[pspro1]

I hope to pick up my coupe next week and i was wondering what i should do first to protect the paint and keep the shine. Should i pay the dealer for that paint coat protector crap.... or should i do it my self. If so should i clay the car first or do i even need to do that on a new car. I just want to keep me car looking good.

[MrSilver]

I've had my car for two months and haven't even washed it yet.

[Ninjaneer]

Don't waste your money on that dealer crap. Do it yourself, it's not that hard. Once you invest some time into washing and using a sealant (if that's what you want to do instead of waxing) you just need to wash your car to keep it clean and every few months redo the sealant.

Popular sealants are Zaino and Klasse. Personally I got Zaino and it's not that intimidating once you read the instructions and get a grasp of what everything is. You don't even need the full package if you want to just do a basic Zaino application.

Originally Posted by MrSilver

I've had my car for two months and haven't even washed it yet.

Leave it to you to lead by example! Actually you got snowed in so I don't blame you!

[txusa03]

don't get the protective stuff from dealer.

[pander5]

I'll be the third (of what hopefully is many) response to say don't get the dealer applied rip off product. Do it yourself and save your hard earned money.

Not knowing your equipment inventory, polish and comfort or proficiency level but the basics are:

Wash
Clay
wash again
polish, and finally
seal or wax.

Depending on what your final product is you've got anywhere from say one month (carnauba wax) to about 4-6 months (sealant) of glistening protection with frequent washings!

Good luck and let us know.

[Ph3n0m73]

Funny story-

Was a dumb teenager, bought new Mustang GT, bought the "Dealer applied 'special' sealant and undercoating for <ahem> $300. Salesman says, "5 year guarantee against bugs, acid rain, etc."

Fast forward two years. Moved to another state. Cleaning the car one day, realized the bug guts etched the paint on the bumper.

Called the dealer back at this time (2 years later, mind you) complained about the bugs and the 5 year guarantee. The manager says to me (a 23 year old at the time) "fax me an estimate on repainting."

I faxed the estimate and received a check in the mail a week later to get the bumper repainted.

Looking back, I'm amazed that I got anything.

At any rate, don't buy the dealer's crap. I have a feeling that you won't be as lucky as I was with the reimbursement when it doesn't hold up.

Springer

[pspro1]

On my last car, i paid 300 and had my car detailed every 6 months so not big on
supplies, but am will to buy. SO what should i buy and were can i get it. I get my car next week and im ready to get it started. Were does everyone go for a good deal? And do i have to clay new car? or should i wash polish and seal???

[Ninjaneer]

Originally Posted by pspro1

On my last car, i paid 300 and had my car detailed every 6 months so not big on
supplies, but am will to buy. SO what should i buy and were can i get it. I get my car next week and im ready to get it started. Were does everyone go for a good deal? And do i have to clay new car? or should i wash polish and seal???

Some clay right away, others wait and both still look good but it's your call. I clayed, and only got my car a month ago. It picked up a decent amount of contaminants, nothing outrageous but once I got started I was somewhat relieved. There were some spots on the car that I thought were etched in or from bugs and the clay was easily able to remove them.

For general items and if you want to use Klasse as your sealant then you can pick them up from a typical auto shop like Pepboys, Advanced Auto Parts etc.

You can get microfiber (MF) towels for cleaning/buffing/drying (or a waffle weave towel for drying, they absorb a lot). Try to find ones without a tag attached. You can get these from the same shops, even Walmart / Costco, but for quality microfiber towels (no tags too) I recommend PakShak: http://www.pakshak.com

If you want to go with Zaino (instead of Klasse) for your sealant you have to buy it directly from their site: http://www.zainostore.com/

I got the Zaino Ultimate Kit and it pretty much has everything you'd need... clay bar, car wash, tire shine, 2 diff. sealants (1 that deals more with swirl marks, and a regular one), leather cleaner + conditioner, detail spray, 2 applicator pads... no glass cleaner, but they sell one you can add to your order or get something from a regular store

Zaino isn't confusing once you figure out which items are which.

Other than that, check the sticky Detailing thread in this forum for more info.

Good source of info: http://www.autopia.org/ (they also sell detailing items and have their own brand for stuff too)

edit: for the wheels and to make cleaning the brake dust easier I took picus' recommendation of Poorboy's Wheel Sealant. Look for it locally or if you order MF towels from Pakshak they carry it too.