New Truck, need more info

[brazosdog02]

I have a brand new 2005 F-250, its Arizona Beige, which is a beige with metal flake.



Last week, i decided to wash and wax it for the for time......I used a clay bar for the first time, and it got the whole truck smooth as glass.



Now....i just used a regular run of the mill `rain-x` brand car `polish` or wax or whatever they call it. Before everyone cringes, i just did this because it makes it shiny, and it keeps all the junk from sticking to my paint.



Next time i want to do it the right way. I read the info on autopia, but am confused about what i need for MY application. I want it clean, and i want it protected, and i want it to really shine. What are the bare products i need to accomplish this? Do i need to clean my paint every time with a prewax cleaner? Do i need to just wax or polish too? There arent really any scratches on it yet since its new.



Im trying to get a handle on the whole paint care thing....

[imported_Neothin]

Lightly colored cars like yours are a pain when it comes to getting the type of results that you regularly see here. Knowing that, I`d say something along the lines of a paint cleaner like AIO, a sealant like EX-P, FMJ, UPP, etc, followed by a nice wax like natty`s would really set your truck away from the rest. If you live in an area where you get snow/salt/sand etc, i`d switch to a more durable wax like #16, one of the collinites, or just go for several layers of sealants (or both!).



seeing as your truck is new, your not going to really need to polish before you apply all these products. A clay bar is a good idea, but youve already done that! Just develop a good 2 bucket wash method to try and reduce the swirling induced when washing and you should be good to go. good luck with the truck.

[White95Max]

seeing as your truck is new, you`re not going to really need to polish before you apply all these products.





Whoa hang on there buddy! We`ve all seen dealer-prep pictures before. He may very well need to polish his truck first. It`s difficult to see scratches/swirls on lighter paints, so he may need to take a close examination of the paint to determine whether it is indeed swirl-free. Rarely do dealerships actually do a great job prepping new cars for sale.



And to the original poster, it doesn`t seem as though you understand the difference between a polish and a wax yet so here it is:



A polish is a product that is abrasive, that is designed to remove scuffs, scratches, swirls, etc...



A wax is a product containing natural carnauba wax for protection purposes. A pure wax will not have any abrasives or cleaning agents.



A paint cleaner is a product that is meant to clean stains or oxidation from the paint. They also work well for cleaning things like stubborn bugs or water spots. Sometimes they will contain fillers to hide scratches, or protective agents such as carnauba wax, polymers, or acrylics.



A sealant is similar to a wax, but made of synthetic materials, substituting polymers or acrylics in place of the carnauba. It lasts longer, is more resistant to high temperatures (Collinite excepted), and is often easier to apply/remove.

[brazosdog02]

Yeah, understand the difference, i just used both because on your typical shelf, it seems as thought the terms are used interchangeably (i know they arent).



OK, swirl marks are not really a problem yet, they are there if i really look for them, but the top of my list is PROTECTING my paint, so i am willing to deal with some swirls if the paint is protected, plus im on a budget and doing everything by hand.



So, i am going to need to do a three step process right? After washing...



By hand, put on one of the above listed paint cleaners....wipe off.



then goes on the paint sealer....wipe off.



Then goes on teh wax....buff off....





Is this correct?

[imported_Neothin]

the paint cleaner needs to be worked in just to make sure the cleaners do their jobs. The sealant needs to be applied really thin. Sealants normally need a curing time before another layer of sealant or a wax topper is applied. Listen to those directions on the bottle.



and to white95max, I assumed that every autopian denied dealer prep!

[White95Max]

Yes your application order is correct. Polish > paint cleaner > sealant > wax.



Since you say you`re going to do it all by hand, I wouldn`t bother polishing. It`s bad enough polishing by hand on a small car, let alone a full-size truck.

[brazosdog02]

yeah, i think ill skip the polish....it is after all, a truck. Since it doesnt have much in the way of damage, i think im ok. But the smoother the surface, the less it tends to scratch...



you know, when you are driving on a narrow passage and that mesquite branch runs across teh length of the truck and goes eeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkk......if its smooth, it will glide across. :)

[Horseman2475]

I have the same color on my 2002 F-250. FMJ wll make the flakes pop and is so easy going on and off that I don`t mind doing the truck.