Having been a regular reader of the forum I can now legitimately contribute as I picked up my Fabia VRS today. Traded in my beloved Jaguar for the privilege. Was intending to buy a new Impreza WRX but had way more fun in the VRS.

So far the car is great, a few delivery scratches to sort out though. The dealer put it through an automatic car wash just before I drove off. Could this be the source of the scratches or is the paintwork tougher than that?

Cheers.

I would be really unimpressed if a dealer put my brand new car through an automatic car wash - they are ALWAYS more violent to the paintwork than washing it by hand, and that's the way I would expect my car to be treated.

The manual and quite a few owners here recommend that the Furby definately does NOT go through an automatic car wash, it puts the roof ariel at risk of snapping off. :(

IMHO - it looks nicer and is more satisfying if it is cleaned and chanoised and polished by hand.

Steve

Having been a regular reader of the forum I can now legitimately contribute as I picked up my Fabia VRS today. Traded in my beloved Jaguar for the privilege. Was intending to buy a new Impreza WRX but had way more fun in the VRS.

From Jag to Fab, now that's impressive You made the right choice.

Skoda paint is notoriously soft, especially the black magic. You only have to drive past a carwash for the paint to start flaking off like the skin of a biblical leper.

well, it might not be that bad, but it's not good. I washed my black Octy one afternoon. A bird must heve **** on the car straight afterward. I returned to the car 12 hours later and removed the offending guano, to find that it had already burned into the top surface of the paint and left an indellible mark.

What about using a power wash? Would you say they are too powerful to be used?

What about using a power wash? Would you say they are too powerful to be used?

I think a pressure washer would be ok, I dont use one but am thinking of getting one.

Theirs a 'fan' type setting on pressure washers, I heard its fine to use that.

Pressure washers tend to drive water into places that it was not designed to go, but your right a spray setting is ok for rinsing.

When i was doing a deal on my Fabia the dealer had a black year old Octy vRS which was coverd in stone chips which nearly put me off, but mine has been ok so far

I think a pressure washer would be ok' date=' I dont use one but am thinking of getting one.

Theirs a 'fan' type setting on pressure washers, I heard its fine to use that.[/quote']

Got to ask, if you're not going to use the "jet" of the jet wash, why bother? You can get regular hose attachments that spray better fan patterns... not saying don't buy a jetwash - I have one myself - just wondering what the point is if you're not going to use the pressure of the pressure washer. The fan setting is not pressurised (I know from using mine) it's a mains pressure so completely defeats the object of using a pressure washer!!!

Erm no it doesnt.

My mate has a pressure washer and uses it on the fan setting and it is still high pressured but it is directed over a fan rather than a single line.

Maybe your pressure washer is different, there are many many out there to choose from.

But they are great for getting the green slime and muck of the drive!!!! is this a record for going the most off the original thread?.

Erm no it doesnt.

My mate has a pressure washer and uses it on the fan setting and it is still high pressured but it is directed over a fan rather than a single line.

Maybe your pressure washer is different' date=' there are many many out there to choose from.[/quote']

Could be, mine's a karcher one. How's the mains water pressure where you are? If it's not strong enough to get a decent fan from a regular hose attachment, it won't be strong enough to power a jet wash either... the water pressure from the mains varies around my way by the time of day, and when it's low the jet wash doesn't work properly - keeps cutting out in order to build up sufficient water pressure. Worth bearing in mind if you're thinking of buying a jet wash because the water pressure from your hose is poor.

But they are great for getting the green slime and muck of the drive!!!! is this a record for going the most off the original thread?.

Spot on! Best thing for removing moss and algae, and small things growing up where they shouldn't in the middle of your driveway!!!!

Also great for getting the underbody of your car clean too... particularly with the amount of salt and grit that has been scattered around over the last couple of months... must dig mine out next time I'm washing the Furb...

But they are great for getting the green slime and muck of the drive!!!! is this a record for going the most off the original thread?.

:confused: I think it was very much on topic until you bought your driveway into it

My dealer specifically said don't polish it for the first 3 months after it being rolled out of the factory. Basically same story, i.e. paint still needs to harden. Gonna get it Diamondbrited by the dealer once that's done, and then I'll take it from there.

I am definitely considering putting on the mudflaps though, as it doesn't half chuck rubbish over the rear of the car :(

My dealer specifically said don't polish it for the first 3 months after it being rolled out of the factory. Basically same story' date=' i.e. paint still needs to harden. Gonna get it Diamondbrited by the dealer once that's done, and then I'll take it from there.

I am definitely considering putting on the mudflaps though, as it doesn't half chuck rubbish over the rear of the car :([/quote']

Why not diamondbrite or supagard it yourself?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72201&item=7964317604&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72201&item=7962717867&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72201&item=7962718056&rd=1

Only reason I got Supagard with mine was because I managed to get the dealer to chuck it in for free. As memory serves me, you don't need to wait to apply diamondbrite or supagard - in fact, they are supposed to bond better if applied to fairly fresh paint.

Diamondbrite/Supagard - Top stuff

Just dont pay dealer prices

The "Black Magic" paint on my car is the worst I've ever had on a car - it's thin - the primer is white - and the consequence is that after 5,000 miles it's covered in white scratches and I'm seriously concerned about what it's going to be like in 2 or 3 years when I trade it in - will I need a respray???

PittVRS is right about skoda paint...it's stupidly soft...I wash my car manually, but if i have to rush, i take it to the auto (just did this morning after like a year), but the brushes 'line the paint'...it sucks...because my father's car is an X5 and I suppose BMW paint is kick-ass, coz he takes it to the auto carwash and there is not a single brush scratch on it.

You have to be carefull with pressure washers. If you have stone chips then they jet can lift the edge of the chip and make it worse :eek: