New Truck - What Should I Do First?

Accumulator said:
But I'm figuring that not everybody is that crazy, and there's no need for a "normal person" to get all Autopian about this stuff. We're talking about a new, white, truck here...right?
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Well, like Thomas said, if you're here, odds are you have higher standards. ;)
 
lvalesko said:
OK - now I'm confused. Most of you sound like you have purchased and used ABC yourselves, but Ketcham advises against it and says I should make sure Ford has done it.



I have 2 concerns about that: one is, how will I know they'll do it? Sure, I can call the salesman today and tell him I want the car ABC'd before I pick it up tomorrow and he will say, sure!, and I"ll have no idea if it was done correctly. Or, number 2, maybe it was ABC'd when it got to it's original destinations months ago - we live just a few miles from the largets port in the US, (LA/Long Beach Port Complex), so I know there's been more 'stuff' rained down on the paint even if it was ABC'd as some point.



I would rather not clay if this is a good alternative as I have experienced marring.



Sorry, but what is LSPing and AIO??



Is it practical to buy the ABC, then use it twice a year before I wax with just regular washing with quality in between?



Thanks again for the great help!!!
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LSPing? = Last Step Product, whether a sealant, wax, etc.



AIO? = All In One product, cleaner/wax, polish (when the paint doesn't need anything else), basically any single step product you can use to get the result you are looking for without having to both compound and polish. Which would be before going on to your LSP.



Just wondering what, (if any) answer they gave you when you asked them about ABC'ing your new truck?

I'm with ya', on the fact that you can ASK a salesman whatever you want, but 1; having him know the answer, and 2; having him actually DO anything about it when, 3; he probably DIDN'T know what you were talking about in the first place, likely means they didn't do anything at all.



And of course there is still the issue of whether or not you'd even be able to tell if they did. :noidea:



All that not withstanding, you could still do the ABC'ing although that's a ton of product there. In looking at how it's applied, there is a certain amount of surface scrubbing which would be just as likely as claying more/less to introduce perhaps some level of marring. (It does use a scrubbing pad for instance.)



While not cheap by any means, but much more useful and over a longer life span.... you might want to look at the Nanoskin pad. I've always been a huge claying fan, lots of different clays for this, that, or another. Then I found Nanoskin pads... WOW! :clap2: The benefit is it lasts much MUCH longer than a clay bar and you don't have to throw it away if you drop it. :madgrin:



There are other options besides ABC'ing. IRONX has been mentioned, and it works great. (Smells horrible, but works fantastic.) Could just do Snow Foam with IRONX in it. Could do Finish Kare which is very similar to ABC. And of course HD has the HD Nano Prep package that has a nano towel that works like the Nanoskin pad. Once you try either I bet you'll not want to clay again unless you just have to. :rockon1:



I doubt it'd need much done to the paint (once you take care of the rail dust) providing they didn't swirl it all to pieces washing it while at the dealership.



Even after it's decontaminated you should still go ahead and clay (or nano scrub) it. Then just hit it with a light AIO (like 156) or just a good polish (205 perhaps). Then seal that puppy up. It'll respond to the effort and you'll be glad you did it. Not to mention how much better it'll clean 'down the road'.



FWIW even if they DID go ahead and ABC it, you can bet they didn't do it all over as well as if you'd have done it, like inside the bed, and especially the wheels. Wouldn't be a bad idea to get them decon'd as well, then perhaps throw a coat of Coli 845 on them. I've got customers that swear by having wheels IRONX'd, but then again they didn't know about it till they saw the cool videos. :laugh: I know it sure helps get them clean! (Caveat there.... I'm always reading of someone that has had an issue with calipers and IRONX. I haven't but... can't say it's a bad thing to 'test' before going there.)
 
FWIW, a...uhm...less-than-Autopian (to put it nicely) person washing a vehicle with *anything*, including ABC, would probably mar it up to the point that I'd consider refusing delivery.



