Ultimate Polish on New Car

[brainjunk]

I just got a new car (2012 Accord LX-P in the Polished Metal Metallic which is basically a dark gray with metallic flakes) about a month ago and I want to make sure it stays looking new.

Is Ultimate Polish safe to use on a new car? I know it has some abrasives in it that I might not need. I don't have any scratches or blemishes yet. Or is it better to go with a pure polish like the Deep Crystal Polish? Or is a paint cleaner like ColorX a better idea than either of those?

My steps will be:
Wash (I bought a jug of Mother's before finding this forum so I'll be using that for awhile)
Clay (Meguiar's Smooth Clay Kit)
Polish (I'm gonna go with whatever is recommended here)
Wax (Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax)

And if I'm up to it after that another coat of wax

[Marc08EX]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Ultimate polish is a very mild cleaner/polish. Like you mentioned, it has some very light abrasives and very rich in polishing oils. On the other hand, ColorX is a cleaner wax so it leaves behind some sort of protection.

If it was me, I'd still go for the Ultimate Polish because you're planning to use a dedicated wax/sealant afterwards. It's just a dream to use and the abrasives are mild anyway so you don't have to worry about it. It will help make your paint luster because of the polishing oils built into the product.

[wifpd4]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Gonzo,

Are you working by hand or using a dual action buffer? I haven't worked by hand, nor used Deep Crystal polish so I can't comment about either. However, Ultimate Polish and ColorX are very user friendly and if the instructions are followed it is extremely unlikely you will harm a new car and very likely you will like the result. Keep in mind UP and ColorX are different products. Read up on them to understand the difference.

Your washing techniques will be important to prevent creating any defects. Claying is important to remove any bonded contaminants acquired while the car was being transported from the factory or sitting in the sales lot. That smooth clear coat will be great a great foundation to build upon and help providing clearly defined reflections when you wax. Watch some of the Meguiar's videos, they are full of great information.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?134-How-To-Videos

[Murr1525]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Well, the Deep Crystal Polish is discontinued anyway, so no point worrying about it. I would follow one of these:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. ColorX
4. Wax

or:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Clean/Polish - Ult. Polish
4. Wax
5. Wax

[brainjunk]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Thank you all for the replies! I will be doing it by hand.

I've spent a few days watching the videos and lurking on the forums. I was pretty set on the Ult. Polish route, but was concerned about the abrasives in it. Since those aren't a concern I'm going with:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Clean/Polish - Ult. Polish
4. Wax
5. Wax

I can't wait to see the car when I'm done!

[raiderscott]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Which stores sell ColorX? Do you need to purchase on-line?

[Marc08EX]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Autozone sells ColorX.

[1994Gen1L]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

A great AIO is Color X. It does well on all color's and is easy to apply and remove by hand. A step up would be Ultimate Polish and Ultimate Wax which will make it really pop. Up-keep with Ultimate Wash & Wax, Gold Class High Gloss (GCHG) Spray Detailer and Gold Class Carnauba Plus (GCC+) Quick Wax.

The above combination makes my wifes 2011 Bordeaux Red Metallic Ford Fusion sparkle.

[JG_Detailing]

I know when I use any polish I always follow it with a good wax.

[GhOsT1321]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

What Cobalt said. If you use polish alone the shine will be temporary (less than a week) but if you seal it in with a wax/sealant, then it should last at least the life of the wax (1-2months). If you regularly wax, then you many only need to polish with UP once or twice a year.

[brainjunk]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

I just want to thank everyone for the replies. I had no idea that the car would look better than the day I bought it!

It was a lot of work to do it all by hand. It took all day Saturday and part of Sunday. I ran out of time so I couldn't put on a second coat of wax. I'll probably have to wash it and then add another coat of wax this weekend to make sure it stays well protected for awhile (don't worry, I have my Ultimate Quick Detailer to use on anything that accumulates throughout the week).

I've never used clay on a car before, but the info. here along with the instructions on the Smooth Clay Kit made it easy. I almost didn't do it because I thought everyone on here might be just a little crazy. In the end I was so glad I did it. The difference of the feel of the surface was amazing. The Ultimate Polish was easy to put on and take off while working on small sections at a time. It was a time consuming process, but worth it in the end. Marc you were right, it really did make the paint "luster". No car that I've ever owned in the past has looked this good.

The Ultimate Liquid Wax was so easy to remove after I put it on. The last time I waxed a car was probably 15 years ago with Turtle Wax Paste and I still remember how hard it was to remove that wax. This was nothing like that. In fact, Sunday morning I went into the garage and put the wax on. After that I went inside and had breakfast and some coffee. I had a whole plan set up so that I'd have my coffee right before going out to remove the wax. I thought I needed to be prepared. As soon as I removed the first little bit I couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone here may be a little crazy, but now I know why. I sit at work and I just want to go outside and run my hand across the surface of the car! Thanks again MOL folks!

[Murr1525]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Glad it went well.

[BillE]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

I like 'happy endings'...You up to posting a picture or two?

Bill

[Mike Maxam]

I have had the same success with the 2012 midnight black Hyundai Elantra in my avatar. When my girlfriend picked up the car she did not seem to think it would look any better. Well after washing it and finding all of the DISO(dealer installed swirl option) I was able to finally correct it last weekend with the microfiber system. After that it got some ult polish and a coat of gold class liquid wax(I was told I have to use up some of my supplies before buying new). Well anyways after the polish, you could see the red green and gold flake in the paint really pop, and it went unnoticed before.

Quick question, how much of a difference is thee between GC+ and The GC wax of 2 years ago?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Ultimate Polish on New Car

Quick question, how much of a difference is thee between GC+ and The GC wax of 2 years ago?

The newest version will present a slightly deeper and richer shine, partly because it does a somewhat better job at hiding extremely fine defects.


As to the original topic of this thread, it's always great to see a new user come to the realization that their new car can actually look better than "showroom new", and it's best when that new user creates that "better than new" shine on their own. Great stuff, and thanks to all who chimed in here to help the OP while I was out at Detail Fest in Florida. It's you guys who make this such a great community!