NEW to Exterior Car Maitnenace

[demonbat1]

Hey guys,

Just bought a new Ecoboost Mustang and I really love the paint job, Grabber Blue, but I have never taken care of a new car's paint.

I recently bought some of Adam's Shampoo, Foam gun, washing pads etc, along with wheel, window and interior cleaner.

Most of what I bought was cleaning agents, but I didn't buy any Wax, Sealants, H20 Guard, Detail spray because I wasn't sure I would need it.

 

Now Im wondering, since the paint is new what steps should I take to Protect it? Is the Paint waxed by the dealer? Should I clay the car? WAX/ SEAL? Use the Detail spray?  Im aware that I should wash the car weekly since it is my daily driver, but how often should I expect to have to Wax the car?

 

Any information, help, or links to information would be useful.

 

Cheers!

Appreciate it!

 

 

 

[2012srt8]

Get your self a couple of there microfiber sponges. 2 buckets with grit guards. Paint sealant,americana wax and some detail spray. Maybe some gloss and gaurd for once a month use. And yes definitely clay it right away. You'd be surprised at the contaminants in your paint. Gets some leather conditioner to if you have leather. Also to dry your car get a ultra plush drying towel. They are awesome. Use that with some detail spray after you wash

Edited July 12, 2017 by 2012srt8

[demonbat1]

So I purchased,

 

Adam's Great White Microfiber Drying Towel

Adam's Short Wheel Brush

Adam's 10" Wash Pad 3 Pack

2 - Adam's 5 Gallon Detailing Bucket w/grit guard

Adam's Car Wash Shampoo Gallon

Adam's NEW Standard Foam Gun (32oz)

Adam's Borderless Grey Edgeless Towel X2

Adam's Leather & Interior Cleaner 16oz

Adam's Wheel Cleaner 16oz 1 x

Adam's Glass Cleaner 16oz 1 x

Adam's Green Microfiber Glass Cleaning Towel (2 Pack)

Adam's Cockpit Brush  

Sounds like I need to get Sealant, Clay, Detail Spray, More towels and wax?   I will be washing it this weekend but I will have to clay it next weekend or the following (depending when I purchase).  

Wash->Clay->Seal-> Dry with detail Spray or Wax then dry with detail?  

Thanks for the info    

Edited July 12, 2017 by demonbat1

[PacificNWBuckeye]

Great color on the Mustang and I hope you let us know how the Eco-Boost drives (I think it could be an underrated performance option). As noted above for sure clay the car and it may need a light correction, never "perfect" (your judgement call) from the factory. I would go with the new Americana, it has great protection and the new formula is so easy to apply and remove. Detail spray is another must have, pairing it with the great white or new plush drying towel will make drying quick and safe.

 

Guard and Gloss will make a nice addition to your list above for the missing sealant.

 

Happy motoring!

[Chonke]

Very nice color mustang! As mentioned, even new cars can come with a lot of imperfections right of the factory.

Heres what I would do:

1)Wash the car with strip wash. Regular shampoo will also do since it shouldnt really have any wax or coatings from the factory unless it was an option. Dont forget the wheels and wheel wells too.

 

2) clay the car. You can do this while you wash the car so you save yourself from using a lot of detail spray. Just use the soap water to lube the area youre going to clay and go piece by piece.

 

3)Look at the paint closely and see if it has any swirl marks. Maybe finishing polish would do the trick to clear them up and give it a perfect look. If its not that bad, you can probably use revive hand polish too. Its a great option if you dont have a machine polisher.

 

4) once the surface is pretty much perfect and free of any swirls, add paint sealant. You can also do this by hand if need be. This will give you the best protection especially for a daily driver. Actually a ceramic coating would be best, but thats another story.

