New Car... What To Do

[c5rick]

I just purchased a Black Granite Metallic 2012 Chevy Malibu. Being a new car, what would be needed (steps & products) to get it looking it's best. For now all work will be done by hand.
Thanks

[Murr1525]

Re: New Car... What To Do

Assuming no defects, I like this:

1. Wash - Gold Class soap, 2 buckets, Grit Guards if poosible, good quality towels, sponge, etc...
2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay kit
3. ColorX
4. Wax - Nxt 2.0 or Ult. Wax

[gtrspeed]

Re: New Car... What To Do

I'm sure Murr will be along shortly with an excellent list of recommendations, but I'll throw in my $0.02 with what I've been doing to the new car I purchased a couple of months ago.

1. Wash - I like to use Ultimate Wash & Wax for my "maintenance" washes; Gold Class and NXT are also popular shampoos. You'll want to use a quality wash mitt like the Meg's MF Mitt, along with two buckets - one for rinsing the mitt, and one containing your wash solution. You might want to consider investing in a pair of Grit Guards to minimize the potential for inducing scratches during the wash. For drying, using the "sheeting" technique with your hose will remove most of the water from the car; you can remove what's left with a Water Magnet waffle-weave drying towel. A lot of us also use some manner of forced air (leaf blower, air compressor, shop vac) to blow water our of the crevices of the car.

2. Clay - Even though it's a new car, you don't know what kind of fallout and contaminants it was exposed to while being transported (i.e. rail dust) and while sitting on the lot. The Smooth Surface Clay Kit has everything you need to decontaminate your paint.

3. Wax/Sealant - NXT2.0 Liquid Wax is my sealant of choice, as it's very easy to work with. Ultimate Liquid Wax is another popular choice, but many folks (myself included) have had issues with streaking. Ideally, you would want to apply two coats to ensure uniform coverage. You'll want to pick up a couple soft foam applicator pads for applying the wax, and quality microfiber towels for removing the excess after it has dried - I'm partial to Meg's Supreme Shine towels.

Hopefully, you managed to avoid the "dealer-installed swirl option," and your paint doesn't require any correction of swirls, holograms, etc. Given that you're working by hand, compounding and polishing are not something I'm going to recommend, unless you have a lot of energy and time. If your paint is in good condition, these steps aren't necessary.

For glass cleaning, NXT Glass Cleaner or Invisible Glass combined with quality MF towels work quite well, although stepping up to the Detailer line Glass Cleaner Concentrate will save you money in the long run.

For interior trim, I'm a fan of Quik Interior Detailer, as it's non-greasy, and leaves a nice, natural finish. If you want to increase the shine, you can move up to Natural Shine or Supreme Shine.

For tires, I've been using Endurance Trigger Spray with good results. In the past, I've used Hot Shine, which is quite glossy, but not as long-lasting as Endurance. Foam tire dressing applicator pads work well for application. I actually prefer the non-curved kind, as the curved kind never seem to exactly match the size of my tires.

I think that pretty much covers the basics. Let us know if you have more specific questions.

[c5rick]

Re: New Car... What To Do

Thanks for the suggestions.
I wasn't sure about claying a new car, but it makes sense. Do you think it's worthwhile to purchase DA Polisher. Not looking to make it easier, just want to try and get the best results.

[SVT Lightning]

Re: New Car... What To Do

Thanks for the suggestions.
I wasn't sure about claying a new car, but it makes sense. Do you think it's worthwhile to purchase DA Polisher. Not looking to make it easier, just want to try and get the best results.

It will be the best money you will ever spend! And the results will be far superior to hand method....especially on Black. The DA saves time, labor, and makes it more enjoyable

[gtrspeed]

Re: New Car... What To Do

Do you think it's worthwhile to purchase DA Polisher.

Absolutely. It makes waxes and sealants much easier to apply (though I still end up doing a lot of the tight spaces by hand). Also, it will give you the ability to remove defects far more easily than if you work by hand.

[Murr1525]

Re: New Car... What To Do

As mentioned, it allows more defect removal, and can speed things up when you get some practice.

As far as changing the looks... if the surface is in perfect shape, and you wax by hand or machine, it should look the same. Now having it perfect, that would go back to the defect removal.