I want my car to survive college, thanks.

I can't believe that I'm graduating from high school in less than a month...but thank God that I am! And now onto something I've been thinking about for a while now. How am I going to keep my GTI looking good while I'm at college? I will have the car with me, parked on campus at Georgetown College, here in Kentucky. It's only about an hour away from home. Even so, I don't know how much time I'll have to devote to maintain it.

I'm not too worried about the interior. I'll keep 303 Aerospace on all the plastics to protect them from the sun, maybe get a sun screen thing for the windshield as well. As usual I'll bar people from eating or drinking in the car and that should take care of the interior. Really I'm more worried about the exterior. The thing is, my cousin also goes to Georgetown and I've seen what her car looks like. Lots of tree sap and some nasty looking bird droppings. And of course college kids being around my car always makes me nervous, no one really cares about their car at college (or at least no one I've come across).

That being said, I really want to focus my attention on making sure the exterior of my car sustains no lasting damage. I do not do paint correction work yet, although I predict sometime in the near future I will begin to do so. Even so, I would naturally like to keep the damage from sun, bird droppings, tree sap, stupid college pranks, and God knows what else to my paint to a minimum. I've always kept a good coat of wax/sealant on the car, but I don't think that will be enough. I have heard a lot of hype about products like Aquartz and Cquartz...but I'm still not entirely sure what they actually are. If I have this correct, they are coatings that go on the paint that protect them from damage that would normally cause minor swirling and such, correct? And how much do they cost? Can I apply by hand, or do I need a machine? Does the paint finish have to be fully corrected? My paint only has minor swirls and as I said, I don't do paint correction yet. And what about durability?

I will probably take some ONR and basic washing stuff with me to college as well, just in case. I know this may seem a bit early to be thinking about this, but I know it'll be here before I know it and I don't want it to sneak up on me. (And I'm stuck at home sick from school for the third day in a row and I'm bored outta my skull )

Thanks for reading,

Clark

 

It's never too early to worry about your paint lol. You should really look into getting a PC, a bunch of 5.5" pads, and the menzerna line of polishes. It's really not rocket science if you have a knack for detailing. And it's lots of fun It's not required, but it's just better to polish the paint before applying A/Cquartz, otherwise you're locking in the blemishes for the year or so those products last. I've never used them because I love waxing too much, but from what I've read, they are pretty scratch resistant. Should be good for college. There's a thread somewhere around here with helpful tips on applying it, I'll try and find it...

Good luck with your college endeavors, you can't go wrong with higher education!

 

Your GTI will be fine outside. The best thing you can do would be to park as far from campus as comfortably as you can.

I parked 7 minutes away from my dorm, but so worth it; college campuses are brutal.

Just to name a few:

Trees that sap, door dings, crazy ass storms that blow trees over onto cars, sprinklers, grounds maintenance men, vandalism, theft, bird crap.

Get a friend or girlfriend, or whatever you have to do that is kind enough to hook you up with a driveway with a spicket where you can wash your ride.

Try to avoid driving friends places; it's even worse when people get in the back seat of a MKV - they always seem to do it so harmful looking. Actually, you might want to remove your rear seat just so you don't get duped into always driving people around.

 

clear bra the whole thing lol

 

Matte Black Vinyl Wrap, SWAG!

 

Matte white - major swag

Or you could protective film it for like $1600.

 

My 2p for what they are worth...

Good LSP or better yet aquartz or opticoat. Avoid parking right under trees (sap and damage from non-edible birds {which should be outlawed}) The sun will do a lot less damage than the trees especially with a good LSP. Take ONR for sure and I've been really impressed with how far the waterless washes have come. Boost often with Reload, OCW, Hydro, or similar and you'll be fine.

The interior is the hard part to me but then again I eat in it like a drunken sailor that has just arrived back at port.

 

my car has survived three years of college, i suggest you dont bring it. seriously, buy a beater. the things my car has endured amaze me. but anyway, id suggest as far away from humanity as possible and a bucket with ONR.

