New and have a question, I am sure it has been here somewhere

detailFan · 09-11-06, 05:13

I recently got an Infiniti G35 stock (on lease so it will stay stock) Coupe. I was told by an co-worker that his car dealer said:
"The new paint and clear coats on cars now don't even need to be waxed"
that all you really needed to do was drop by the automatic carwashes to keep it shiny.

Opinions.

BostonDirtDog · 09-11-06, 05:25

Believe that and I got a bridge to sell ya! That dealer is sadly mistaken.

Grab a seat and look around here for a while, you'll see how wrong he is.

Accumulator · 09-11-06, 05:36

detailFan- Welcome to Autopia!

Clearcoat is just unpigmented paint. If you were to compare a frequently waxed/hand-washed car with one that was not waxed and was run through automatic carwashes (shudder), in a matter of *weeks* you'd see a difference. By the time the lease was up the one taken through carwashes and never waxed would be just dreadful looking, while the one that was properly taken care of would look nearly as good as new.

Those of us who've revived neglected cars know from experience...today's paints are in many ways better, but they still need to be properly cared for, and that includes a sacrificial barrier between the paint and the environmnet (think acid rain and bird droppings, just to name two examples). The sacrificial barrier is what wax is all about, functionally speaking (leaving aside the fact that it makes even a brand new car look better).

Automatic car washes scratch paint up something awful. Even the touchless ones can be trouble. Some things never change, and the need for proper detailing is one of them.

Setec Astronomy · 09-11-06, 06:03

Yeah, stay away from those dealer car washes...

the other pc · 09-12-06, 10:27

Nah, you never need to wax a clearcoat,
not if you don't mind it looking like this:

PC.

velobard · 09-12-06, 12:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by the other pc

Nah, you never need to wax a clearcoat,
not if you don't mind it looking like this:

And I don't even WANT to know what that arrow is pointing at.

velobard · 09-12-06, 12:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

If you were to compare a frequently waxed/hand-washed car with one that was not waxed and was run through automatic carwashes (shudder), in a matter of *weeks* you'd see a difference.

Oh come on now Accumulator, you'd notice the difference from the moment the first strip of fabric on the carwash brush touched the car.

Quote:

By the time the lease was up the one taken through carwashes and never waxed would be just dreadful looking, while the one that was properly taken care of would look nearly as good as new.

Better, actually. Just look in the Click and Brag section. It's rare to find brand new cars looking as nice as a lot of them. Of course, that's usually because the dealer's trained monkeys got hold of them. Most people just don't notice the difference.

Accumulator · 09-12-06, 12:58

veolbard- yeah, you're right on both counts

Even if you take 'em in the plastic IMO you can usually improve upon "new". Like polishing the uncleared, out of the way areas where the rough paint can harbor dirt and moisture. I spend forever on brand new cars that've never been touched (so I can hit a deer and be forever frustrated by the resulting imperfection

).

velobard · 09-13-06, 06:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

I spend forever on brand new cars that've never been touched (so I can hit a deer and be forever frustrated by the resulting imperfection

).

Gee, that sounds disgustingly similar to my frustration at getting my car painted only to have it pelted by hail 2 days later.

The only time I ever hit a deer the damage was a lot less than what happened to your S8, but I was certainly no Autopian back then. There was a tuft of fur left in my cracked grill for weeks.