What about new cars, I was just about to buy Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant

[stewbuntu]

I have been reading the past week and I was just about to buy Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant. But is it good for brand new cars, most stuff I read was for problem cars?

I'm sure the dealer has done whatever they did to clean it up before I bought it 2 weeks ago. It was shipped from somewhere to FL. I was going to feel and see if I need to clay bar anything from rail or road debris, then wash with dish soap to get all cheap wax/stuff off and put on Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant.

My rationale - It seemed like a decent product for the price, easy on plastics, good reviews, easy to apply/wipe off, and is longer lasting than just waxing it. I don't imagine I need to pull out the da polisher for a new car to apply it, but I want to get the best protection up front and minimize future damage. The car did have 205 miles on it but was driven down from a city 161 miles away a couple days before I picked it up, they did not have what I wanted. Also it is a 2013 and has sat in the Gainesville FL sun, rain, etc for 9ish months.

2013 Black Honda Ridgeline Paint

Let me know if you guys think this is the correct direction for me. I did some searches and everything seemed to be for fixing stuff vs new cars.

I'm going to buy bucket guards, 3 buckets, have meguiars soap/detail spray/tire spray, have 2 best quality real sponges from the sponge docks in tarpon springs FL, griots towels-drying/micro

I was thinking about getting Lake county 6 pack of pads 2 super soft 2 red, a blue and a grey if I need to apply with a DA - I figure use the super soft of red for a new car.

Cheers:dblthumb2:

[zmcgovern45]

Welcome to AGO!

Menzerna Power Lock is a great product that provides a durable layer of protection which is vital in prolonging the life of your paint.

Even if the car is new - I would bet it needs a good polishing to bring it back to a true "new car" finish. Since you mentioned it had sat in the sun, rain, etc for 9 months - I imagine there are plenty of water spots that can be taken care of. Also, if it was in the hands of a dealer for that entire time, I wouldn't be surprised if it has seen a lot of abuse through improper washing and drying. I would wash the vehicle with a heavy concentration of shampoo (or even dawn dish soap) to strip the surface of any existing products - like a glaze- and then decontaminate the surface to see the true condition of the paint. Honda paint is notorious for being soft, and jet black is not going to be easy to keep up. After a proper inspection, I would polish as needed and then apply a permanent/semi-permanent coating rather than a sealant. Coatings will provide superior protection and also offer some resistance against light swirls and marring.

Check out this article by Mike Phillips on how to detail your brand new vehicle - it should answer some of your questions: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/54451-how-detail-your-brand-new-car-mike-phillips.html

-Zach

[wdmaccord]

Ditto what Zach said. I would clay it and polish it before you put a sealant on it. I did my new 2013 Accord and had plenty of crud coming off on the clay. You will probably only need SF4000 of SF4500 for the polishing step on a white CCS pad. Apply the PL with blue pad.

I've had good luck with just a sealant on my soft Honda black paint. Mostly because I have a decent wash technique. Only very very fine scratches since I polished and sealed in April and will polish out easily when I do my fall detail. If you are willing to learn proper washing/drying techniques you can get by with a sealant. If you want something that requires a little less work in the maintenance area, then go with a coating.

[stewbuntu]

Welcome to AGO!

Menzerna Power Lock is a great product that provides a durable layer of protection which is vital in prolonging the life of your paint.

Even if the car is new - I would bet it needs a good polishing to bring it back to a true "new car" finish. Since you mentioned it had sat in the sun, rain, etc for 9 months - I imagine there are plenty of water spots that can be taken care of. Also, if it was in the hands of a dealer for that entire time, I wouldn't be surprised if it has seen a lot of abuse through improper washing and drying. I would wash the vehicle with a heavy concentration of shampoo (or even dawn dish soap) to strip the surface of any existing products - like a glaze- and then decontaminate the surface to see the true condition of the paint. Honda paint is notorious for being soft, and jet black is not going to be easy to keep up. After a proper inspection, I would polish as needed and then apply a permanent/semi-permanent coating rather than a sealant. Coatings will provide superior protection and also offer some resistance against light swirls and marring.

Check out this article by Mike Phillips on how to detail your brand new vehicle - it should answer some of your questions: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/54451-how-detail-your-brand-new-car-mike-phillips.html

-Zach


That is what I was looking for. What type of pad do you recommend? Lake county super soft or red? Looks liek tons of pads, let me know of any deals I should know about/ bang per buck

Any suggestions on a coating since I have your ear and need to narrow things down?

[cleanmycorolla]

Just because a car is new, doesnt mean the paint is. Even if you dont think it needs love, it does, trust us all!

[zmcgovern45]

It is always best to be more prepared than underprepared... every paint is different, and may react differently to certain polishes and/or pads therefore it is impossible for me to tell you exactly what you need.

I can tell you that I would recommend getting some orange light cutting pads, white polishing pads, and black finishing pads (AT LEAST 2 of each, 4 would be best for your vehicle... at least for the white and black pads) as well as a finishing polish like Meguiar's M205.

With these pads and polish you can increase/decrease the level of cut by using a more or less aggressive pad instead of changing the product.

IE M205 with an orange pad will have more cutting ability and M205 with a black pad, so you can use the orange pad to remove some heavier defects if needed, and then finish down with the black pad afterwards.