I wouldn't trust a dealership employee to do any kind of cosmetic prep unless I knew that employee personally.



Hey, I *really* like my Ford dealer, but I'd never let anybody there wash anything.



IF you're really serious about this stuff, get the "DO NOT DETAIL" thing written on the sales contract. They might give you some BS about how they can't do that, but I've BTDT and it's 100% doable. They want to sell the vehicle, that's the real bottom line. IF you place the sale in jeopardy you'd be surprised what kind of requests they can accommodate ;) Talking with a salesman, who's not authorized to really make any decisions, is not the way to do this stuff :grinno:



Scottwax said:
Well, like Thomas said, if you're here, odds are you have higher standards....
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Heh heh, I must be feeling heretical again... :chuckle: ...I'm thinking that a whole lot of people here are a whole lot less intense about this stuff than one might think.
 
From an article called 'How to Choose the Right Wax or Paint Sealant' on the Autopia website:



A cleaner wax doesn't need to be used, and in most cases shouldn't be used, on a car in which the paint is in excellent condition; for example a brand new car or an older car in which the paint has been properly cleaned and polished. Finishes in great condition would be better served using a finishing wax or finishing sealant.



I picked up the truck yesterday and couldn't get an answer as to whether or not it was ever ABC'd. They said it was 'detailed' for me in the morning before I got there, (ughh!).



It actually looks really good, feels pretty smooth and based on the above article what do you guys think if I:



Wash

Sonus SFX Ultra-Fine Detailing Clay

Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze OR Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0 - (I want something easy to apply and buff off)

BLACKFIRE Total Eclipse Tire Dressing Gel

303 High Tech Fabric Guard - (it's got cloth seats)

Sonus Total Eclipse - (for dash, armrests, etc)



Can't afford the high end products but don't want to waste money on inferior products either...



Thanks!!!
 
lvalesko- If it looks OK to you then I'd do the minimum, and IMO that'd be just wash it and apply Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. That'd play nice with whatever the dealer put on it.



If you wash aggressively/clay you'll probably strip off whatever they put on. Might open a can of worms.



Getting the paint ready for KSG would be the same situation.



The Collinite 845 is about as easy as it gets and provides great protection.
 
lvalesko said:
Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze OR Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0 - (I want something easy to apply and buff off)



Can't afford the high end products but don't want to waste money on inferior products either...
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The KSG is probably the hardest to use LSP there is. You might want to use #21, which is probably as easy as it gets.



I'd bet a large amount of money there was no ABC done. Do you already have the Sonus/Blackfire products? If not, plenty of good OTC stuff that is as good or better.
 
Go to the Service Manager and tell him you must see the paper work that the dealer is submitting to Ford for the warranty work they did using the MotorCraft products and labor charges. That'll jerk their chain.
lvalesko said:
From an article called 'How to Choose the Right Wax or Paint Sealant' on the Autopia website:



A cleaner wax doesn't need to be used, and in most cases shouldn't be used, on a car in which the paint is in excellent condition; for example a brand new car or an older car in which the paint has been properly cleaned and polished. Finishes in great condition would be better served using a finishing wax or finishing sealant.



I picked up the truck yesterday and couldn't get an answer as to whether or not it was ever ABC'd. They said it was 'detailed' for me in the morning before I got there, (ughh!).



It actually looks really good, feels pretty smooth and based on the above article what do you guys think if I:



Wash

Sonus SFX Ultra-Fine Detailing Clay

Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze OR Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0 - (I want something easy to apply and buff off)

BLACKFIRE Total Eclipse Tire Dressing Gel

303 High Tech Fabric Guard - (it's got cloth seats)

Sonus Total Eclipse - (for dash, armrests, etc)



Can't afford the high end products but don't want to waste money on inferior products either...



Thanks!!!
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Accumulator said:
If it looks OK to you then I'd do the minimum, and IMO that'd be just wash it and apply Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. That'd play nice with whatever the dealer put on it.



