My car sat on the dealership lot for 5 months before I bought it. Paint did not look too shiny, felt gritty, and was full of baked on shipping glue. Washed it but the paint still felt gritty and rough. So today I decided to clay the car. I was surprised by the large amount of debris embedded in the paint from just sitting on the lot. After claying the paint was shiny and smooth. Very impressed with the overall paint quality on the car, virtually no orange peal.

As for the shipping glue, I removed it with Goo-Gone. Car now looks terrific.

Bob

 

Goo-Gone? I would have thought that to be too harsh for the paint. Guess not. Now comes the waxing part!

 

Must be that harsh salt air. Or maybe some of the fallout from planes coming and going from MIA.

Mine was like glass.
.
.

 

Goo-Gone is pretty mild stuff.

Mike...yes probably from aircraft in the area, plus general city pollution. Just surprised how embedded it was. Paint sure is shiny now. And yes, waxing is next.

Bob

 

My RL is a March 2006 build that was bought at the end of July, and while it looked shiny enough the paint was pretty darn rough. I clayed and waxed, and now it's nice and smooth. I guess sitting in a Los Angeles car lot for 2-3 months doesn't do the paint any favors.

These days, I'm using one of the Turtle Wax spray-and-wipe type waxes for clearcoats, so I end up "waxing" every time I wash -- which you pretty much have to do anyway.

If I'm feeling ambitious and have the time, I wax with a liquid polish for clearcoats, which lasts a little longer.

Rob144