If you find you need even more cutting power, a cutting compound like M105 of Meguiar's Ultimate Compound may be needed.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's a full write-up documenting a show car detail and topping with Powerlock...


2012 Dodge Challenger + Menzerna Color Lock Makeover (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/58125-2012-dodge-challenger-menzerna-color-lock-makeover.html)





Here's the after walk-around-video...

New Menzerna Color Lock Carnauba Wax on a 2012...



Autogeek's Show Car Garage!
Tonight we're going to do an extreme makeover on a black 2012 Dodge Challenger and after we perfect the paint we're going to apply the new Menzerna Color Lock.


Here's the LSP we'll use, the brand new Menzerna Color Lock

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1526/2012_Challenger_Makeover_002.jpg



Lots of pictures in the actual write-up...


:)

[stewbuntu]

Just because a car is new, doesnt mean the paint is. Even if you dont think it needs love, it does, trust us all!

I agree that's why I am here. :xyxthumbs:

Looks like I need to study more about permanent/semi-permanent coatings :)

[custmsprty]

I have been reading the past week and I was just about to buy Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant. But is it good for brand new cars, most stuff I read was for problem cars?

I'm sure the dealer has done whatever they did to clean it up before I bought it 2 weeks ago. It was shipped from somewhere to FL. I was going to feel and see if I need to clay bar anything from rail or road debris, then wash with dish soap to get all cheap wax/stuff off and put on Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant.

My rationale - It seemed like a decent product for the price, easy on plastics, good reviews, easy to apply/wipe off, and is longer lasting than just waxing it. I don't imagine I need to pull out the da polisher for a new car to apply it, but I want to get the best protection up front and minimize future damage. The car did have 205 miles on it but was driven down from a city 161 miles away a couple days before I picked it up, they did not have what I wanted. Also it is a 2013 and has sat in the Gainesville FL sun, rain, etc for 9ish months.

2013 Black Honda Ridgeline Paint

Let me know if you guys think this is the correct direction for me. I did some searches and everything seemed to be for fixing stuff vs new cars.

I'm going to buy bucket guards, 3 buckets, have meguiars soap/detail spray/tire spray, have 2 best quality real sponges from the sponge docks in tarpon springs FL, griots towels-drying/micro

I was thinking about getting Lake county 6 pack of pads 2 super soft 2 red, a blue and a grey if I need to apply with a DA - I figure use the super soft of red for a new car.

Cheers:dblthumb2:

Welcome.

I'm in Tampa too.

Here is my friends Black 2013 Ridgeline I detailed for him.

Chemical Guys Blacklight topped off with CG Pete's 53. Did this in May. It's his dd and as you know it rains virtually every day down here. It has held up really well.

I used Menzerna powerlock on my xterra 3 weeks ago and topped off with their color lock, not impressed at all. I put Klasse AIO and Sealant on my wifes car two months ago and it's way out lasted and still out beading the Menzerna. Love their polishes but not a fan of these two products. In fact if you want them we can work something out!
Personally I'd go with the CG Blacklight, it's a great stand alone product too. The Pete's just adds some depth and additional short term protection.
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/2013rigdeline_zps5fec4aa6.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/2013rigdeline_zps5fec4aa6.jpg.html)

[zmcgovern45]

Check out Opti-Coat 2.0 - it is a favorite for daily driven vehicles.

Regarding the above comments comparing Menzerna PL to CG BL... my personal experiences are the opposite. BL gave me much less durability compared to PL. I do like both products though, and use them regularly on customer's cars.

[BlackHawk]

Pictures of the paint would help out a lot....

[stewbuntu]

double post oops

[stewbuntu]

Its at the dealership getting backup sensors for the wife installed today.




autogeeks:
Can you apply a wax over top a paint coating? That depends on the coating. Optimum claims that a wax or sealant will not adhere to Opti-Coat 2.0, while Detailer’s Pro Series claims that you can apply a carnauba wax or sealant on top of their coating. If your goal is to create mile-deep reflections before going to a car show, a coating that is compatible with a wax or sealant is the best choice for your application.

Best of all, it can be applied by car care enthusiasts of all skill levels. Detailer’s Paint Coating is forgiving in its application, making it the ideal choice for those just getting introduced to the world of paint coatings.




Thinking the bold comments on detailer's pro series above seems like a good direction. I had a orbital until recently and I'm new to detailing well.

thoughts?

[stewbuntu]

I did think the paint looked great when I washed it this weekend and put a layer of meguiars ultimate wax on it I had laying in the garage. I didn't look for how much mirror it had to it though

[custmsprty]

Check out Opti-Coat 2.0 - it is a favorite for daily driven vehicles.

Regarding the above comments comparing Menzerna PL to CG BL... my personal experiences are the opposite. BL gave me much less durability compared to PL. I do like both products though, and use them regularly on customer's cars.


I hear you, but down here in Florida it's a testing ground for durability. We got three inches of rain in a couple hours last week and it rained for 3-4 days straight non stop. Between the constant sun and rain it beats the heck out of sealants and waxes. One summer down here is like years on a paint job, our summers last 6-8 months. It's 5:00 pm and it's 91 out right now. And it's been in the 90's every day since last April.