New Car - what now exactly?

[keeotee]

Well, just got the wife a new car today. It`s Navy Blue. Told the dealer not to wash it and they didn`t. We washed it tonight. Sunday I want to clay it and of course put a sealant on it.

My question is: should I go over it with polish after claying or skip that since it`s brand new?

Oh and I got my porter cable 7424 today too!! Oh yea. I want to use that baby big time. Unfortunately, tomorrow is not a possibility

Any suggestions on what procedures to do on my (strike that) on the wife`s new car?

Thanks

[rabbi]

Hey kee on my wife`s new car I clayed,polished,sealed and waxed. None of it could/would hurt. I used Plat`s Auto Wash Shampoo + Mother`s Clay and Showtime Spray, P21s Paint Cleansing Enhancer,UPP and P21S. Hope this helps

[kimwallace]

On my wifes new car a few months ago I did the following:
1. Wash with 4* UCWS
2. Clay the areas that needed it (most of the vehicle was already smooth)
3. Apply 3 coats of UPP
The paint was in great shape when new and I don`t like to touch, rub, polish, etc. the paint any moer than I need to.
3 months later the car still shines like the day it did when I applied the last coat of UPP. It has been washed with 4* and then wiped down with FD after each wash.

[awd330]

I agree with Rabbi. Clay, mild polish, and 2 coats of sealant. Top with carnauba if desired.

Don`t forget to treat the interior too. I like to use a fabric protectant (like Scotchgard) on carpets and cloth seats. Get some UV protectant for the vinyl and leather parts too.

[rabbi]

Hey Marj! I`m learnin`.:D

[awd330]

Originally posted by rabbi
Hey Marj! I`m learnin`.:D
Ah yes, young grasshopper. :lol

[rabbi]

How about old moth? I haven`t been young in 20 years.:)

[Ashley]

Keeotee, I got my pc in yesterday! I was wondering about the 6inch counterweight. It doesn`t fit on there as good as the 5inch because of its flat back. The 5inch has a groove so it fits a little snugger in there. Is that normal? Also, did you use the little rubber thing that it came with?

[shotime]

Unless you took delivery right off the truck, I`d do a light polish. The towel pushers at work always hit them with the brush of death as soon as they come in. They usually sit on the lot unwashed for weeks, letting dirt pile up, then when the tools wash them they`re scrubbing dirt around with the brush. The longer they`re at the dealership, the more abused they are.

[keeotee]

Thanks everyone for the advice and info - it is really very much appreciated! :)

Ashley,

What rubber thing? LOL I`d better have a look-see. I haven`t even had a chance yet to look at it much or read the directions yet - shoot, I haven`t even eaten yet today. I got the pc from PAC and the backing plate pacjage - from PAC but it`s the Meguiars set of three pads and backing plate. The backing plate is for the 6.5 inch pads. The part is W-64DA. But at this poijnt that`s all I know about it. It`s new to me too. I`ll have to take a look too to see if I got a rubber thing! I wish I could be more informative. :(

[Ashley]

The rubber thing is a little round rubber thing with a hole in it. Like a stopper or something. I believe its in the same bag as the "wrench". I didn`t see it in the instructions unless I`m blind. LOL.
I got mine from Coastaltool which came with the 6inch counterweight and velco backing plate. Just wondering if the 6inch is supposed to have the groove like the 5inch one.
Can anyone help us out? :D

[groebuck]

Keeotee - when I got my car I did the full trip - wash/clay/polish/wax

[Mr. Clean]

Congratulations on the new ride! What is it, besides Navy Blue?

Coincidentally, my Wife and I just picked up her new car, an `03.5 Silver Reflex VW New Beetle Turbo S (that`s a mouthful, but descriptive :) )

I asked that it not be washed, but then they had to wash the windows and part of the doors to cut the window tint. So I said, NO BUFFERS. They complied and I noticed no marring from the wash. The problem was the nasty oily tire and wheel well treatment they applied.:( 50/50 Orange Blast/Water didn`t budge it. I had to break out the big guns, EO A2Z. I don`t let this stuff touch my wheels, but it is a great tire cleaner. I had to do each tire x2. The wheels cleaned up without a problem, but I still need further cleaning of the wheel wells.

I got a step ahead of myself. I first vac`ed the car and cleaned and treated the leather using Woolite and water and 4* ULC. This was my first experience with the 4* ULC, and I was quite satisfied with the resulting appearance.

I used PB`s Natural Look on the plastic door pieces and the dash. Nice results as always with NL, except where I got it on the metal (?) part of the dash. A smeary mess - thumbs down (x2) {anyone with experience with the Beetle? What are you using on the front half of the dash - forward to the windshield}. I was a bit surprised as I really hadn`t come across anything that NL wouldn`t work on.

Moving back outside, I washed with Meguiar`s NXT Car Wash. I like this product. After washing, I mixed a second bucket of NXT CW, grabbed the Clay Magic Clay Lube and a 1/2 bar of the blue Clay Magic Clay and went to work. Amazingly, there was very little surface contamination for removal so this steo moved quickly.

After a rinse and a quick dry (not thorough); following YoSteve`s method, I applied my first coat of Klasse AIO with a Viper MF applicator to the entire vehicle. After a quick break, I applied the 2nd application, again with the Viper MF app. Immediately after completing the 2nd application I removed with a MF towel.

I had been contemplating since before we picked the car up what I was going to apply as my LSP. So many products...I still hadn`t made up my mind when I had finished with my AIO application...EX (currently on the Pewter Volvo)? UPP (currently on White T-Bird)? NXT? AS Liquid Carnauba? S100? How about Liquid Souveran? Yes! I applied and removed 1 coat, panel at a time. What the heck I applied a 2nd coat. The sun was low on the horizon and as I stepped back to view the results, the rear of the car shimmered in the evening light. Good choice.

Of course it sprinkled the next day, and combined with the road splatter the little bug was a mess again. Spray & Wipe, followed by EO Wipe & Shine took care of my light work, and he/she was a jewel again.

Ain`t new cars grand? :-p Except the payments :(

[keeotee]

Mr. Clean! Congrats on your new car too!! We got an `04 chevy Malibu. They`ve redesigned it and it was between that and the Impala. We both rather liked the Malibu more. It`s got the 3.5 v6 and it`s the LS model.

Ashley,

I looked for the rubber thing you are describing and I didn`t find one. I saw no mention of it in the instructions either. I do have the wrench you mention though. Do you have a digital camera to take a pic and post it in this thread? I`d be very interested in knowing what it looks like and also like you - if anyone else has any idea what it is and it`s use. As for the difference between the 6 inch and 5 inch, I`ve never seen the 6 inch as mine is the 5 inch.


What is "light polishing" exactly? Something by hand and using AIO perhaps?

[rabbi]

I think light polishing is more a cleaner than a polisher with abrasives. I could be wrong and if so I`m sure a member on here will correct me. Rightfully so I must add.