NEW Car...What Products/Procedures First??

Just got a 2004 Nissan Quest minivan, and I want to keep it clean & shiny as long as possible.

I was considering the Zymol Starter Set (Clear, HD Cleanse, Japon wax), but not that it`s slammed here or anything, but it seems there are better products out there. BTW, any opinions on Japon or the other brand-specific Zymol waxes?

Basically, I want to know what steps to take to protect a NEW car! Do I just wash it, or use a wash that removes wax n/stuff (like the HD Cleanse)?

After it`s clean, what next? I don`t need to remove any swirls, so do I need to polish the van or move right to the wax?

What products are "best"? I don`t care about price too much, as long as I don`t go much past the Zymol prices.

Leather.....do I want to put anything on in it`s current perfect condition, or wait a bit to condition it?

Thanks for helping a newbie!

Dean Smith

I have done a few new cars....As long as the dealer did not put their scratches and swirls into it I always just go over it with Poorboy`s Polish with Carnuba and top it with EX.

Here`s what I sould do.

First I would start off by claying the vehilce. Although it is new, you would be surprised on how much the clay will get out of your paint.

Next, I would use some type of polish. I prefer Poorboys products because of the quality,cost and ease of use. They also can be applied in the sun. Your two choices here are pro polish (PP), which is a pure polish OR polish with carnauba (PWC).

Then apply a sealant. If you chose to go with the PP, then use EX-P. EX-P is a pure sealant. If you chose, PWC as your base coat, then use EX. EX contains carnauba in it.

Lastly you could use some type of paste wax carnauba topper to enhance the deepness of the shine. You can research on here which waxes work best with different colors. This top coat will not be as durable as the previous coats you have applied so it will need to be re-applied about 1-2 months depending on the weather and how the vehicle is stored.

As far as the leather seats go. You definitely was to put some kind of UV protectant on it now. The sun will make quick work of degrading the look and durability of the leather. Four star products get great reviews as well as Poorboys in this field. Poorboys Natural Look and 4 Star Ultimate leather cleaning gel and condition would be a good place to start.

As far as price and where to buy, Premium Auto Care offers all these products as well as a 10% discount to Detailcity members.


Good Luck!

Excellent info courtesy of JB Man..........try here.....

Thanks!

The link doesn`t work, but I assume it`s to the general info that Jngrbrdman provided (I found it already).

But I found it when I searched for "Klasse", as I saw their stuff on the PAC website, and in one thread Jngrbrdman seems to say it`s great, but then he fails to mention it in his "how to" thread!

What`s the skinny on this stuff? I like the fact it`s s`posed to last a long time, but would I want the AIO or the sealant/glaze? What does the AIO replace, everything after the claying process?? Do you still put a final cote of wax on TOP of either of the Klasse products?

BTW, I picked up a 10" random orbit polisher at Harbor Freight for $15 (!!). Yes, the PC setup is better, but at this price, I couldn`t say no. What kind of applicator & buffer heads would be best to pick up for the products we`re discussing? Would I want foam, a new concept for me, or just sheepskin. Would I use it for the polish, sealant, and/or the final wax cote?

Dean, welcome to DC

Klasse AIO is comparable to Poorboy`s Polish with carnauba except without the carnauba protection. AIO replaces this with a synthetic protection. Before going into depth, what color is your car? and what is the condition of it (minor swirls)? Basically, a full detail entails:

1. Wash
2. Clay (removes contaminates that other products cannot-tree sap, rail dust...)
3. Some people like to wash the car again to get the lubricant off
4. Swirl/Scratch removal
5. Polish
6. Sealant
7. Carnauba Topper

Keep in mind this is a full detail for the paint only and its usually done one to two times a year. For basic maintenance, I usually just wash, polish, and sealant. Depending on how much time you have, most of DCer`s like to top the sealant with a carnauba topper for added depth through a layering process.

Going back to Klasse products, you would have to layer the sealant/glaze on top of AIO. The sealant/glaze (SG) is really just AIO without its chemical cleaning properties. Most people, including myself, have had trouble with SG when taking it off....something I`m still trying to perfect.

I would shy away from the 10" polisher you got. Its just a big pain to use it IMO. But if you insist, use foam pads for polish, sealant, and/or the final carnauba. Whatever you get for products, just make sure they are liquid so it is easy to put on the pad. And you MUST get several pads, one for each process. I`m not sure if they make different types of foam pads (cutting level, think of it as sand paper grit) for the 10". But look around and hang out for a bit to learn about the products. I would suggest picking up a bottle of Meg`s NXT (a AIO type product which cleans and protects) at your local walmart for now and use that before making the big purchase on tons of products.

Two months ago we took delivery of a brand new RX330. I had to clay only a few areas because a lot of the vehicle was shipped with protective plastic on most of the panels. Most new vehicles are now shipped this way. After the wash and claying, the paint looked in excellent condition ... no imperfections ... So, I applied three coats of 4* UPP, waiting 24 hours between each application. After a few washings, the vehicle looks as good as the day I finished applying UPP and the water still beads like crazy. I say all of this because I think sometimes we try to do to much to a new vehicle. Unless the dealership does something to mess up the paint, it is in the best condition it will ever be in as far as spiderwebs, swirls, scratches, etc. I always ask myself ... what is the minimum I can do to make the paint look good and stay protected. Good Luck with the new vehicle and have fun making it look great!

Quote:

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Originally posted by fireman03
Here`s what I sould do.

First I would start off by claying the vehilce. Although it is new, you would be surprised on how much the clay will get out of your paint.

Next, I would use some type of polish. I prefer Poorboys products because of the quality,cost and ease of use. They also can be applied in the sun. Your two choices here are pro polish (PP), which is a pure polish OR polish with carnauba (PWC).

Then apply a sealant. If you chose to go with the PP, then use EX-P. EX-P is a pure sealant. If you chose, PWC as your base coat, then use EX. EX contains carnauba in it.

Lastly you could use some type of paste wax carnauba topper to enhance the deepness of the shine. You can research on here which waxes work best with different colors. This top coat will not be as durable as the previous coats you have applied so it will need to be re-applied about 1-2 months depending on the weather and how the vehicle is stored.

As far as the leather seats go. You definitely was to put some kind of UV protectant on it now. The sun will make quick work of degrading the look and durability of the leather. Four star products get great reviews as well as Poorboys in this field. Poorboys Natural Look and 4 Star Ultimate leather cleaning gel and condition would be a good place to start.

As far as price and where to buy, Premium Auto Care offers all these products as well as a 10% discount to Detailcity members.


Good Luck!

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:yeah He said what I`d have said if I weren`t saying it later.

Be sure to clay!