Best Protection for a new car?

[njbongo]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum.

I'm a pretty big fan of Meguiars products, but I've only ever used the Gold Class line (cleaner/polish/wax, etc).

Anyway, I just picked up a new VW Jetta GLI in November. It's been too dam cold here to do a full detail (my garage isn't heated or insulated for that matter). I've been going to a local, brand new automatic car wash every week or so to keep the road salt under control.

I just ordered all of the NXT products, and I still have all my Gold Class stuff as well. I have no experience with NXT, never used it yet. The car is Black Magic Pearl, and I reallt want to keep it in the best condition possible WITHOUT going TOO crazy. Is NXT the right choice, or should I stick with the 4 step Gold Class stuff? Or both?

Here's a pic of the car, just for fun. Ignore the wheels, there just winter wheels - the BBSs go back on in the spring.



Any input is appreciated !

[njbongo]

oops, sorry about the image size....I'll fix it later.

[scrub]

Hi there welcome to the board.

NXT will help maintain that new car finish. Unfortunately swirls and wash marks will be instilled from day to day use and washing. That might not be an issue now. When the flaws are noticed over time then its time to move up to a polish (not a pure polish).

Some products to consider would be: [WARNING: Read the following at your own risk.] Some potential side affects could be "going too crazy" with these car care products and this web site. You were warned and you asked!

ScratchX to be used by hand for isolated areas or the whole car but it would take a while.

#9 Swirl Remover for use by hand or machine.

#80 Speed Glaze for use by hand or machine.

Good luck!

[scrub]

One more thing I've topped NXT with the GC wax and was very impressed. So there is room for both products in your arsenal.

Nice looking ride too.

[njbongo]

Thanks, scrub.

I know what to do when the finish needs extra care, I've used
Scratchx and Claybar on the NB Sport I have. But that car is bright yellow and 10 times easier to care for than black.

I was just trying to figure out what the best course of action is while the finish is still immaculate.

Are you saying you used NXT first, then the gold class paste?

When I do the Gold class on the other car I do this: (all meguiars)

1. wash and dry
2. Tar remover if needed (then 'spot' scratch x if needed)
3. Cleaner wax OR claybar if needed.
4. Polish
5. Gold class paste.

So on the Jetta, you're implying

1 wash and dry
2 tar/cleaner/scratchx if needed
3 NXT wax
4 Gold Class paste on top of NXT?

Basically substituting the polish with NXT?

Sounds like a good idea, just wanna be clear on it.

As much as I want to protect the finish, I don't wanna gunk it up with too much product. I'm guessing 3 times a year with regular washing and quick detail in between would work?

thanks in advance

[Mad iX]

That sounds fine. As long as you maintain your paint regularly, most products will work fine.
Have a look at some pure polishes. Meguiar's have plenty of good products like Hand Polish, New Car Glaze, Show Car Glaze, etc.
I also like ScratchX and ColorX for what they do. They can all be applied by hand.
I personally prefer to top NXT with #16 (I love seeing the water bead).
Not sure if you already have, but make sure you've got plenty of good quality terry cloths and/or microfiber cloths. Once they get dirty, toss them straight into the laundry basket (wash MFs separately).

[jetta18T]

NJ Bongo...
The ride is VERY SWEET.... the 18" BBS's in the spring will look amazing, especially with a black car like that. And the 1.8 can really throw you back in your seat sometimes...however, back to business here. As for products I would highly recommend NXT Tech Wax. It's what I've been putting on my Jetta since day one and worked like a charm. Bought it last March so it's almost a year old and the car has held up great with the wax. Good luck with it.

[njbongo]

Yes, the wheels really make the car. I almost spent the extra money on 18" snow tires back in November when I picked it up. BUT, I couldn't bring myslef to let the BBSs EVER touch any road salt..... . I moved here in Nov from NJ, I thought NJ used way too much salt until I saw WI with my own eyes. So anyway, I got the 17" ASAs ( in the pic above) REALLY cheap along with Pilot Alpins.

Anyway, back to the topic. I got my order today. I put the frist coat of NXT on and HOLY #$#$# !!!!!! The stuff is amazing. I'm going to do another coat tommorrow, didn't even drive it tonight it looked too good. I'll post more pics tommorrow night after the second coat.

Better than showroom shine so far. If this stuff last longer than Gold Class, I'm never touching that stuff again.

I cannot beleive how EASY it came off. I'm using the Micro-fiber towels and it literally glided off the car with minimal pressure. LOVE IT ! Smells good too !

[scrub]

Good to hear. I was thinking about this at work today. I feel NXT X2 will give solid enough results without using a topper like GC. You can always try topping NXT with GC on a test area and see if you notice or like the results.

[SSPOWER]

Originally posted by scrub
One more thing I've topped NXT with the GC wax and was very impressed. So there is room for both products in your arsenal.

Nice looking ride too.

what is GC? is it 1 of meguiar's polishes?