New member/new car

[Red350]

I'm newb here so please bear with my stupidity about detailing cars.
I just got a 2007 Lexus IS350 in Matador Red Mica.
I've been reading a lot of practices on this great forum and would like some
advise on a shorter but effective treatment for my new ride.
I was thinking:
1) wash
2) clay
3) wash
4) Klasse AOI
5) LONG LASTING sealant/wax????? Meg NXT????
6) a topper for max shine/wet look/reflect

Any and all input is VERY welcome.
I am scrambling to beat winter. It really hasn't begun here in Oklahoma.
TIA

Wayne

[XterraOverload]

First tell (HOW) new is your car.........you may not need to clay.
What kind of condition is the paint perfect ,neer perfect, light spiders, heavy spiders??
But it looks like you have done your home work.
What you wrote looks pretty good!
Sealant go for some DP shield sealant or some Po boys
wax you have nattys, max wax or the big S.
I think you pretty much got it down though.

[Surfer]

Process is pretty normal, but if your looking for a good sealant/wax combo for winter, I would say Duragloss and some Collinite 845 or 915 (great looking combo as well).

[Red350]

First tell (HOW) new is your car.........you may not need to clay.
What kind of condition is the paint perfect ,neer perfect, light spiders, heavy spiders??
But it looks like you have done your home work.
What you wrote looks pretty good!
Sealant go for some DP shield sealant or some Po boys
wax you have nattys, max wax or the big S.
I think you pretty much got it down though.

The car is only 2 months and kept spotless.
It would be nice if I could skip the claying.

[Red350]

I guess a pic is in order

[ryandamartini]

I will now post up my growingly famous Ryandamartinis how to take care of your car mini guide v1.0


Hi abrcrombe, Thank you! Can you explain what random orbits are to me? I am soy, but I am clueless about what that means. If I got one from Lowe's, would it be the same quality? Oh, and xmt is made by .... (Sorry, this is tremendously overwhelming!!)
OT - Temecula is a good district with good kids. I have been here 9 years now. Our test scores are good and I can't complain, but nowhere is perfect. We have had serious issues getting fair cost of living adjustments, but we just got it fixed with a new superintendent. There are issues at every site. but after my eight years in San Bernardindo, Temecula is heaven. Hope that helps. Ask me all you like - this is a subject I know all about. :-) Lauren
welcome to autogeek.

Random orbits on the Porter Cable refer to the number of simulated hand motions the polisher produces per minute. From 1k to 6k.

And I know you have been recomended some products, and are all very good choices! I concur to definately go with the Porter Cable. It is an amazing investment for your vehicle, and you will know it when you can ask for a nice resale value.

Forgive me, Im just going to reiterate some things maybe but here it goes:

Washing/Drying:
I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGh how important proper washinga nd drying is to maintain a swirl free finish.
For this, you want a proper wash mit and drying towel. For a washmit, I recommend the Schmitt. It is a soft foam with a scrubber for lower areas. It can be machine washed, and Justin can personally tell you of its excellence!
http://autogeek.net/shmitt.html

And for drying look at the Cobra Guzzler! By far, the best drying towel I have set eyes on. It is 28" x 54" and will dry your beautiful corvette streak free everytime. I suggest grabing one while its on sale!
http://autogeek.net/waffle-weave-drying-towel.html

Claying:
about: http://autogeek.net/clbaandlu.html

My picks:
http://autogeek.net/piulpoclkit.html
http://autogeek.net/wg8000.html



Wax and Sealants:
Now there is a difference here. Waxes are pastes and liquids consisting of either a Carnuba base [natural wax] or a synthetic polymer base [synthetic]. Waxes tend to give the best look of deph and shimmering out of the two, but do not last that long as far as protection is concerned.

This is why alot of people use both! Sealants form a hard layer on your clearcoat to protect your paint. They give a more reflective look to your paint and a very wet look. How do you combine these great elements you ask? Well you use them both. I prefer to lay down a layer of sealant, let it cure for a while and then put a layer of my favorite Carnuba wax on there.

My favorite sealants for a brighter colored car like yours would be the Wolfgang Sealant or Duragloss #105. The WOlfgang would edge out here to me as it gives off a nice glow for a sealant!

My favorite waxes for bright colors as a topper to go on top of the sealant would be Pinnacle Signature Series II or Souveran. Both are excellent, however while Souveran provides deph and wetness, the Signature Series II provides a POP that I havent seen in another wax for brighter hues.

