayed panels the car had a mix of clear coated and single stage parts but mainly it was clear coated.

The DA was used as Alan hasn't moved onto the Rotary yet. The DA in our opinion is the best way to get confidence up and learn how different polishes break down on different paint types etc. When you fully understand that then you can really reap the benefits of the Rotary


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## RichardC (Apr 30, 2006)

Love Mk 1 & 2's they are timeless.

Looks fantastic :thumb:


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## -tom- (Jan 27, 2009)

looks fantastic work


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

An amazing transformation - well done guys :thumb:


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## gb270 (Aug 22, 2008)

Super work looks bran new


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## yetizone (Jun 25, 2008)

:argie:

Envy is a terrible thing :lol: The owner of that MK2 is a lucky person :thumb:


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## ROB WOODHOUSE (Nov 13, 2005)

Glad the Q7 was sold much better car there and after your work it looks brand new again


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## TOMMY_RS (Aug 2, 2010)

very very nice that


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## bmac800 (Mar 12, 2007)

Great write up.How does the heat gun work on the faded bumpers I havent seen that before.


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## mk2jon (Mar 10, 2009)

What a minter,top job fellas :thumb:


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## superdoug (Jan 4, 2010)

I've got a soft spot for nice mk2's. Not too many of them about. I'd love to see that complete


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## Dizzle77 (Mar 27, 2010)

lovin. that! :thumb:
looks fantastic mate


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

Fantastic seeing an old beauty like this receiving premium treatment! 

If plastic surgery worked the same way, Joan Rivers would look like Scarlett Johansson by now! :thumb:


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## Fat Audi 80 (Nov 8, 2006)

Love it! I want another red MKII GTI.

Lovely work as usual. Love the "Respray cancelled" line. :thumb:


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## EthanCrawford (Jan 7, 2010)

Awsome work guys  

What kind of heater do you guys have in the studio as looking to get one for the garage.


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

SEX!

Stunning car. Not sure about those wheels on that car, but I guess it's different to the usuall BBS Splits etc

Top work guys


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## Dwayne (Jul 27, 2010)

Great work guys!!, bet it took a while with a DA though??

needless to say, some fantastic results their!!


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## B&B Autostyle (Apr 4, 2010)

Totally totally mega!

One of my all time favourite cars. Used to own a black one and adored it.

As always, great work. You seem to be on the Swissvax alot more these days.


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Top Work :thumb:


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

Good stuff Alan:thumb:

That's how a mk2 should look nowadays!


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## GrahamKendall (Sep 8, 2009)

Fantastic, what a turnaround. It has got me yearning for another MK2 , I had a white 8 valve gti and loved it


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2011)

That takes me back. I used to own a black 16V.

Excellent detail. Superb finish, as always :thumb:

Swissvax plastic cleaner looks interesting.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

B&B Autostyle said:


> Totally totally mega!
> 
> One of my all time favourite cars. Used to own a black one and adored it.
> 
> As always, great work. You seem to be on the Swissvax alot more these days.


Well since we've been Swissvax approved I guess it's only natural we're going to use the products a fair bit? :lol:



Dwayne said:


> Great work guys!!, bet it took a while with a DA though??
> 
> needless to say, some fantastic results their!!


Didn't take that much longer than it would have with the rotary,especially the refining where the DA is quicker. It's a bit of a myth that the rotary is so much faster than DA,if you have the right polish,pad and technique the DA can correct to a high level even on the hardest of paints.


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## ChrisST (Jul 19, 2009)

Superb stuff :thumb: I get more pleasure from reading write-ups such as this than a car with 10 miles on the clock as it shows what a fantastic job can be done with the right skills. The car looks like new.


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## jedi-knight83 (Aug 11, 2006)

Nice work.. and good write up as usual!

Have you dropped the Z Vintage now then?


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## Jonay (Nov 17, 2010)

bmac800 said:


> Great write up.How does the heat gun work on the faded bumpers I havent seen that before.


I'd like to know this too, I've never seen that done..


