How to clean the new kids

:welcome Lexuslvr



nice kids you got there. i know what you mean about trying to keep a new car looking good. buying a new car eventually lead me to autopia, and i've been loving it ever since!



anyways, to keep them looking great, there are a lot of products you can use. what to use would depend on what your needs are, and what kind of look you want. but before you worry about what products to use, it might be helpful to learn good techniques that will keep your cars looking great. if you can find it, try downloading the Autopia Ebook that goes over all the basics of detailing: washing and drying, claying, polishing, waxing, etc.

if you can't find the eBook, try checking out Better Car Care as they have some useful articles there too.



good luck and happy detailing! :wavey
 
Well, I have always washed and waxed my cars about once a month. The wax I use is made for me by a gentleman here in Oklahoma City. There is no polishing compound or cutting agents of any kind in it.



I know when I got my first new car (MANY years ago) :-) I was a total fanatic about keeping it looking FANTASTIC. Now that I am significantly older I am not quite such a fanatic.



That being said, I did pay a pretty penny for the kids so I do want to make them look the best that they possibly can. The LS only has 3447 miles on it and the RX has 447. They were both purchased new and I want to keep them looking new (or better).
 
I'd look into these products for a white car:



Klasse All In One (AIO)

P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser (GEPC)

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant (WG)

Fourstar Ultimate Paint Protection (4* UPP)

ClearKote Vanilla Moose (VM)

Poorboy's Nattys Paste Wax (Nattys)



Good luck making your white car shine and :welcome to Autopia!
 
Considering your cars are new and won't need much correction, if any, I'd go with a PC, very light abrasive polishes, pads to apply those polishes on your PC, and a nice sealant such as UPP. The fact that your car is white will also help in maintaining your paint in comparison to a black car. Black cars are so difficult to maintain but when done so, they look so awesome and mean!
 
Denzil said:
Considering your cars are new and won't need much correction, if any...
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You can't say that for sure...dealers can and do mess up paint worse than what you could fix with a light polish. As far as swirls in the paint, white is great! Even if there are swirls, you may not be able to even see them.
 
OK folks, I am getting ready to order a PC, should I get the one from Autopia with the SFX pads or what? Also, what products would be best for someone who has never really DETAILED a car, all I have ever done is washed really well and then waxed.



Appreciate all the help, and watch for pictures (once I get going)
 
I'd get a nice wax like Nattys. It's so easy to use, so you'll appreciate that a lot.

I've always liked GEPC, UPP, WG, and Nattys for white. I love Pinnacle Paste Glaz too, but that's not available anymore. If you can find a jar anytime, I'd grab it. It looks awesome on white and silver.



All of the above mentioned products work well on white, and are very easy to use.



I'd buy the PC wherever you plan on ordering the other products from. You can save on shipping by ordering all your stuff at once from one vendor.
 
Lexuslvr said:
Ummm....ok, now in English please? :confused:
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UPP = FourStar Ultimate Paint Protection (polymer sealant)

WG = Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant (polymer sealant)

GEPC = P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser (pre-wax polish)

Nattys = Poorboy's Nattys Paste Wax (carnauba paste wax)
 
If you're a newbie to detailing by machine, you don't want to get a rotary until you get lots of practice with a PC. A rotary can cause plenty of damage if used improperly, while a PC is very paint-friendly. Start with the PC and after a while if you decide that the PC isn't what you need it to be, then start looking into a rotary.
 
Not that much other than each one uses a different foam that changes the cutting ability. I know that both sonus system are similar that each has a cut, polish and finish pad but there is still some variables within each catagory. I would use the DAS pads as they were more designed for the PC and the foams are a little softer which is more designed for the hobbist detailer like you. The cutting pad is mopre of a dual purpose cutting/polish which is more suited for the newer cars you have.
 
White95Max said:
You can't say that for sure...dealers can and do mess up paint worse than what you could fix with a light polish. As far as swirls in the paint, white is great! Even if there are swirls, you may not be able to even see them.
Click to expand...



Oh yeah... forgot about those idiots. :wall



Anyway, white is pretty friendly on the eyes! Even though there may be swirlmarks, they aren't as noticeable. :woohoo:
 
jetskie said:
Not that much other than each one uses a different foam that changes the cutting ability. I know that both sonus system are similar that each has a cut, polish and finish pad but there is still some variables within each category. I would use the DAS pads as they were more designed for the PC and the foams are a little softer which is more designed for the hobbist detailer like you. The cutting pad is more of a dual purpose cutting/polish which is more suited for the newer cars you have.
Click to expand...





OK, thanks!



I have a feeling that even though I am not going to be doing this for a living (well not yet anyway) I may end up doing it all the time with 3 cars PLUS all my friends and families cars!
 
Do the people in the know around here have any recommendations as to where to order the PC? Any discounts available to Autopia members?



Thanks!
 
As someone pointed out previously on this thread, Lowes sells the PC (7336) for a little over a hundred. I grabbed one last weekend from a local Lowes store... strangely, I couldn't find the product when I searched my local Lowes store online, but they did stock it locally. When I researched prices online, the best deal was by Coastal Tools: http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/...er.htm?L+coastest+fzfh4349fffb54fb+1120142439



Again the 7336 and the 7424 are the same tool other than different pads/counterweights. I ordered the Sonus DAS pads and backing plate from Autopia as I prefer to patronize them when prices are competitive.
 
I bought mine at Coastal Tool for $119. That was for the PC 7424, 6" backing plate, and both counterweights (5" and 6"). Of course it also came with the crappy factory pad, but I've never used that one.
 
OK, went to Lowe's and they didn't have the 7336 so I found a 7424 down the street. I have ordered the Sonus DAS pads from Autopia. Now all I have to do is get the product. I am chomping at the bit to get started on thee vehicles!
 
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