New car, need suggestions on product lineup

[sxr800]

Hey everyone,
Good to be onboard finally. I've been looking around trying to find the answer, searching what I think was 30+ pages from MOL and still nothing on the money, but close. I can't believe how much knowledge is on here. Ok, so I got a '09 Mazda 6 last fall and am loving it. Perfect for a growing (hopefully) successful college grad in the next year here. It's performance white with a black leather interior. I'm not hooked up to my external hard drive or I'd throw some pics up. Maybe later tonight! I live in an apartment complex without a common washing area so for the winter up in the ND I've been just using an auto carwash (touchless) until the spring comes, and I really can't wait. I've used the nxt wax on all my other cars but really want to baby this one. I've looked and found the 5 step process and think this is the way to go but I'm not sure. I'd appreciate the input and if anybody has any tips for the winter using a coin wash plus your products detailing in the winter that'd be great!

Wash - Gold class or nxt carwash?
Clay - Done this, looks amazing
Clean - Do I need ColorX or anything like this on a new white car? Will it hurt the new clear coat? What other cleaner would be best for this? Is this even necessary?
Prep - I was thinking the show car glaze before wax, necessary or something better?
Wax - 2 coats of nxt 2.0

I've got quick detailer I've used on past cars with amazing results, and I rain-x for the drives home, as ND's weather is definitely unpredictable.

I'm going for the "wet" glossy look that I've seen on all the cars around here. I have the two bucket system down and thinking about just going and using the coin operated bays for this for the rest of the winter. Please let me know, thanks everyone!

[Murr1525]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

The car washes are going to use a strong soap, so nice to avoid that if possible. The coin-op places are nice if you can get one late at night, take your own soap, etc, and just use their water.

As for your steps, this would assume not much paint correction needed. If you have swirls, etc to remove, I would be adding in some other products:

1. Wash - Gold Class or Nxt are good, 2 buckets, quality towels, etc, Grit Guards if possible.

2. Clay - As needed

3. Clean - Yeah, I would at least do ColorX.

4. Polish - Being white, and new, it can help, but wont be as dramatic as on a dark color or older car. I'd go ColorX at first, and you can play around if you like later with a seperate cleaner and polish.

5. Wax - Nxt 2.0

6. Wax - Two thin coats is best.

7. Maintain - Ultimare Quick Wax is great for after future washes, and then a QD for birds, etc.

[sxr800]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

Yah, that's what I was thinking, I'm just hoping they use the filtered water. You know from experience if this is the case usually?

So this color-x, is it for a car wide application or for just spots that need it? Don't want to hurt the car by doing it wrong. Also, this is for hand application right?

When you apply something like the show car glaze or any other polish besides color-x it's just a pure polish to give you a little more "deep" color and dimension, and not any correcting for swirling or anything like that? Nice goalie btw, I'm more of a Wild guy but that's kind of like hoping for the Vikings to win the Superbowl.

[Murr1525]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

Yah, that's what I was thinking, I'm just hoping they use the filtered water. You know from experience if this is the case usually?

Well, it cant be too bad, or it would clog their lines.

So this color-x, is it for a car wide application or for just spots that need it? Don't want to hurt the car by doing it wrong. Also, this is for hand application right?

ColorX can be used by hand or machine. I would use it over the entire car. Its one of those products where if you just need a light cleaning and a coat of wax, you can apply it gently, just working it in a bit. If you need stronger, you can apply it more strongly. Though like I said, I wouldnt pick it for defect removal. Esp by hand.

And then you would let it dry like a wax, and remove. Then apply your other wax. I sort of miss-spoke before, ColorX can count as your first coat of wax. So doing one or two coats of Nxt after would be up to you.

When you apply something like the show car glaze or any other polish besides color-x it's just a pure polish to give you a little more "deep" color and dimension, and not any correcting for swirling or anything like that?

In Meguiars terms, that would be a pure polish, something that is only polishing oils to nourish the paint, add gloss, etc. A pure polish would have no cleaning or protective abilities.

ColorX would be called a cleaner/wax, and will have some oils in it, not as much as a pure polish of course.

Nice goalie btw, I'm more of a Wild guy but that's kind of like hoping for the Vikings to win the Superbowl.

I can put up a pic of Lemieux splitting the Northstar's D if you prefer....

