newbie q: what to do with 3 mo old car before winter?

[jav246]

I picked up a 2004 Acura TL in July, and haven`t done any detailing to it yet. It`s parked in a half-covered spot, and since I`m in Boston, I wanted to know if there`s anything I should do before the winter comes. Specifically, I`m looking at the packages offered at http://www.allstoncarwash.com/DetailingMenu.htm (I don`t have a driveway or water source really to do a good job myself).



What`s the main difference between glazing and waxing? And in terms of the best value and protection, what (if anything) should I do with my car before the winter? Any advice would greatly be appreciated; even after reading the faq`s, various pages and threads, I still don`t have a good grasp of what to do.



Thanks!

[acl99]

That guy looks pretty scarry with orbital :D As far as i know glazing is the step before waxing ususally with a product that contains alot of oils that adds wetness to the paint. You can still QEW wash your car (do a search on it, its awesome stuff) With no water source or drive way. You can do a pretty good job by hand by claying, than polishing with meguiars #80 followed by their #16 wax as winter prep. Do a search and explore the site a bit. You dont need to spend a fortune to get your car lookin good if you choose to do it yourself. :)

[Robb]

ya, i wouldnt take it to that guy, just by that picture alone you can tell he`s not professional by his tool of choice. If i were you, id buy a long lasting wax like collinite or a good sealant, klasse/zaino, and after washing your car do several coats of your chosen wax. Spend this winter reading up on detailing on autopia.org, and in the spring do your first full autopian detail

[ZaneO]

Yep, if I were you, I would look into Klasse AIO and Collinite wax. That should keep you protected through the winter, while you do lots of researching (and buying :D).

[jav246]

Thanks for all the response... So in terms of washing, I do have a bottle of P21S on me -- can I just use this to clean the car first? Or is this different from actually using something like QEW? Also, would it be advisable maybe to get one of those basic $10 washes at a drive-thru wash before doing this?



Secondly, once washing (and after an optional hand claying), all I need to do (for now) is pick *either* something like Collinite wax or Klasse AIO?



Thanks again!

[Robb]

you can use ur p21s car wash right now, it is different from qew, but thats for another thread, thoroughly wash your car, clay if you like, then apply collinite, that is all for now, yes. Best of luck.

[ZaneO]

Actually, I would use AIO and Collinite. AIO cleans the paint very well and leaves a pretty durable protection behind. Top that with some Collinite wax, and you should be set for the winter.



Stay away from other people washing your car.



A good place to start reading is here: www.bettercarcare.com



http://store.yahoo.com/autopia/freeguide.html

[hirosh]

Originally posted by jav246

Also, would it be advisable maybe to get one of those basic $10 washes at a drive-thru wash before doing this?



this would be a big no because those types of washes can marr or scratch your paint. put it this way, you don`t know where those washing things been! :D



and interestingly enough, that detailing place`s acrylic combo sounds like the klasse twins, which you could buy for around $40, depending where, and do it yourself, saving yourself $60, which could be used to buy other detailing products. :xyxthumbs

[White95Max]

Originally posted by jav246

(I don`t have a driveway or water source really to do a good job myself).





If your car doesn`t have any caked on dirt, you can wash your car in the normal fashion without a hose.

Last night before detailing I had to wash my car in the garage (it was dark outside). I just took a bucket of car soap and warm water, and used a clean MF to gently wipe off any dirt (mostly dust) that was on the car. Then I took a dry MF and wiped the water off. It took me about 25 minutes to wash the whole car this way.

If your MFs get dirty during the process, just grab a new pair of MFs.

After my whole car was done, I pulled out the PC and EX-P and got to work!