Projects | Preowned MK7 Golf R

This article is all about my personal experience transforming a 2015 Golf R and the journey in making it my own. I have always had a soft spot for performance Volkswagens. GLIs, GTIs, Rs, you name it, I have spent some serious google search time looking at these cars. One night after hours of car searching, I stumbled across a 2015 Lapiz Blue MK7 Golf R in upstate New York.

I purchased the car on a beautiful sunny day and had an absolute blast driving it back down to Boston. The vehicle had 4,500 miles on it and had been a Volkswagen corporate car to showcase their OEM accessories line. Once I got it back to the shop, I parked it and gave it a thorough inspection. Here’s what I found.

Exterior Issues:

• Severe paint texture on the roof (significant orange peel)
• Heavy scratches around door handles, rear VW emblem, rocker panels and roof
• Factory sanding marks on the doors and roof
• Swirl marks throughout all the paintwork
• Heavy dirt and grime
• Wheel wells covered in dirt and sand
• Various paint chips on front bumper, hood, and front fenders

Once I pinpointed the areas of concern, I drew up a project game plan. The goal was to remove as many paint defects as possible using a variety of polishing and sanding techniques. Once the Lapiz Blue paint was restored the plan was to install various coatings and extensive clear bra coverage to make this a truly ultimate daily driver.

Project Guideline:

• Wash & Decontaminate
• Color Sanding
• Compounding / Polishing Steps
• Ultra Fine Polishing Steps
• Ceramic Coating Application (Paint, Trim, Glass, Wheels, Door Jams, Exhaust Tips, Engine Plastics)
• Clear Bra installation (Full Front End, Rockers, Leading Edge of Roof, A-Pillars, Top of Rear Bumper, B-Pillars)

Now on to the process.

Wash & Decontamination Process/Products:

• Wheel Wells & Tires : Sonax Multi Star APC, EZ Detail Brush, Tuf Shine Tire Brush  
• Wheels & Exhaust Tips: Sonax Full Effect Plus, DI Boars Hair Brush, Wheel Woolies, DI Swabs
• Paint PreTreat: Sonax Multi Star APC, DI Boards Hair Brush, Nextzett Pump Sprayer
• 2×2 Bucket Wash: Chemical Guys HoneyDew Snow Foam, Chenille Wash Mitt, Grit Guards, Gilmour Foamaster Foam Gun 
• Iron Remover: CarPro IronX 
• Clay Bar: DI Fine Grade Clay Bar 

Paint Correction Procedure/Products:

• Texture Leveling:  CarPro Velvet 5.5 inch pads,  Rupes 21MM Polisher, Meguiars Unigrit 1500 Grit Sand Paper, Sanding Block
• Compounding: Meguiars M100, Meguiars Microfiber Cutting Pads, Rupes Mini, Rupes 21mm Polisher, Compressed Air
• Polishing: Meguiars M205, Rupes Yellow Pads
• Ultra Fine Polishing: Menzerna Super Finish Plus 3800, Lake Country Force Black Pads
• Towels: DI All Purpose Microfiber Towels 
• Pad Cleaning Tools: Compressed Air, DI All Purpose Microfiber Towels

Vehicle Protection Process/Products:

• Preparation: Gyeon Prep / IPA, DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel
• Paint Coating: Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light, Gtechniq Applicator, Gloves
• Paint Coating Topper: Gtechniq C2v3
• Wheels, Calipers, Exhaust Tips: Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armor
• Trim Coating: Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer
• Windshield & Glass: Gtechniq G1 Smart Glass
• Tires: Gtechniq T1 Tire and Trim
• Clear Bra (PPF): LLumar Paint Protection Film

This project really made me appreciate the car to its fullest. The process that it underwent just built up the hype for the day I would finally take her out again. There’s nothing better than the feeling of driving a clean car for the first time after you just finished detailing it.

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