Brand New Vehicle

T

TOXIC

New member
Great forum.



I "thought" I was alone in my quest for the perfect shine till I came here. I searched and couldn't find the answer to my question. I have a Brand Spankin new vehicle, straight off the delivery carrier and I want to know what you would do to it as far as first prep....Clay Bar? Does the paint have to "cure" before applying anything to it? What next, synthetic......carnuba......something else? FYI, I am a fishing guide, the vehicle is a Black 2500 silverado and will be sitting outside a fair amount of time. I have a 1993 Black jeep Wrangler that is showroom fresh. I am not a total newbie but I am sure there have been a lot of advancements since 93'. I have always used Mother's products and have been satisfied.



Where do I start, what would YOU do? Thanks in advance.



TOXIC
 
*i* would hit the learn button on the top of the screen and read every article by David Bynon. that's a very solid start.
 
Welcome!!!



Yup, claybar is a good place to start, followed by a good precleaner, followed by a good synthetic wax (layered as much as you would like for better protection and shine), topped with carnauba!



Wait for the paint to cure, you ask?! you will get a mixed answer on this forum, but I bet dollars to donuts you are good to start right away! Some believe 4 weeks for paint to dry, others, 6 weeks, and some think right away!



Plenty of others will reply to this too....

There is tons of good knowledge on this forum, from different users. Its best to stumble thru trial and error and see what works best for you!



Happy detailing!

Dale
 
Thanks Dale and FYI JC, *I* did read the articles. *I* thought that there might be something different for a vehicle with factory fresh paint. Like I said, I am not a total newbie and have spent my time with clay bars, polishers, and a host of Meguires and Mothers products from the cutters, glazes, and waxes. It is a rare occasion when you get a "clean slate" so to say and I want real responses from "professionals" or as I consider myself, a pro-hobbyist, not an article that "kind of" answers my questions. There was nothing in the article bank that addressed my questions completely. "And" I'm sure there are some "tips" that aren't covered.



Thanks



TOXIC
 
Toxic, your new vehicle will benefit from clay because of outside contamination especially rail dust and acid rain. That is the first thing I do when I buy a new vehicle. No cure time for your new paint is needed due to it being baked at the factory. Repaints is another story.



Since your vehicle will sit outside, I would consider a synthetic sealant such as Einszett products, Klasse All in One and Sealant Glaze, Wolfgang Products, etc. As you can see thats a tough question. A little research on these products will yield a ton of information.



BTW, welcome to Autopia.
 
For sealants, I LOVE my Platinum! Haven't tried NXT yet, but that also has good reviews..otherwise, the proven winner time after time is good ol' Klasse!
 
You don't need to wait for the paint to cure as in car plants, their baking ovens run much hotter than at crash repairers(what i was told)



Definately need to remove all rail dust and industrial fallout (if there which it probably would)

I've always used a liquid acid wash but there are gel type washes as well that are easier to use



Give it a good high pressure water rinse, no shampoo's especially wash and wax as many dry the paint right out

Then go bonkers with either a sealant or polish or if you can get it, some GLARE polish

I haven't used alot of the brands mentioned here like Klasse and such but have seen them first hand at a recent meet with a fellow detailing enthusiast.



A top quality long life sealant followed several hours later or the next morning if you can keep it garaged with some synthetic wax and then carnuba after that.

There are so many different brands and methods out there though.



The biggest piece of advice I can give you is once the car has been fully detailed, wash only with water



All the best
 
Thanks, I really appreciate the responses. I'll keep posting as to the results. Black is a bear to keep clean, but I have not seen anything look better when properly maintained. The jeep got some acid rain in New England but otherwise is in great shape for a 93. I don't know how long I will keep the truck but you only get one shot at pristine paint right from the factory so I want to do it right.



Thanks again.



TOXIC
 
Toxic,



Hi, I recently purchased a new daily driver car (a Honda Element 2 months ago) so I can relate. I was like yourself in that I wasn't sure what products were best for my car. Finally, I just took the plunge and ordered 2 different ones. Please note: until I discovered Autopia (~2 months ago) I wasn't really "in to detailing"; however, since then I have read and tried to learn as much as possible (and I certainly appreciate all of the Autopians for that :)) to ensure my car stays in tip top shape.



As someone mentioned earlier, with factory paint you don't have to wait to apply wax. You're good to go.



I do recommend purchasing a clay bar (I've used Clay Magic and Mothers and like them both). I haven't used them on my new vehicle that much because of the condition of the paint and lack of contaminants. However, after 2 months, I can feel there are some rough patches on the hood. You can usually feel when your car needs some clay. I use the lube that comes with the clay but there are many who use the car shampoo as a lube.



I purchased 8 microfiber (MF) towels from Patrick at Excel Detail and 2 from Autofiber--both companies have great products and great customer service and I highly recommend them.



I was bewildered with the sheer number of products much less the innumerable combinations of the products. I finally took the plunge and went with some of the more popular synthetic products (Zaino and Klasse) because I was looking for durability. Both have been fantastic and worth the money. Now, I occasionally purchase a new product to test depending on what situation I'm facing. There are companies who will send out samples of their products for you to try (1Z and 303 are two that come to mind). You may try that route prior to spending money.



I, although a newbie, believe in using car shampoo (if for nothing else the lubricity it provides). Granted, I don't have years of care on the car to determine if the shampoos affect the finish but I am very pleased so far. Note: I use premium (Zaino) shampoo for the body and rims and a cheaper shampoo (Turtle Wax/Meguiars Gold Class) for the tires and wheel wells.



My routine consists of:



1. Washing the car with shampoo using the 2 bucket method.



2. Drying the car with a waffle weave (WW) MF towel.



3. Claying if necessary and re-washing and drying if necessary.



4. Applying Zaino (Z-2 w/ZFX) or Klasse AIO



5. Applying Zaino Z-6 or Klass SG.



That's it for me. There are many members who top Klasse with a Carnuba (I've only tried the P21S and it is a very nice product). Also, Sonus quick detailing spray is supposed to go very well with Klasse products. That Sonus QD spray is on my list of products to buy.



Basically, I think the thing to remember is that as long as you go with a quality product (and there are many of them out there), take your time, are patient, and are willing to try different methods and products you and your car will be fine. The most important thing you can do for your car is to have a caring attitude and you've already got that.



Hope this helps,

Joey
 
Congrats on the cool truck.



I'll ditto the sealant suggestions, but really, on black you need to get the old school carnauba out on it too, whether by itself or topping your sealant.



Everyone raves about AIO, so you'll either buy it now, or get it later after your finish your OTC cleaner/sealant (I think ColorX is the only one, unless you consider NXT a cleaner sealant). As for the carnauba, S100 at your local harley dealer or Meguiars #16 or Mothers Natural.



And, for black, you'll probably want a good QD. I just bought my first gallon, moving up from the old 16oz at a time world. I'm very pleased with the Meguiars (#51 but not on jug) Final Detail.



Note: didn't read what others wrote after the first few posts, so I'm probably just parroting everyone else. We have a bit of a hive mind here. :D
 
It's up to you in order to determine what your car needs.



I use a white microfiber applicator with AIO and right away I can tell if it needs it. Good thing we're allowed to rinse during application in order to get it clean.



You can also do a baggie test to determine if you've got a lot of particulate imbedded in your paint from the environment. You definately don't want to be waxing over that stuff.



Get some good light and examine and test you paint to follow it's cues.



Congrats on the new car.
 
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