For your car: I would have to go with some Wolfgang deep gloss sealant topped with Pinnacle Signature Series II Wax. This combo will add lasting protection, and GREAT looks to your beautiful red lexus.

Polishing:
As far as polishing goes, the Porter Cable 7424 is a great tool. WHile similar to many orbital polishers, it is more powerful than most around. The PC can do astounding corrective work once trained up on it and it a good investment. I suggest you look at the videos on this page as they might help you asess the damage and what polishes you will need on your beauty. http://autogeek.net/xmt.html

As far as pad choices go, I know the price is a little steep for the whole set, but go for the full set of Edge2k pads. They are doublesided, so basically 2 in one on each pad. This kit gives you some pad care products, the pads, and buffing bonnetts to take off waxes, along with the edge adapter. An EXCELLENT deal! http://autogeek.net/foam-polishing-kit.html

Welcome to car OCD, and we hope you enjoy that Lexus! Dont be shy to PM any one of out members for some help if you need it!


Heres some results on my camry after I learned about XMT3, this was done on a yellow pad.

Immagine this but ALL OVER:
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l75/ryandamartini/IM001155.jpg

A single pass of the XMT polish:
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l75/ryandamartini/IM001158.jpg

Finished:
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l75/ryandamartini/IM001160.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l75/ryandamartini/maxwax/PA220095.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l75/ryandamartini/camry/carpolish013.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l75/ryandamartini/camry/carpolish016.jpg

[Grimm]

I would skip the clay since it's a new car and almost winter. You'll surely want to do it in the spring, so no sense doing it now.

[ryandamartini]

I would skip the clay since it's a new car and almost winter. You'll surely want to do it in the spring, so no sense doing it now.

when the cars are delivered they are hauled and are exposed to ALOT of grime. Its usually recommended you clay atleast the vertical panels.

[Sevenrd]

when the cars are delivered they are hauled and are exposed to ALOT of grime. Its usually recommended you clay atleast the vertical panels.

Agreed. I wouldn't skip the claying. Lots of stuff can imbed itself into the paint in transport from the factory to the dealer.

[abrcrombe]

Welcome to the forums and claying takes what 45 minutes your first time and 30 minutes maximum everytime after? Definitely a worthwhile step in detailing.

[Red350]

WOW!!!!
This is a great group here. All the answers I was hoping for, and quick:applause:
I think my car came here from CA on rail so your point to clay is a good one.
Will do.
I will order all the goodies today and plan for a detail next weekend.
Thanks

Wayne

[sparkie]

Wayne, Welcome to AG. Sweet Ride! Yes I would clay, I don't rewash, I go to polish next. I do all my car like that.
I was thinking wash, clay, polish with XMT, AIO, KSG X 2, a day a part, another day Wax with MaxWax for my truck before winter. But, just started using a new line, Duragloss. I'm a liking it.:D So here is my new thoughts. Wash, clay, Polish with XMT, DG #101,#105,the next day A/W#951, the next day #105 and the next day and last, MaxWax top with A/W.

[ryandamartini]

Wayne, Welcome to AG. Sweet Ride! Yes I would clay, I don't rewash, I go to polish next. I do all my car like that.
I was thinking wash, clay, polish with XMT, AIO, KSG X 2, a day a part, another day Wax with MaxWax for my truck before winter. But, just started using a new line, Duragloss. I'm a liking it.:D So here is my new thoughts. Wash, clay, Polish with XMT, DG #101,#105,the next day A/W#951, the next day #105 and the next day and last, MaxWax top with A/W.

lol... you might get some bonding issues in there somewhere.... lol

101 -> Bonding agent -> 105 -> 105 ->Maxwax.

Let the maxwax have a durable surface to bond to.

[justin_murphy]

First, welcome here! Glad to have you.
I would get a good polish like the XMT's. You can probably just get the #2 or even just the #1 depending on how back it's swirled. I recommend them because they contain no oils to inhibit the bonding of a sealant. As for the sealant, I'd go with Wolfgang's Deep Gloss sealant (remember, 20% off this week!). I used it this week on my truck and man, it's a glossy as anything I've ever used. This with a promise of 4-6 months protection, makes it a deal. I am going to top this morning with a coat of DP's Max Wax for the extreme gloss and protection.

I recommend these products since I've applied them daily on multiple cars.

[ScottB]

I personally would not say NXT and long lasting in the same sentence. Only one member, Justin, has ever gotten any real life out of it. I would highly suggest Wolfgang, Duragloss, or DP Shield Shine in its place.