Black, Clean ? I wish

[Brad!]

Well i just got a Brand New black corolla.

I have washed it twice already and both times it rained after leaving it dirtier then before i washed it.

I also have a clear coat on the car, and this leads to my set of questions.

I was told by the salesman that with the clear coat that polishing it would not be a good idea, is this correct?

I really want it to be a deep mirror finish most of the time, so washing it with good products is what i am after.

Chamois, there are all different qualities, can you suggest a good brand \ type?

Finally, if i can polish/wax it, what’s the best way to do it, and with what.

Like i said, deep mirror finish, showroom condition!

Thanks Heaps (I did search, but i wanted a more tailor fitted response)

Brad

[MarkMish]

i wanna see pics brad.........got any of the new rolla?

[Brad!]

will upload more pics soon, thats all for now, too lazy LOL

[MarkMish]

can't wait to see it in person!!! looks sooooooooo clean i can see ur reflection.

i love that new car smell :D am i the only one? hehe

[kcorro]

I have washed it twice already and both times it rained after leaving it dirtier then before i washed it.

rain is dirty plus you pick up grime from the wet road you cannot help that but leave your car undercover when it rains

I was told by the salesman that with the clear coat that polishing it would not be a good idea, is this correct?

polishing it everytime is not ideal since polish cuts the layer of clear coat. if you do it too often and cut away all the clear coat you will have exposed paint. polish can be used when you feel the paint surface is tough to touch maybe every 4 months.

Chamois, there are all different qualities, can you suggest a good brand \ type?

i use meguiars found it to be the best. although it costs the most it is worth it as it will last and is much easier to use.

Finally, if i can polish/wax it, what’s the best way to do it, and with what.

probably by hand because without experience using power tools you may do damage to your panels. be careful with wax not to get onto unpainted plastic trims because it will stain it.

[Brad!]

Thankyou greatly for the indepth response, which leads me to the other question, Does wax have any cutting agents in it?

[Dead]

I usually do a 4 step process dude.

1. Wash

2. Clay (meguires clay kit)

3. Scratch X (removes fine scratches)

4. Meguries NXT wax (hand wax w. applicator pad)

If you check out my car in the members ride section there's a shot of the bonnet that gives you an idea of how well the finish can get when you do this.

To my knowledge the NXT stuff is designed for new cars and doesn't cut the clear coat back that much at all.

PS: Nice shorts dude lol

[vyets]

wtf bright lights! :P

just some advice, you shouldnt wax your car too much!!

I do it once every 4 months.. but thats me upto you man.

I found that it is almost impossible to keep you car clean for a day. If i park it outsiide it will rain or birds will crap on it. if i park it in the garage it will have a layer of dust on it lol.

If you want your car paint to look absolutly stunning you SHOULD get a car detailer pay em about 100bux their work is amazing, and from watching them you can learn how to and what to use. I would NEVER ever experiement on my car paint because if i ***** up i will kill myself.

Edited March 20, 2007 by vyets

[kcorro]

Does wax have any cutting agents in it?

wax is wax therefore no.

meguiars scratch x does since it cuts to eliminate fine scratches.

meguiars nxt i am also using since it is new age stuff.

for wax i swap between using meguiars and not so popular t-cut color fast? i think that is what it is called. i like the idea the wax is the same colour as your car. so if black, you get black wax plus a chip stick for any chips around the car.

i found that the colour wax blends in and hides a lot of small marks around the car.

[CheekySportivo]

Does wax have any cutting agents in it?

wax is wax therefore no.

meguiars scratch x does since it cuts to eliminate fine scratches.

meguiars nxt i am also using since it is new age stuff.

for wax i swap between using meguiars and not so popular t-cut color fast? i think that is what it is called. i like the idea the wax is the same colour as your car. so if black, you get black wax plus a chip stick for any chips around the car.

i found that the colour wax blends in and hides a lot of small marks around the car.

i like the sound of the chip stick....where can u buy that from kcorro?

[kcorro]

the chip stick comes with the t-color bottle. it is like a bonus item. but from anywhere like kmart autobarn

[Lanzz]

I'm also a huge fan of the meguires products... use everything from the chamious, gold class wash, NXT polish and techwax too.

I like to wax mine about every 2 months or somethimes more often!!! I like it to have that glassy finish to it!!!

[SILVABULLIT]

Mine gets waxed every 3 months. and if i find a small scratch etc thenn i'll polish it out and reapply wax in that area. hence my car is 4 years old in December and still looks a lot better than some cars getting around that are only a few months old.

Best way to keep your car looking good is A) buy a light coloured car(black is a nightmare!!) and B) pay a professional car detailer to give your car a thorough detail say twice to 3 times a year.