Merry Christmas......

[NVFirefighter]

Hello all....this is my first post so I might as well make it a noob question ;)



I just got a 06 Scion xB and with the crappy weather that has been so persistant lately, I need to ask you experts what would be the first thing to do in protecting my new Box`s finish. I have tried a search and have read "some" of the Deatailing 101 but I thought I would delve in to the forums for a quicker answer.



Great site!! :xyxthumbs



Thanks!

[Setec Astronomy]

Not sure what you are saying--is it cold out? Rainy? What? You can work in the cold, but it`s tough in the rain without a garage or canopy.

[Accumulator]

NVFirefighter- Merry Christmas and welcome to Autopia!



The first thing to do is wash and clay the vehicle. Then, assuming there aren`t any swirls/scratches, you can accomplish a bunch of things at one time by using a product like Klasse AIO to clean the paint and provide some protection. Top with wax, either then or after the next wash, and you should be set for a while.



If you have marring then you`re looking at a more involved process with polishes, etc. But just cleaning and protecting the finish while it`s still new will go a long way.

[NVFirefighter]

I guess a more specific question...should I use a wax or a polish..or both?



Do I need to clay a new car with less than 300 miles on it?? :think:

[imported_Neothin]

Waxes and Polishes are two completely different products. Waxes are a type of protectant while polishes contain abrasives that will remove clearcoat (and in the process remove paint defects). If you have swirls, scratches, defects in general, both polish and wax should be used (polish first to remove the defects and then wax to protect the finish). if your car has no or very little defects, you can skip the polish and just go straight to waxing (thought you may want to use a paint cleaner first!).



You should clay a new car. You never know what the car was exposed to before you drove off the lot with it. How long was the car sitting at the dealership? If the car was transported by train, is there rail dust on the paint? etc etc etc. It`s best to clay the entire car just to give you peace of mind that the paint is completely clean.

[3Dog]

Wash and clay. Get a good coat of wax (or two) on...keep reading here and hit it good when warmer weather hits.

[NVFirefighter]

Thanks for the answers and help! I will invest in a clay system then and get started...any recomendations? Any experience with Griots stuff? I get catalogs all the time and he has clay among others.



Thanks again!

[holland_patrick]

Welcome Brother,

I`m from CT and Gonzo is from Mass. we both hang out here and detail on the side while we are not on the job.

[DaGonz]

Welcome Brother,

I`m from CT and Gonzo is from Mass. we both hang out here and detail on the side while we are not on the job.



There are a few other Brother firefighters here, too.





"Bunker" is out in Glendale, Arizona and "In the Details" is in Harwich on Cape Cod, MA.

[Accumulator]

I will invest in a clay system then and get started...any recomendations? Any experience with Griots stuff? I get catalogs all the time and he has clay among others...



I have rather extensive experience with Griot`s, not entirely satisfactory either.



IMO the Sonus brand clay from Better Car Care (sorry, no link handy) is much better. Get the gray clay for the initial claying and the green clay for subsequent clean-ups. Get the Sonus Glyde lubricant, it works well with those clays. I find these clays to be markedly superior to what Griot`s sells.



If you want to give Richard Griot some business ;) get his boar`s hair wheel cleaning brush(pn 94526) and the smaller ones which are great for nooks and crannies (pn 15520). I use these at every wash. And I use his Car Wash shampoo by the gallon, great stuff.

[NVFirefighter]

Thanks for all the help!



Thanks for the great welcome by my Fellow Brothers from the best job in the world! :usa



I`m still a little confused on products....I think the Sonus clay kit, then the Klasse AIO,followed by a wax?? I have the Maguires NXT wax already...that a good finisher?



Fantastic site guys! :drool:



A lot of info to digest, but I`m getting there....

[Accumulator]

Yeah, there is a lot to digest and it can be sorta overwhelming. It`s easy to start overthinking this stuff ;)



The Sonus clay kit, AIO, then a wax will work fine as long as you don`t have any marring to correct (marring would require an abrasive polish).



I must be one of the last people who haven`t tried NXT so I dunno how it`d work over the AIO. I myself would use a different product (which is why the NXT just sits on the shelf ;) ) maybe something like Collinite 845 or 476S for long-lasting protection and relative ease of use. Collinite is great for winter and it`s pretty cheap.