Fabia vRS Side Strips Removal, Deep Paint Cleanse & Wax

Decided today to remove the awful black rubbing strips that Skoda saw fit to put on the vRS. Armed with a bucket of hot water we set about pouring this over the strips to loosen the glue behind the rubbing strips. After some persuasion from a store account card the strips were prised away from the car coming off fairly easily. The majority of the glue came off but some residue was left behind. I found the best thing for removing this was white spirit so after some intense rubbing the majority of the sticky had come away.

Next it was time to tackle the paint work. The car blatantly hadn't been touched in any way for at least 4 years apart from with a bucket and sponge. So it was time to dig out the clay bar and get to work with a wash of the car to remove surface dirt, a post rinse of the car to remove suds and then using the detailing spray keep the paintwork moist whilst we worked in the claybar. The car needed some serious TLC as there as a lot of tar, tree sap and swirling under the surface. It took about 2 hours to do the entire car.

Next step was to use Meguiars ScratchX on the paintwork. This isnt something I would use all the time but for extreme detailing once or twice a year it is worth using this sparingly all over the car to remove more stubborn oxidants and swirls. This was followed by Serious Performance Paint Cleanser. This paint cleanser restores depth and colour, and utilises optical brighteners to further enhance the clarity and shine from your paint, prior to sealing with Serious Performance Polymer Super Sealant. After buffing this off it was time for a coat of Serious Performance Polymer Super Sealant this gives the ultimate in gloss and protection. Polymer Super Sealant uses the latest Nano Polymer technology available to create a smoother, richer shine while also giving an incredibly strong bond to the paintwork. The best thing about this product is it can be applied in several layers and for maximum effect left over night and buffed off the following morning for the ultimate wet look finish.

I am waiting on the arrival of my show wax for the season which is Finish Kare 2865 Carnauba Polymer 'Pink' Wax. So for today it was down to Halfords and a quick purchase of Meguiars NXT Paste Wax. Used in conjunction with a sealant the ESP (Engineered Synthetic Polymers) technology creates a tougher polymer bond to your paint so it can provide extreme protection. Initial thoughts on this wax are that it produces a nice gloss finish but nowhere deep enough for my liking after one application, its quick to apply though and a great one to use as a detailing bag staple for when its a quick wash n' wax. The car now feels like silk to touch, I can't wait to use the deep carnauba wax above in March to give it a proper slick finish.