What do I do when I get a brand new car??

[Jimbos1980]

Hi!

New here on the forum so I apologize if this has been posted before, but I am buying a new car this weekend and was wondering if, generally speaking, it is necessary to clean, wax, polish, etc. the car when I have it delivered? Is there a specific process that most people use? I was under the impression that it wasn't necessary, as I heard this quite some time ago, but thought I would ask the experts!

Thank you for any feedback in advance.

[ffboy]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

Usually the first line of attack after a washing is to clay the car (most of the new cars are exposed to harsh elements, contaminants and UV rays).

Now it also depends on the level of spider webbing or swirls. If you're lucky, the car will be defect free so it is possible to just wax the car immediately. If there are light scratches or swirls, you may have to apply cleaner wax or mild paint compounding/cleaning, again, depending on the paint's condition.

[davey g-force]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??



Just because a car is new, doesn't mean its paint will be perfect. In fact, usually far from it!

Maybe people on car detaining forums are too fussy, but there are countless horror stories about how poorly new cars have been "detailed" by dealerships. Just do a search for DISO (hint: it stands for Dealer Installed Swirls Option)

What color is your new car and what level of appearance are you trying to achieve?

As a minimum, you'd want to wash it (correctly using the two bucket method or 2BM), clay and wax. Then you'd maintain with routine washing, quick wax / quick detailer.

If your paint is swirled or hologrammed by the dealer, then you'd need to do more than the above (if it bothers you). Tell us more and we can steer you in the right direction.

[Jimbos1980]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

Hey, thanks ffboy & Davey..... the color is gunmetal (graphite w/silver stripes) so it's a pretty dark car. It has been in a warehouse facility for almost 2 years (2014 model).
I'm sure the paint itself is in pretty good shape but, of course, when or if I let them clean it I'll see swirls, etc.
As far as the appearance that I'm try to achieve is just the very best possible. My understanding is that the color is pretty intense when applied at the factory. Meaning that its a bit deeper than a standard paint I guess. So, I just want to bring out the "wet" look in the paint. What difference will McGuire's Pro line make vs. consumer?

[Eldorado2k]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

What kind of car is it??

My advice other than the normal stuff that usually comes to mind would be to protect the exterior rubber & plastic trim from the start. That includes the windshield cowl area and the wiper guards, especially if they're made of plastic. There's lots of of different products on the market from coatings to spray waxes to dressings to protectants.. Whatever you choose just make sure it doesn't attract dirt, because some/most do.

The exterior plastic used on some cars can begin fading alot sooner than you think, [especially the windshield cowl area] and once it does it's never new again. Of course you can make it "look" new with products, but you'll thank yourself for preventing it in the 1st place.

[davey g-force]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

You can achieve great results with either the Professional or the Consumer line.

The Professional line is marketed more at umm... professionals who detail for a living, so the products come in larger sizes etc.

The consumer line is still very good and is all you need really.

If the car currently has no swirls, if I were you, I'd tell the dealership not to wash or "detail" the car ASAP.

[Jimbos1980]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

It's a 2014 Dodge Viper GTS so it does have some molding in the front fascia and wiper guards, etc. What are the best products to use to protect those areas? Also, and I'll guarantee there are probably a thousand threads on here, but I thought I'd just bring it up, but best way to keep bugs off the front? I've heard a solid coat of wax will do the trick and the then can simply spray them off...

[davey g-force]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

It's a 2014 Dodge Viper GTS

I'd recommend Ultimate Protectant (now called Ultimate Black?) to protect those areas and keep them looking nice.

Yes, a coat of wax or sealant will help remove bugs, but they can still stick sometimes. The key is to remove them GENTLY, and the best way to do that is to let them soak for a while first. A damp towel draped over the area for 20 minutes or so works great to soften them up...

[Eldorado2k]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

I'd recommend Meguiars D4510 Plastic & Vinyl Coating. If it's on a car that is driven daily you'll have to re apply about every couple of weeks. Lasts alot longer on a garage kept vehicle of course. Top of the line results IMO.

[Eldorado2k]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

As far as the bugs, yes a coat of wax is key. But just being able to spray them off with water might be a tad unrealistic no matter what kind of wax you use.. But as long your car is waxed, Meguiars Ultimate Wash & Wax Anywhere with a quality microfiber towel would work great for quik cleanups such as that.

[The Guz]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

I would get the new lotion version of ultimate black and use that. It lasts longer than Meguiars D4510 Plastic & Vinyl Coating. D4510 is good for those areas where you can't get an applicator and trim protectant.

If it were up to me I would consider coating the car with one of the latest paint coatings on the market.

[ffboy]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

You can go the Ultimate Polish then Ultimate Paste Wax or Gold Class Carnauba Plus Paste Wax, ultimate polish has very mild cleaners and lots of polishing oils which will further enhance the depth of the paint.

Or alternatively,you can start with Black Wax, top it off with either ultimate wax or gold class carnauba plus. Ultimate will last longer, while gold class will add more depth thanks to its carnauba content.

[Super Dave]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

I cannot argue with anything that has been said yet. I would like to stress a few things...

1. DO NOT LET ANY DEALERSHIP PERSON DETAIL THE CAR... you will regret it.
2. Claying is so important... do not skip this step
3. Look at some of the videos on YouTube by AMMO NYC... Larry does a great job at explaining and showing how to properly car for your car. He will answer a ton of your questions.

Here is a link to one of his videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGf3_4BtB-w

[Michael Stoops]

Re: What do I do when I get a brand new car??

What needs to be done to the finish totally depends on what the actual surface condition is once you take delivery of the vehicle. We've seen $400,000 European luxury cars sitting on the showroom floor, brand spanking new, loaded with swirl marks. Cars that have sat outside on a dealer lot for a month or two, which is incredibly common, are usually loaded with bonded contaminants and swirls. Some dealers do a great job of prepping cars for deliver, while others have been known to take a badly swirled car and actually make it worse.

This is the part that has us worried:

It has been in a warehouse facility for almost 2 years (2014 model).

It is highly doubtful that the vehicle has been stored under a cover and left totally untouched in all that time. Speaking from personal experience, I once purchased a two year old "brand new car" (yes, I am the original title holder and the ONLY registered owner of the car) and it took me 20 hours of rotary work to get the paint to where I wanted it. And that's on a two seater with a canvas top!!

Without seeing the car it's darn near impossible for anyone to tell you what needs to be done - which products, pads, etc you'll need to get the look you want. If you're comfortable with a DA polisher odds are the car is going to benefit greatly from a serious buff out. You'd be amazed what can be done to the quality of finish in terms of both gloss and clarity, even on OEM factory fresh paint, when properly polished with the right liquids, pads and tool.

So, if you're comfortable and/or experienced with a DA polisher then we'd recommend you ask the dealer to not wash the car before you take delivery, then get it home, wash and dry it, and do a critical evaluation of the surface. That will tell you where to start, what is needed in terms of basic processes, etc. From there the choices are pretty broad, but until you get to that point it's all speculation.