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## moshinho (Nov 4, 2009)

Top work and an amazing car :argie:


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## Mr Face (Jan 22, 2009)

Great :buffer: work fella's :thumb:


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## detailersdomain (Sep 13, 2006)

great job


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2011)

Brill job :buffer:


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## scott508 (Aug 23, 2007)

nice one with the heat gun, it's amazing how much life you put into those bumpers. i'm sure the owner was considering sourcing another set. i truly love the restoration side to detailing! bravo


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## envious89 (Aug 24, 2010)

Im interested in hearing how the heat gun works so well on the plastic bumpers! Incredible work as always PB! go team! lol


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## 911fanatic (Sep 10, 2007)

Nice save guys. I'm really interested in how the heat gun trick works as well Clark.


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Bloody brilliant , bringing back an old classic to fantastic condition. that don't half bring back memories of my Oak Green 16V Campaign I had back in the days when cars were 'real' cars and not computers on wheels :lol:

Glad to hear the re-spray was cancelled :thumb:


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## paranoid73 (Aug 5, 2009)

superb work again :thumb: great to see what can be achieved by a DA


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

Looks great.


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## Ebbe J (Jun 18, 2008)

Looking good, it's nice to see the feedback on classic such as the MKII Golf GTI. Great work by the way. 


Kind regards,

Ebbe


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## david_h (Sep 19, 2006)

As usual, top drawer work.

I still miss my Mk2 GTI a little bit.


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## Eurogloss (Jan 22, 2008)

Top job guys :thumb:


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## Matt B (Feb 21, 2010)

Very impressive. Stunning work.

^reason for thanks, i hit the wrong button.:wall:


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## toomanycitroens (Jan 14, 2011)

What a brilliant job on a classic.
Excellent.


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## n_d_fox (Apr 18, 2007)

This runs a very close 2nd to my favourite PB work ever !

Gallardo Ne Plus jobbie is still (just about) my no.1

Awesome guys... :thumb:


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## GJM (Jul 19, 2009)

Looks a million miles away from a respray judging by the photos, even on arrival?


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## 3976 (Nov 20, 2006)

As said before, classic car brought back to life!

Very impressed with the difference in the plastics from just the heat gun as well - lovely stuff


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

Top stuff as usual from PB! Lovely correction work on the paint :thumb:


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## BlackFerret (Sep 4, 2009)

wow top job! 

impressed with the quality of the wheels after a simple degrease!


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## dreamtheater (Apr 12, 2010)

Awesome car, and great turn arund on the detail.

Really want a MK2 GTI.


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

That is awesome work, looks like new!! :thumb:


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## lee1977 (Feb 13, 2011)

Amazing what you guys can achieve!


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## Jim_S (Nov 6, 2009)

Very impressive! Really nice work on the bumpers too :thumb:



GJM said:


> Looks a million miles away from a respray judging by the photos, even on arrival?


This was exactly what I thought as well. Can't imagine someone considering a repaint when the factory paint is still so good. Especially since you like to keep it original (except for the 2.0T ).


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## Juicy Jen (May 4, 2010)

Brilliant write up and I have to say I love the finished look


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## B&B Autostyle (Apr 4, 2010)

Clark @ PB said:


> Well since we've been Swissvax approved I guess it's only natural we're going to use the products a fair bit? :lol:
> 
> Understood Clark. Was just curious as to the switch from Vintage to Swissvax.


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## tfonseca (Jul 31, 2008)

Very good work! Much nicer to see the golf than a Q7!

Just one question, how good is sv protecton durability in winter?


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## S-X-I (Sep 6, 2006)

Stunning work!

Great to see a classic brought back to life!


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## Leodhasach (Sep 15, 2008)

Cracking work! :argie:

Sounds like the owner has good plans for this with the 2.0 TFSI, and the Ronals set it off lovely.


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

Stunning result!!!!!!

Also working on red paint at the moment. (08 x3)


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## paranoid73 (Aug 5, 2009)

Jim_S said:


> Very impressive! Really nice work on the bumpers too :thumb:
> 
> This was exactly what I thought as well. Can't imagine someone considering a repaint when the factory paint is still so good. Especially since you like to keep it original (except for the 2.0T ).


