New Car Delivery in Winter Advice

[ouhockeyplayer]

So I ordered a brand new 2016 WRX STI last week and Subaru is estimating that the car will be delivered the last week of December.  As we all know, Michigan winters can wreak all sorts of havoc to a cars paint and make regular washing near impossible.  I have requested that the dealer not prep the car and add their swirl marks to it as any OCD car lover would do.  Being winter, wondering how I should approach detailing the car for the first time and putting down a layer of protection to help it fend off the elements that it will immediately be exposed to as my daily driver?  I have a garage but it is not heated, and I am concerned that applying any type of sealant wont be possible/have a good outcome if the weather is below freezing out.  I am almost wondering if I should bite the bullet and take the car to a professional detailer that has a heated shop to do the first prep.  The car is being delivered in Troy, MI and I believe HD Car Care is also in Troy, and I have heard great things about them.  Any thoughts/suggestions are much appreciated.

 

Oh, might be a dumb question, but since I am getting the car with all the protective wrapping on it, should I remove any protective film from the car (especially from the hood) before driving it home?  Worried that the heat from the engine might make the films adhesive do something bad to the paint.  

[Chris@Adams]

Do you think that the dealership would let you use a spot in the garage long enough to apply a coat of LPS?

 

 

http://adamspolishes.com/shop/exterior/waxing-and-glazing/adam-s-liquid-paint-sealant.html

[ouhockeyplayer]

Not sure, I guess that would depend on how busy they are.  The dealership is not very big and has a small service area, so I'm going to guess that it might not be something they would be super open to allowing.  

[Dan@Adams]

Hi Brian! Congrats on the new ride, they're incredible! I hope you don't mind, but this will be a long response because I want to cover all of your concerns

 

I'm right there with you in asking the dealership to never wash my cars or do any type of prep-work to them when I'm buying a new one or taking one in for service, because they know how much of a detailing fanatic I am. Having said that though, if they are going to be delivering it right during winter time, there's a great possibility that it's going to be transported through the elements and get fairly dirty on the car carrier; so my suggestion if the weather is bad, would be to maybe have them wash it down either by hand or with their wash bay if it is a touchless and brushless type wash bay - or instead, you could maybe even ask them if you could use some of your Adam's products from your collection, in their wash bay - like the Wash Pad, 2 Bucket Wash with Grit Guards, Car Shampoo, and a Great White Drying Towel, as long as you did it in a way so as to not offend them. Just explain that you are very particular when it comes to swirl marks and scratches and they might understand and be happy to oblige, especially since you could probably do a quick wash and dry in under 30 minutes. It doesn't hurt to ask and the worst they can say is no, but the way I look at it, you're making a substantial purchase with them, and they should do their best to make you happy

 

Ask them what their typical slowest day of the week is for service, or maybe even see if you could pick it up on a Saturday when most service bays are closed, then that could give you plenty of time to clean the car after you sign all of the paperwork, if they would let you use a bay then. I almost always clay every new car I've worked on - mine, my parents, friends, etc - because they really can get a lot of contaminants in the clearcoat just from traveling across the country, especially rail dust if it's shipped by train. Then once it is clayed and smooth, I would absolutely recommend a coat of Liquid Paint Sealant just like Chris said, for the best protection during the winter months. You can apply it by hand or by machine, but just remember to apply it in a thin, even coat, and to work on one body panel at a time, especially if it's colder out. I've used LPS in my garage with just a space heater to get the temperature to around the 50-55F range and didn't have too much trouble. It's a little more effort to remove, but nothing bad enough to frustrate me or anything like that.

 

As for the protective plastic covering, I would suggest you remove it before driving it home because you should inspect the entire exterior surface for any scratches or dents that it could be hiding, prior to driving off the lot with the car - that way it is on the dealership to fix them before you buy.

 

As an aside, it's not a common problem at all, but some of the plastic coverings can leave a spotty milky residue that gets imbedded into the clearcoat from moisture getting trapped under the protective white plastic and it then works its way under the relatively still-fresh clearcoat - I mention it because it was a pretty big problem with the GTO when Holden shipped them over here by boat and they sat out for a month or two with the protective wrapping on them. The solution to remove the residue in the TSB was to remove the spots by using a heat gun in those areas to heat the clearcoat and evaporate the moisture. I'm not trying to scare you though, and you most likely will not have that issue. Plus that was 9 years ago and protective shipping wraps may have advanced by now.

 

Once Spring rolls around and things warm up, you could do a full paint correction if it needs it, with your preferred LSP. One of my first Spring rituals is to always do a full detail on my daily driver. Here's to hoping you will still have warm weather when it's delivered. I know here in PA sometimes it can be 65 degrees in December and other times it can be 5 degrees!

Edited October 14, 2015 by Dan@Adams

[rkj4243]

Brian,

 

Chris and Dan gave you some GREAT ideas, and thoughts on your upcoming delivery.

 

IF none of the possibilities mentioned by Dan and the dealer can happen, please shoot me a PM if at last resort you do consider taking it somewhere to have protection applied.

 

I know a place, and they would do what you want, using your Adam's products, for a very fair price, and are in the same general area as the dealer.

 

Typically, a business insurance policy would prohibit you from performing the work yourself.

Edited October 14, 2015 by rkj4243

[Dan@Adams]

That's awesome Robert. I should add that from a safety and liability standpoint, the dealership may not be allowed to let you use the wash bay...I hadn't really considered that.

[ouhockeyplayer]

Thank you very much everyone for the tips. Dan, you brought up a lot of good points. Besides the possible liability issue I also worry about over staying my welcome in the wash bay. I can spend hours on a simple wash, and lose track of time quickly. It drives my wife crazy how long I can be out in the garage when I tell her I'm doing a quick wash. Robert, I'll shoot you a PM about your contact just in case I need some help.

[ouhockeyplayer]

Thank you very much everyone for the tips. Dan, you brought up a lot of good points. Besides the possible liability issue I also worry about over staying my welcome in the wash bay. I can spend hours on a simple wash, and lose track of time quickly. It drives my wife crazy how long I can be out in the garage when I tell her I'm doing a quick wash. Robert, I'll shoot you a PM about your contact just in case I need some help.