Waxing new car ... Questions

I'm picking up my brand new car tonight (2006 Hyundai Elantra VE 5 Door
in Midnight Blue) and I'd like to baby it a bit, so I'm hoping to give
it a good waxing this weekend. I've got a few questions though. First
off, the brands that I have access to are Mothers, Meguiar's, Eagle
One, Turtle Wax, Simoniz, DuPont, and NuFinish. I've looked around and
other brands are pretty hard for me to get, so no point in recommending
them ...

Now for the questions. Should I be using any sort of polish? I know
Meguiar's has their three step process they recommend, Cleaner, Polish,
Wax. However, don't polishes actually remove some of the existing
clear coat (or paint if there's no clear coat)? If no polish, should I
bother with a special cleaner? I'm worried about the cleaner being too
harsh and also removing some of the existing finish on the car.

On a new car is it best just to wash it good with soap, dry, and then
wax? Or should I be doing something extra?

Now onto recommendations ... I don't always have time to spend on the
car, so the longer the wax lasts the better. Which leads me to believe
that I'm probably better of with one of those synthetic ?polymer?
finishes, not carnauba wax, since they are supposed to last longer.
Correct?

I've read that Eagle One Gold Class is pretty good, but I can't find
any comments about how long it lasts. Also I'm not sure if it's
carnauba wax or polymer based. Btw, is the paste and liquid stuff both
just as good?

I haven't been able to find too many other recommendations for polymer
based stuff from the brands mentioned above. Unless I should be
sticking with carnauba wax, in which case I've read that Mother's Pure
Carnauba wax is good ... again does it matter whether it's the paste or
liquid?

Thank you for taking the time to help out,
Harry

 

you shoudn't need to use a cleaner or cleaner wax on a new car. Just
wash it well with dish soap and wax with the wax of your choice.

nate

 

wrote in

Have you searched online? Take a look at http://www.autogeek.net/ or
http://froogle.google.com if you have a specific product in mind.

Not sure if you want to clean/polish a new car. You might check with the
service people at the dealership.

Yes, it is generally true that synthetics last longer. Some would argue pure
carnauba yields a better look. This is a subject of much debate, especially
with the sheer number of products out there.

The label should distinctly say carnauba or polymer/synthetic. Google?

Klasse (synthetic) is worth a look. I used the sealant glaze on an older
car. You might have to order it online. Liquid will usually be easier to
apply than paste. YMMV

 

I'd pick up a Porter Cable 7424 dual-action (i.e. "beginner safe") polisher.
Follow it with a good glaze and then a wax of your choice (polymers clean up
nicely). Maybe "Meguiar's Proper Machine Polishing Video" while you're at
it. Helps speed up the process and produces a very nice wet-like shine when
done.

I used some 3M Glazing Compound that helped to eliminate a lot of the
factory orange peel surface defects. The Meguiar's Polymer wax (about $15)
worked well and came off easier than most waxes (I believe it has some
carnauba in it). The Meguiar's website has an online user customizable
feature that will guide you through the use a the products.

Mack

 

**Do NOT or ever use dish soap. That aside, you probably don't need to
wax your new car just yet though I would wax it in Oct or Nov just
before winter. Also, don't use Armor All inside.

Cloths are important also. Use the softest of soft 100% cotton cloths
and also microfiber cloths are nice as they grab the residue (i.e.,
doing that post-wax wipedown) instead of pushing it around.

kaboomie

 

First, never, ever, use dish soap as was recommended above. It will RUIN
your paint.

Unless your car has been sitting in a storage yard for a long time it
shouldn't need any sort of cleaner or compound to prep before waxing. Wash
it using a soap designed specifically for washing cars.

A few years back Consumer Reports tested all kinds of car waxes. Nu Finish
got the highest rating, it's also a lot less expensive than the more exotic
brands. Nothing against Meguires, Mothers or others, just that a new car
shouldn't need any special care products.

 

Curious ... why no Armor All?

Thanks,
Harry

 

I agree in general, but what's the harm if you're going to wax
immediately? It will clean more thoroughly than regular car wash.

agreed...

nate

 

Story I've heard is that it strips the plasticizers from the surfaces
and replaces them with its own chemicals, and if you ever stop using it
you'll end up with a hideous, cracked mess.

That said, I don't like it anyway - too shiny and attracts dirt.
Personally I've had good luck with a wipedown with a mild Murphy's Oil
Soap solution (seriously) and some Meguiar's vinyl and rubber
protectant if you feel the need to use same.

