Polish GT86, after sale finishing

[Russell Bailey]

Hi all,

this is my first post - I'm buying a red GT86 manual.

Should arrive in a couple of weeks.

The toyota dealership offered an after sale paint/interior finishing designed to protect the surfaces etc. After some research I've decided that it would be more feasible to wax the car myself etc.

I'm not overly experienced and wanted to discuss the topic here to make sure I don't do anything stupid and damage the car.

I've searched youtube for vids about car wax/polish etc.

I will probably take a sealant over a wax since it's supposed to last longer and I might be a bit lazy to keep it properly maintained. 1 search turned up armour all shield as a good option.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/63766/armor-all-shield

I don't want to shell out for a power-tool polisher. I'm happy to wash/polish/buff by hand.

Based on what I've learned - this is my plan so far:

ASAP polish the car:

- 1 avoid direct sunlight

- 2 wash it (water and... what kind of soap?)

- 3 let it dry

- 4 polish it with a sealant - according to the sealants instructions

Then obviously re-do the process every so often to keep it in good nick.

My main question is about the soap to wash it and if there's any glaring issues to consider regarding the process that might cause any damage etc.

I have not done any research on interior surface protection yet.

I really appreciate any help that can be offered.

Cheers,

Russ

[Russell Bailey]

<edit> It looks like detailing world is one of the best resources for this topic.

If you are interested in this topic I recommend going here immediately:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4637&highlight=washing+technique

A car auto salesman told me today: Apparently a lot of car polishes are not clear-coat safe.

I assume the toyota 86 comes with a clear coat which means many of the available products can actually damage the clear coat surface that the 86 comes with.

Some polishes have "clear coat safe" on the bottle.

Russ

Edited May 10, 2014 by Russell Bailey

[mbruce]

Hi, Welcome.

The points you listed about are on the right track, best to use a pH neutral car wash, available form your local auto shop or online, using a lambswool or microfiber mitt, using the two bucket method, one with soap, one with plain water, always rinse the mitt in the water one, then back into the soap.

Drying is best done with a waffle weave microfiber towel, again to avoid swirls, don't use a chamois, as this will drag any grit missed in washing across the paint starching it.

Also its a good idea not to apply too much pressure when washing and drying, as this can potentially add more swirls, and believe you me the paint on the 86 is like butter its so soft.

Adding a sealant is not polishing as such, its only sealing the paint, the proper process is to clay - polish - seal/wax, but given your starting new, the clay baring is not absolutely necessary, but some would still recommend it, personally i wouldn't worry if its brand new.

Depending how pedantic you are about your car, will depend if you want to polish any light swirls that may be in the paint out, again being new there should only be a light amount, but sometimes dealers will have put swirls in the paint when washing it before you pick it up. As for being clear coat safe, only cheap **** like kitten or something like that is not clear cost safe, so stick with the good quality stuff and you will be right

Sealing & waxing is pretty strait forward, but choosing the right product is not so simple, as there is plenty to choose from. Personally I have used Meguiars nxt gen tech wax, and it seems to last a long time, but have had good experiences with autoglym super resin polish (A light polish and sealer in one)

Car detailing is one of those things that has no end, there is many levels depending on how you want to look after your car and how much you want to spend, and can become an obsession, especially with an 86 :P

Some good sites are to buy products off, both very good to deal with

http://www.carcareproducts.com.au/

https://www.zas.com.au/

With a little effort you can have your red 86 looking mint, and keeping it that way.

Hope that is of some help, Cheers Mitchell.

[R3Y3S]

so it is not advisable to just bring the car to a car wash?, when I took out my gt86(red) 2 wks ago, i did notice a few white marks/lines/swirls which i think is when toyota cleaned the car before delivery.do i need to get the car detailed first? any comments/help will be much appreciated thanks

Edited May 25, 2014 by R3Y3S

[mbruce]

For best results I wouldn't advise car washes, and absolutely never an automated spinning/ brush one, only touch-less at worse. As said above the best results are achieved by hand washing,
although its a good idea to use a high pressure washer before washing by hand to get rid of any grit etc that may be on the paint surface.

You don't necessarily have to have the car detailed by someone else, as with a few products and a bit of TLC you can have your 86 looking great, but if your the type of person that would rather not tackle that kind of thing, then yes take it to a detailer and have paint correction done, followed by some sort of paint protection, like opticoat, which has a lot of people singing its praises. Once you get it how you want it, its important to treat it right, otherwise you will get the scratches and swirls back, so basically using correct washing / drying methods is so very important.

Mitchell

[61Corona]

Hi Russell

How is the GT86 going?

Did you go for the paint protection offered by the dealership or just the home wax elbow grease method you were considering?

Just curious, as my wife's car we did get the paint protection offered by the dealer and I must say, not that impressed by the supposed paint protection.

The car must live on the street and cops some treefall from time to time and it is supposed to be easier to clean this off, which it hasn't been.

I chose not go with this expensive option when I purchased my car in 2013 and so far the paintwork is no different to my wife car for ease of removing gum droppings from tree's than hers.

Just to add what mbruce suggested, there are some other retailers who stock high quality car care products online as well as those mentioned:

http://www.detailcentral.com.au

http://www.waxit.com.au

I realise you are Queensland, but if anyone is interested in an after market nano paint protection service in the Melbourne area they could checkout either of these two companies, who I believe offer a better solution to the paint protection buyer:

http://www.superiorshine.com.au

http://www.fineshinedetailing.com.au

N.B. Nice choice of car btw, does it go as good as it looks?

Tom

Edited April 13, 2016 by 61Corona
after thoughts

[trentmeyer23]

This member has not signed into the forums for nearly 2 years.

[Cpt Risky]

Hi,

I took delivery of my Liquid White 86 GTS yesterday.

After checking the 86 forums I took the decision not to take the Toyota paint protection and take care of the paint protection myself. My neighbor who is a car enthusiast recommended me to use  Meguiars NXT tech wax 2.0. So today I washed the car, water only and applied the Meguiars NXT wax. The result was/is awesome. 

I plan to reapply this product every 6 months to ensure the paint remains if showroom condition.

Cheers

[mbruce]

Hey mate, congrats on the purchase! Its a better idea to look after the car yourself, than pay someone else to stuff it up for you. But Meguiars NXT tech wax 2.0 is not what i would be using for lasting protection. Its very high in silicone, which is why it looks so good, but unfortunately it will be short lived, I know, i used to be a fan but its over priced crap really. I would say about 2 moths it will be all gone, especially if the car lives out side. I would recommend a good quality carnauba wax for a few moths protection, and proper lasting gloss. Re-apply about every 3 months. 

[fupo1]

I'm of the view that tech wax is for easy apply and good results. Carnauba generally is more pro and requires more effort but it gives off well that professional result.

i park in a garage so there is not the constant elements. Anyhow I always thought by the time the paint was aged I would consider a respray. I know some people are pedantic but then there are people who don't have the time or want to spend the effort.