 

Thanks for all the responses so far guys! As much as I would love a wrap for it...that's sort of out of budget haha. I think I'll start doing my research on A/Cquartz though, they sound promising. I really, really wish I could get a beater. But I've got two cars already...and neither is a beater. Having a third car wouldn't go over so well, especially with the parentals (The reason they got me a new car was to have something reliable for college, so they said) But if it starts getting beat up badly over my freshman year, I think I will get a beater. I'll just have to see how things go. Georgetown is a small Baptist college...I'm not so thick as to suggest crazy stuff doesn't go down there but I will say that it's not as crazy as some college campuses. And there is a nice back parking lot too, I believe. I'll start parking there and as I said earlier, I will definitely keep my ONR handy :thumb:

As far as driving people around...I really don't like riding with other people but really don't like taking people places in my car either. Usually I end up driving seperate or driving everyone else's car but my own

 

I had the same exact question when I went off to university a few years ago but as stated above, park away from trees (a buddies bmw was totaled this past semester thanks to a tree). Now I recommend finding a really cool car loving professor, its a good way to get to know the guy and maybe he'll let you borrow his driveway and hose. We have a garage on campus and its funny all the high performance cars, and nicer cars are all in there and we all usually park near each other. Good Luck in the fall.

 

Truth is buy a beater for school. You should worry about girls, parties and grades not your car. I bought a 70 Cadillac Deville 500 bucks it was great for school 8mpg, pimp red with white vinyl roof and plenty big enough to sleep in.

 

Gonna bring this topic back up from the dead now guys...heading off to college in a month now! I'm at the point where I need to decide which product I want to apply to my GTI. Aquartz has really taken off in popularity, but I'm still confused as to the different distinctions between the variations of the product. There's different colored bottles, Titanium, and other things I'm forgetting I'm sure. My top priority is protection of my paint, not only from the elements but from minor scratches, bird droppings, tree sap, and so on. I'll take an arsenal of detailing stuff with me to school but naturally my biggest concern will be my studies and I probably won't have time to do a whole lot of maintenance washes and topping up of product. Heck, I haven't even been super busy this summer but I've only washed it twice and it's been ages since I cleaned the interior.

What sort of durability can I expect from a coat (or however many coats you're supposed to apply) of Aquartz...and which variations of Aquartz will give me the most durability? Or is there another product you'd recommend?

 

Go with Opti-Coat much more proven product and the only one of it's kind that is a true coating to your paint. Basically it's almost like another layer of clear coat, rather than a paint sealant.

 

Clark,
I only applied AQuartz yesterday so i cant talk about durability, but after one day the finish is nicer than anything I've ever used and it "feels" hard. Something we are told is you will only need a yearly application. If you had to apply monthly (which I probably will) it only takes 20 minutes on and off. Nothing could be easier. I think the good thing about AQuartz is it has its own dedicated QD, Reload. Everyone who has used it says it can actually pass for a LSP on its own. So use that as a QD and you will be all set.
I wish I could help you more, but I was impressed with the Black bottle and the ReLoad that I only used yesterday. I hope it works out for you.
And, Good Luck in College. Keep your head on straight and remember why you are there. Learn and be the best you can be.
Take Care, Joe D.

 

............ and the girls, lots of hot girls in college! That is where I found my wife. LOL

 

collinite 845. cheap enough and good durability.

 

Opti-coat, eh? What's it like to apply, slickness and durability and so on?

I was originally thinking Collinite 845 but this winter killed the coating of it I had on my GTI. I guess I could layer a couple of coats of 845 and AG HD and then re-apply before winter or something, although I'd like to be able to apply something and not worry about it. But on the plus side, I've already got AG HD and 845 on hand.

And girls...um...yeah about that...

 

Actually used it with Bryan today. Stupid easy to apply, wipe on with an applicator, buff down any high spots (looking like streaks), throw out the applicator and MF (they get hard after it cures). Slickness, not so much there, it just feels like a smooth surface. Durability, permanent, as it acts like another layer of clear coat it beads nicely too and if you feel like it you can apply a sealant or wax on top after 24h (don't quote me on the time).

There's a nice thread online about a Ford Fusion Opti-Coat durability testing. Its been over a year and still looks like new.

 

Would this be the thread you were talking about? I read through it and I am definitely leaning towards Opti-Coat now. It seems to have all that I'm looking for--high durability plus protection for my paint, and yet if I want I can still go back and top it with a wax/sealant. I suppose the next question is cost and where can I get some? lol.

I also noticed that in the video he had applied it to everything, even the trim pieces. Is it really that safe to use on all surfaces of my vehicle? If so I'm gonna coat everything...and most definitely my wheels! Especially my track ones, which have been a pain to keep clean.

 

Mmmm... I wonder if the Opt-Coat 2 will work as a making agent for minor stone chips too? Clean out the chip. Make sure there is still some base paint remaining. dab a little into the chip with a toothpick. Let it set. Buff it out. Repeat until the chip is leveled. Let it cure..