Newbie with a new BLACK car - Please help!

[clsinsd]

I have a one-week-old black Scion tC, and I`d like to start out right by protecting my paint and glass (this car has a lot of glass). I`m basically looking for a durable finish that will be relatively low-maintenance (by Autopia standards anyway). I think the dealership put wax on it, so that needs to come off first. There doesn`t seem to be any swirling. Based on what I`ve been reading here for the last few weeks, here`s my plan for the weekend:



1. Wash with Dawn (I bought a decent selection of MF towels)

2. Clay (Clay Magic)

3. AIO

4. Wash again

5. Z5+ZXF (2-3 coats)

6. Scotchguard on the upholstery and carpets



I also bought some QEW (I live in an apartment, no garage).



Here are my questions:

1. Is AIO overkill for brand new paint?

2. I didn`t get the Z6. Is there a wax-free QD available locally that I could use between coats of Z5?

3. Should I use the Zaino on the glass too or just on the paint?

4. Would diluted QEW work as a QD after the Zaino (for dust, bird droppings, bugs, etc)?

6. What`s the best product for UV protection and dust-repelling on the interior vinyl?



Any advice would be appreciated. BTW: Quite a resource you have all put together here!

[raymond_ho2002]

hey there, congratulations on the tc. my girlfriend has one (flint mica) that i regularly maintain. I just finished putting on a coat of meguiar`s #16 on it an hour ago, in fact.



the tc black is metallic, so swirls won`t be as apparent on it as it would be on a non-metallic. Lucky for you, since you want low maintenence.



a lot of people think you can skip dawn if you AIO. no need to wash after aio, and no it is not overkill; it`s mild and is just about perfect for new paint.



z6 was one of my fav zaino products; you`re missing out!! you can get meguiar`s final inspection or meg`s quik detailer.



dilute qew as a qd would work too, i suppose. it has some carnauba in it so you should qd with meg`s right before z5.



the standard answer to question 6 is 303 aerospace protectant. the dashboard material is a little weird and i`m not sure how well 303 would work on it. so far i`ve been kinda putting it off because i dont know what the best thing is to do with it. :(

[imported_Burlyq]

Originally posted by clsinsd



1. Is AIO overkill for brand new paint?

I like the AIO/Zaino combo. Also, if you use QEW, AIO is important because QEW "might" leave some stuff on the surface of the car, residue or soil. I`m not bagging the product I like the stuff, but I think a paint cleaner is a good idea after using it.





2. I didn`t get the Z6. Is there a wax-free QD available locally that I could use between coats of Z5?

Z6 is defintetly recommended but clay lube by clay magic will work too believe it or not!

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/clma49shcllu.html





3. Should I use the Zaino on the glass too or just on the paint?

Zaino on all non porus surfaces, plastic/glass/chrome etc.





4. Would diluted QEW work as a QD after the Zaino (for dust, bird droppings, bugs, etc)?

Yes, but I`d use z6, remember you can dilute it 1 to 1 with tap water.





6. What`s the best product for UV protection and dust-repelling on the interior vinyl?

I use z10 because I like the smell and the matte finish. If you like very glossy surface try armorall or z16. As far as UV protection you can usually tell if the product is still on the surface, so any of the protectants will give you simular protection, I`d pick based on how is the finish and smell.

[salty]

Personally i would skip the interior dressing. Keep it clean with a dust cloth or a MF. Interior`s today do not fade, within many years. I find once you AA, you always AA.



The exterior is a different story. Once you wax, you always wax. If you have Zaino, use it. This whole site is built around a black car with Z2 and a wax topper. Find us the perfect shine!

[Accumulator]

clsinsd- Welcome to Autopia!



Your plan sounds fine and FWIW I agree that you don`t need to worry much about the interior at this point, though the ScotchGuard might not be a bad idea. I`d just keep it clean for now as opposed to using dressings.



I`d be *VERY* leery of QDing a black car. Just too easy to mar the finish IMO. I`d either wash it or leave it go (bird bombs notwithstanding). I don`t even QD silver between washes.



Oh, no need to wash after the AIO, it`ll leave things nice and clean.

[clsinsd]

Thanks for the quick responses. I actually have both Meguiar`s QD and the Clay Magic lube, but I was concerned that they might contain wax that would keep Zaino from bonding. I`ll order the Z6 for next time, though.



Good to know that I don`t have to wash again after the AIO. That`ll save me a second trip the self-serve car wash (I`m reserving the QEW for after the Zaino, since it has carnauba).

[MS22]

You can use a mix of car wash/water in place of the clay lube and just rinse the car off after claying. However I would invest in atleast some NXT car wash Autozone has it cheap and most poeple love it; Dawn is made for cleaning grease off dishes, keep it in the kitchen.

[imported_Burlyq]

Wash with Dawn is ok, I`ve done it many times with no ill effects, it is an efficient way to strip wax. QEW doesn`t have carnuba as far as I know.

[ericsscion]

congrats on the tc. I own one in white and love it to death. I personally wouldnt use dawn either. Like ms22 said you can get nxt at your local walmart and it work great.

[imported_Burlyq]

If you use AIO you don`t need to Dawn wash, you actually could use QEW then AIO then Zaino. You could use NXT or any wash too if your using AIO, but car washes won`t strip dealer spray wax so anyone not using AIO needs to use something to strip old wax.

[clsinsd]

I was only planning to use the Dawn because Zaino recommends it for removing wax and QEW says right on the bottle that it won`t remove wax. I guess the clay and AIO take care of that instead. Thanks for the advice. It`ll save me a couple steps.

[Scottwax]

Clearkote`s Quikshine is also an excellent QD and works well with sealants and carnaubas.



I`d just clay, AIO then your 2-3 layers of Zaino. Keep it simple.

[raymond_ho2002]

Originally posted by Scottwax

Clearkote`s Quikshine is also an excellent QD and works well with sealants and carnaubas.





That would always be my first choice and suggestion, but since i dont find clearkote products locally in my area, i assumed he wouldn`t either.



clinsd: if you can find clearkote products locally, then i`d second scott`s suggestion of quikshine! :)

[krzy]

Congrats on your new tC. I got my Flint Mica about 2 months ago and I love it.



After being a `fly on the wall` around here for a while, I`ve learned TONS about taking care of car paint. That doesn`t mean I`m an expert, but I think I`ve learned most of what not to do.



http://tc.damn.net/albums/album01/P1001883.sized.jpg

http://tc.damn.net/albums/album01/P1001885.sized.jpg

I`ve had pretty good luck with NXT on my car. Granted, its is probably a bit easier to care for than the Black Sand Pearl.



Something I noticed early on is that the side body panels tend to load up on road grease/dirt when driving in the rain. When it dries, it looks like nasty grey waterspots. I went ahead and got the tC mud guards and they seem to reduce the amount of road grime that collects along the side of the car by quite a bit.