Full Detail or just Wax? please help.

[arjungfx]

Hey guys.



My car is really dirty and I definitely want to wash it. If I wash it, it will have to be either by a detailer (hand wash) or a good touchless place, because the water where I live is full of calcium and is very, very hard. My setup here is lousy!



Anyway, I feel bad because my car (black) hasn`t been waxed since I bought it about a year ago. It sat outside all winter during hardcore snow. The paint is filthy but the car looks nice.



Here are the problems with the car:

- tons of water spots

- some sap and bird crap

- a couple areas probably lost their wax from Wd40 and other cleaners i used to remove caked on sap (there was a lot)

- many small, light scratches in an area about 4 inches wide by 1 inch high from a debadging job... noticeable up close.



I don`t have the time, knowledge, or supplies to spend a day detailing this car. I dont wash it often, because up here in Boston the car gets filthy almost instantly.



I have three options really... I can keep taking it to a car wash or a hand wash, just for a wash. I might do this but I feel bad that I havent waxed it after all its been through.



Or, for 75 bucks, I can get a wash and wax. Will this "fix" most of the issues I listed? Is there harm in waxing an area with scratches?



For 150 bucks I can do a full detail with wash, polish, wax etc and really get the car looking great, but I am not sure how much better this would be than just wax.



So I am not a hardcore detailer... I just want to make sure that my car`s paint doesn`t get faded or anything.



If I did a full detail once or twice a year, and washed just maybe once a month, will that keep my car in good condition for the next few years? As I said, I do not want to wash my car often, as it gets dirty 10 minutes later.



What to do, what to do....

[ByndCln]

If you aren`t looking to get an arsenal of items, I have some suggestions.



1. Bug and Tar remover instead of WD40

2. Meguiars body scrub, will make your paint "squeaky" clean.

3. A good polymer wax, will last longer than a carnauba.

4. A quick detailing spray, to use in between washes.

5. Some Microfibre towels, won`t introduce more scratches.



This advice is not what I would recommend to someone who wants to get into detialing,but it would be a good starter for what you are looking for.

The polymer wax will last longer than a carnauba, and you said you don`t have the time to wax often. Honestly the best thing for you to have a "clean" car while saving time is the quick detailer. You can find both Mothers Showtime and/or Meguiars Quick Detailer at any Wal Mart along with a 5 pack of Microfibre towels to use with the quick detailer.



So for all of these basic items you should only be out roughly $25-$30



just my two cents

[ByndCln]

I have one more thing, I wouldn`t suggets trying to take care of the scratches yourself,because different severities use different abrasive levels. And if you don`t have the experience telling the difference, you may end up 1. buying to many items, 2. the wrong items or worse yet, causing more damage.

[arjungfx]

Thanks very much for the replies. For very light, surface scratches, should I even get the area polished and buffed or should I just put some wax over it to hide it and shine it up?

[ByndCln]

If you can`t feel the scratches with your nail,than a polish may help with the eye sore, not illiminate the scratch. For about 6 more dollars you can get some 3M rubbing compound for something a little more abrasive.

[arjungfx]

I will keep that in mind. The scratches cant be felt at all.. they just make the area look a little faded because of the way the light hits them. If I polish the area, will I need to get everything else polished too? I honestly dont mind if it is a little shinier, because it is right under my VW emblem and people wont really notice it.

[ByndCln]

You can "spot" polish if need-be. After you poilsh,when you wax the whole car, you won`t see any discoloration.

[tguil]

I think that you have to make a BIG choice. Do you want your car to look nice or do you even give a rip? I drive on ten miles of dusty gravel road every day and I have a heck of a big black truck. A lot to wash and wax. I also put in 9-hour workdays almost every day and I still want to have time to “play�. But I do maintain two motorcycles, my Dodge Hemi and my wife’s Tacoma. Sometimes I do a complete detail on the trucks, sometimes I don’t. The Harleys are ALWAYS immaculate. My neighbor has a new Ford pickup. He washes it once a month and it looks like a POS, but that is his decision.



Ok, for minimum work and adequate protection. Start with a good detail or thorough cleanup of the mess that you have let happen. Pay the $100 to $150 to have it done right. From then on wash your car once every week or two at a coin operated car wash. Use lots of quarters. When you have finished with the wash, quickly go over the car with a wet terry cloth towel with a good nap to it. This will get rid of the scum remaining without doing too much damage to the finish. Then dry the car with dry towels. Wash the towels after every use so that they don’t collect too much crap in them. After the wash, use a quick detailer. Almost any brand will be OK. It only takes a few minutes. Every two months wax your car using a good quality liquid cleaner/wax. I suggest either Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax (available almost everywhere) or Mequiar’s #6. Both give excellent protection and are easy to use. If you use these procedures you are not spending a bunch of time maintaining your car. You will probably not have to make another trip to a detailer and your car will look great (at least to most folks).



Otherwise you can do like my neighbor. Just put gas in the damn thing and drive it.



Tom :cool: