New Black Car - What to use?

[kring]

I just purchased a 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport, Black Obsidian on Graphite trim and am looking for recomendations on maintainance for a new car's paint. I'm in the Northeast so we'll be going through winter and I'll be washing the car for a few months outside in the cold temperatures (no heated garage).

I've been looking at the Meguiar's line of products, but I've come aross the Souveran (http://www.autogeek.net/pinsouvwax.html) wax from pinnacle and it sounds like it could make a difference on a black car. I've read through the recomendations on Autogeek's site, but I'm not sure if I need everything considering my car is brand new . Three hours of research on this and I'm more confused now on Carnuba vs synthetic, and wax's, polish, cleaners, clays, etc... it's a little overwhelming

I'd like to keep exterior detailing of the paint to approx 1 hour in the cold.

Also if you have recommendations for the warmer weather I'd like to hear those as well, it's only months away :)

Thanks,
Kring

[FloridaNative]

First let me welcome you to the forums and congratulate you on your awesome new car! Souveran paste is the reigning king on a black car, but that said, it will not offer you the durability you are looking for for the winter months. A sealant is much more durable than a carnauba wax and the Klasse twins (AIO and SG) will give you at least 6 months of protection. You can top this combination with Souveran if you want and get durability and good looks.

As for caring for your car, it all starts with good washing and drying techniques. Get quality wash mitts ( I recommend the shmitt from Edge) and good Microfiber towels and a quality car wash soap (DP Xtreme foam or Poorboy's super slick suds). I recommend a guzzler for drying.

I would recommend that you wash, clay and then polish (if you have a PC) and then protect. Follow good washing and drying habits and you will keep your car in excellent condition for years to come. :)

[ScottB]

product choice is just one deciding factor on keeping a car clean and up to your standards. The process or prep is usually the initial determining factor. Careful washing and drying will help keep the finish free of marring and defects.

Wash ---- Clay --- Polish --- Protect

Here are some great choices from AG offerings:
Best Carnaubas --- Pinnacle Souveran, Nattys Blue, Collonite, Maxwax
Best Sealants --- Wolfgang, Duragloss, Klasse Twins, Poorboys EXP

when starting out , see the car kits as best value. Also consider the correct detailing tools (buffer, towels, buckets) prior to getting started. Consider it a valuable addition to your cars resale value.

[ryandamartini]

First start out by claying. Cars being delivered are exposed to alot of stuff. Look at the Pinnacle Poly Clay kit as it comes with clay, lube, and a nice buffing microfiber towel.

Since your looking into Souveran, it is an INCREDIBLE wax on black cars. To keep it up, get a quick detail spray, preferably for Souveran, Pinnacle Crystal Mist. Just spray and wipe this with a nice Cobra Microfiber about every other wash. Souveran is excellent, but is more non snow friendly :D

Depending on how cold and if this car is subject to harsher conditions, I suggest you look at some DP Surfaceshield topped with Collinite Marque D Excellence. Excellent looks,reflections, and protection! :) The DP surface shield is awesome on black. You will see them if/when Xterra overload decides to post in here.



Also take into consideration proper washing technique. I HIGHLY recommend you look at the Schmitt wash mit to wash. [The white one]
For drying, look at the Cobra Guzzler Microfiber towels.
When washing make sure to use two buckets! One for clean water with soap, and the other to squeeze all your leftover water from wiping your car:)

[Grimm]

Welcome!!! Seeing as how you are in the northeast and want to keep your detailing to a minimum in the cold, I would suggest getting two different waxes. That is my plan since I live in Michigan. After polishing the car a month ago, I put on two coats of Collinite 845 Insulator wax. While it is said it doesn't have the look of Souveran, I think it looks good. And it has the added bonus of excellent durability. It has been said it will last several months. I figure I may add another coat in the middle of the winter if needed. Then in the spring I will do another detail to take care of any swirls/scratches, and switch over to Nattys Blue (or Souveran paste as you mention) for the good looks. And though mine isn't an Infiniti, it is black so I can attest to the fact that Collinite does look good.

[sparkie]

:iagree: with all above! Welcome to AG.

[XterraOverload]

Another good sealant DP Shield Shine.

[kring]

Wash ---- Clay --- Polish --- Protect

Here are some great choices from AG offerings:
Best Carnaubas --- Pinnacle Souveran, Nattys Blue, Collonite, Maxwax
Best Sealants --- Wolfgang, Duragloss, Klasse Twins, Poorboys EXP

when starting out , see the car kits as best value. Also consider the correct detailing tools (buffer, towels, buckets) prior to getting started. Consider it a valuable addition to your cars resale value.

Thank you everyone for your feedback, just a couple clarifying questions,

The Wash Step: makes sense, I'm clear on that, and do plan on hand-washing the car weekly and claying as needed. I'll pickup a good shampoo and mit.

The Clay Step: After reading up on this, it's clear this has real benefits, originally I was thinking of doing the clay for the first time when the first 60+ degree day hit's in spring, but I've seen a few mentions of rail dust and such getting to the vehicle before delivery. My question is about the cold weather, does clay work well in freezing weather or does it freeze as well? I'm woried that it might do more damage then good in the cold temperatures.. am I correct in waiting until a 60+ degree day? this will be a big part for me, My cars tend to pickup tiny sap droppings, I realize now why My 04 Jeep Liberty has the dimply feel, that will get clay treatment in spring!

The Polish Step: This is polish only, not wax or sealant? Do I really need this on a new car? will the mild abrasives actually make things worse on a fresh paint job? Or is there a polish that's more mild then the others?

The Protect Step: This is the wax/sealant step right, not an after spray? Are there multiple steps within the "Protect Step"? Sounds like I'm best off using a sealant, atleast until spring comes along for the durability, then use the Souveran for the summer months. I'm a little unclear on the three names I hear tossed around for Sealants and Synthetic protectants, are they essentially all the same? Tech Wax's, Wax's, Sealants, Glazes? or are there differences between these products?

Thanks,
Kring

[Grimm]

Thank you everyone for your feedback, just a couple clarifying questions,

The Wash Step: makes sense, I'm clear on that, and do plan on hand-washing the car weekly and claying as needed. I'll pickup a good shampoo and mit.

The Clay Step: After reading up on this, it's clear this has real benefits, originally I was thinking of doing the clay for the first time when the first 60+ degree day hit's in spring, but I've seen a few mentions of rail dust and such getting to the vehicle before delivery. My question is about the cold weather, does clay work well in freezing weather or does it freeze as well? I'm woried that it might do more damage then good in the cold temperatures.. am I correct in waiting until a 60+ degree day? this will be a big part for me, My cars tend to pickup tiny sap droppings, I realize now why My 04 Jeep Liberty has the dimply feel, that will get clay treatment in spring!

The Polish Step: This is polish only, not wax or sealant? Do I really need this on a new car? will the mild abrasives actually make things worse on a fresh paint job? Or is there a polish that's more mild then the others?

The Protect Step: This is the wax/sealant step right, not an after spray? Are there multiple steps within the "Protect Step"? Sounds like I'm best off using a sealant, atleast until spring comes along for the durability, then use the Souveran for the summer months. I'm a little unclear on the three names I hear tossed around for Sealants and Synthetic protectants, are they essentially all the same? Tech Wax's, Wax's, Sealants, Glazes? or are there differences between these products?

Thanks,
Kring

If the car is brand new (not sitting on a dealer lot for a couple months or more) you don't want to polish it. The paint needs to finish curing for a couple of months. I've heard mention of finding a sealant that allows the paint to cure, but I don't recall what kinds those were. Otherwise you shouldn't have to polish yet. Polishing is for removing scratches and swirls in the paint. You may want to do it in the spring if you happened to get any scratches from ice and snow. Then with regards to the "protect" step, this can be a one step process, or a twenty step process, it's up to you. There are basically three products for this step. There are glazes which have fillers and hide imperfections, but don't offer any real protection. For protection you have to top with wax. Sealants are a synthetic protectant that is usually the most durable. Then there is wax, which gives the best look, but usually lacks protection. The common process is to use a couple coats of a sealant first, then add a couple more coats with wax to give the deep glossy look. The spray you refer to would be the quick detailer spray. This would be something you would do after later washing to bring out the shine.

[kring]

If the car is brand new (not sitting on a dealer lot for a couple months or more) you don't want to polish it.
Thank you Grimm, yes the car is being delivered, had to order it due to option selection, so it won't be on the lot except for the day or two to recieve and prep it, my order will be another 60-90 days of waiting.

Just thought I should toss in one more thought, I hadn't planned on getting the Simonizing with the warranty, since I take good care of my vehicles and I've heard that it's a waste of money... the Dealer offered it to me for $225 to cover both exterior and interior, is it still not worth it?

Thanks,
Kring

[FloridaNative]

Ay, I have never had to clay in cold weather so I cannot comment on that one, but there are plenty of detailers here that live in cold climates that I know could give you a definitive answer.

As to your other questions. I highly recommend that you pick up some Poorboy's Bug Squash if you have a chronic tree sap problem. You can spray it directly on the spot or add it to your wash water and it will get rid of that sap without your having to scrub the paint.

