Hi All,

The new car is coming this week and I'm keen to get some protection on it for the autumn/winter weather asap. I've read all the guides and FAQs, but just want to check my understanding.

So I figure the car will arrive in my hands nice and clean. I was going to take the wheels off and get some wheel sealant on the alloys straight away. Then after a few days, once the car is a bit dirty, I was going wash it, then I'm not sure what next. Will it need claying before I polish and wax? Will it even need a polish or just wash and wax?

Anything I can do on the inside?

I'm hoping to get all the kit I need online. I've got some Meguiars stuff already so was thinking of sticking with this brand. Who would be a good online stockist?

Thanks a lot,

Flash.

Get some Bilt Hamber Finis Wax

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bilt-Hamber-Finis-Wax-Enhanced-Carnauba-Paste-Kit-/290476225733?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item43a1bb74c5

Fantastic..Awesome...Durability and Shine is 'Champions League'

Edited 3 October, 201015 yr by ChrisRs

Thanks for the wax advice. So will that alone be good enough following the first wash? Or do I need to clay and/or polish?

I''d clay using the megs kit, get some rain x or similar for the glass and some megs tyre gel as well. I am using Optiseal on the alloys and can also be used on paintwork over a good glaze like Poorboys black hole. I would also get PB NLG for the plastics inside and out. Duragloss 901 for shampoo and Last Touch for wipe down.

There are lots of these threads now, and I have to say that most of the responses seem to involve spending £50-£100 on products and inviting people to work very, very, hard on their brand new cars using techniques they've only seen pictures of on the internet.

If I'd just dropped £15-£25K of my own money (and the original post doesn't say what the car is or what colour is is or whether it's a solid, metallic or pearlescent finish) I'd be looking for some professional help if I wanted to do more than wash the car.

So, my recommendation would be go onto Detailing World and ask for a personal recommendation of a detailer in your area to give the car at least a once-over with a paint depth gauge BEFORE it leaves the dealership. That way you will know if it's been machine polished, touched in or even spray-painted before you take delivery. Spending £50-£250 at this stage could make a huge difference to how the car looks for the next 3-5 years.

If you don't want to do that, then find out from the dealer exactly what products they have used in the preparation that is part of the PDI process you have paid for. For example - have they used a sealant or a wax as the last stage product on your car? This is important as if you put a sealant on top of a wax it can all go a bit - unpleasant.

In terms of what to do with it - if it has been prepared properly then all you want to do is wash it for the first couple of months using a good method (2 or 3 bucket method). Once you notice that the rain isn't beading anymore or it's starting to get dirty faster then top up whatever protection the original dealer used with a similar product, or, if you want to buy some specific products then get a bottle of AutoGlym Super Resin Polish (SRP) and a bottle of AutoGlym Extra Gloss Protection (EGP). These are cheap products that work and they won't have you slaving over your car for hours either. The SRP is a filler for almost any car colour (Black Hole is best on blacks and dark blues) and it works very well at brining up the shine. It also has some sealant in it so you could leave it there if you chose to, but the EGP will really give you 4-6 weeks of good protection before you need to top it up and it's so easy to work with, it's almost unbelievable, even in winter when waxes can be a real barsteward to get off before the dew settles.

Then, when it's 6-12 months old, book it in for a detail and have a professional reassess your washing technique. If you've been careful then you won't have put any swirls in the paint and it won't need machine polishing. At this stage you can elect to buy some more exotic products. I'm very wary of claying having seen my next door neighbour marr his paint badly with an aggressive clay bar and an interesting idea of what lubrication is.

Rather than spend a fortune on product, just buy some decent shampoo (again, AutoGlym is good and cheap) a couple of synthetic wash mitts (the synthetic ones go in the washing machine and are far less faff in my experience), 2 or 3 buckets and some waffle weave or microfibre towels for drying it (again, wash these after every use).

Sorry if this sounds basic, but IT'S A NEW CAR! IT SHOULD BE NEAR AS DARN IT PERFECT!

