2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

[kshutch00]

I have been lurking around the forum for a few weeks reading things...watching youtube videos...trying to determine the best actions to make my car look as good as it can for as long as it can. I have never detailed a car and find my past car washing skills were absolutely horrendous after doing a lot of research.

My car is nothing fancy, a 2017 Toyota Yaris iA, a grey color, 30000 miles.

The paint is not bad at least in my eyes, there are rock chips on the front that I have no intention of fixing. There is an impact area on the rear bumper that is about 2 inches that I also do not plan on fixing. The rest of the coat looks pretty good, it is shiny and looks new still. There are some little dings and a few scratches in the coat. I cannot feel the scratches with my nail. I would like to do the car really well by hand for now. If all goes well, then I will move to a DA.

So my understanding as a basic model to follow is:

1) Wash
a. Rinse (I do have a pressure washer)
b. Apply foamed soap (I purchased a hose soap foamer attachement, should have gotten a foam cannon!) and let it sit for a minute
c. Wash in straight line patterns, doing only sections, with a microfiber hand mitt rinsing the mitt off after each section (instead of the 2 buckets grit guard method) and applying more foam soap as I go never letting it dry.
d. Rinse again

2) Decontaminate
a. Apply an iron remover (I purchased Car-x Iron removal), do not let dry, wait for purple and rinse off
b. Apply a tar remove (I purchased Car-x Tar removal), do not let dry, wipe with micro fiber, then rinse
c. Claybar using a detailer for lubrication (I purchased Meguiars Clay and Meguiars Quick Detailer), Do not use a lot of detailer or the clay disintegrates but to little while not be enough lubricant.
d. Wipe off clay residual with micro fiber and spray with an alcohol based solution and wipe with micro fiber (Plan on using Iso 93% mixed with RO water)

3) Working the coat
a. Compound
a1. Apply compound using about the pressure of my arm's weight in small circles and straight lines making a few passes in a small section with level pressure from all fingers, not tips, not palming it either, more of a front palm and whole fingers.
a2. Use micro fiber or foam applicator pads depending on the paints hard/softness
a3. Use a compound that fits the abrasive needs of the scratches and paint hard/softness (I bought Meguiars UC)
a4. Wipe using micro fiber with the last wipe using a clean section of the micro fiber towel, apply Iso mix if needed

b. Polish
b1. Apply polish in the same fashion as the compound but with less pressure
b2. Use a foam applicator for polish
b3. Use a polish that fits the abrasive needs of the scratches and paint hard/softness (I bought Meguiars UP)
b4. Wipe using micro fiber with the last wipe using a clean section of the micro fiber towel, apply Iso mix if needed

c. Wax
c1. Wax or seal the car using the suggested applicator for the wax or sealant being used (I bought Meguiars Spary Wax)


Can someone correct any parts of that outline that I have wrong or have over generalized?

I am not understanding a few things:

Decontamination:
1) Should the Iron / Tar / and Claybar be used on the whole vehicle or only spots that feel bumpy? Is it safe to do the whole car anyway?
2) Should I decontaminate in sections, then proceed to compounding the sections, then polish, then wax or should I decontaminate the whole car first before compounding/polish/waxing any section?
3) Should the claybar pressure be similar to the pressure applied when polishing...as in fairly light pressure?
4) What is a good method of knowing how much detailer to use as a lubricant...a few sprays..a light coating?

Compounding:
1) I read that micro fiber is better than foam applicators for this, but I also read the opposite. Is this mainly based on the hardness of the paint?
2) Can I only compound on areas that have visible scratches and then polish or should I compound the whole thing? (I understand you may want pictures, which I will take soon when its not raining).
3) I have read its a good idea to apply an Iso mix after all the steps after claybarring...so Claybar->Iso->Compound->Iso->Polish->Iso->then wax. Is this right?

Polish:
1) No real concerns on this one...

Wax:
1) Is Meguiars Spray Wax ok to use after this or should I be using a different wax?

2017 Toyota Yaris iA
1) Can anyone tell me if the products I have purchased are good for this car? UC and UP I think are the only ones that seem specific and is micro fiber ok to use for UC.

Thank you to anyone that can help. I have never owned a car that still shined and they all had way more miles than my current Yaris. I had a old Jeep Cherokee, a Mazda Protoge, a Grand Am, Ford Feista, another Grand Am, a Mercury Grand Marquis that I had for 13 years, and now my current Yaris. I realize the work entailed here would be probably 10-15 hours by hand. But, I am willing to do it as I never knew all these odd things about cleaning my car to make it last and I love this little Yaris and would like to see it in good shape for years to come. I get my car is not expensive (paid 11570 cash) and some people may say I am wasting my time, but I have strong desire to treat it well.

[kshutch00]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

The soap I purchased is Meguiars Gold Car Soap. I forgot to add that.

[kshutch00]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

I was hoping, weather permitting, to start this weekend. I do not expect someone to answer all of my questions, but something would be nice. Should I be posting this somewhere else or is there a moderator that can move my post if it needs to be moved?

I still have my 2000 Grand Marquis, and before I have it hauled off I am thinking of practicing on a few sections of it to get a good technique down, but I also understand the paint and coat properties are going to be different between these two cars.

Also, I did not say much about myself...

In my 40s. I have a degree in Information Technology. I like technology, animals, the woods (my home is on 6 acres of woods surrounded by more woods), and relaxing with my wife and pets away from other people. I am a USN veteran (disabled). I was a corpsman stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA. I am now in East TX. I am an excellent cook. In my spare time I help others with technology issues.

[Old Bear]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

Let's see if I can answer a couple of the questions or provide good educational links.