 

5) once its sealed and protected, you can add a glaze to give it extra shine, or you can jump straight to the wax for more shine and protection. Both buttery wax and americana wax are great choices. Americana is more expensive and it lasts longer, but buttery is easier to apply IMO. A lot of people will recommend going straight to americana, but I dont regret starting out with buttery wax. Smells good too

 

6) lastly, apply invisible undercarriage spray, and tire shine, and VRT on all the plastic/rubber trim, and clean the windows.

 

As for maintenance, a quality microfiber towel and detail spray will help you go a long way to keeping the car looking clean without having to wash it as often. 

[ZMAN024]

So I purchased,

 

Adam's Great White Microfiber Drying Towel

Adam's Short Wheel Brush

Adam's 10" Wash Pad 3 Pack

2 - Adam's 5 Gallon Detailing Bucket w/grit guard

Adam's Car Wash Shampoo Gallon

Adam's NEW Standard Foam Gun (32oz)

Adam's Borderless Grey Edgeless Towel X2

Adam's Leather & Interior Cleaner 16oz

Adam's Wheel Cleaner 16oz 1 x

Adam's Glass Cleaner 16oz 1 x

Adam's Green Microfiber Glass Cleaning Towel (2 Pack)

Adam's Cockpit Brush  

Sounds like I need to get Sealant, Clay, Detail Spray, More towels and wax?   I will be washing it this weekend but I will have to clay it next weekend or the following (depending when I purchase).  

Wash->Clay->Seal-> Dry with detail Spray or Wax then dry with detail?  

Thanks for the info    

Welcome to the forum Roger.  Wow' that's quite a shopping list.  Glad to see you weren't afraid to dive right in. It must have been like Christmas morning when all of those goodies arrived  .  Good luck with the new car.  The Adam's line will definitely help keep that Grabber Blue paint in tip top shape.

[Rich]

Very nice!!

[ian51279]

Nothing more to add than those above me.  Just wanted to say you have the best color Mustang.

 

[demonbat1]

So i gave her a car was for the first time and some things I noticed.

One great white towel doesn't seem to be enough to fully dry the car, it seemed like I was displacing water instead of soaking it near the end, should I wringe it out more?

I can see what seems to be small swirly marks when I inspect the paint closely not sure if they are or if it's my eyes deceiving me. All in all was happy with the products I bought. I forgot to do wheels first so I didn't do them this week. Purchasing the materials to clay / seal and wax the car next weekend!

@ian51279 yeaaa buddy!

 

If I'm pretty positive it wasn't waxed or sealed, do I need to give it a strip wash? Or can I just start with a wash and clay and then hand polish?

Are there any tips you guys have on polishing and waxing ?

Tons of questions but like I mentioned first time I'm ever doing this so I want to preserve the cars finish as best and as long as I can.

 

Thanks!!

 

Roger

[demonbat1]

Great color on the Mustang and I hope you let us know how the Eco-Boost drives (I think it could be an underrated performance option). As noted above for sure clay the car and it may need a light correction, never "perfect" (your judgement call) from the factory. I would go with the new Americana, it has great protection and the new formula is so easy to apply and remove. Detail spray is another must have, pairing it with the great white or new plush drying towel will make drying quick and safe.

 

Guard and Gloss will make a nice addition to your list above for the missing sealant.

 

Happy motoring!

The ecoboost gives me the power I need and economy I want. I always wanted a v8 like the 2010 grand Cherokee srt, or a gt 5.0 but my work makes me travel 40-50 miles a day so I couldn't do the gas mileage on those bad boys so I stuck with , what I think, is the best option for mpg and power / fun/ looks great. The performance package makes the ride bumpy but other than the boost lag you get, I really enjoy the way it drives!

Edited July 15, 2017 by demonbat1

[Chonke]

I didnt have much luck with the great white drying towel either with my cars, or any microfiber waffle weave for that matter. I only use them for waterless washing now. I ordered a ultra plush towel and hopefully it works better. 

 

A few things you can do is dry with two towels. Use a small one to knock out all the excessive water from the surface, then run the great white to pick up all the little streaks and water drops that remained behind. 