The clay only needs to be done once or twice a year. It is not necessary to do it everytime you wash or wax. I recommend the DP clay kit.

The polish stage is for swirl removal only. If you don't have swirls then you can wash, clay, and move onto the protection phase. the reason you are hearing it is because your car is black and black cars show every swirl. Since you will be getting swirls in the future that is why you are hearing about polishing now because with a black car it is a given. But if you don't have any swirls then polishing isn't necessary at this point.

There are two kinds of protection for your car's paint. Waxes and sealants (synthetic waxes) Although waxes can be blended with synthetic polymers to increase their durability they are at heart a natural product with the best ones containing yellow carnauba. Sealants are completely synthetic and work through chemistry by the polymer strands bonding together to form a shield of protection on the paints surface.

Waxes are natural and give you warmth, depth and gloss

sealants are synthetic and give you high reflectivity and shine.

Sealants are generally the most durable but some waxes like Collinite are very durable as well.

You can have the best of both worlds by using a sealant first for long lasting protection and shine and then topping the sealant with a quality wax for extra looks protection. Souveran is the king for good looks on black, but will not be the most durable. The Klasse twins are the longest lasting sealants and the Collinite is the longest lasting wax. If you were to layer these products your car would be safe and secure all winter long.

This is really all you need. As for the other two that you mentioned Tech wax I believe is a term that just applies to Meguiar's NXT generation. It is not actually a wax but is a synthetic product used to protect your paint's finish.

Glazes can be tricky because it is not a term that has clearly defined parameters. Glazes can be abrasive like like a finishing polish, have cleaners or be laden with oils and fillers and used as a beautification product. It all depends on which glaze you are talking about. But since you are using a sealant, you don't need to worry about glazes at this point. My best advice to you is to get some quality washing mitts and microfiber towels, get a good car wash soap, DP xtreme foam or Poorboy's super slick suds, get a good clay kit and the klasse twins and a collinite wax. That will give you all the protection that you will need for winter. Come spring if you find that you have some swirls you can deal with them at that time and delve into getting a Porter Cable and polish kit

I hope this helps you and answers your questions. :)

[FloridaNative]

Thank you Grimm, yes the car is being delivered, had to order it due to option selection, so it won't be on the lot except for the day or two to recieve and prep it, my order will be another 60-90 days of waiting.

Just thought I should toss in one more thought, I hadn't planned on getting the Simonizing with the warranty, since I take good care of my vehicles and I've heard that it's a waste of money... the Dealer offered it to me for $225 to cover both exterior and interior, is it still not worth it?

Thanks,
Kring

PLEASE do not have the dealership detail the car for you as they will almost certainly give you swirls. You can request for them to deliver it to you unwashed and tell them that you will detail it yourself. Not only will you save yourself the money over what the dealership would charge you, you can have the peace of mind to know that the car is being detailed by a loving hand. Nobody will love your car more than you do or give you the care that it deserves the way you will. Skip the dealership washing and protection and do it yourself. :) That's my 2 cents.

[Grimm]

Not to mention that $225 will give you a very nice start on a slew of detailing products you can use yourself. :D

[XterraOverload]

Sine you'll have a brand new car grab you a good car wash a shmitt 2 buckets.
and a guzzler. This will go a long way in keeping swirls off your car.
I have black also. Now black looks best but it also a HUGE pain take care of.
Make sure you use 2 bucket method.
I m not sure about the curing.
Depending on what the experts say if you have to wait or not.
I d put on a sealant then a good carnuba wax and your good to go. It shouldnt need to be polished to summer time. so
good
wash
shmitt
guzzler
2 buckets
sealant
wax
and a couple of MF's and your good to go.

[kring]

Thank you FloridaNative, XterraOverload & Grimm for all for the information, I think I've got it down now, here's the setup I've picked, any comments, is any of this overkill? total is $270.

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Total Concours Kit (http://www.autogeek.net/wg6500.html)
Wolfgang Tire & Wheel Kit (http://www.autogeek.net/wg8500.html)
Wolfgang Leather Care Cockpit Kit (http://www.autogeek.net/wg7000.html)
The Supreme Guzzler Waffle Weave By Cobra 20 x 40 (http://www.autogeek.net/cobra-waffle-weave.html)
Sheepskin Wash Mitt (http://www.autogeek.net/sheepwas.html)
Meguiars NXT Generation Glass Cleaner (http://www.autogeek.net/mg13324.html)
Cobra Waffle Weave
Microfiber Glass Towel (http://www.autogeek.net/ww1627.html)


Thank you,
Kring