New Car, What To Use?

[MYK05]

Hi Guys, just reading some of the posts, sounds like you know your stuff, just sighnd up to ask this question..

I have a new car 2005 Subaru WRX - Black, the finish is nice and smooth, i just can help myself feeling helpless, wanting to do more.. what would you guys recoment i use ona New Factory Finish?

Gold Class?

NXT?

or nothing? yet..

any help would be kind..

thanks in advance Michael.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Michael,

Hang on a second...

[MYK05]

No Worries.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: New Car, What To Use?

Hi Michael,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

Originally posted by MYK05
Hi Guys, just reading some of the posts, sounds like you know your stuff, just sighnd up to ask this question...

We'll do our best to help you...

I have a new car 2005 Subaru WRX - Black, the finish is nice and smooth, i just can help myself feeling helpless, wanting to do more.. what would you guys recommend i use ona New Factory Finish?

Gold Class?

NXT?

or nothing? yet..

any help would be kind..

thanks in advance Michael.

The best advise I ever heard when it comes to taking care of your car's finish is,

"Find something you like and use it often"

If you find a product you like, then apparently the results look good in your eyes, if you use it often, then your finish will always look great. It's only when you begin to neglect or abuse the finish that it goes down hill.

So you're starting out on the right path by being proactive in maintaining your car right from the very start. Here are some of the best things you can do to keep your car's black finish looking great and looking new for as long as you own you car.

First, take ownership of the car washing process, don't let others wash your car, that even includes hand car washes. You never know the quality, or lack thereof of their car was mitts and brushes or the kind of car wash soap they're using or the cleanliness of it. Take ownership of the car wash process. Use quality car wash like Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash or NXT Car Wash. Use a high quality wash mitt or brush to wash your car and if you don't yet have a Grit Guard, then invest in one.

Next, even though you car is brand new, after washing it, inspect the finish with your clean bare hands for above surface contaminants, these will feel like little bumps on the paint. It is possible to purchase a brand new car and still have above surface bonded contaminants because you never know what's floating around in the air and contaminants like tree sap mist or paint overspray could be in the air and land on your car and then bond to the paint if not removed quickly enough.

After washing your car, inspect your car's finish by drawing your the palm of your clean hand over the horizontal surfaced and inspect for little bumps on the paint. Your car's finish should feel like new clean glass. If not, if you feel little bumps on the finish after washing, then you should use some detailing clay to remove these and restore a smooth as new glass finish.

The paint on a new car shouldn't have any swirls or scratches, but often times a new car will have D.I.S.O., that stands for Dealer Installed Swirl Option. After washing your car, inspect your car's finish under bright light like sunlight and look for swirls sometimes called cobweb-effect, or spider webbing.

If you discover swirls, then you will need to use a paint cleaner like ScratchX to remove them. If you discover them, then come back and let us know and we'll share with you how to remove them.

When it comes to black paint and other dark colors, you can bring the richness of color out best by polishing with a pure polish before applying a wax. For this Meguiar's recommends Deep Crystal Polish. This is a product that adds beauty and gloss to paint, after applying and removing, you need to apply a wax however because Meguiar's pure polishes need a wax applied over them for it is the wax that protects the paint against attack.

As for a wax for you car's paint, both the Gold Class Wax and the NXT Tech Wax are both great choices for black, to determine which wax you like best you're really going to have to try both of them and see visually which one you like best and also which one you like applying and removing best.

You should also invest in some premium quality microfiber polishing cloths for removing the wax as this are gentle to the finish and dramatically help to reduce cloth inflicted scratches.

[TKDDAD]

Thanks for the forum !!

I too am new to this forum and have just purchased a black Hyundai Sonata....have already seen tree sap ....is the only way to remove it with ScratchX or is there something else I should use?...not worried about having to do it, just want to make sure I'm using the right product...already have NXT wash and Instant Detailer which works great....found the sap yesterday so want to get it off pronto !...plan on polishing and waxing this weekend....wish me luck !

[Murr1525]

Probably gonna need ScratchX if it has been on a little while. Nxt wax seems quite good at repelling tree sap, at least if you wash soon after you notice it.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Thanks for the forum !!

Originally posted by TKDDAD
I too am new to this forum and have just purchased a black Hyundai Sonata....have already seen tree sap ....is the only way to remove it with ScratchX or is there something else I should use?...not worried about having to do it, just want to make sure I'm using the right product...already have NXT wash and Instant Detailer which works great....found the sap yesterday so want to get it off pronto !...plan on polishing and waxing this weekend....wish me luck !

Try saturating the car with water and washing with car wash, if you're lucky, the water and car wash solution will dissolve and loosen the tree sap from all of the car's exterior, not just the paint.

If it doesn't then often times you can remove small droplets of sap using detailing clay like Meguiar's Quik Clay System,



Or as Murr1525 suggested, a paint cleaner like ScratchX,



In worst-case scenarios, you'll have to resort to a stronger solvent type product and even your fingernail.