How to Use a Clay Bar Paint Care and Preparation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhNxVDjlfh0

[Old Bear]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

If I was going to accomplish the full steps you are using, I would not use a spray wax.
Instead I would use Ultimate Paste Wax or better yet Ultimate Liquid Wax.
Both are really [COLOR=var(--yt-spec-text-primary)]cross linking synthetic polymers[/COLOR] rather than wax. They should put a better protection layer than spray wax.
You should put them on thin, so they are easier to wipe off.

I would recommend
Ultimate Liquid Wax should not leave a white residue if you accidentally get it on trim.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Liquid Wax - Features and Benefitshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax8kIjxycnI

[Old Bear]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

Thank you for taking care of our fine Marines.
I lived in Oceanside in the 1950's while my father, HMC Hospital Medical Corpsman in the Navy did similar duty.

Not knowing if you have limitations, and my being well over 50, I wanted to share that doing all of those steps manually will take some time. Even on a Yaris.
You might want to clean it, then do the clay through wax steps one panel at a time. That way, if the weather changes or in my case my shoulders tire, you can have a restart point.
This leaves the sections you finish fully protected.
Claying will remove previous wax/polymer protections.
The Gold Wash and Wax will leave some protection on the not yet clayed sections.
Again .... I am old, so I need to break this set of tasks into sections, where you may be able to accomplish it.
I find it easier to remove the wax residue by not completing the full vehicle.
Possibly clay through wax the roof. Then do the hood. Go back and wipe down the roof.
This also gives you a lot of feedback when that roof is done. Progress that can help motivate. Yes!

Others are encouraged to add to or provide alternatives.

[kshutch00]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

Thanks for the reply and information Old Bear. I was in Oceanside in 2004-2006, I imagine it was a quite a bit different. I lived in the barracks at the hospital. Originally I was there for fleet marine training, but my feet started having major problems and I was put on limited duty and eventually was just stationed there working in the lab. It was interesting...I certainly enjoyed the landscape as I am a native Gulf Coast Texan and all I really knew was flat coast land. I figured, if I had to use all the steps I listed above on the whole car, it would take 10-15 hours and I was hoping it would fine to break that up into different days.

I am going to purchase the wax you suggested and save the spray wax for after I get the coat straightened out and I am doing weekly washes.

I was hoping someone would say its fine to do sections...I do not think I have it in me to do this all at once, but I would have tried anyway. Being on my feet that long is...well...I am not even sure if I could be on my feet that long...probably can't!

I am going to get some images tomorrow after I wash it after all the rain and mud of the passed week or so we have had here. I am thinking I probably will not have to do all the steps or at least all the steps to the whole car.

Again, thank you for the reply, I really appreciate it.

[kshutch00]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

Not all of my supplies have made it here yet, so I may have to wait a little longer...plus I bought that liquid wax and it will probably take another week.

I bought the car about 2 weeks ago and today it's the first sunny day, so I am able to see many more scratches and swirls. I have taken images but I am unsure what tags are used on this forum to show images and I am not seeing an image upload on this mobile version of the forum. I think I will be doing the whole car, which is a bummer but the payoff should be sweet.

[kshutch00]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

Ok, these are some images of the issues I see.

Pic1 is on the trunk, there is some light scratches...I cannot feel these.



Pic2 is the trunk also, it shows swirls in the coat...I do see this on most of the vehicle so I am guessing its a good idea to go ahead and compound then polish the whole thing after decontaminating.


Pic3 is a scuff on the bottom right rear.

Pic4 is odd scratch on the passenger door...I can feel this one a little..just barely. I do not imagine I will get this one entirely out.

Pic5 is the left rear roof where something obviously slide...lots of scratches, but I cannot feel any of them.

This last pic shows a scuff, scratch, and some swirls. It also has rock chips, but I am not worried about those at this time.

[kshutch00]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

To anyone looking at this thread, I am still waiting for the weather to be not in the 30's and not raining. This has been the trend for the last 4 weeks or so in East Texas. There was one day a few days ago it would have been great, but of course I had to work that day.

I am certainly still active on doing this work and will be do it the first chance I get. Once completed I will update this thread.

[Old Bear]

Re: 2017 Toyota Yaris iA First Timer

I hope you get some nice weather.
It's been raining here a lot, which is welcome, yet I am feeling rained out.
Seems like today was first day without rain this month.
Two minutes later. Humm.... There it is. It is 11:16 PM, and it starts raining to make sure we did not have a full day in March yet without rain.

In image 4 above, those may end up being a little deeper than they feel.
I will hazard a guess that someone before you purchased the Yaris put cardboard boxes on the roof They may have had brass staples on the bottom. Then someone drug them off the roof.

Don't push on the pad with your finger tips. If you use compound by hand, make sure to use a sizable section of you fingers flat or palm flat on the pad. You do not want to have the pressure on your finger tips. That can cause the product to work in straight lines.

Since Nick Winn is doing other tasks this month, here is prior guidance he provided for using Ultimate Compound by hand.

"Our G17216 Ultimate Compound would likely be easier to work with. Would suggest applying with either a soft foam or soft microfiber applicator pad, like our W0004 or X3080, if working by hand. Work in small 1 square foot or so sections at a time, apply the product in circular overlapping motions, moderate pressure, keeping hand flat, for about a minute or so, wipe off residue with microfiber towel. The residue should look like a light wet translucent film when going to wipe off. If the product ever does dry on the paint, simply re-apply a small amount of more wet product to help easily remove. Following with a polish like our Ultimate Polish will help further restore moisture into the paint & bring out a high gloss. Then apply your favorite wax. "