Hi all - Newbie with new car needs a good start

[scubamom]

Hi all. I just recently found this forum and have spent a couple days reading posts. Great information and some fantastic pictures. I`ve read about hundreds of products and am hoping you can help me get a good start with my new car. Here`s the basic info:



1. New 06 Honda CRV just picked up this week in Pewter Pearl (sort of dark grey with some metallic and a bit of a blue cast).



2. I want to bring out the metallic in the finish.



3. I will be doing all the work by hand (no PC or equivalent) and my past experience has been limited to washing and waxing with an OTC wax.



4. Looking for a durable finish and don`t mind doing multiple steps (although it may take me more than one weekend).



5. It`s a daily drive car in the midwest (snow, etc.), garaged when not in use.





I admit to not taking great care of the exterior of my previous car and want to get off to a good start with this one, so I`m hoping you can advise me on the best products to use for my needs that are fairly easy to use and that I can`t do any surface damage with. Here are some of what I was considering:



Wash with Maguires NXT car wash

Clay? It`s a new car, but I`ll do it if you think I should (Maguires Clay kit?)

Either Klasse AIO or PB PwC?

Either PB EXP, Klasse SG, or UPP

Nattys (White or Blue?)



also



What to use for QD that is compatible with the other products?

What to use for tires?

What to use for wheels?

What kind of applicators?



Please let me know what you think of wether or not I should clay. Which products to use (if any) of the ones I`m considering, or recommend anything you feel would be a better choice for my needs.



I`m hoping to place an online order tonight or tomorrow. Looking forward to your advise.



Thanks

[GeorgePaul]

Please let me know what you think of wether or not I should clay.

Yes, you should clay. Clay will make your paint very smooth (gets rid of the tiny bits of junk embedded in the paint) and it`s quick and easy to do. Just remember to keep both the clay and the surface of your car wet.



Klasse AIO is a great product and it`s ridiculously easy to use. Just apply and wipe. Most QDs will be compatible with Klasse. I use Meguiar`s Quik Detailer and #34 Final Inspection.



I like Griot`s Garage Rubber Cleaner for cleaning tires -- get`s rid of the brown quickly and easily. I dress the tires with 303 Aerospace Protectant -- easy and it lasts.



I`ve had very good luck with Mother`s Wheel Mist All Wheel Cleaner. You don`t need a special wheel cleaner, however -- you can just wash the wheels with the car wash soap.



Most car wash soaps will work fine. I like Meguiar`s Shampoo Plus, which I buy by the gallon. NXT is good too.



Get a whole bunch of microfiber towels and applicator pads.



Congrats on your beautiful new car! :cool:

[scubamom]

Thanks GeorgePaul. Just bumping this up and hoping for more replies.



Hi all. I just recently found this forum and have spent a couple days reading posts. Great information and some fantastic pictures. I`ve read about hundreds of products and am hoping you can help me get a good start with my new car. Here`s the basic info:



1. New 06 Honda CRV just picked up this week in Pewter Pearl (sort of dark grey with some metallic and a bit of a blue cast).



2. I want to bring out the metallic in the finish.



3. I will be doing all the work by hand (no PC or equivalent) and my past experience has been limited to washing and waxing with an OTC wax.



4. Looking for a durable finish and don`t mind doing multiple steps (although it may take me more than one weekend).



5. It`s a daily drive car in the midwest (snow, etc.), garaged when not in use.





I admit to not taking great care of the exterior of my previous car and want to get off to a good start with this one, so I`m hoping you can advise me on the best products to use for my needs that are fairly easy to use and that I can`t do any surface damage with. Here are some of what I was considering:



Wash with Maguires NXT car wash

Clay? It`s a new car, but I`ll do it if you think I should (Maguires Clay kit?)

Either Klasse AIO or PB PwC?

Either PB EXP, Klasse SG, or UPP

Nattys (White or Blue?)



also



What to use for QD that is compatible with the other products?

What to use for tires?

What to use for wheels?

What kind of applicators?



Please let me know what you think of wether or not I should clay. Which products to use (if any) of the ones I`m considering, or recommend anything you feel would be a better choice for my needs.



I`m hoping to place an online order tonight or tomorrow. Looking forward to your advise.



Thanks

[imported_Chris223]

None of the waxes you listed are OTC...

[scubamom]

Sorry I wasn`t clear. I know none of those products are OTC. I just wanted to mention that I am inexperienced in the type of detailing described on these forums. My past experience with exterior car care was just limited to washing and waxing with products from the local auto parts store, target, etc.

[tguil]

It appears that you have picked up a bit of the detailing passion and think that you are ready to buy a bunch of exotic products. Guess what -- you can make your new CRV pretty darn "spiffy" with over the counter products. I have used a bunch of the exotic stuff and always come back to Meguiars products. I use both their consumer line and their professional line.



This sounds simple but here goes:



1. Wash your CRV with any of Meguiars shampoos. I use whichever one is available at the time I am making a purchase. There is simply not a heck of a lot of difference in any of them.



2. Clay your CRV using Meguiars new detailing clay kit.



3. Wax your CRV and believe it or not, I suggest Meguiars Cleaner/Wax in the burgandy bottle. If you wish, top this with NXT



4. Clean the tires with any of the Meguiars tire cleaners. However, I usually just use the car wash shampoo and a brush. I do not like shiny tires on my trucks.



I suggest that you wash your CRV weekly and apply the Cleaner/Wax every four-six weeks. Sometimes you can stretch it to eight weeks.



Most important -- Do not do anything to induce swirls and marring. No automatic car washes. Always use clean 100% cotton terry towels to dry your CRV. Microfiber towels are even better. Use a two bucket method for your washes -- one bucket with the car shampoo, the second bucket with rinse water for your wash mitt.



