Not sure what product to use

H

hsr2d2

New member
Hi All,



first post and excited that this forum is available.



Anyway, less than two weeks ago my wife and I bought two new 2010 Altimas, both are clearcoat, hers is Winter Frost and mine is Radiant Silver.



Here is the big question:



My main goal is to protect the paint (we live in Arkansas, so hot and humid) and while I am sure that some of the more complex processes are worth it, I just would like to use one product (hopefully somewhat easy to use).



Soooooo, what do you experts suggest?



Thanks in advance,



Hans
 
I'm no expert but IMO.



Wash the cars. Pick up a gallon of ONR and learn to use it.

Clay the paint.

Rejex once every 3 months.



Hope that helps.
 
hsr2d2 said:
Soooooo, what do you experts suggest?
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Hans, welcome aboard! How often do you wish to maintain the vehicles? How much of a relationship are you looking for? Once a year, monthly, quarterly???
 
Hi Tom,



I don't think that once a year would cut it. Monthly only if it would be very easy to apply. Bi-monthly or quarterly would be ok.





tom p. said:
Hans, welcome aboard! How often do you wish to maintain the vehicles? How much of a relationship are you looking for? Once a year, monthly, quarterly???
Click to expand...
 
Hi Hans,



I'm no pro, but I take care of an Accord and an Odyssey. May I suggest ONR (Optimum No-Rinse) wash, as suggested previous. I find this easy enough that I can wash both vehicles every week, even at midday in the garage.

Also, another product I suggest is the Optimum Spray Wax. Use this before drying your cars.

Try to read on some more here about ONR, and you can use Opt Spray Wax monthly after ONR.

Hope this helps.



Raoul
 
Rez90 said:
I'm no expert but IMO.



Wash the cars. Pick up a gallon of ONR and learn to use it.

Clay the paint.

Rejex once every 3 months.



Hope that helps.
Click to expand...



I'm an aircraft maintenance engineer up here in Canada. We picked up a gallon Rejex last year for our fleet of medevac planes, and I've got to say, I hate the stuff, and am excited by the fact that it's almost gone! It has no durability, it's hard to apply and hard to remove, and I've learned to dread the smell. Orrr maybe airplanes are just frustrating to keep clean ;)
 
hsr2d2 said:
Hi Tom,



I don't think that once a year would cut it. Monthly only if it would be very easy to apply. Bi-monthly or quarterly would be ok.
Click to expand...



Hans, given your situation, I would grab a great sealant and attack the car 2X per year. Many of us here get away with that strategy and prefer driving the cars vs. hanging out in the garage cleaning/waxing. With that said, nothing is more important that a weekly hand-washing to keep the beast clean. That's 95% of the deal right there.



Enjoy.
 
jono20 said:
It has no durability, it's hard to apply and hard to remove, and I've learned to dread the smell.
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I'm not sure I would be quite that harsh, but probably not far off. That initial slickness is lost way too fast for my taste :(



There are plenty of excellent sealants out there...no reason to settle for mediocre products.



FWIW, I think you can get a large tin of the Collinite product on eBay for under $15 incl. shipping from the guy in Ohio. I mean, that's a complete no-brainer.
 
Tom,



that sounds about right as I do have family and also other hobbies. I do, however, believe in handwashing the cars regularily.



As to your other reply, do you refer to any particular Collinite product? It seems that quite a few on this forum suggest the 845.



Thanks,



Hans





tom p. said:
Hans, given your situation, I would grab a great sealant and attack the car 2X per year. Many of us here get away with that strategy and prefer driving the cars vs. hanging out in the garage cleaning/waxing. With that said, nothing is more important that a weekly hand-washing to keep the beast clean. That's 95% of the deal right there.



Enjoy.
Click to expand...
 
For good protection you could use a sealant (such as FK1000P, BFWD) or good old Collonite. There are plenty of choices and most of us constantly experiment around.



I have recently gotten BFWD and used it on my wife's car and it looks stunning.
 
If your cars are outside 24/7 I would suggest a wax or sealant with cleaners in it. If you enjoy waxing monthly then Meguiar's Cleaner Wax in the maroon bottle is not half bad. Cheap, easy, and available everywhere. If you don't want to wax that often, I would suggest Duragloss 501 Marine/RV sealant available at Carquest. Also, a spray wax such as Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax or Duragloss Aquawax (Carquest) after a wash is well worth the 10 minutes it takes. Spray-wipe-done. Just a few OTC suggestions.
 
Hans, if you want to keep it simple/easy, #845 is the way to go. Personally, I find the #476S (AKA #885) a bit more work but offering a more pleasing finish and slightly superior durability.



You'll need some sort of paint pre-cleaner. Perhaps one of our forum brothers can make a suggestion on a product you can pick up locally. I'm just not tuned into all the products sitting on the shelves at Walmart, Pepboi, Autozone, etc....
 
tom p. said:
..You'll need some sort of paint pre-cleaner....
Click to expand...



-AND-



BIGDAVE said:
.. Meguiar's Cleaner Wax in the maroon bottle is not half bad. Cheap, easy, and available everywhere...
Click to expand...



hsr2d2- Welcome to Autopia!



I'd recommend some combination of paint cleaner/cleaner-wax and Collinite. Use the former twice a year (or as needed) to prep the paint, and then just wax with Collinite. You can then merely *rewax* with the Collinite whenever you think it's necessary (say, when the beading starts to change).



Either the 845 (liquid) or 476S/885 (paste, same product, different size tins) should work fine. The 845 is a bit more user-friendly but IME it doesn't last as long.



For the cleaner, I'd go with some kind of all-in-one ("AIO") product like Zaino AIO, Klasse AIO, or Autoglym Super Resin Polish ("SRP"). I'm sorta partial to the SRP myself, but that's just me.



Cleaner-waxes are a viable alternative but I honestly believe the AIOs are a better way to go even if you have to order them. If you go the cleaner-wax route, keep all them off black plastic trim (best to do that with the SRP too).
 
For ease of operation, concerning the protection of the paint, I would use Duragloss (either #105 or #111) and follow with Aquawax after every wash. Simple and easy and inexpensive as well. Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone for all your replies. Well, I am going to try the 845, ordered it from Amazon and should be here next week.



Hans
 
After you have your cars prepped and you want protection, 3 layers of Ultima Paint Guard Plus applied ever 12hrs to start then apply another layer every 4 months or so.
 
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