Hi everyone, I'll be collecting our new car this afternoon from our dealership in Sweden. It's a factory new Superb in brilliant silver and imo looks cools as...

My question is what is the general concensus with regards to care of new paintwork?

Is there a general stance on what to do/not do?

I won't be 'detailing', but I do intend on keeping it clean and tidy.

It is the first time ever we have bought a brand new car so any tips are very weclome!

hey englishswede.

Taking care of a new car neednt be a minefield, all you need to do are the basics well to keep it looking tip top.

Use the "two bucket method" to wash the car. A good description can be found here

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/safe-washing-and-drying.html

The equipment you will need are two buckets and a good wash mitt/pad. I have the small Adams wash pad. Google it, it is very good and long lasting.

So basically you have two buckets, one with clean water in and one with a shampoo solution. After you have washed a panel with your shampoo solution, rinse your wash mitt/pad in the clear water to get rid of the grit lodged in it. Wring it out then back to the shampoo solution to wash the next part of the car.

One you have washed it, a decent layer of protection will serve you extremely well. There are hundreds of these products, but as you're in Sweden, it may be worth looking at a durable, detergent proof wax like Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax. But there are many alternatives!

You can add a pressure washer to your routine to help you remove as much dirt off the vehicle before you wash it which will minimise the amount you will damage the paintwork (everytime you wash a car you scratch it, it is inevitable IMO) but that is entirely up to you.

Before you wax the car it is reccomended to apply an all in one product like Autoglym Super resin polish to prepare the paint, allowing the wax to bond better and it will therefore last longer, but it depends on how mad you want to go.

Hope this helps matey.

Neil

Welcome englishswede 

 

I would recommend from your post above that you should get the new car professionally detailed from a reputable detailing company, seeing that you won't be detailing it but just want to keep on top of it with daily washes.

 

Check online for a good detailing company within your area, it can be costly but worth it & maybe ask the company for a little guide on how to keep on top of washes, see if they can offer you some tips & advise to start off with, ask them if they could kindly put together a maintenance weekly wash package for you ( 2 buckets, grit guard, wash pad, shampoo, polish & wax) as part of the deal detailing your car. This can be a long shot but worth a try, if not see if they have some samples that they could give to you!

 

Around 2009 I had a van that was professionally detailed by a reputable firm & they gave me some great tips, advise & even some detailing products to help me get by on. 

 

Other that that! stay away from detailing  :D as you will have no money to live on  :giggle:  :D  :rofl: & you will always be in the dog house with the other half.

 

Hope you enjoy the new car  B)

Thanks for taking your time to write and the tips guys, I appreciate it. :-)

Been out driving for a couple of hours already this morning and the car is not looking showroom new anymore! The smaller country roads are 'winter roads' with compact snow and ice and clean to drive on. However the main roads are sprayed with a salt and sand mix and this makes for a dirty car very quickly. So less talk and more action is the order of the day!

I am aware of a few local companies that do recon and detailing, so I will be asking around today and gathering some ideas before deciding on anything. The information and 'detail' out there is incredibly vast, so hopefully the people I speak to today can give me the idiot proof guide for beginners version.

The car is a real pleasure to drive BTW!

Have a great day!

Hope this isn't a stupid question but ( most of mine are   :nerd:  )

 

" Due to the location of the OP, Sweden Do wax/sealets etc need to be of a different type due the the very cold conditions in that country or will any wax/sealent do "

 

 

Just a  thought.

Hope this isn't a stupid question but ( most of mine are :nerd: )

" Due to the location of the OP, Sweden Do wax/sealets etc need to be of a different type due the the very cold conditions in that country or will any wax/sealent do "

Just a thought.

No such thing as a stupid question for me Auric.

Due to the location of the OP, I would definitely look at the durable wax/sealant end of the market. And the durable waxes in the UK are tested against salty road conditions, so would be perfect for use in Sweden. So the show waxes would be a bit pointless for the OP as a layer would be gone in a matter of days, whereas the likes of Bilt Hamber are tried and tested on durability in exactly these conditions, so will suit the OP better IMO.

Hope this helps buddy.

On 20/01/2017 at 17:18, Hunty278 said:

hey englishswede.

Taking care of a new car neednt be a minefield, all you need to do are the basics well to keep it looking tip top.

Use the "two bucket method" to wash the car. A good description can be found here

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/safe-washing-and-drying.html

The equipment you will need are two buckets and a good wash mitt/pad. I have the small Adams wash pad. Google it, it is very good and long lasting.

So basically you have two buckets, one with clean water in and one with a shampoo solution. After you have washed a panel with your shampoo solution, rinse your wash mitt/pad in the clear water to get rid of the grit lodged in it. Wring it out then back to the shampoo solution to wash the next part of the car.

One you have washed it, a decent layer of protection will serve you extremely well. There are hundreds of these products, but as you're in Sweden, it may be worth looking at a durable, detergent proof wax like Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax. But there are many alternatives!

You can add a pressure washer to your routine to help you remove as much dirt off the vehicle before you wash it which will minimise the amount you will damage the paintwork (everytime you wash a car you scratch it, it is inevitable IMO) but that is entirely up to you.

Before you wax the car it is reccomended to apply an all in one product like Autoglym Super resin polish to prepare the paint, allowing the wax to bond better and it will therefore last longer, but it depends on how mad you want to go.

Hope this helps matey.

Neil

 

Great comments as always Neil

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 04:33, englishswede said:

Hi everyone, I'll be collecting our new car this afternoon from our dealership in Sweden. It's a factory new Superb in brilliant silver and imo looks cools as...

My question is what is the general concensus with regards to care of new paintwork?

Is there a general stance on what to do/not do?

I won't be 'detailing', but I do intend on keeping it clean and tidy.

It is the first time ever we have bought a brand new car so any tips are very weclome!

 

Hi

 

You have a few options but they depend on weather conditions and how far you want to go or spend in order to keep your car looking good and provide protection - congrats on the new car by the way! You can look at durable waxes, ceramic coatings or even paint protection films.  Given the Swedish climate I was under the impression you may also need to look into underbody sealants - I'm not aware of the product names but I can only think of a traditional UK product for the likes of off road vehicles, namely Waxoil. 

 

These products will, of course, need to be maintained as described by Neil (Hunty278) above but maintenance will be made easier with a good protective layer or two.

 

All the best

 

David