What should I do for a new car's first wax?

[bobbyt]

I purchased a new car however it was sitting in a dusty lot with nearby construction for several months with no wax on it. The surface is so contaminated it feels like a sandbox. Should I do anything special for its first wax? With all this grit now on the bare clearcoat I'm scared of creating swirls. My plan after my usual washing method was:

-Clay bar/detailer then microfiber wipe-down
-ScratchX (if needed in any areas)
-Speed Glaze #80 to fix any swirls the claybar may have added (by hand)
-NXT liquid wax
-Perhaps protect that NXT with a more durable goldclass paste or pure carnauba?

Any suggestions before I dive in?

[MikeGT]

Everything you listed sounds pretty much on target

Clay sounds like a must for that car. take your time and do a good job on that. Perhaps look into DC1 for the cleaner, and then maybe DC2 or #7 for the polish. NXT is a great wax, as is GC. I would do TWO thin coats of NXT to finish off the job.

[MikeGT]

Also, ColorX is a great product too.

[bobbyt]

Probably end up with Dc2 since I'm having a hard time finding #80 here in Canada. Thanks for your input.

What should I protect my external black plastics with? It'll get hit with a lot of UV where I park.

[96Lude]

If you are looking for #80, try contacting a NAPA store in your area, they should be able to order it for you.

[bobbyt]

What does a 'thin' coat of NXT look like exactly? I applied mine pretty thin I couldnt see it until it started to haze. Is that too thin or should I see more white when it's going on? I let it sit 20mins before wiping it off with microfiber.

Also how long do you work DC#2? I did about 20-30 sec for every square inch. The results were good but is that long enough for the average DC#2 polish?


Claying went very well. Very minimal swirls and a huge difference.

[TH0001]

20-30 seconds for a square inch, holy **** that must have taken forever!!!!


You could probably do most of your hood in that time frame!!! You simply wipe on with a little passion, then wipe off. No need to overwork an area like that. I could probably do my entire truck in 5 minutes or so.