New Car - questions/concerns

**arw321** · 06-18-2006, 06:21 AM

Hey guys, this is my first post - go easy on me.

I recently bought a brand new Mazda3 GT (Titanium Grey) that I`ll be picking up tomorrow.

I turned down (hopefully I made the right decision) the dealer rust proofing, paint sealant and interior protection as I plan on oil spraying my car yearly, protecting the carpet/conditioning the leather and "sealing" the paint myself.

I am looking for some sugestions on what to use to seal the paint. Ideally, I`d like something that I could buy locally (I`m in Ontario, Canada - about an hour outside of Toronto) and apply manually as I don`t have an orbital.

Any suggestions? Also, should I wax and then seal, or seal and then wax? Or both?

I don`t mind spending the time to keep my car looking good. Unfortunately my garage is occupied by my other car that is not daily driven so this car will be subjected to the elements so I expect to do this quite frequently.

Thanks guys, any help would be appreciated.

BTW, did I make the right choice in turning down the dealer paint protection?

Adam

**jmsc** · 06-18-2006, 07:54 AM

Before you polish, glaze, wax/seal your paint use a stronger car wash like dawn (1 time) or NXT and CLAY your car. Then followup with your favorite polishes and lsp`s. When I took delivery of my new 06 Civic last year I was shocked at how many contaminents came off with the clay bar. The paint was like glass when I finished.

**arw321** · 06-18-2006, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by jmsc

Before you polish, glaze, wax/seal your paint use a stronger car wash like dawn (1 time) or NXT and CLAY your car. Then followup with your favorite polishes and lsp`s. When I took delivery of my new 06 Civic last year I was shocked at how many contaminents came off with the clay bar. The paint was like glass when I finished.

Thanks for the advice! I`ll be sure to do that... I would`ve never thought the paint would require clay so that`s good to know.

Any suggestions on sealants? I guess I`m looking for something that will (hopefully) help with resisting paint etching from bird crap, etc. I have been pretty faithful to the yellow/brown bottle meguairs stuff on other cars but I`m sure there`s better products on the market now.

Thanks again,

Adam

**Ben Kenobi** · 06-18-2006, 08:11 AM

Hi Adam and welcome. If you want something that lasts long and resists the elements you could go with Zaino products or the Klasse twins (AIO and SG). You can buy both of those here, do wash with some good soap like NXT and clay. Then polish if you need to and then seal. Then you can always apply a wax on top to give you a warmer look. Where exactly are you located?

Paul

**Accumulator** · 06-18-2006, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by arw321

... I would`ve never thought the paint would require clay so that`s good to know.

Any suggestions on sealants? I guess I`m looking for something that will (hopefully) help with resisting paint etching from bird crap, etc. I have been pretty faithful to the yellow/brown bottle meguairs stuff on other cars but I`m sure there`s better products on the market now...

Welcome to Autopia!

Yeah, claying is a good idea, lots of stuff (including ferrous contamination, AKA "rail dust") gets on the paint before the cars are delivered and it can cause unsightly blemishes.

I`m not an authority on OTC products, but IMO you could still do a lot worse than Meguiar`s products (and the stuff in the tan bottles is generally from their professional line).

Many autoparts places have Collinite wax on the shelf. Good stuff that lasts almost as long as some sealants.

But there are a scad of great products you might consider if you`re ordering online. I almost always recommend 1Z polishes topped with Collinite for people just getting into serious detailing. It can pay to start with stuff that`s *very* user-friendly.

You might run your prospective choices past us and see if anybody has any dire caveats; there *are* a few products that most of us find, uhm, less than swell...

**xTravBx** · 06-18-2006, 10:40 AM

Do not wash your brand new car with Dawn dish detergent. That is not neccesary. I know I`m a "n00b" here, but that is not a great idea. You`re not trying to strip the surface that harshly. It dries plastics and rubbers, and is not meant for cars.

**arw321** · 06-18-2006, 02:59 PM

Ben Kenobi:

Thanks, that clears up the process that is involved. I`ve heard great things about Klasse and Zaino products. I`m actually located in Grimsby, which is between Niagara Falls and Hamilton.

Accumulator:

Your reasoning behind why to clay first makes sense. Thanks! Is "Collinite" a brand name?

I`ve used dish soap to wash cars before, generally the first time after being oil sprayed. I know the are quite harsh and may strip waxes. Should I just stick with good car wash soap?

You guys have been a great help.

Adam

**imported_TheFiveO** · 06-18-2006, 03:32 PM

Here is a similiar vehicle I recently did..maybe this is of some assistance?

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The story and tools listed are at this link.

The Mazda 3

Hopefully you find something you can use. Take care and good luck to you

**Accumulator** · 06-19-2006, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by arw321

Is "Collinite" a brand name?

I`ve used dish soap to wash cars before, generally the first time after being oil sprayed. I know the are quite harsh and may strip waxes. Should I just stick with good car wash soap?

Yeah COLLINITE is the name of the company.

Good carwash shampoos have much better lubricity than dishwashing soaps, besides being more gentle on things like wax and rubber. I take my shampoos very seriously and find great differences between good ones (Griot`s, P21S, etc.) and cheap ones (Turtle Wax, Westleys, etc.). Mid-range ones like Meg`s Gold Class are as low on the scale as I`d go.

**larry325** · 07-12-2009, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by arw321

I turned down (hopefully I made the right decision) the dealer rust proofing, paint sealant and interior protection as I plan on oil spraying my car yearly, protecting the carpet/conditioning the leather and "sealing" the paint myself.

I am looking for some sugestions on what to use to seal the paint. Ideally, I`d like something that I could buy locally (I`m in Ontario, Canada - about an hour outside of Toronto) and apply manually as I don`t have an orbital.

Adam,

I also turned down the rust proofing and hoping that I made the right decision. I`ve read in some forums that as long as you keep your car clean in the winter months, it should keep the rust away. Is that your strategy as well?

Larry

**Accumulator** · 07-12-2009, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by larry325

..I also turned down the rust proofing and hoping that I made the right decision. I`ve read in some forums that as long as you keep your car clean in the winter months, it should keep the rust away...

Welcome to Autopia!

Whether to rustproof or not is, IMO, a matter of the vehicle more than anything else.

I don`t rustrpoof most of mine and winter use usually doesn`t result in rust. Yeah, I keep the undercarriages/etc. spotless.

BUT...my MPV is a rustout waiting to happen due to shoddy construction and I don`t trust Mazda`s build-quality in this regard these days. A guy I know (who`d better remain nameless, but regulars here might guess who the "grumpy old Marine" is

) who works with this stuff at the manufacturer level is *VERY* critical of how Mazda is building vehicles and says he`d absolutely rustproof any of their vehicles that`ll be used in winter/salt.

It`s not all that hard to do using stuff from Eastwood Company: Auto Tools, Body Repair, Classic Car Restoration, Paint Guns, Powder Coating, Soda Blasters, Fender Rollers, http://www.autoint.com/, and/or https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/amh.aspx . It can almost be fun (if a bit messy).

Wasn`t always like this...we got ~95k rust-free miles out of a `89 626 Turbo, winter salt didn`t do a thing to that one. But they`re not building them that well any more