Cleaning up my car - where to start and what to use?

[MatthewHSE]

I bought a used car a few months ago that`s in pretty good condition overall, but there are some problems with the upholstery and exterior finish. Color is black - I never realized how difficult that would be to take care of! Anyway, I`d like to work on all of the following problems, but I`m not sure how to fix some of them or what the best order would be to do it in. I have no experience to speak of, so I won`t mind if people give very detailed information! ;)



Here are the problems with the car:



1.) Chips, minor scratches and scuffs in the paint. Some of the scratches are probably too bad to buff out. There`s also light to moderate swirling over most of the car.



2.) Paint job is kind of rough here and there, probably needs to be claybarred.



3.) I`d like to wax the car once or twice per year with a hard, long-lasting wax, but shine it up easily every couple of months just for looks. Also on this topic, are there any waxes or treatments that will keep dust and debris from accumulating on the car? This black seems like a magnet for tiny particles of stuff! It would be nice if I could treat the car with something that would just let all the dust blow off as I drive...



4.) The previous owner of this car obviously didn`t have a garage. The leather seats on the passenger side of the car have gotten kind of wrinkled and "tough" from the sun. They`re not even close to outright cracking, but they`ve certainly lost a lot of the original suppleness. I know there`s probably nothing I can do to actually *restore* the original condition, but what`s best for treating this leather so it at least doesn`t get any worse?



5.) Various plastic and rubber parts of the car have spotting and hazing on them, apparently from chemicals or cleaners. I`m guessing there`s nothing I can do about this, but if there`s anything I can do, I`d love to know about it.





That basically sums up the problems with this vehicle. Any suggestions about specific products to use, and the order in which I should perform the necessary tasks will be most appreciated.



Thanks!



Matthew

[joshtpa]

Any pics of the car? By the way, this is going to be a topic that gets a billion answers. Best bet is to go to the click and brag section and do a search for similar cars and find the ones that you like.

[Cleaning Fool]

There is not a product that I`m familiar with that will keep stuff from getting to your black car and no products that will wisp dust and particles away when you drive. Such is the life of a black car owner. You are also going to be hardpressed to find a sealant that will go for 6 months. I would tell you plan on applying whatever you use atleast 3 times a year minimum. Spring, mid summer and fall.

[JBs]

I bought a used car a few months ago that`s in pretty good condition overall, but there are some problems with the upholstery and exterior finish. Color is black - I never realized how difficult that would be to take care of! Anyway, I`d like to work on all of the following problems, but I`m not sure how to fix some of them or what the best order would be to do it in. I have no experience to speak of, so I won`t mind if people give very detailed information! ;)



Here are the problems with the car:



1.) Chips, minor scratches and scuffs in the paint. Some of the scratches are probably too bad to buff out. There`s also light to moderate swirling over most of the car.



2.) Paint job is kind of rough here and there, probably needs to be claybarred.



3.) I`d like to wax the car once or twice per year with a hard, long-lasting wax, but shine it up easily every couple of months just for looks. Also on this topic, are there any waxes or treatments that will keep dust and debris from accumulating on the car? This black seems like a magnet for tiny particles of stuff! It would be nice if I could treat the car with something that would just let all the dust blow off as I drive...



4.) The previous owner of this car obviously didn`t have a garage. The leather seats on the passenger side of the car have gotten kind of wrinkled and "tough" from the sun. They`re not even close to outright cracking, but they`ve certainly lost a lot of the original suppleness. I know there`s probably nothing I can do to actually *restore* the original condition, but what`s best for treating this leather so it at least doesn`t get any worse?



5.) Various plastic and rubber parts of the car have spotting and hazing on them, apparently from chemicals or cleaners. I`m guessing there`s nothing I can do about this, but if there`s anything I can do, I`d love to know about it.





That basically sums up the problems with this vehicle. Any suggestions about specific products to use, and the order in which I should perform the necessary tasks will be most appreciated.



Thanks!



Matthew



1 - Langka



2- Needs to be polished (unless you mean literally rough, then it will still probably have to be polished since it wasn`t garaged) etc.



3- Wax once or twice a year? Wax will not last that long. Look into a sealant (eg. Klasse AIO). I have heard Zaino repels dust, but that might be totally false :nixweiss



4- Pinnacle Leather Conditioner/ UV Protectant



5- DP All Interior Cleaner/Protectant should get them looking better.

[brwill2005]

Unless you have lots of time on your hands, I would suggest you find a qualified professional to recondition and maintain your car for you. If you do not want to go that route, read all you can on this site.

[deathlok]

for a long lasting wax I suggest you to use collinite

[MatthewHSE]

Any pics of the car?

I`ll try to get some today or tomorrow and put them up. Don`t know why I didn`t think of pictures right from the start...




Unless you have lots of time on your hands, I would suggest you find a qualified professional to recondition and maintain your car for you.

Okay, so the big question....as a beginning amateur, how strong is the likelihood that I`ll ruin my car beyond repair if I attempt some of these things myself? I`m particularly concerned about retouching the chips in the paint and using the clay. Are these things tough to get right the first time, and how bad can you wreck your paint if you follow the instructions but just don`t have the right "touch"?

[jordanrossbell]

I would suggest washing at home with a good soap (Meg`s Gold Class or i use Meg`s D-Line Shampoo Plus) and your garden hose...be careful taking it to a coin op car wash for more than one reason but especially for the chips..that high pressure hose will knock of the paint that is loosed in the chip and likely making the chip bigger. There are tons and tons of options on wax/sealant combos and all fit differing styles...by what you have described i would offer this advice.....



Poorboy`s EXP sealant topped with Collinite 845 Insulator wax...i dont know that i have tried a LSP with the durability offered by the 845...just my .02 and maybe someone can chime in on a more durable sealant...