Enjoy it.

So I figure the car will arrive in my hands nice and clean. I was going to take the wheels off and get some wheel sealant on the alloys straight away. Then after a few days, once the car is a bit dirty, I was going wash it, then I'm not sure what next. Will it need claying before I polish and wax? Will it even need a polish or just wash and wax?

Anything I can do on the inside?

Plenty of questions in there and also as stated by wja96 we have had a few of these similar threads of late, all these people getting nice new shiney motor's for the winter...................

wja96's comment's are valid and it all depends on how serious you are about your car looking it's best and having being prepped correctly, if you went down the professional route then you can be sure to be given easy maintainence in the future for washing and protecting, etc. Most professional's can offer a 'Basic Wash and Protect Kit' that will have everything you need in to allow you to wash and protect the car every wash.......... :yes:

If you do however want to do this yourself then it can be done of course and you just need the right products but a DA or Rotary will also help out, don't think for one second the car will be clean on arrival or collection, claying is a must and a mild polish would be recommended by machine to add depth and remove any imperfectons, then dependant on your requirements some sealant of your choice whether it be for looks or durability.

Inside you can purchase plenty of 'guard' type products but this also depends on if you have leather or cloth? By the same token the colour of the car may also determine your final choice of sealant....................

Edited 4 October, 201015 yr by Baker21

There are lots of these threads now, and I have to say that most of the responses seem to involve spending £50-£100 on products and inviting people to work very, very, hard on their brand new cars using techniques they've only seen pictures of on the internet.

If I'd just dropped £15-£25K of my own money (and the original post doesn't say what the car is or what colour is is or whether it's a solid, metallic or pearlescent finish) I'd be looking for some professional help if I wanted to do more than wash the car.

So, my recommendation would be go onto Detailing World and ask for a personal recommendation of a detailer in your area to give the car at least a once-over with a paint depth gauge BEFORE it leaves the dealership. That way you will know if it's been machine polished, touched in or even spray-painted before you take delivery. Spending £50-£250 at this stage could make a huge difference to how the car looks for the next 3-5 years.

If you don't want to do that, then find out from the dealer exactly what products they have used in the preparation that is part of the PDI process you have paid for. For example - have they used a sealant or a wax as the last stage product on your car? This is important as if you put a sealant on top of a wax it can all go a bit - unpleasant.

In terms of what to do with it - if it has been prepared properly then all you want to do is wash it for the first couple of months using a good method (2 or 3 bucket method). Once you notice that the rain isn't beading anymore or it's starting to get dirty faster then top up whatever protection the original dealer used with a similar product, or, if you want to buy some specific products then get a bottle of AutoGlym Super Resin Polish (SRP) and a bottle of AutoGlym Extra Gloss Protection (EGP). These are cheap products that work and they won't have you slaving over your car for hours either. The SRP is a filler for almost any car colour (Black Hole is best on blacks and dark blues) and it works very well at brining up the shine. It also has some sealant in it so you could leave it there if you chose to, but the EGP will really give you 4-6 weeks of good protection before you need to top it up and it's so easy to work with, it's almost unbelievable, even in winter when waxes can be a real barsteward to get off before the dew settles.

Then, when it's 6-12 months old, book it in for a detail and have a professional reassess your washing technique. If you've been careful then you won't have put any swirls in the paint and it won't need machine polishing. At this stage you can elect to buy some more exotic products. I'm very wary of claying having seen my next door neighbour marr his paint badly with an aggressive clay bar and an interesting idea of what lubrication is.

Rather than spend a fortune on product, just buy some decent shampoo (again, AutoGlym is good and cheap) a couple of synthetic wash mitts (the synthetic ones go in the washing machine and are far less faff in my experience), 2 or 3 buckets and some waffle weave or microfibre towels for drying it (again, wash these after every use).

Sorry if this sounds basic, but IT'S A NEW CAR! IT SHOULD BE NEAR AS DARN IT PERFECT!

