New Guy getting his arsenal together...suggestions

F

FreddieG

New member
Well I have been lurking on these forums for sometime now and I'm ready to dive into taking better car of my paint. I recently about a 1 week ago bought a Black 2013 Ford Mustang GT that is a weekend driver. It stays pretty much in the garage 85% of the time. After countless hours of reading reviews and taking my own inventory of stuff I already have I want to make sure I'm am heading in the right direction with the products I have chosen. Plus take any suggestions from any of you experts out there. I also want to know if I should clay the car or not? I of course will be using the two bucket method with a variety of microfiber towels and probably will blow dry with a blower. I already have ClearKote products but they have been sitting for awhile I would assume they are still good if not should I invest in some new ones?



Wash - Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine and or Chemical Guys Extreme Body Wash or Optimum Car Wash (still undecided any suggestions)



Clay - Should I clay if so any suggestions



Glaze/Sealant - ClearKote Red Machine Moose Wax (already had this...however its been on the shelf for awhile) or Poli-Seal



Wax - ClearKote Carnauba Moose Wax or Chemical Guys 50/50 or Optimum Canauba Wax (still undecided any suggestions)



Sealant - Opti-Seal



Tire Dressing - Adams Super VRT (already had this)



Wheel Sealant - Opti-Coat 2.0



Detail Spray - ClearKote Quick Shine



All of this will be done by hand with a future purchase of a Porter. Hopefully this sounds good and are the proper steps or is heading in the right direction for a new purchased black car.



Thanks and this is an awesome community and glad to be a part of it.
 
You will probably need to clay, the baggie test will let you know if you do or don't. When you say "ready to dive into taking better care of my paint", it worries me a bit. Most people don't go from one end to the other, it's sort of like a diet in that regard, for best results you choose what pains you can live with VS what results you expect. ONR isn't exactly idiot proof, especially on black, so I'd probably go with Opt car wash. Since you aren't using a machine initially, I'd recommend you go with Meg's NXT as your wax/LSP. It fills minor swirls and looks amazing. It also has light cleaners in it, mainly to prep the paint for bonding, but it does a great job of keeping your paint smooth. A few guys will ***** about the durability, but its really not that bad, about average as far as sealants go. Grab some Meg's ultimate quick wax for after wash spruce ups. That will have your car looking its best with minimal effort. You will have to spend a lot more time and money to get any better, and it will be splitting hairs at that point.
 
I am a huge proponent of using what you have - especially if they are quality stuff (like what you have). Focus on wash/drying technique so you are not instilling swirls, marring, etc. into the paint. At that point, anything will look great.



Wash - You listed some products that would be used for different scenarios and situations. ONR is for rinseless washing where minimal water is utilized. The other two are for traditional "2-bucket" washing. I would get ONR because of its versatility (wash, QD, clay lube, water conditioner) and then one of the other mentioned washes - both are great imo.



Clay - Yes, always clay a new vehicle. Most new vehicles need just a light-claying, but some may need aggressive clay due to the mode of transportation to your dealership



Glaze - Use what you have - put the bottle in some warm/hot water (NOT boiling) to help break up anything that has settled and then shake like a beast for 10 minutes.



Wax OR Sealant - Personal opinion here but choose either one...i personally think that layering a sealant and then a wax on top is overrated. Pick one, put on two layers, and then call it a day - All the products you mentioned are great so rest assured that you can't go wrong with any one of them.



One thing to consider - use Opti-coat on everything, not just your wheels...then you are practically set for a long time with regards to protection.
 
I recently did a new Roush mustang in flat black. If your paint is anything like that, I feel for you.



First make sure that the paint is is good enough shape (for you). His had 37 miles on it and took me 30 hours to correct.



If you are happy with the paint, use what you have and always clay - however the clay will not be good to your paint, most likely will mar a bit.



May want to use this instead - HD Nano Prep - Clay Bar replacement



Get a PC, it is worth it and you will get a better finish.



After all that is done, enjoy that pretty car. :)
 
MCA said:
I am a huge proponent of using what you have - especially if they are quality stuff (like what you have). Focus on wash/drying technique so you are not instilling swirls, marring, etc. into the paint. At that point, anything will look great.



Wash - You listed some products that would be used for different scenarios and situations. ONR is for rinseless washing where minimal water is utilized. The other two are for traditional "2-bucket" washing. I would get ONR because of its versatility (wash, QD, clay lube, water conditioner) and then one of the other mentioned washes - both are great imo.



Clay - Yes, always clay a new vehicle. Most new vehicles need just a light-claying, but some may need aggressive clay due to the mode of transportation to your dealership



Glaze - Use what you have - put the bottle in some warm/hot water (NOT boiling) to help break up anything that has settled and then shake like a beast for 10 minutes.



Wax OR Sealant - Personal opinion here but choose either one...i personally think that layering a sealant and then a wax on top is overrated. Pick one, put on two layers, and then call it a day - All the products you mentioned are great so rest assured that you can't go wrong with any one of them.



One thing to consider - use Opti-coat on everything, not just your wheels...then you are practically set for a long time with regards to protection.
Click to expand...





Thanks for the reply. You nailed it about the two washes I was considering both since they can be used for different instances. Thanks for the suggestion on the glaze I will try that for sure. I didn't realize I could put opti-coat on the car as well. Will that help with the durability of the CW?
 
Thomas Dekany said:
I recently did a new Roush mustang in flat black. If your paint is anything like that, I feel for you.



First make sure that the paint is is good enough shape (for you). His had 37 miles on it and took me 30 hours to correct.



If you are happy with the paint, use what you have and always clay - however the clay will not be good to your paint, most likely will mar a bit.



May want to use this instead - HD Nano Prep - Clay Bar replacement



Get a PC, it is worth it and you will get a better finish.



After all that is done, enjoy that pretty car. :)
Click to expand...



Thanks for the insight how is this different than the traditional clay? I am new to claying and need to do some more research for sure.
 
as far as the non technical stuff, the towel is as easy to use as a regular towel like when you wipe the car. Much more durable, you can use it on over 60 cars before it needs replacement.



if you have ever clayed in cold weather, you know how hard it is to kneed it. So such issues with the towel. Also, it works much faster.





FreddieG said:
Thanks for the insight how is this different than the traditional clay? I am new to claying and need to do some more research for sure.
Click to expand...
 
I shouldn't need a polish after a clay bar or the clay bar replacement? Can I go straight to the glaze and then wax/opti-coat right after the clay?
 
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