As the detailing passion takes hold, move on to the more exotic stuff, but it is not at all necssary.



Oh -- about the QD, Meguiars QD in the burgandy bottle is just fine. If you used NXT Tech Wax, I suggest the NXT QD.



I`ve been messin` with waxin`/detailin` for over 45 years. I sorta know what I`m doin`.



Tom :cool:

[Pennypacker]

Hi scubamom!



Natty`s Blue is a great choice if you want to bring out the metallic flake. Pink Wax from Finish Kare would also be a very good option. Both are super-easy to use and inexpensive. If durability is the most important consideration, you may want to consider Collinite 845. I have never used it before, so I don`t know how well it will bring out the metallic flake, but it`s thought to be one of the most durable waxes.



You should definitely clay the car, even though it`s new. It gets rid of contaminants, fallout, etc. and makes the surface nice and smooth. You can use a designated lube or wash the car in sections and clay while still wet, then dry section by section.



Get a waffle weave microfiber towel for drying. They make a world of difference. They`re built for drying and they do it very well.



There are a whole lot of great QDs, you really can`t go wrong...Quick Shine, Spray and Wipe, Speed Shine, 425. I don`t think there`s any danger of any of them being incompatible with your lsp.



Eagle One All Wheel and Tire Cleaner, which you can get at Wal-Mart, is very impressive--excellent OTC product. You also may want to get a tire-cleaning brush (they`re curved). To me, these are indispensable for cleaning tires.



For applicators, get lots of mf towels. You can never have too many!



Whew! Good luck and congratulations on the new car!

[Setec Astronomy]

Hmmm...you`ve gotten some good advice above...all different...but all good. Like tguil, I also like the Meg`s cleaner wax...the only problem is waxes like that badly stain rubber and plastic trim, and it takes SO much longer to get it off than the second it took to get it on there. The Klasse twins are fantastic, they just require a little finesse, but it`s difficult to stain trim with them (some would say impossible), and if you put some SG on fresh trim...it stays looking great for a long time. I don`t have any personal experience, but people say that the Jeff`s Werkstatt products (Prime and Acrylic Jett) are a little easier to use than Klasse. Topping the Klasse/JW twins is definitely the way to the "Perfect Shine".

[scubamom]

Thanks to all for your replies. I` starting to stock up for my first detailing weekend. I plan to get the outside done first and then I`ll start asking questions about products for the inside.

[Geese1]

Hey, welcome to the site!



I can`t say that I`m an expert detailer by any means (just really started getting into it recently when I picked up my new car), but here`s what I`ve been doing on my new white Evo:



Started off with the Finish Kare Paint Decontamination system. Most around here seem to prefer the ABC one, but this was a decent price, and since I was planning on following it up with detailers clay, I didn`t need it to get 100% of everything. Used the 2-bucket method along with some Excel Detail heavy sheepskin mitts. Dried with a PakShak Waffle-Weave MF towel when applicable.



Then used Sonus Ultra Fine clay (not sure if this is the exact name - it`s the green one) along with their Glyde lubricant.



Used Eagle One All Wheel and Tire cleaner on the wheels with a dedicated spoke wheel brush and tire brush (both from OXO if I remember correctly).



Wheels were then dressed with PB Wheel Sealant (using a PakShak MF towel) and the tires were cleaned with Tropicare tire cleaner (to remove silicone - just used an clean wash rag for this) and dressed with Tropicare silicone free shine using a foam applicator.



Followed it up with another wash using TOL car wash with a foam gun and BHB. Dried with a PakShak Waffle-Weave MF drying towel.



Next used Optimum Polish with a PC and a LC green pad. Buffed off with a PakShak MF towel.



Followed up with 2 coats of Finish Kare 2180 sealant with a PC and a LC black pad. Again, buffed off with a PakShak MF towel. Waited 24 hours or so between coats.



Then put on a layer of Natty`s Blue by hand with a foam applicator and buffed off with a PakShak MF towel.



Dressed the trim up with PB Trim restorer with a 1" foam brush (from a paint supply store) and wiped down with a PakShak MF towel..



Then used Finish Kare 425 QD and a PakShak MF towel.



Finished up with NXT glass cleaner and a PakShak MF glass towel.



Interior was cleaned with a Rigid portable wet/dry vac (WD4050) and cleaned the leather trim with a mixture of 1:8 Woolite and water and followed up with Sonus Leather Conditioner (used a paper towel for the Woolite mixture, and then a foam applicator to work in the conditioner). Than the whole interior was dressed up with Meg`s Interior QD and a PakShak MF towel, and finally the glass was cleaned with the NXT glass cleaner and a PakShak MF glass towel.



Whew, it seems like a lot more when I typed it out as when I actually did it! Still, this whole cleaning took course over about a week, as I still had to contend with work, the weather, etc., so you definately don`t have to do it all in one day. Results are absolutely fantastic (wish I had a camera to take pictures of it), and now it`s mostly just a matter of weekly maintenance to keep the car looking great.



Since this is not my daily driver (weekend, "fun" car), the products and methods you choose might vary slightly, but this should give you a rough idea as to what goes into a full-on detail. Remember, it`s that first, initial detailing effort that takes the most time. Get that right (proper prep is the key!), and follow a good maintenance plan, and you shouldn`t have too much difficulty keeping you car looking "showroom quality", if not better.

[the other pc]

:welcome to Autopia scubamom!




...Guess what -- you can make your new CRV pretty darn "spiffy" with over the counter products... I have to agree with tguil. Refining the process, technique and "eye" for detailing will have a vastly greater effect on results that product choice.



Of course once you`ve it dialed in the differences between products become that much more noticeable and important (to you, expect family and friends to be confused).



Enjoy.





PC.