Its not all original factory paint, some panels have been painted!



> Paint readings were then taken:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

bmac800 said:


> Great write up.How does the heat gun work on the faded bumpers I havent seen that before.


As far as I'm aware, you're basically just bringing back the oils which have disappeared over time, you just gradually heat them up and you see it changing to black as you go along, it's a bit like colouring in really 



EthanCrawford said:


> Awsome work guys
> 
> What kind of heater do you guys have in the studio as looking to get one for the garage.


It's a Clark Devil 15KW heater, fairly uses the juice but you don't need it on for long - it heats our studio up in 5/10 mins tops 



jedi-knight83 said:


> Nice work.. and good write up as usual!
> 
> Have you dropped the Z Vintage now then?


We still have it and will use it if it's specifically requested by the client but it doesn't see much use now to be honest 



tfonseca said:


> Very good work! Much nicer to see the golf than a Q7!
> 
> Just one question, how good is sv protecton durability in winter?


It's pretty damn good, providing you clean everything properly first and give it a final buff you should see a couple of months at least. I put it on the mudflaps of my daily driver and it's lasted well through the winter :thumb:


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## dubber31 (Jan 8, 2006)

Fantastic work:thumb:


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## orienteer (Aug 17, 2009)

Love the car, what a legend!

Love the detail, it looks brand new!

I feel it's the first time I've seen a 'cleaner' for black trim rather than straight from wash to trim LSP.

Is it a must have for you? I may invest in some because scabby ar$ed trim ruins the finished package 

Thanks for posting, all studio threads ALWAYS appreciated :thumb:

Ian


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## damien.wrl (Sep 29, 2010)

Nice to see attention to older cars, anyone can make a year old Ason Martin look shiny....


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## scooby73 (Mar 20, 2007)

Great work lads! Enjoyed the write-up and photo's too!:thumb:

It will go well, when the new motor is dropped in!:driver:


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## ryand (Jul 18, 2008)

Awesome!


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

stunning!!


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## Wax-IT.be (Feb 3, 2011)

Amazing result!


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## Nanolex (Jun 8, 2008)

Very nice job! :thumb:


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## dazzyb (Feb 9, 2010)

nice work, the wheels really suit the car as well.
glad to see a classic back in great condition


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## TelTel (Aug 21, 2010)

Fantastic turnaround there and what a choice of car to be able to work on. The golfs still do it for me!!


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## Auto Detox (Dec 22, 2007)

Very nice detail guys

Baz


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## o0damo0o (Feb 15, 2011)

that looks great


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

Great work - looks very similar to my old mk2 :O)


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## Mr Gurn (Dec 9, 2009)

nice to see something diff!!!


And bringing a classic back is so worthwhile........ top job!!!!


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## Mini 360 (Jul 17, 2009)

You wouldnt believe the controversy this has created on other forums outwith detailingworld :lol:


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Mini 360 said:


> You wouldnt believe the controversy this has created on other forums outwith detailingworld :lol:


Links??


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Found one actually! http://clubgti.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=230679

Good old fashioned ignorance,you can't beat it :lol:


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## brightspark (Aug 21, 2010)

yep, looks like a nice forum to be part of, if the administrator anything to go by.


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## Mini 360 (Jul 17, 2009)

Clark @ PB said:


> Found one actually! http://clubgti.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=230679
> 
> Good old fashioned ignorance,you can't beat it :lol:


Got it in one. :thumb:


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## orienteer (Aug 17, 2009)

Mini 360 said:


> Got it in one. :thumb:


What a load of crowing! The top detailers make spectacular differences to peoples cars, generally the second biggest investment we make!!!!!!!


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## GolfFanBoy (May 23, 2010)

Clark @ PB said:


> Found one actually! http://clubgti.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=230679
> 
> Good old fashioned ignorance,you can't beat it :lol:


Rest assured there are a lot more people read these forums that appreciate work like this. Just need to look at the before/after shots of the swirled paint to understand what can be achieved with some hard graft. The whole arguement that detailing is a waste of time and money is laughable. I don't tell other people how to wash their cars, if they are happy washing it with a sponge and a bucket of dirty water that's fine by me.