You don't need to worry about this hopefully but my secret weapon for
old, hard vinyl is hand cleaner with lanolin, rubbed into a toothbrush
and left to sit, then buffed with a terry cloth towel. Seriously.

nate

 

**It'll trash the paint. I've seen it firsthand as a lady who lived
below me at one time, used Joy on her Miata. I've never seen a car
that was a couple of years old with a paint job so darn bad on it.
Completely dull (it looked like bare matte finish paint...really
weird) and scratched to hell. I've only seen paint like that on cars
that've been in junkyards. Car wash liquid is cheap and, at this
point, he probably doesn't need anything 'gritty' to clean his car.

kaboomicus

 

**Yes to the above and yes to too shiny. Bleah!

**I use a dampened cloth to swipe down surfaces, let it dry. If I
find, say a drop or two of soda sticky, then I might use the dampened
paper towel that I used to clean the windows to clean up that spot.
Then I used a swiffer thingie that my brother in law gave me to try
and it was awesome! Just a light brush against surfaces picked up all
the dust and dirt and it does a good job getting in vents and stuff
like that.

I just looked it up online, it's a Swiffer duster.

kaboomie

 

I just realized, it's not Eage One Gold Class, it's Meguiar's Gold
Class. Just wanted to point that out ... my mistake. I was thinking
of Eagle One Black Magic, which apparently is supposed to be decent too
.... any info on how long it lasts?

Btw, if it's polymer based, can I automatically assume that it will
last longer than a carnauba wax based wax?

Thanks,
Harry

 

Yep, swiffers for the bi-weekly dusting, plain warm water and a sponge for
the mild cleaning and Mr. Clean magic eraser for the tough scuffs. No
soaps!!! I have a 10-year old Caravan and the dash looks brand new still
(and it is not garaged at home or at work either). Never had soap or
anything else on it on it but plain water.

 

At least the dish soaps of the 1960's and 1970's sure did...it dulls the
finish fairly quickly. I haven't used dish soap for 25 years...been afraid
to.

 

Regular household soap will remove all existing wax on your vehicle. I
would use household soap only if you plan on waxing the vehicle
afterwards. I use Nanowax on both of my cars. It works very good.

 

Well you have access to the Internet, obviously, so the product I use
and recommend is available to you there. Some may consider this
heresy, but I use a product called Perma Shield. It is a polymer
Teflon formula. It gives a glassy VERY high shine and is as easy to
use a regular wax, easier, actually, and lasts for a very long time.

I recently sold a 1993 Nissan Pickup that was a true red, which, as I
sure you know, is a color that normally oxidizes worse than any other.
That truck was never garaged a single day, in a hot, bright inland
Southern California climate. I would put a coat of Perma Shield on the
truck maybe once a year. When I sold it the finish looked like new.
Normally when you wax a red vehicle, even one taken care of fairly
well, you will see some red color on the cloth as it takes off some
oxidized paint. On that Nissan the was simply no red, there was NO
apparent oxidation.

Oh well, I am raving on, sorry. This is one product I would do a
commercial for if asked. And I have NO connection to the company.

If interested you can go to the Perma Shield site at
www.permashield.net.

Good luck with your new car. I am driving a 2004 Sonata LX and could
not be happier with it.

 

I was only suggesting it as a one time cleanup, not a regular practice.
Haven't done it myself, although if I'm going to do bodywork on a car
I use dish soap for the first wash to get all the wax off so it doesn't
load up my sandpaper. Maybe a clay bar would be better for a new car
then...?

nate

 

**Afternoon, Nate I think a clay bar would be good. The clear coat
is actually an extraordinarily thin layer, a detailer described it as:
Imagine Saran Wrap stretched incredibly tightly over your thumb nail.
I don't think cars of today can handle dish soap. Even though I don't
think Harry needs to clay bar as of yet (he should've gotten the car
already detailed), a clay bar is a great idea. I had forgotten about
that, thanks Nate.

kaboomie

 

Clay Bar is only to be used for cleaning dirt that's imbedded in the
paint. It's very time consuming and not needed for a brand new vehicle

 

Not necessarily. My new car (then Saturn) had what they call "Rail Dust" in
the paint. The car had some sort of protective film (Cosmoline?) on it, but
it wasn't enough. The dust kicked up by the train actually imbedded little
metal particles that looked like rust spots in the paint. If left too long,
they would have yellowed the paint around the imbedded particles (white
car). Dealer had to clay and glaze the whole car. No doubt junk falls in
the cars while on the truck car-haulers as well. This is noted in some of
GM's SRs to the dealers as well.

B~