Wife brand new car…help maintain it

[clg82]

Hey everyone. Wife just purchased a Hyundai Sonata Limited. I went over it with a light to see if I could see any swirl marks and the paint (surprisingly) from the factory looks pretty good. Not many swirl marks to speak of. With that said it's a 2017 with only 125 miles. It's the wife's daily driver to work and back. What's the process I should use to keep her car looking flawless? Strip wash, clay, paint sealant, wax topper? Any suggestions for what I may be missing? Thanks for any help!

[370ZRyan]

Sounds like a pretty solid start, the Paint Coating would be great for the daily use. Other than that Paint Sealant is still a good alternative.

[Nathan]

I would do all of that like you mentioned but I would do paint sealant or ceramic coating for the best protection, then to add more shine I would do brilliant glaze, and I would top it with buttery wax, so the brilliant glaze would last as long as the wax.

[Chris@Adams]

Hey everyone. Wife just purchased a Hyundai Sonata Limited. I went over it with a light to see if I could see any swirl marks and the paint (surprisingly) from the factory looks pretty good. Not many swirl marks to speak of. With that said it's a 2017 with only 125 miles. It's the wife's daily driver to work and back. What's the process I should use to keep her car looking flawless? Strip wash, clay, paint sealant, wax topper? Any suggestions for what I may be missing? Thanks for any help!

 

Sounds like you have a good plan........if you have a red or black, something dark you will benefit by topping of with a carnauba wax, if you have a light color I think I would just maintain your PS with H2O G&G.

[LT1xL82]

... top it with buttery wax, so the brilliant glaze would last as long as the wax.

 

 

 

   

[LT1xL82]

... Strip wash, clay, paint sealant, wax topper? ...

Wax topper is fine. You could also consider H2O G&G every 3 or 4 washes instead. (Some folks do both.)

 

It's a trade off. H2O G&G doesn't last as long as say Americana for example. But it does a nice job of adding some shine and longevity to PS. Although some find it a bit finicky to apply, I like H2O G&G because it can be applied to the entire exterior...paint, trim, wheels, even glass if you like! Unlike wax, it doesn't leave difficult to remove residue on textured trim... 

[Mariner]

Then to add more shine I would do brilliant glaze, and I would top it with buttery wax, so the brilliant glaze would last as long as the wax.

A long debated topic. However I would politely disagree and say that although BG has fillers and some people like to apply it under Paint Sealant, typically the outer layer only lasts as long as the one underneath it. So with that being said, the longest lasting layer should be applied first (except the topic on Paint Sealant and BG because people get good results either way). With this in mind, I would apply BG last, on top of the wax, for some short term, eye searing shine

[falcaineer]

My routine for the (white) daily - strip wash (only prior to when I'm applying polishes, PS and/or full details), clay (prior to polishes, PS, and/or as needed), polish (twice/year, or as needed), PS (minimum twice/year), maintain with HGG every 3-4 washes. Wax applications are your call, and can be done for that extra "pop" of shine. You may even consider a coating of FP this first go to remove any light swirls prior to PS application. If you want more details on the differences in waxes vs. sealants, see here and here for more great info.

 

Along those same lines, while I don't want to hijack the thread, I would like to ask about/clarify the comment below (from above?!)...

 

...H2O G&G doesn't last as long as say Americana for example...

 

I thought a silica/polymer-based sealant like HGG is supposed to be longer-lasting than a carunba-based wax like the Americana. What am I missing? See the same article for my basis of understanding.

 

And for what it's worth, agreed that HGG can be a little finicky at first. But once you get the hang of it after one or two applications, I'm pretty sure it'll become one of, if not THE, most favorite Adam's products you use. And it smells awesome! 

[clg82]

My routine for the (white) daily - strip wash (only prior to when I'm applying polishes, PS and/or full details), clay (prior to polishes, PS, and/or as needed), polish (twice/year, or as needed), PS (minimum twice/year), maintain with HGG every 3-4 washes. Wax applications are your call, and can be done for that extra "pop" of shine. You may even consider a coating of FP this first go to remove any light swirls prior to PS application. If you want more details on the differences in waxes vs. sealants, see here and here for more great info.

 

 

 

Great info everyone I appreciate the help! It is a lighter gray color so it should show some "depth" after all is said and done. With that being said since I don't see many swirl marks if any, after the strip wash is it ok to use a "finishing polish" first and not use the correcting polish? And than follow it with paint sealant etc? Thanks for any help. So the steps would be strip wash, clay bar, finishing polish, paint sealant, than a wax topper? Sound reasonable?

[Mariner]

Definitely reasonable

[falcaineer]

Yep, agreed.

 

I'll throw my two cents in one final time, too, for HGG (and it being the longer lasting of the two as a sealant). But ultimately it's what you decide works best for you that you'll most enjoy. You'll probably develop your own routine, and it's the little idiosyncrasies that makes the process fulfilling. Above all, have fun!

[ocdrifter]

Hey Chris, you have a solid plan for the exterior would also like to ask what kind of interior does it have, if its leather make sure to start using Adams leather cream right away and stay on top of it, and if it's fabric I would spray on a fabric protector to help keep the stains at bay.

 

By the way where are you in So Cal?