Confused with products and steps. HELP!

[gabe]

Hey guys,
I'm confused on the steps and products for a FULL DETAIL on a car. Here is the description: Brand new 2012 Honda Civic SI 2Dr. (The first thing I'm gonna do is drive it home and do the FULL DETAIL), the paint is orange but I don't know how many stages the paint process is, the car will be pampered (FULL DETAIL every 3 months, wash every week.), the car will always either have a cover on or it will be in a garage, I live in Florida so it can get mildly humid (I don't know whether this affects it or not.), it will have either a vinyl of airbrush design, and all products will be Meguiars and so will equipment. I want the paint to be very well protected and I want the best end result. I want the paint to last basically forever and I want a list of the steps and the best products for the FULL DETAIL. Description: Cannot take longer than a 48 hour range and the cost does not matter. The reason why I put the time range so long is because I heard that for best results you let the sealant bond to the paint and some take a few hours while some take more than a day per layer. Also, I hear it's for a better shine after waxing and sealing to put another pure carnuba wax layer to make it look better as a last step but then where do you use about final touch? I also heard that sealant protects the work you have already done but I'm not 110% sure about that even though I know that it bonds to the paint to protect it. I am a newbie but the best way to ask is here so I need answers to these questions so that I know how to maintain my car's paint and make it last as long as it can. This also goes for interior, engine compartment, etc. but my main questions are on exterior so in the list include engine degreasers, and interior products, the cost (even though I said the cost dosent matter, if you can please include it because I'm curious), and equipment for the job. Please answer my questions as it will be EXTREMELY helpful to me and also when another newbie see's this they don't have to ask the same question. I'm also that freakish about my engine compartment including my interior and yes my trunk (since I will have a fully loaded sound system) I just didn't type the same thing over again for interior because the question will be too long and you will go "so what are the questions again?" because it so long.

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

And also include tips from experience that you guys know about so that i don't mess up please.

[Bjkearns]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

Was the car bought "virgin" still in the plastic?

If so

wash
dry
clay
M205/Ultimate Polish
M21/Ultimate Liquid Wax
M21/Ultimate Liquid Wax

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

no it comes only with a car cover being delivered to the dealer in case it rains or for protection against grime, bugs, etc. then the cover is taken off and you can buy it separately so when they show me the car it will not be covered in plastic. they just put it in a huge garage. Is the ultimate wax a sealant or carnuba wax? if its sealant then what carnuba should i use and if it's carnuba then what sealant i know that its better if you use them both i just wasn't sure whether the last coat of carnuba over sealant does anything. Also the interior and i know that you can use other products for final dressing like last touch and stuff. But thanks for the info you gave. for future reference on anyone else who answers it is a daily driver.

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

and also i heard from other meguiars forums to wash then dry then paint cleaner then clay bar or clay bar then paint cleaner then polish the wax but they didn't specify last touch, waxes, or sealant

[Bjkearns]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

Was the car wrapped in plastic when you drove it home?
Im a talking like saran wrap stuff all over the paint

Did the dealer do any prep work on the car?
Have they EVER washed it or any type of detailing work?

I dont care about a car cover

knowing what steps to suggest should probably be based off you answering the questions

Ultimate Liquid Wax is a sealant=100% synthetic
M21=same

Do you like the look of a carnauba or why do you want to use a carnauba?

Wash,dry,clay
thats the order in the very first stages

[Bjkearns]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

If you do want a carnauba you will want either one of these

http://www.detailing.com/store/meguiars-hitech-yellow-wax-liquid-16oz.html

or

http://www.detailing.com/store/meguiars-gold-class-liquid-wax-16oz.html

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

The car did not come wrapped or anything but when it gets to the dealer they do a cheap wash and wax that is good enough to clean it but nothing special. I like the end result of carnuba and the way it looks but I want the protection from a sealant

[Bjkearns]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

OK

You DO NOT want the dealer doing ANY prep work on the car.
Dealers do DAMAGE

yes even a "simple" wash from a dealer is not a good thing

Ok so you should have all the steps

order car still in the plastic
have them upwrap car in front of you
you inspect
you like
you demand ZERO prep
you buy
you wash
you clay
you polish
you seal
you wax

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

Oh no it does come with saran wrap on the hood, roof, trunk,doors, fenders,quater panels, bumpers. Bassically it is covered with very very little area that are exposed but only little lines and gaps like between the hood wrap and fender wrap there is like a 2 inch area of exposure

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

Ok thanks now I know my steps for exterior and I know how to do interior and everything else now I just need to know what products.

