New vehicle, fresh start

[kasrhp]

Well, I just traded in my 2004 F-150 crewcab Lariat. It was a great truck, and looked great since the beginning. I used the 5 star shine kit on it when I bought it and really liked it. Even after 5 years (not sure if it worked that long) I would get comments about the paint job all of the time. It was a good feeling.

I have always been very detail oriented when washing/detailing my cars over the years. Its been about 10 years of that (26 now), and I still love doing it. I saw this site recently, and I got very interested. I have never researched about a lot of the products. I always figured whatever was at Advance Auto was all they had. Little did I know. Like I said, my last truck I used the 5star shine (seemed to work very well for me), and the last couple of years would use nu-finish about twice a year to polish it up. I used the Armor-All protectant wipes on the interior, Meguiar's Gold Class wash, and basically Meguiar's everything else from leather to wheels.

Now on to the new vehicle. After looking at this site, I am finding out a lot that I didn't know. I just got a new 2010 Honda Pilot Touring (dark cherry pearl exterior, beige interior) about 2 weeks ago. I already put the 5 Star Shine on it, but havent done much of anything else. I just received the DP interior protectant from you guys, Meguiar's Gold Class Wheel gel, and the Pinnacle Bug and Tar remover. So, I am wondering how I should plan out the rest of the time with my car. I know 5 Star claims 5 years, but does anyone think differently? Is there anything else I need to do for the exterior? Interior? Any extra advice for a new vehicle?

Thanks for the help. I wasn't very satisfied with the Armor-All (which I know is crap, but armchair qb), so it made me look outside the box. Thanks again!!

My old truck
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_935oPW_qSeM/SsPodUoq9wI/AAAAAAAAFhs/YxMh0RNNqdw/s720/DSC00910.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_935oPW_qSeM/S6_Uo6ds1DI/AAAAAAAAK6M/205z9aLz56A/s912/009.JPG

[Mike Phillips]

Since this is your first post to our forum...

Welcome to Autogeek Online! :welcome"





Even after 5 years (not sure if it worked that long) I would get comments about the paint job all of the time.




Was your truck parked outside all the time or inside?

In the picture it looks very nice for it's age and it looks like it's been garage kept?


5 Star Shine started out as a marketing experiment by a guy named Glen Canady, he has since left the business and the current owners claim it is now a legit paint sealant business but it did start out as a product to show that the technique on using "Reciprocal Links" to gain higher search engine rankings worked as outlined in Glen Canady's book

Gorilla Marketing (http://web.archive.org/web/20011121134003/http://www.gorillawebsitemarketing.com/)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/GlenCanady.jpg

Note: The above is an archived version on the Wayback Machine (http://www.archive.org/). On the above link you will be able to click to archived pages of 5 Star Shine and just a quick reading shows it was all about marketing, not the product "at that time". I don't know of the current status of the product personally but do know our forum rules don't' actually encourage discussions of products from manufactures we don't support.


I bought a copy of Glen Canady's book and read it front to back as well as purchased and tested the product back in 2002 or 2003. Also, after the book came out, as the Admin for a major discussion forum and the owner of a few other websites I was always sent e-mails by people seeking reciprocal links from my sites to their site to boost their search engine rankings, it was absurd.


I always tell people,

"Find something you like and use it often"

See my Signature Line for the link to the entire story behind that statement and where I obtained it.


Clear coat paints are harder that traditional single stage paints but they still will scratch very easily and it doesn't matter if you have a car wax or a paint sealant on the paint because the car waxes and paint sealants available to the public leave behind a layer of protecting that is measured in microns, if not sub-microns. Thus anything scratchy rubbed against the paint will scratch past the micron thin layer of wax and scratch the paint.

So even if a product can stay on the paint for 5 years, that doesn't mean the paint will remain swirl free for 5 years, it just depends on how the vehicle is used and just as important, how much of each day the paint is exposed to the WORLD, as in parked outside when it's not in use at your house or in the garage, and/or parked outside all day when your at work or under cover.

How it's washed is also key as a gentle hand wash is less aggressive to the paint then a brush style automatic tunnel wash.


Don't' know if any of the above makes sense or even means anything to you but there it is for your reading pleasure. If you're happy with 5-Star Shine I'm certainly not going to try to argue you into using something else.


:)

[kasrhp]

wow Mike, thanks for the quick reply! The info you gave out does help a lot. Sorry for bringing up a unpartnered product.

I liked it a lot, but I did notice a lot of swirls over time in the clearcoat. Being a newbie, I thought it was normal to have that. it was on average garaged about 7 months of the year(my profession kept me on the road the other 5) and the others always outside.

So for the new vehicle, should I plan on stripping it later in the year? How will I know if it isn't working as good as some Zaino or something? It seems to have worked well for me in the past, but I want to make sure the new Pilot gets better treatment now that I am picking up more info.

Oh, and You wouldn't be arguing me into a new product, just teaching;)

[Adam]

wow Mike, thanks for the quick reply! The info you gave out does help a lot. Sorry for bringing up a unpartnered product.

I liked it a lot, but I did notice a lot of swirls over time in the clearcoat. Being a newbie, I thought it was normal to have that. it was on average garaged about 7 months of the year(my profession kept me on the road the other 5) and the others always outside.

So for the new vehicle, should I plan on stripping it later in the year? How will I know if it isn't working as good as some Zaino or something? It seems to have worked well for me in the past, but I want to make sure the new Pilot gets better treatment now that I am picking up more info.

Oh, and You wouldn't be arguing me into a new product, just teaching;)

Hi kasrhp. Typically the level of beading will be a good indication as to the state of your wax/sealant. I tend to strip the sealant every 6 months and apply a new layer of carnauba monthly. Also is there a reason you want to wait to do the new vehicle? I am not familiar with your geographical location as I am in another country. If it is merely because there is the belief that because the vehicle is new then there won't be any imperfections I would tend to disagree. The problem with dealer detailed cars is that they tend to apply sealants/ waxes without removing imperfections from the paint.

So if I were you I'd be getting stuck into the car car ASAP!

[O.C.Detailing]

I believe the old belief that you shouldn't wax a new vehicle stems from the fact that in the past, paint wasn't baked at the factory and wasn't cured properly, so most people who bought new cars were instructed not to wax them for 3-6 months so the paint could cure. You could polish, just not wax or seal the paint, and that's still true on modern paints that were recently sprayed as well, but not on new cars from the factory. My understanding is that all new cars have paint that is baked onto the surface, therefore curing it quickly.

I could be wrong though. lol

If your paint isn't beading water at all when you spray it down or when it rains, your wax/protection layer is either very dirty or non-existant and needs to be cleaned/reapplied.

Use the right materials to gently clean your paint to prevent swirls and scratches, polish the paint to remove any swirls or scratches and THEN apply your wax or sealant. Here's something I tell EVERY one of my customers, "You never SCRUB your paint clean, you use very little pressure with a good car wash, thick and gentle micro-fiber or Lambs wool mitt and never touch your paint with a terry-cloth towel."

You've just touched the tip of the iceberg that is detailing my friend...it's an addiction that needs a support group. Good luck with your reading. lol

[kasrhp]

I should have been clearer in my post. I already did put some wax/protectant on. I used the 5 st@# s#$&e. I had it on my old truck, and it was still beading up to the last couple of weeks I had it. Any time it would rain, and I would be outside, it was covered in nice little beads of water.

So the beading is what to watch for?