General question for first try !

[marric01]

Hi,

I'm new in the detailing world and I never did other things to a car than
washing it.

So I'm starting at zero and I'm here to learn.

My car :
- New Black Hyundai Santa Fe 2013 sports
- Got it in July 2013

So far, I went to canadian tire and got those product :
- DA Power system
- Gold Class Car wash Shampoo and Conditioner
- Ultimate Protectant Dash & Trim Restorer
- Ultimate Polish
- Ultimate Liquid Wax
- Hot Shine Tire Spray & Coating

When washing my car, I'm using the 2 bucket system and just to be sure, I first rince my car with a pressure water system. I also wash it from top to bottom and panel by panel.

I got a couple of questions/concerns but I don't expect everyone to answer everything ;-)


1- It is too soon to apply polishing on my car since I got it 3 month ago ? I can see very little swirl mark on paint (I'm pretty sure those swirl were made when they washed the car at dealer before delivery).

2- Do I need to wax my car as soon as I'm done polishing ? Can I wait like the week after and wash it again before apply wax ?

3- I don't have access to a garage, it is recommended to do waxing or polishing only in a garage or theres no problem of doing it outside in shade (I don't live in a windy and dusty town/area).

4- Since my car is pretty new and got washed every week since a got it, do I need to prepare it first with clay before polishing and/or waxing ?

5- I have looked on the web for waxing / polishing technics and I see sometimes people putting tape in some areas ... do I really need to tape the car before polish or waxing ? Do I need to protect outside plactic mold (bottom of door) and chrome trim ?

6- When drying car, it is recommended to open door and dry the inside of it with a used/old chamoi. Do I need to be carefull with rubber and other things so I don't take off the grease to protect parts ?

7- Do you recommend a product for inside car to protect regular material (flooring and ceiling in car) and for leather (seats)

Thanks again for the precious help !

Richard

[Stephan]

Re: General question for first try !

4 - Run, don't walk to the store and get a clay kit.

1 - 3 months is fine. You may see more swirls after claying as you remove some of the dealer applied stuff that's hiding defects. Polish is for added shine and depth of color as well as for use during the correction process.

[marric01]

Re: General question for first try !

There's some picture of my car

[C8N]

Re: General question for first try !

1- It is too soon to apply polishing on my car since I got it 3 month ago ? I can see very little swirl mark on paint (I'm pretty sure those swirl were made when they washed the car at dealer before delivery).
No, not too soon to polish.
2- Do I need to wax my car as soon as I'm done polishing ? Can I wait like the week after and wash it again before apply wax ?
Yes, you wax to protect the paint. A lot of things can happen in a week especially if the car is park out side. Unless the car will sit inside a garage, I would wax asap.
3- I don't have access to a garage, it is recommended to do waxing or polishing only in a garage or theres no problem of doing it outside in shade (I don't live in a windy and dusty town/area).
You can wax and polish outdoors. However you need to be mindful of the surface temperature of the paint and of the debris flying around.
4- Since my car is pretty new and got washed every week since a got it, do I need to prepare it first with clay before polishing and/or waxing ?
Do a baggie test. If you feel anything, you should clay. Lots of things can happen during transport from the plant to the dealership and while the car sits on the lot at the dealership.
5- I have looked on the web for waxing / polishing technics and I see sometimes people putting tape in some areas ... do I really need to tape the car before polish or waxing ? Do I need to protect outside plactic mold (bottom of door) and chrome trim ?
If not careful, wax and polish can get on the black plastic trims and if allowed to dry, it can get difficult to remove. Better safe than sorry.
6- When drying car, it is recommended to open door and dry the inside of it with a used/old chamoi. Do I need to be carefull with rubber and other things so I don't take off the grease to protect parts ?
As long as you use quality wash soap designed for cars, no need to worry. Use quality MF waffle weave towels to dry.
7- Do you recommend a product for inside car to protect regular material (flooring and ceiling in car) and for leather (seats)
Headliners you need to be careful that it does not delaminate. Don't ever soak it in product that can loosen its adhesiveness. Use correct product for the material and never hurts to lay down some protection.

[marric01]

Re: General question for first try !

Thanks for help ... looking at my car picture HERE you guys think I should use Swirlx + Ultimate Polish + Ultimate wax liquid or UC + Ultimate Polish + Ultimate Wax ?

[The Guz]

Re: General question for first try !

You can't go wrong with either. Me personally like using UC, UP and UW together.

[wifpd4]

Re: General question for first try !

Congratulations on the new car, black will look awesome when you are done.

I'm an absolute proponent of claying a new car. No telling where it's been, what train or semi trailer it rode in and what bonded contaminates it may have collected. Besides you want the smoothest, cleanest foundation upon which you will build an incredible looking finish.

Before you clay, get the car as clean as possible. Any speck of dirt or grit will complicate your process. Your high pressure pre-rinse is an excellent idea. If you are unfamiliar with your equipment, be careful and don't get so close as to damage your paint. Two-bucket wash....great!!

Clay your car with the proper lubricant. When you finish a section double check your work, as previously mentioned, with a baggie on your hand.

Then section off a couple of areas, side by side, using some delicate surface tape. These will be your test areas. Review some of Mr. Stoops' photos from the Saturday classes and review the videos of proper techniques. Decide from your test areas how you want to proceed over the rest of the car. Working outdoors, work in the shade, but move the car into the sun to inspect your work. The sun will show you how well your technique is working. You're trying to remove the swirls and in your photo of the hood you can see those little devils.

If you are unable to get every thing done in one session, make sure the car is very clean before using wax. The last thing you want is to grind in some dirt on the paint you have spent so much time preparing. Save all your interior work for your second session. Concentrate on completing the paint correction and waxing.

Be sure to post some photos of your completed project and good luck and enjoy.

[C8N]

Re: General question for first try !

Thanks for help ... looking at my car picture HERE you guys think I should use Swirlx + Ultimate Polish + Ultimate wax liquid or UC + Ultimate Polish + Ultimate Wax ?

Do a test spot starting with UP and let your paint tell you what is needed.
If UP is ineffective, you can move up to SwirlX and then UC. Always start with the least aggressive method first when you do not know how the paint with react.
If the test spot tells you UP is effective, then all you need to do after is wax with UW.

[ffboy]

Re: General question for first try !

If I can just add any information (or confusion), for quick details, you can also try white wax (a cleaner wax with SMAT), worked properly it may be potent enough to remove the light swirls or ColorX followed by Ultimate Wax, maintain with UQD and UQW. Similar to white wax, you can also use Black Wax, followed by Ultimate Wax.

[marric01]

Re: General question for first try !

If I can just add any information (or confusion), for quick details, you can also try white wax (a cleaner wax with SMAT), worked properly it may be potent enough to remove the light swirls or ColorX followed by Ultimate Wax, maintain with UQD and UQW. Similar to white wax, you can also use Black Wax, followed by Ultimate Wax.

;-) Thanks, but I think i'm gonna try first with Clay cleaning + UP + UW and gonna post picture's of results ;-). If results is not satisfying ... i'll move to something more aggressive ;-)

Anyone know if there's instruction in french (my main language) on the RPM needed, combination product/pad (I'm using the DA Power system), force to use with UP and UW.
If there's no instruction in french, english should be good too ;-)

Thanks again