Help with this car

[belbo]

My mom has a 2005 Honda element. It is red with large areas of black plastic. It has never been waxed or anything but looks decent. I have some free time, so I thought I'd wash/wax, clean it up some for her. I don't have polishers and all that. So wha t should someone like me use and do to the exterior to make it look excellent without getting too involved in tools and all? Just a good wash and wax? What should I use on those big plastic black panels?

[Y2KSVT]

Hi Belbo,

You've asked a great question, and you'll get a whole range of responses. Some may suggest getting a polisher, but for what I'm assuming is a daily driver, driven by someone who isn't looking for a show car finish, save yourself some money and don't worry about the polisher. For great results, give the car a good solid wash with a quality soap. Look up the 2 bucket method if you aren't familiar with it already. This is a good practice for all car washing, so the two buckets and grit guards won't be one-time use items. After washing, clay bar all of the paint and glass. You can find clay bar kits at your local Wal-Mart, or buy something from Autogeek. This will create a very smooth surface, and prepare the paint for your wax. You can use a cleaner wax which will remove some shallow defects in the paint, but if maximum protection is what you're looking for, go with a paint sealant or Collinite 845. Collinite is one of the best bargains out there!

As for the black trim, there are many trim restorers and dressings out there. Is the trim faded or is it still nice and black? If it's faded, you'll need something to bring it back to life. Once we know the condition of the black trim, people here will be able to give you the solutions you're looking for.

[belbo]

Hi Belbo,

You've asked a great question, and you'll get a whole range of responses. Some may suggest getting a polisher, but for what I'm assuming is a daily driver, driven by someone who isn't looking for a show car finish, save yourself some money and don't worry about the polisher. For great results, give the car a good solid wash with a quality soap. Look up the 2 bucket method if you aren't familiar with it already. This is a good practice for all car washing, so the two buckets and grit guards won't be one-time use items. After washing, clay bar all of the paint and glass. You can find clay bar kits at your local Wal-Mart, or buy something from Autogeek. This will create a very smooth surface, and prepare the paint for your wax. You can use a cleaner wax which will remove some shallow defects in the paint, but if maximum protection is what you're looking for, go with a paint sealant or Collinite 845. Collinite is one of the best bargains out there!

As for the black trim, there are many trim restorers and dressings out there. Is the trim faded or is it still nice and black? If it's faded, you'll need something to bring it back to life. Once we know the condition of the black trim, people here will be able to give you the solutions you're looking for.

Thanks, it's a daily driver with some scratches and small dents, etc so I am not worried about a show car paint job but its never had a good wash/wax. The black panels are in good condition, not bad at all but they are 6 years old.

[Andr3wilson]

To really restore a glossy finish to any paint, a wash - clay - wax will do the trick.

Do you know how to clay?

Also for the trim, use a water based dressing, not a silicone based. Silicone will sling and stain the trim. So basically dont use armor-all. 303 Aerospace is a great product.

For a sealant or wax, the Collinite choice is good, I use a lot of chemical guys products. The butterwax and jetseal 109 are very strong choices as well.

[Y2KSVT]

I haven't used a lot of different trim restorers or dressings. I bought Ultima Tire and Trim Guard Plus (UTTG+) based on past reviews. Since then, people are talking a lot about CarPro DLux (I think is the name) and how well it darkens trim and lasts quite a while. You'll spend more for something that lasts, and won't run down the side of your car with the first rain. I originally thought my bottle of UTTG+ was expensive, but it literally takes drops of the product to protect all the trim on our Ford Edge, which has black trim on the lower portions of both bumpers, the side skirts, mirror bases, wiper cowl and roof rack. One bottle will last a very long time.

[Evan.J]

Any good car wash will do like Megs gold glass or even the Ultimate wash and wax (if local is your only option). Then you will want to clay the paint to remove all your above surface contaminants. Having a surface that is textured is going to reduce the amour of gloss the paint will have. So. by claying you remove the texture leaving nothing but a smooth surface.

Next if your just going to wax and skip any correction then you can go any wax or sealant you feel comfortable with.

Not sure what your options are of where and what kind of products you can get. If you can let us know we can help you make the right choices.

[rider9195]

As others mentioned, a thorough wash, clay, and wax will revive the paint some.

I highly recommend Duragloss 901 for a shampoo as it works fantastic and is priced reasonably. As for clay, you can pick up a Meguiar's kit at Auto Zone which works well. Since the car is a daily driver, I recommend getting a paint sealant as this will be more durable than a wax. Blackfire Wet Diamond is a great choice as is extremely easy to use. Now for the trim you can either get a dressing or coating. The dressing won't last that long but is priced well. A coating will give it a nice black look not too glossy but will protect for very long. These will run for more money but in my opinion are worth it in the long run.

[belbo]

Thanks for the response guys. I do not know how to clay a vehicle, never done it. I will look around here for a tutorial, or if you know of one. I don't know what to use for lubricant. All I have around me is wal mart, auto zone, advance auto, oreillys but i can order some stuff if i need to. After reading some,I think a sealant would be best.

[cartman57]

Check this out http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-car-garage-how-videos/54809-video-speedy-prep-towel-use.html

[Evan.J]

Thanks for the response guys. I do not know how to clay a vehicle, never done it. I will look around here for a tutorial, or if you know of one. I don't know what to use for lubricant. All I have around me is wal mart, auto zone, advance auto, oreillys but i can order some stuff if i need to. After reading some,I think a sealant would be best.

All those places will have the Megs clay kit which comes with clay lube and a MF towel.
Here is a video on claying
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-videos/24319-show-car-garage-video-how-detailing-clay-works-how-use-detailing-clay-remove-above-surface-bonded-contaminants.html