If you wash aggressively/clay you'll probably strip off whatever they put on. Might open a can of worms.



Getting the paint ready for KSG would be the same situation.



The Collinite 845 is about as easy as it gets and provides great protection.
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I agree with your logic and I've used the Collinite 845 - it is very easy to use. Can you recommend a good hand applicator as well as one for my PC, (if I can find shade + electricity)?



I usually use Sonus Gloss Shampoo for washing - will that 'play nice' with whatever the dealer used and not strip anything?



Dan said:
The KSG is probably the hardest to use LSP there is. You might want to use #21, which is probably as easy as it gets.



I'd bet a large amount of money there was no ABC done. Do you already have the Sonus/Blackfire products? If not, plenty of good OTC stuff that is as good or better.
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Good advice as well, thanks! No, I don't have the Sonus and Blackfire products. What OTC products would you recommend for the tire and interior protection?



Thanks again guys!!
 
lvalesko said:
Good advice as well, thanks! No, I don't have the Sonus and Blackfire products. What OTC products would you recommend for the tire and interior protection?



Thanks again guys!!
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I personally really don't like solvent based tire "protection." Mother's FX Tire shine is very hard to beat and is water based. The Duragloss Tire and Matt stuff (Z14 clone) is great as well. But if you want a more durable solvent based product, Megs Endurance is excellent.



Interior protection, I really like 303, I usually apply quarterly. Its also my favorite on rubber seals. For quick cleanups it is hard to beat Megs quick interior detailer.
 
lvalesko said:
I agree with your logic and I've used the Collinite 845 - it is very easy to use. Can you recommend a good hand applicator as well as one for my PC, (if I can find shade + electricity)?
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While I'm nutty-particular about most detailing stuff, I'm *not* about my by-hand wax applicators. I just use the regular little foam ones...like the round yellow or red ones you can find most anywhere.



For the PC, I like the red Waxing Pads from Griot's. But I bet the *best* such pad is the Gold one from Lake Country; I hear *so* many rave reviews about it that I'm gonna buy a few next time I need pads.



For tires, I'm all about Z16, even though I have to order it. Hey, Dan...did you mean "Z16" instead of "Z14"? :confused: IF the DuraGloss stuff is basically the same, that's available at some autobody/paint supply an autoparts stores.
 
lvalesko said:
It actually looks really good, feels pretty smooth and based on the above article what do you guys think if I:



Wash

Sonus SFX Ultra-Fine Detailing Clay

Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze OR Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0 - (I want something easy to apply and buff off)

BLACKFIRE Total Eclipse Tire Dressing Gel

303 High Tech Fabric Guard - (it's got cloth seats)

Sonus Total Eclipse - (for dash, armrests, etc)



Can't afford the high end products but don't want to waste money on inferior products either...



Thanks!!!
Click to expand...



If you're doing 303 on the seats, why not 303 on the dash, door panels, and everywhere else? It's pretty darned good stuff. ;)



BF Tire dressing is nice, Megs Endurance is a lot less and works great.



Why not... just to make sure... grab some Iron X (or even Iron X Snow Soap) and hit it with that? FWIW the Snow Soap is pretty bada$$. ;) Along that line of thinking, "Butchers Foam Gun", is a great tool to add to your arsenal. (Gilmour gun with a different label, and can be had for under $30) Unless they can provide you with PROOF that its been ABC'd, then you can bet it's got rail dust. Iron X will show it in a hurry. (Smells really REALLY bad though.) :painkiller:



If it's nice and slick already then maybe just a quick once over with Megs Ultimate Polish (the OTC version of 205)? No matter how nice it is already, it will be better from polishing.



Then of course YES you'd absolutely love using M21. Easy on, easy off. I like to put it on with a nice soft pad (green 5½" CCS). Makes for a good thin layer.
 
lvalesko said:
..I usually use Sonus Gloss Shampoo for washing - will that 'play nice' with whatever the dealer used and not strip anything?
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Failed to address that earlier, sorry...