 

Another trick is to use detail spray as a drying aid. However, I personally dont see that much of a difference with or without using detail spray as a drying aid. H2O Guard n Gloss works a whole lot better for me. It also adds more shine and protection to your car, plus it doesnt hurt to layer it. The only negative is that its too expensive to use after every single car wash for me.

 

Also keep in mind that adam offers a 110% return guarantee in case you want to return the towel.

[LT1xL82]

.... I ordered a ultra plush towel and hopefully it works better. 

 

...

It will work WAY better. The new towel is a major improvement.

[falcaineer]

So i gave her a car was for the first time and some things I noticed.

One great white towel doesn't seem to be enough to fully dry the car, it seemed like I was displacing water instead of soaking it near the end, should I wringe it out more?

I can see what seems to be small swirly marks when I inspect the paint closely not sure if they are or if it's my eyes deceiving me. All in all was happy with the products I bought. I forgot to do wheels first so I didn't do them this week. Purchasing the materials to clay / seal and wax the car next weekend!

@ian51279 yeaaa buddy!

If I'm pretty positive it wasn't waxed or sealed, do I need to give it a strip wash? Or can I just start with a wash and clay and then hand polish?

Are there any tips you guys have on polishing and waxing ?

Tons of questions but like I mentioned first time I'm ever doing this so I want to preserve the cars finish as best and as long as I can.

Thanks!!

Roger

Some tips:

- If you want to stick with your Great White, or at least in the meantime, sheet/pool rinse the car before you dry. Highly effective and easy to do, it'll remove most of the standing/larger water drops on the car and one towel should then be more than enough. And ringing it out more does help, too.

- I would still strip wash the car, so pick up some SW or APC (blue Dawn works, too, but many on here don't like it for fear of drying out trim...I've used it with no ill effect so it can work in a pinch). It can replace the wash you do before you start, so no added time, but added confidence you have a naked surface to start.

- Polish/wax tips...watch all the videos (http://adamspolishes.com/video), twice, and read this article: http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/27631-faq-should-i-use-wax-or-sealant-on-my-car/. Then, ask any more questions you have...we have ALL been in your shoes at one point, and are here to help.

- Agreed with others above, HGG is awesome, so I'd recommend you get some, along with the grey borderless towels. Makes the drying process super easy, too. Adam recommends it about every 3 washes, and I've also seen up to every 6.

- For some really incredible shine, get the BG (and red or yellow hex grip applicator). It's not designed for extra long, or really much of any, protection, but man, it'll look great on that color!

-And yes, correct order in you 12 July post.

 

Good luck! Looking forward to more pics.

[Chonke]

It will work WAY better. The new towel is a major improvement.

 

Glad to hear that, Im expecting to receive it on tuesday, and its also expected to have some scattered thunderstorms that same night so I can try it out the next day 

[demonbat1]

Ended up claying, hand polishing , sealing and waxing it. Here's some photos! I'm an awful photographer.

[camp316]

I cant agree more with the posts above about striping, clay bar, polish, seal and protect. Dealers, no matter what they claim, only do what they can to make the car look good for the day your looking at it on the lot. As an detailing/Adams's junky we go the extra to make sure the car looks great for years to come. 

 

I love that color, it is really sharp looking, and i can tell that car is gonna send you into the Adam's foxhole most of us are in. 

 

Not sure if its allowed (please remove this if it isnt) but I watched RPproductions videos on detailing on youtube on both exterior and interior his scatpack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oAQy5C6EVw. I recommend his video as well as all the Adams videos. 

[PaintTech]

I spent 22 hours perfecting a Ram 1500 I bought back in 2013. It sat on the lot (when $48k trucks weren't selling) for a few months and those lot boys with the pressure washers and floor mop brushes....

New doesn't mean perfect.

No longer have it but....here's photos after polish then after debadge.