Enjoy it.

Bloody good sensible advice, that I for one intend to follow when I collect my new Scout tomorrow. I have two questions:

1. I'd doubt that any pre-delivery groom would include alloy wheels, so they would be worth paying a bit of protective attention to, wouldn't they?

2. I'm going to adopt the 2 bucket method for washing this car and have bought a grit guard and lambs-wool wash mitt in anticipation. Your comment about going with a synthetic wash mitt has me wondering about how to look after a dirty lambs-wool wash mitt. I'd assumed I would throw it in the washing machine now and again, but maybe that's just going to stuff it up? Any thoughts?

Thanks a lot guys, some really good info here, more than I expected.

wja96, the amount of useful info in your reply has made up for the lack of info in my original post! Is it worth having your info put in a sticky for future newbies like me? The new car is metallic anthracite grey with cloth trim. I checked with the garage and they won't do anything other than wash the new car.

I'm going to get some poorboys wheel sealant on the alloys asap and see how the car goes with a few washes. I'm thinking that'll give me a good idea of the factory finish and then I can work from there.

Edited 4 October, 201015 yr by Flashfly

Bloody good sensible advice, that I for one intend to follow when I collect my new Scout tomorrow. I have two questions:

1. I'd doubt that any pre-delivery groom would include alloy wheels, so they would be worth paying a bit of protective attention to, wouldn't they?

2. I'm going to adopt the 2 bucket method for washing this car and have bought a grit guard and lambs-wool wash mitt in anticipation. Your comment about going with a synthetic wash mitt has me wondering about how to look after a dirty lambs-wool wash mitt. I'd assumed I would throw it in the washing machine now and again, but maybe that's just going to stuff it up? Any thoughts?

Not wanting to move away from the OP questions but to add to yours above:

1) Well worth applying protection to the Scout's wheels, these are particularly open for corrosion with the diamond cut finish so make sure you seal them up ASAP;

2) Like the synthetic mitt's Lambswool just needs to be put in the washing machine on a low temp with no softner, then allowed to air dry, they do last but will fall apart over time depending on where you source them from........... :S

Bit of a reference thread here on a fellow Briskoda Member's brand new Scout I detailed some time ago:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=2246198

Thanks a lot guys, some really good info here, more than I expected.

wja96, the amount of useful info in your reply has made up for the lack of info in my original post! Is it worth having your info put in a sticky for future newbies like me? The new car is metallic anthracite grey with cloth trim. I checked with the garage and they won't do anything other than wash the new car.

I'm going to get some poorboys wheel sealant on the alloys asap and see how the car goes with a few washes. I'm thinking that'll give me a good idea of the factory finish and then I can work from there.

If they are genuinely doing nothing other than washing it, then I would definitely get a professional to do a "new car detail" on it, especially with winter coming on. Baker21 is in Northampton I think, so he might be able to help you out, but failing that I know of a guy called Rob Leys who works out of Romford as GleamMachine Detailing and his work is superb. He definitely covers London.

http://gleammachine.net/page6.htm - £275 though :(

If they are genuinely doing nothing other than washing it, then I would definitely get a professional to do a "new car detail" on it, especially with winter coming on. Baker21 is in Northampton I think, so he might be able to help you out, but failing that I know of a guy called Rob Leys who works out of Romford as GleamMachine Detailing and his work is superb. He definitely covers London.

http://gleammachine.net/page6.htm - £275 though :(

I am in the 'Northants' area................... :|

Rob's work is well documented and he is very thorough, I would also say he was one of the top guys for the London area..........

2) Like the synthetic mitt's Lambswool just needs to be put in the washing machine on a low temp with no softner, then allowed to air dry, they do last but will fall apart over time depending on where you source them from........... :S

I got one from Halfrauds.. it started to fall apart after 2 washes.. it finally gave up the ghost after another 2 washes.. don't buy from halfrauds.. I took care of it, washing it thoroughly after each wash and leaving it to dry in the air.