Brand new car - wash/wax tips

[tyvan07]

Hey!

I have a brand new vehicle (Mazda 3) with less than 700 miles. I need to know what exactly I need to do to protect the paint. As far as I know, the car did not come waxed. Because it is a new car, do I only need to wash and wax it or do I need to clay and polish as well? There is already a host of bugs and whatnot, do I just scrub a little harder when washing? Excuse the noob questions please...new to detailing.

Also, please recommend the best meguiars products..

Thanks in advance!

Ty

[Murr1525]

Re: Brand new car - wash/wax tips

For a new car, with no real defects to remove, I like to:

1. Wash - Gold Class, Nxt, etc. 2 Buckets, Grit Guards if possible, quality towels/sponges.

2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay Kit. Yes, it needs clayed.

3. ColorX

4. Wax - Nxt 2.0 is a good wax to use.

5. Maintain - Ultimate Quick Wax is great for after future washes.

As far as the bugs, you can certainly wipe a little firmly, but dont want to really scrub. Best to treat them before washing with some Bug and Tar Remover, or a wet dryer sheet.

And of course there are products for wheels, tires, glass, seats, dash, trim, metal....

[mb911]

Re: Brand new car - wash/wax tips

Congratulations! Mazda 3s are really nice.

I recommend finding Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash. This is a fantastic wash.

Next, Claying will help most new cars as most have been sitting on a lot at least a while. The Meguiar's smooth surface clay kit would get you through this. Just don't use the clay if you drop it on the ground. Also, for clay maintenance, the horizontal surfaces need claying more often. The sides of your car do not need claying as often except sometimes lower, where things kick up from the road.

Third, honestly, if going by hand, I don't see anything wrong with you just doing your 2 coats of NXT 2.0 or 2 coats of Gold Class, 2 thin, even coats. Also, don't be afraid to do waxing after every few washes, it honestly doesn't take tons of time. You could also use Meguiar's Ultimate Spray Wax *between* full wax jobs.

Then 1 or 2 times a year (more depending on the conditions the car is in) you can clay again, to make the surface smooth as glass again, and to make the wax adhere better.

You sound like you're eager to be on track to taking great care of your car!

Also, if you can find it, Meguiar's Glass cleaner is amazing on windows. Otherwise, Invisible Glass is easy to find.

Get some nice microfiber towels too.


Also, what color is the car? I might make some other recommendations depending on the color.

[tyvan07]

Re: Brand new car - wash/wax tips

Thanks for the quick replies! The car is black..so extra care I imagine. So do I need to polish (colorX) after the clay then?

[Murr1525]

Re: Brand new car - wash/wax tips

I use ColorX, or at least the Cleaner/Wax. Some dont. Its a bit up to you. But for my opinion, Nxt isnt really meant to remove dirt from the pores of the paint. So if the surface is dirty (and after transport, sitting on a lot, and bug/road grime, sounds dirty to me), I'd want something meant to do some actual cleaning.

[mb911]

Re: Brand new car - wash/wax tips

Thanks for the quick replies! The car is black..so extra care I imagine. So do I need to polish (colorX) after the clay then?

Yes, you can use Color X before the NXT. However, if you do clay first, I don't think it's something you *have* to do. If you're really eager this first time, go for it. If you want to wait until later on, I think you'll be ok too.

Try to use only foam applicators when applying NXT and whatnot. They are gentle on the paint.

Yes, black requires extra care. It would be best if you can use a two bucket wash. Have one bucket you dip your sponge into when it's just picked up grime from the car, and then another bucket that has cleaner water to rinse it off before going back to paint. Ideally, you would use grit guards in the buckets too.

However, I see nothing wrong with acquiring some of this up over time.

The benefit of your black will be the great shine and depth of the paint.

While Gold Class Wax from Meguiar's does not last as long as NXT, you would likely find it leaves a even more dazzling finish. It has some polishing oils in it and natural waxes that do magic with black paint.

So you can decide between the right after wax looks of Gold Class, or the better longevity and protection of NXT. I go back and forth between them myself.

Take care and enjoy your car. A black Mazda 3 looks great I'm sure. Take a picture after your detail, if you feel like sharing.

[Shawn T.]

Re: Brand new car - wash/wax tips

I agree. I use both waxes interchangeably. However, I would like to add that NXT 2.0 left a shine on my red CooperS that was incredible. The difference in the waxes can be seen though. NXT 2.0 leaves a shinier, reflective mirror like finish while Gold Class Carnauba Plus leaves a deeper finish. Of course, NXT 2.0 has more longevity, about 3-4 months, while Gold Class Carnauba Plus only has about 2 months to it (at least around me).

I guess the best way to describe "deeper" is that reflections crawl out from the paint instead of merely being on the surface. Thats really the best I can describe it.