Newbie Question

[imported_Bandit]

Been a long time sporadic lurker. Excellent forum. Took delivery of a new Infinity I35 a couple weeks back, and was looking for tip on what to do first to protect exterior finish. Car is silver, with black leather interior. Washed it for the first time last weekend with Dawn, finish looks really nice right now.



It looks like from my searching and reading of various threads, that there is no need initially to use a polish. Is this true? Should i go right to a good wax? If so, which one would you recommend for a non-fanatical type who wants to do it in 2 hours or less, with fairly easy removal. I`m kind of the lazy man`s version of a car fanatic given family and kid priorities.



I`ve used nu finish believe it or not for the last 5 to 7 years on my cars, and while it doesn`t give it the most beautiful shine, it does do a good job of protecting. This is only for background though, i know nu finish is more of a polish and is abrasive (at least i think i know).



Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[Preachers Sheets]

Nu Finish is really abrasive.



Well, what you want to do is:



dawn wash

clay

3m smr is need on specific spots

either wax or sealent



Do you need more details? If so, just ask and get ready for all the answers.

[YoSteve]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by 2002I35 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>a non-fanatical type who wants to do it in 2 hours or less, with fairly easy removal. I`m kind of the lazy man`s version of a car fanatic given family and kid priorities[/b]</blockquote>
Well, most people here are going to suggest Klasse, Zaino or Blackfire. They`re all great, but some may depend on your detailing shedule. Klasse can be great for the specs that you listed above.

[imported_BretFraz]

Hi, welcome to Autopia (officially).



IMO, most any new car can use *some* polish. I`ve detailed plenty of fresh-from-the-lot cars and they all could`ve used a little polishing.



Using clay is also a smart step. There is going to be a little amount of surface contaminents on your paint and the clay will remove them.



The best thing about your situation is that you`re starting out on a perfectly new canvas - factory fresh paint. Doesn`t get much better than that. It`s really easy to maintain the brand new look of your car when you start off like this. A little work and some good products will go a very long way in keeping your car looking showroom.



If it were me and I wanted great protection but not put alot of time and work into the car, I`d go Klasse All In One (AIO). It`s a product that has a mild polish in it as well as polymer composition that will last a long time. For a one-step, single product application I think this is great stuff. It has enough polishing ability to remove anything a swirl mark remover (SMR) will remove.



If you did this process maybe three times a year (Dawn wash, clay, AIO) I think you`ll be happy with the results. In between you`ll need a mild car shampoo like P21S or Meguiar`s Gold Class and maintain the finish with a spray detailer product like Eagle One Wet Wipe & Shine or Meguiar`s Quik Detailer.



This process is a significant step up from the NuFinish regimen you`re used to but will not cost you a lot of $$ and require tons of time. And from here you can decide if you want to take the next step with additional products, tools, and techniques.



Hope it works out for you. Let us know if you have more questions.

[boywonder]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by 2002I35 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>Been a long time sporadic lurker. Excellent forum. Took delivery of a new Infinity I35 a couple weeks back, and was looking for tip on what to do first to protect exterior finish. Car is silver, with black leather interior. Washed it for the first time last weekend with Dawn, finish looks really nice right now.

It looks like from my searching and reading of various threads, that there is no need initially to use a polish. Is this true? Should i go right to a good wax? If so, which one would you recommend for a non-fanatical type who wants to do it in 2 hours or less, with fairly easy removal. I`m kind of the lazy man`s version of a car fanatic given family and kid priorities.

I`ve used nu finish believe it or not for the last 5 to 7 years on my cars, and while it doesn`t give it the most beautiful shine, it does do a good job of protecting. This is only for background though, i know nu finish is more of a polish and is abrasive (at least i think i know).

Thanks in advance for your suggestions. [/b]</blockquote>
Since you and I are "cousins" in the automotive sense (Maxima SE), this is what I am going to be using on my 2002 SE when I decide to sit down a do a full detail on it.

Dawn Wash
EF HI
Clay Magic Clay Bar
3M PI II to get rid of a few scratches
3M Swirl Mark Remover to get rid of the swirls and haze from the PI II
Zaino Z12 Glass Polish w/CMA buffing kit for the Porter Cable
Klasse All In One
Klasse Sealant Glaze (Includes the wheels)
Pinnacle Souveran to top it all off
Lexol Vinylex (Tires)
303 Protectant for the interior vinyl
EF Spot Remover to get rid of any stains in the carpet


Granted, what I am doing is going to be well beyond your time frame of 2 hrs, but the labor will be well worth it.

But in order to get good results, the key thing you have to understand is that surface preparation is the key. I would advise using a clay bar. I would take you no more than 1 hour to clay the entire I35. :D

[imported_Bandit]

Thanks for the replies guys.



Zaino from all i read looks like too much work for me, though the results must surely be gratifying.



Regarding Klasse, would you recommend the AIO to start? I`ve read a number of positive posts about this product. But is it abrasive, and do I need its cleaning power on a new vehicle?



Don`t know much about Blackfire, or Pinnacle or Blitz or some of the others. Again, I`m open to your much more educated suggestions. thanks.

[edgewise]

2002, you will find 50 different opinions on "what to use", but keep in mind, whatever you use, <strong class=`bbc`><em class=`bbc`> its the preparation of the finish, and the application/removal of the product[/i][/b] that will make or break any good wax job, regardless of what you use. As mentioned above, Dawn, claybar, mild polish and wax are all good even if the car is new. With silver is may not be as noticeable, but my Jet Black finish was swirled upon delivery date, first thing I did was take it home and give it "the treatment". Good luck!

[Lemonxxs]

Welcome back ripsort!!!!