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help a n00b and a new ford

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  • #1

    help a n00b and a new ford

    just bought my first new car/suv ... 08 ford escape.

    Love the car "so far". bought it on 9/11 mainly due to sadness as I knew a few people that died on that terrible day.

    Anyway, I bought a nice Mequiar's kit online which comes with a lot of stuff hehe... So I plan on doing my first car detail on thursday.

    I was going to do the clay unless someone talks me out of it saying it shouldn't be done to a new car. Will follow with 2 coats of the NXT tech wax.

    Anything else I should do to provide a mirror like shine? Thanks for anyone that replies and happy to be part of the group.
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  • #2
    Re: help a n00b and a new ford

    Hi Jeff, and welcome to MOL!

    The only reason to not use the clay would be if you determine that there are no, or almost no, bonded surface contaminants. It is quite common that even a brand new car has this issue due to transport, sitting on a dealer lot for a period of time, etc. Seldom is "showroom new" good enough for Car Crazy people like the members here at MOL!! Inspect the paint with your bare hand after washing and drying: if it doesn't feel literally as smooth as glass then it can likely benefit from a clay treatment.

    A quick tip about the NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0: apply it very thin and let it dry sufficiently. If you local temps are cooling down or your humidity is a bit high, it really benefits from a bit longer drying time. You're better off waiting a bit too long to remove it rather than trying to remove it too soon. Don't worry, it will wipe off with almost no effort even if it sits on the paint for an hour or more. Give it the "swipe test" and check the swipe very closely before removing the NXT.
    Michael Stoops
    Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.

    Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: help a n00b and a new ford

      Well I plan on clay/waxing it in my garage later on in the day. How much time would you recommend for best results. I don't have much of a life on my weekends so I could let it set for 2 hours LOL. When you tell me to check the swipe very closely, what am I looking for? What shouldn't I see?

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: help a n00b and a new ford

        Hi and welcome to Meguiar's Online!

        Here are a couple of links that could help out to your questions
        The Swipe Test
        How much time to wait before applying a second coat of wax?

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: help a n00b and a new ford

          Welcome to MOL!

          Andy
          Keeping MOL family friendly! If you need help or have a question, don't hesitate to shoot me an email or PM. 101impala@gmail.com
          Andy M. Moderator

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: help a n00b and a new ford

            My general steps for a quick detail are these:

            1. Wash
            2. Clay if needed. Certainly a good idea for a new car.
            3. Cleaner/Wax - I like ColorX
            4. Wax - Nxt 2.0 is a good choice.

            Hard to say how much time... depends on what you want to do, and can always find extra things to do like wheels, tires, trim, glass, interior....

            How to Wash Your Car Show Car Style
            2017 Subaru WRX Premium - WR Blue

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: help a n00b and a new ford

              Originally posted by jeffsford View Post
              Well I plan on clay/waxing it in my garage later on in the day. How much time would you recommend for best results. I don't have much of a life on my weekends so I could let it set for 2 hours LOL. When you tell me to check the swipe very closely, what am I looking for? What shouldn't I see?
              I assume your question about time refers to drying time for NXT. That can vary by a fair amount depending on temperature and humidity, but you're best off to err on the side of long drying time rather than short drying time. Theoretically (and please understand that I'm not advocating this, only using it as an example) you can let NXT 2.0 sit on the paint for 6 hours and it will still wipe off with extreme ease. Giving it an hour to dry should be sufficient.

              As for the swipe test itself, you're looking for a completely clean, clear and glossy finish where you swiped. If it is at all streaky, smeary or wet looking you need to allow more drying time.
              Michael Stoops
              Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.

              Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: help a n00b and a new ford

                Originally posted by Michael Stoops View Post
                Theoretically (and please understand that I'm not advocating this, only using it as an example) you can let NXT 2.0 sit on the paint for 6 hours and it will still wipe off with extreme ease.
                I have heard and seen you say this before, have you noticed any added benefits to letting it sit longer? Or are you just saying you can...

                Ryan
                Attack life, it's going to kill you anyway.

                This is your life. Choose to live it to the fullest.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: help a n00b and a new ford

                  Originally posted by Ryan L. View Post
                  I have heard and seen you say this before, have you noticed any added benefits to letting it sit longer? Or are you just saying you can...

                  Ryan
                  I'm just using that as an example to folks used to old school, heavy carnauba waxes that they would apply to a single panel and wipe off right away so as to avoid fighting it later on. Using modern products you don't need to worry about an immediate removal to avoid that. In fact, with NXT 2.0, you're better off allowing it to dry a little too long rather than not long enough.

                  Whenever we get a complaint about NXT being hard to remove it turns out to be operator error 99.9% of the time. People either apply it too heavy, try to take it off too soon, or both. The vast majority of the time the user is accustomed to old style carnauba paste waxes.

                  Heck, we had a guy once complain that NXT was leaving so much white powdery residue all over his truck and that he was fighting it for hours trying to remove it and it just kept streaking and smearing. His description of the product sounded so out of character, so against everything we know about the product, that we asked for the product back from him. Now, keep in mind he freely admitted to this being the first time he'd ever used NXT (paste, in this case) and it was a brand new can. First application. We got the can back and it turned out he'd used 2/3 of it in a single application!! No wonder he was having some problems, and that those problems sounded so bizarre!
                  Michael Stoops
                  Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.

                  Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: help a n00b and a new ford

                    hello and welcome to mol.

                    I like to do the interior while I am waiting for the wax to dry. Interior windows, Clean the dash, apply protectorant, etc. It beats staring at a clock. As Michael Stoops mentioned no harm will come using the NXT if it is on a little to long. Good luck.
                    quality creates its own demand

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: help a n00b and a new ford

                      Congratulations on you new car, I really like the improvements on the new Escape. As stated before, some new cars spend sometimes weeks in transport &/or at a dealer lot where it can pick up contaminants. So a clay may be needed to properly clean the surface prior to applying wax. In fact, it is better to do it now while the vehicle is new to start detailing correctly.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: help a n00b and a new ford

                        can i use the speed detailer as a lube for the clay? Sorry for the double post but I am stuck waiting for the answer LOL

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: help a n00b and a new ford

                          Originally posted by jeffsford View Post
                          can i use the speed detailer as a lube for the clay? Sorry for the double post but I am stuck waiting for the answer LOL
                          No, it is best to use either Quik Detailer or Last Touch Spray Detailer as a claying lubricant.

                          Ryan
                          Attack life, it's going to kill you anyway.

                          This is your life. Choose to live it to the fullest.

                          Comment

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