new car need suggestions

**accordmaniac** · 10-09-2004, 09:58 PM

ok. i just bought a brand new honda civic 2 weeks ago. the paint is white and the iterior is beige and since it is the value package model it has black plastic on the outside. Now to get to the point i just want some suggestions on how i can keep it looking its best. Also i am sixteen so i don`t have that much money to spend so it would be nice if the products suggested is cheap and maybe even otc. I know this question is off topic but does anyone think 14700 is too much for this car, even though my dad was trying to get 14000 for it and the dealer won`t budge. Thanks.

and here is a list of products i already have:

nxt tech wax, show car glaze, deep crystal 1 and 2and hi tech yellow 26.

**TW85 HHI** · 10-09-2004, 10:10 PM

Since budget is an issue, I would use NXT. You should be able to find Meguiar`s High Endurance for the tires, Eagle One A2Z to clean the rims and tires, and Stoner`s Invisible Glass for windows locally. NXT wash is a nice wash and a great value at $6 for 64 ounces.

**hirosh** · 10-09-2004, 10:29 PM

i suggest:

1. wash - NXT wash is good for the price.

2. clay - california clay bar is good and available locally

3. since your car is new, hopefully the detailer didn`t cause any swirls. if so, you could use the deep crystal step 1, followed by deep crystal step 2.

4. wax - NXT x2, 12 hours between coats.

just be carefully when polishing/waxing the black plastic trim on the outside. to be safe, you could use blue painter`s tape and tape off the trim.

to clean your tires, Eagle One A2Z is good. tire protectant of your choice. if you can afford it, 303 protectant for the plastic in the interior.

as for the price, try check edmunds.com or a similar car buying website that allows you to see the prices for you civic.

good luck and have fun!

**accordmaniac** · 10-09-2004, 11:21 PM

do i need to clay the surface or is that an optionand would the #7 do anything since the paint is white?

**accordmaniac** · 10-09-2004, 11:22 PM

if i need to clay it would you recommend mothers or clay magic

**Wasatch** · 10-10-2004, 11:28 AM

Originally posted by accordmaniac

if i need to clay it would you recommend mothers or clay magic

Either one, but I perfer clay magic.

**Accumulator** · 10-10-2004, 12:28 PM

Hope you like your new car! Yeah, you oughta clay it- if you don`t you will get "rust blooms" that look bad on white. No, don`t bother with the #7 but note that the Deep Crystal #2 is sorta similar, if I recall correctly. I`d use the Deep Crystal myself if I were you instead of the #7.

To keep costs down, you might look in the yellow pages and find an autopaint/body supply place that sells Pro brand products. I used them way back in the day when *I* was a teenager and found them both effective and affordable. They offer a full line, whatever you might need, and might well be a better way to go, at least in the long run.

**accordmaniac** · 10-10-2004, 08:38 PM

what kind of products would i be looking for at an "autopaint/body" supply place.and how much would i have to pay. Also i need opinions on whether to use an Absorber to dry my car or those cheap giant microfibers that walmart sells in the auto section. Also i heard the fabric that comes with the dx/vp model of this car is very easily stained so i was wondering what i can do to prevent it.

**accordmaniac** · 10-10-2004, 08:49 PM

forgot to ask, i have a2z but my car has wheel covers not rims so i was wondering if the a2z will hurt the covers

**Accumulator** · 10-11-2004, 11:03 AM

I wouldn`t expect the A2Z to hurt the wheel covers unless it`s the older acidic version (don`t know when they changed it but it was a while ago).

I`d get the best WWMF you can to dry you you don`t get waterspots (I can`t get all the water off with an abosorber) or marring (from cheap MFs and cotton). Money well spent IMO.

The products I`m thinking about at the autobody places range from car wash shampoo (cheaper by the gallon) to polishes to waxes. You name it. If nothing else, it`s a greater selection than you`ll find at the autoparts places. Prices are often cheaper than you`d expect, that`s sorta the idea behind going with pro-oriented lines like Pro (no pun intended

), they have to be cost-effective for pros, no wasted expense for fancy packages, etc.

**hirosh** · 10-12-2004, 02:50 AM

i agree with the advice Accumulator gave. clay the car the first time you detail because the car could have acquired all sorts of surface contaminents during shipping and such. to see if you need to clay, do the baggie test. put you hand in a zip-loc bag and gently rub your hand over the surface. if it doesn`t feel smooth, you have surface contaminents that need to be removed. clay the surface and then do the baggie test again, you should notice a difference.

#7 show car glaze can be hard to work with, you can get smearing and such. Deep Crystal Step 2 would work in the same manner and not be that hard to work with.

for drying the car, spend the money and get a good Waffle Weave (WW) Micro Fiber (MF) towel. this is the one step where you can introduce marring and scratches and stuff if you aren`t careful enough. any of the online stores listed on autopia should have a good WW MF.

A2Z should be okay on your wheel covers as long as you follow the directions. if you aren`t sure, never use A2Z when the wheels are hot or in direct sunlight. never allow it to dry, and if you want to be safe, hose the wheel covers down with water first. but if you wash your car weekly and thoroughly clean the wheel covers each time, you shouldn`t really have too much of a problem with brake dust build up.

to protect your fabric, you can buy a can of 3M fabric guard. i don`t know the name, but i read in some magazine it`s the same one the dealers use and charge $50 for.

and if cost is an issue/concern right now, use what you got + a good car wash shampoo. also a good wash mitt, a good WW MF for drying, and some good MF towels for removing the polishes and wax. and then, keep reading and learning over here while saving your money so you can buy the products you think will work well for you. but if you want a recommendation on "pro" products, meguiars is a pretty good place to start. they have both a consumer line, stuff usually in that maroon bottle, and a pro line, stuff usually in that beige bottle like your #7. most of their products are cheap for the size and usually under $20.

good luck and happy detailing!

**accordmaniac** · 10-13-2004, 02:34 PM

If i either can`t find 303 locally or cannot afford it what is a decent protectant to use? Nxt, Armor All, ... ?

**Wasatch** · 10-13-2004, 03:12 PM

NXT smells good, got rid of it before I got a chance to use it.

**hirosh** · 10-13-2004, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by accordmaniac

If i either can`t find 303 locally or cannot afford it what is a decent protectant to use? Nxt, Armor All, ... ?

any protectant with some sort of UV protection, it`ll say on the bottle, which is one of the good things about 303. off the top of my head, i think the NXT Protectant, and Meg`s #40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner had some sort of UV protection.