Back on topic, awesome work again PB :thumb: Love a classic Golf.


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## ryand (Jul 18, 2008)

Clark @ PB said:


> Found one actually! http://clubgti.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=230679
> 
> Good old fashioned ignorance,you can't beat it :lol:


Lots of hot air. Closed my browser after one page. Clark, they have no idea do they.


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## JJ_ (Oct 26, 2005)

Brillaint work clarky boy! 

I know your not taking any notice of other forum. There are many forms of car enthusiasm, for me it has always been about looking after my car, its my biggest spend to date! it would be daft not to wax it and also keep it well serviced. 

I love the OCD branding, but why does everything these days have to have a label. Its soooooooooooooooo last year :lol:


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## Select Detail (Feb 19, 2011)

all time fav! gorgeous


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

Thats a lovely job...


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## Leodhasach (Sep 15, 2008)

That admin fairly comes across as a right pig-ignorant git...

Results speak for themselves :thumb:


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## Ben_ZS (Sep 28, 2008)

Nice work Clark :thumb:

This post is like Top Gear when a they test a 'generic' car. :lol:

*Sarcasm* Oh and what software did you use to make the finish look better?  :tumbleweed:


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

In the usa there is vwvortex.com and while it DOES have a detailing forum the info is pretty mixed and similar attitude as far as what it should cost, but reading thru all those posts I have never seen more ignorance in one place. My god.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

At the end of the day we're a minority and always will be so there's no point being annoyed or even surprised by it,as long as our clients are happy then I'm happy


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

My concern is the illogical thinking of some humans. I mean why furnish your homes? One could just live in an empty home with a mattress on the floor. The $$$$ could be spent on something else.

Something else that *"I"* consider worthwhile.


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## sim L (Jan 3, 2010)

Lovely work as ever :thumb:

As for that other forum, ha :lol:


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## paranoid73 (Aug 5, 2009)

Makes me laugh that it is anal to keep your car clean, but its perfectly acceptable to be obsessed by one model of car!


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

It's also ... how do you guys call them in the UK ... chavs? Chav behaviour. They're the "xyz is soooo gay, haha,m lolz OMG 11!! Me so manly" types. I doubt you find much of that behaviour on say an Aston Martin Forum. You need a certain amount of style to like detailing


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## dohc-vtec (Mar 19, 2010)

Good work guys, how did you put the badges back on? Double sided tape?


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## momentum001 (Mar 1, 2007)

Exellent job!!!


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## WEDEL.1 (Aug 11, 2009)

Excellent!! Looks like new now!!


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## TurbochargedJJ (Dec 10, 2009)

do you know I think I prefer to see a car that 'needs' a correction such as this to a brand new car that most people wouldn't even know had been done!

top work!


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## cfherd (Jan 14, 2010)

Clark @ PB said:


> At the end of the day we're a minority and always will be so there's no point being annoyed or even surprised by it,as long as our clients are happy then I'm happy


It's actually quite an interesting thread whenyou read through it, good points on both sides and it evolves quite nicely from being rude and arrogant to near acceptance.

There are of course the odd muppets that just hide behind the safe screen of a forum to say the things they wouldn't say face to face though they are equally easy to ignore.:thumb:


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## Sportspack Mark (May 24, 2007)

awesome job! what a car


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

very smart. superb work


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## pete5570 (Jun 11, 2010)

Looks stunning! Love the Mk 2 golfs, really takes make back.


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## Idlewillkill (Jun 3, 2009)

Clark @ PB said:


> Found one actually! http://clubgti.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=230679
> 
> Good old fashioned ignorance,you can't beat it :lol:


I did my best to put across my point of view on it, gave up in the end. Some real trolls popping up there...

Either way, cracking car, not a fan of the Ronals, never have been really, but still a great job :thumb:


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## dwmc (Jun 6, 2010)

cracking job as usual and if i`m honest i prefer seeing details of older car :thumb:.


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## meraredgti (Mar 13, 2011)

pulled back a pure classic, love it


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