[Bjkearns]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

all cars come with plastic on all of those places

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

Oh and the interior also comes completely wraped incase someone sits in it and drives but dosent buy.can anyone help me with interior and engine degraeser stuff and products? And also what do the ratios on meguiars detailer line products mean? I know they are talking about dillusion but what does it mean?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

While we love the fact that you want to pamper your new ride, don't get too far ahead of yourself here. You mention that it will get a full detail every three months, but in reality, if your maintenance processes are very good, that won't be needed. When we hear "full detail" we think paint correction with a buffer. That's all fine and well, but you're far better off (and so is your car's paint) if you really nail down your maintenance process rather than rely on the fact that you know how to buff out defects from paint. In the long run you are far better off honing those maintenance skills and evaluating the finish after every wash to see what, if anything, it needs. Do that maintenance right and you may not have to do a "full detail" for a year or longer.

As for sealants and waxes, when to use them, how to use both, etc; so much of that comes down to personal preferences. Yes, as a rule, synthetic sealants like NXT, M21 and Ultimate Wax will last longer than carnuaba waxes like Gold Class, M26 or Deep Crystal Carnauba. But you don't need to use both. You can if you like, and many people do, but you don't have to use both. And as far as level of protection goes, please keep that in perspective. A lot of people new to detailing have the impression that wax will prevent paint damage caused by bird droppings, industrial fallout, acid rain, reclaimed water in sprinkler systems, etc. Truth is, that's not what a wax or sealant is for. It is not an impervious barricade that will prevent anything from damaging your paint. In many cases it will buy you some time, but if the car is exposed to anything that can potentially damage the paint itself, then to expect the wax/sealant to stop it means you're expecting that wax/sealant to actually be stronger than the paint. It's not. Not even close.

As for use of Last Touch or other mist and wipe products, those are really designed for safe removal of light dust and fingerprint smudges between washings. In that regard they often become part of that careful maintenance program. They can also be used to aid in removing compounds and paint cleaners during the detail process.

One thing we didn't see in the existing discussion here is whether you'll be working by hand or with a buffer of some sort. It can make a difference in the outcome, especially if the car has pretty delicate paint. And we've seen plenty of Civics with very delicate paint, and delicate paints can pose their own challenges.

There are a few articles we highly encourage you to read before you get started:

5 Step Paint Care Cycle

The Challenge of Delicate Paint

D/A Buffing 101 - An Introduction to the G110v2 and similar tools (this is especially helpful if you're going to be working with a DA)

A few other points to consider:

• You can't make a definite plan on what to do until you've seen the condition of the car. You can't just say "I'm going to wash, clay, Ultimate Compound, wax" just because. What if the paint doesn't respond well to UC but you don't have a backup plan? What if the car doesn't even need something that aggressive (like the plan for a full detail every three months). Wash and dry the car, then evaluate it critically in good light. Do this every time you wash the car. Fresh from the dealer it could be in pretty decent shape or it could be a real mess - or anywhere in between. But before you start working on the paint, you need a plan, and that plan must be based on the evaluation you perform. It's sort of like your doctor evaluating you before he prescribes some medication, or surgery.
• Do a test spot. We can't stress this enough. Paint systems are all over the place, and you don't know for sure what your car is like until you work on it. You can read claims regarding paint hardness on the Internet all day long stating emphatically that such and such car brand has such and such type of paint, but that's no guarantee that your car will be the same way. Yes, we said above that we've worked on several Civics with very delicate paint, but none of those were 2012 models so your paint could be very different. We've seen people refer to Audi paint as the hardest, most unforgiving paint on the planet yet we've recently worked on two different 2011 Audis, an S5 and a TT, both black, and they were a breeze to work on. Do a test spot. Find out how your paint is responding to whatever input you're giving it before just jumping in head first and doing the whole car.
• Remember that no matter how good any product is, it's really only as good as the guy using it. You must use good technique in order to achieve a truly high level of finish. It's no different than buying the best skis and boots on earth and then wondering why you didn't even qualify for the Olympics. Or buying the most expensive, lightest weight racing bike and not being able to win the Tour de France, let alone get over that hill at the end of Main Street in your home town. Sure, having "the best" is a huge help and can make life a lot easier, but what really counts is how you use those products.
• Take your time. Especially at first. Never try to rush through things. Don't fixate on which wax or sealant to use, and don't over think this stuff. We see people lose sight of the target because they looking at their ammo and wondering which is best. And we've seen guys achieve remarkable results using pretty basic stuff - they just used it really skillfully on a paint finish that responded very well to it.
• Have fun with it!

[gabe]

Re: Confused with products and steps. HELP!

Wow a lot of info thanks a lot. I'm gonna put a body kit so when it gets painted ill figure it out. I was leaning towards a DA but ill check out the links. Thanks