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

If you have concerns about filtered water at the coin-op, you can test it out with a TDS meter - like the one that comes with the Zero Water system that you can find at Target ($35). Or you can buy a TDS meter on ebay for as low as $11.

[searle]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

As well, pure polish/glaze (oils) should ideally be applied after paint cleaning (when the paint surface is maximally clean and prepared) but before any wax. If you use ColorX as your cleaner, it will also wax at the same time (as others said above) and hence subsequently putting on glaze after that will only glaze the wax and not the actual underlying paint (it wont hurt, just is not really what you are trying to achieve). ColorX does contain some polish, as part of its All-In-One cleaner+polish+wax purpose, but clearly not as much glaze/oils as other pure-polish alternatives.

Consider using a cleaner (rather than a cleaner/wax), for example SwirlX. SwirlX is primarily a cleaner (including ability to correct minor swirls etc), but it also has some polish (which might be enough for you). If you want more polish oils, then after SwirlX cleaning you can coat the paint with a pure polish (like DeepCrystal-2 or M07), but as you said a pure-polish has no corrective ability (although it can temporarily "hide" defects). Then, on top of that maximum polish/glaze, apply your wax(s).

Hope that helps.

[sxr800]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

Yah, it's making alot of sense to me now. I guess I'm just hesitant to use a product like color-x or swirl-x on a new clearcoat and paint job when I'm not even sure what the winter's done to the car or if I even have minor issues with the paint to where I'd need to use those. If I'm understanding they have an abrasive and if used all over the vehicle can help but if I use them when I don't I will be essentially harming the clear coat correct? If I'm mistaken and swirl-x for example is safe and will won't ever hurt, just fix and help then I'm all for it. If not, I might skip that step until my paint shows some definite wear? I hope you understand, this might have been a talk-around haha. Thanks again for all the help already guys, really appreciate it.

[Murr1525]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

Sometimes it takes a good detail just to see the cars condition, then a few more good details to fix it...

ColorX applied by hand with a smooth foam applicator is actually quite mild in the grand scheme of things, it is just stronger compared to other a lot of other cleaner/waxes.

Anytime air blows over the car, (never mind running water, touching, soap, etc), some molecules of paint will be removed. Its just a matter of how much. There are plenty of people on here who apply a product like #80 or #205 (stronger than ColorX, about the same as SwirlX) every month or two to their cars with a DA (stronger than working by hand) for years. You certainly don't want to be using a strong product all the time. That means you are doing something wrong. But to use a mild product often is quite safe.

And again, you can take a mild product like SwirlX or ColorX and apply it gently or aggressively, which varies it further. And then if you take good care of the car, use something like UQW after washes, you will have your main coat of wax lasting 3-4 months hopefully. So then you are using a mild product 4 times a year. Maybe one of those 4 times (usually spring for most people), you use a stronger product if/where needed to fix problem areas.

So yeah, you'll be ok.

[sxr800]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

Sounds good, thanks for answering me. I'll grab some of it and see how it goes, should be rockin' this spring. I'm going to need to get a shelf for all my "car detail" equipment haha, thanks again. Oh, and just keep you pic, it's good for now, we'll see how the playoffs work. I know the Wild already won't be in it though, so I'll have to go # 2 team for them, at least yours has a chance :0

[searle]

Re: New car, need suggestions on product lineup

The previous reply by Murr1525 pretty much covered the details. I would suggest that you wait until spring (as you planned) and then do a wash+clay, and then a hand-application of SwirlX as a "paint-cleaner" (rather than any focus on defect removal). If you can then see any swirls or other defects which you want to address, you can then chose to repeat the SwirlX with more passion (perhaps with the DA for a little more action) to begin addressing defect removal. I usually only DA-apply SwirlX during my spring detail session, to help completely get rid of the winter grime and its effects, and follow that with a nice slow hand-application of M07 glaze (and subsequent NXT+#26 waxes). My mid-summer and fall detail sessions I hand-apply SwirlX as a paint-cleaner then glaze+wax. Throughout the rest of the year I just weekly wash and UQW and was+rewax every month or two.

SwirlX applied by hand could be done almost every week and you would be unlikely to remove enough paint molecules to be detectable even over several years. That is why actual swirl (or scratch) correction by hand, using SwirlX, is quite difficult. Similarly for ColorX.