I only use Griot's Car Wash these days. Zero negatives with it, simply love the stuff. Others find DuraGloss and Optimum (their conventional shampoo) to be basically equivalent.



Never tried the Sonus...isn't it pricey? I'm all about buying gallons at a time.



Only thing I get from Sonus is the SFX clay. From the related Ultima line, I get their trim sealant. I hear the Ultima shampoo is simply wonderful, but the Griot's is pricey enough! Hmmm...wonder if the Sonus and Ultima shampoos are related in any way :confused:



What OTC products would you recommend for the tire and interior protection?
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Can't really help with the OTC tire slime but if Dan says DuraGloss, then OK by me.



For interior protection, I basically *don't*. I might use something from LeatherMasters or Leather Dr once annually or so...but 99.9% of the time the only thing I use on my interiors is an interior QD like the Meguiar's one or 1Z Cockpit Premium. Note that I keep my vehicles a *long* time, and this approach has worked fine for me.
 
Finally had time to spend on the truck this weekend!



I washed with Sonus high gloss shampoo, did a super light clay with Sonus ultra fine clay, (mostly just the horizontal surfaces), then waxed with Collinite 845 using the Lake Country gold pad, (man, I forgot how easy that stuff is to use!). Used Mother's wheel and tire cleaner then Sonus tire dressing. For the inside I got one of those 'baby' California Dusters - so cute - and only needed to use the Mequiar's QD. Used Stoner on the glass and I've got the 303 ordered. I have to say, she looks great!!



I will say that there were a few itsy-bitsy-teeny-tiny brownish specks on the hood that I couldn't get off with the Sonus ultra fine clay. I'm sure nobody but me would even notice them, but having my nose to the hood all that time, I did see them. So are those the 'rust blooms' you guys have spoken of? Are these the type of spots the ABC would remove or should I try a firmer clay first? Or should I point them out to the dealer and see what they can do, (maybe get them to ABC it)?



Thanks again for all the help. :)
 
lvalesko said:
Finally had time to spend on the truck this weekend!..I have to say, she looks great!!
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Glad to hear you're off to a good start!



..I will say that there were a few itsy-bitsy-teeny-tiny brownish specks on the hood that I couldn't get off with the Sonus ultra fine clay. I'm sure nobody but me would even notice them, but having my nose to the hood all that time, I did see them. So are those the 'rust blooms' you guys have spoken of? Are these the type of spots the ABC would remove or should I try a firmer clay first? Or should I point them out to the dealer and see what they can do, (maybe get them to ABC it)?
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Yep, those sound exactly like the rust-blooms caused by the corrosion of ferrous contamination.



While the decontaination will strip off the 845, I'd want those rust-blooms *GONE* before they become a serious issue.



Whether you do it yourself (chemically, not just with clay which won't really get all the ferrous contamination out of the paint), or have it done by the dealer (hope they do it right and don't mar things up in the process), I'd want it fixed sooner rather than later as such seemingly minor stuff can quickly become a genuinely big problem.
 
Ivalseko- I myself would use the ValuGard stuff instead. Note that it's approved/used/sold by Ford (think... "warranty issues").



I'd probably do the whole vehicle, but that's just me. I'd worry about new specks showing up later if I didn't do it all.
 
After much reading and watching of 'how to' videos I took the plunge and used the Iron X. I have to say I was impressed at how easy it was to use and how thoroughly, yet gently it worked! While my new truck didn't turn as purple as some of the filthy ones in the videos, it did appear to have a light coating of iron over it as all the panels had purple specks. It was quite smelly as others have noted so be sure to use in a well ventilated area. I liked the fact that I didn't have to tape anything off - it was safe on all the trim, chrome, etc and even appears to have left my recently applied coat of Collinite 845 wax intact - just like all of the videos said it would, (although I'm going to re-apply it and add the 476S the next time I wash her!).



Thanks for all the info, guys! :)
 
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