Newbie looking for advice from the Pros!

[nycts]

Hey Everyone,



Been reading post here trying to absorb as much as possible.



Just got my first car, a 2004 Raven black Cadillac CTS with black leather interior. Simply put, I am trying to maintain the paint and interior as new as I can for as long as I can.



Here is my short list of products I have been using, please feel free to comment and provide feedback.



1. Meguires NXT Tech Wax- used it for the first time this past weekend, great shine and look. Was impressed. Better than the crap the car washes were smearing on my car.



2. Meguires NXT Spray Wax



3. Stoners Invisible Glass- Upgraded from Armor All glass wipes. I thought the wipes were convienent however they just suck at cleaning glass. Left streaks and glass was hazy. This stuff picked up an amazing amount of dirt and grime the first time I used it. Blue micro fiber towel was black when I was done.



4. Armor All Extreme Tire Shine-



5. Armor All Leather wipes- so far so good, however seriously examining their performance after using glass cleaner.



6. Armor All Vinyl wipes- This is old school stuff, I saw my dad and others used to clean their cars. I figured what the hell. But as I said before after seeing the performance of the glass wipes...seriously paying attention to this product.



Any feedback/advice is much appreciated. I live in NYC if that makes any difference in products I use. Also any advice on taking care of minor nicks and scratches also welcome.



Thanks

[Mike_Phillips]

Hi nycts,



Welcome to Autopia! :welcome



Probably the most important thing you can do to maintain your car`s black finish, (clear coat over black base coat), is to invest in some good quality washing mitts, non-detergent car soap, and some type of product to remove water after washing. Some people like Waffle Weave Drying Towels, some like Leaf Blowers, some like The Absorber, etc. Point being, invest in some premium quality tools for washing and drying the car.



After that, I would recommend a good collection of foam wax applicator pads for applying your wax with. Don`t ever use a wax applicator of questionable quality.



Another suggestion would be to build-up a collection of premium quality microfiber polishing cloths to remove your wax. A good quality microfiber will reduce towel inflicted scratches.



As far as vinyl and rubber dressings go, Meguiar`s tire dressings last a long time and keep your tires black, you might look into these after you use up what you have. Hot Shine in the aerosol can is fairly popular and real easy to apply, especially if your tires have intricate designs to them.



There are quite a few threads on Meguiar`s new NXT Spray Wax that you might find interesting, here`s a recent one,



http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2079





As far as wax goes, I always say,



�Find something you like and use it often�



If after using a product, your car’s finish looks good in your eyes, then it’s the right product for you. By using a product often, you will insure that your car’s finish will always look it’s best all the time.







Mike

[nycts]

Thanks Mike for the feed back. As I mentioned I already wax my own car, because I don`t trust the local car washes. However I was going to this particular car wash that washes cars by hand.



Not sure what detergents they use, however as far as equipement they use standard mitts and pressure guns. After washing they have air blowers and a crew of guys with towels.



After reading your advice and other post, I might as well undertake the entire washing/ waxing process myself. The only thing is living in Manhatten I don`t have ready access to a water hose. Can`t even open a fire hydrant.



I have been using micro fiber towels for shining car and cleaning glass. And regular towels to finish drying what car wash didn`t dry.



As far as the NXT Tech Wax- great stuff.



NXT Spray Wax.... well to be honest I didn`t follow the directions the first time I used it, so it would be unfair to say right now.



Any advice on what to use for minor nicks and scratches? I got one pin head sized nick on my hood and some minor scatches on my rear bumper ?



Also, any training courses coming to the east coast any time soon?





Thanks

[Mike_Phillips]

Hi nycts,



A couple of quick notes,



I would never say all car washes do poor work. That would not be fair. But I will say this, no one will give your car the care and attention to detail that you the owner will.



Who`s to say the wash mitt wasn`t dropped to the ground before they use it on your car? Or that it was used to wash a really dirty car before your car. These two factors alone could make the difference between a scratched and swirled out mess versus a finish that closely resembles how it looked before the wash.



I also understand the issue of not having easy access to a place to wash your car on your own. I have been in this situation myself and I`m a carwashoholic.



For nicks and scratches, that`s a tough one. Lynn and I recently purchased a brand new 2004 Pilot, (black of course), and now every time I wash it, wax it, or quick detail it, I notice any new nick, pit, chip or scratch and my anxiety level goes up a notch.



It`s tough when you have to use your new car as a daily driver.



If ScratchX will not remove any defect by hand, then chances are very good only a machine applied professional product will do the job correctly.



Here`s a small how-to article I wrote for using ScratchX,



How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1516)



Hope this helps...



Mike

[Bill D]

NYCTS



Welcome to Autopia :wavey



One option regarding tight access to water for washing is Protectall Quick and Easy Wash, known here as QEW. It`s quite a remarkable product :bow



If you do a search on QEW you can learn all of the particulars. Hope you enjoy detailing your black car! :D