Ok, I hate to barrage the boards like this, but is there anything I should be doing besides taking care not to hit high revs in the first 600 miles?

Should I be applying clear bra? (I've got SSM ext.)
Should I wash/wax myself?
Condition the interior?
Anything?

Just asking because I would like to start off on the right foot with this baby.

Thanks!

 

Well, you seem to know about not abusing the engine... that's very important. You can feel free to start waxing/washing the car. I did the whole claybar wax routine the week after I bought my car. Keeping a good wax base will help keep chips etc. off of your car. I did not go the clear bra route, rather the Acura bra, and I installed only the hood. I do have some little chips, but the Acura bra was only around $150 whereas the clear is a lot more.

Conditioning the interior isn't necessary yet. As the car gets a little older you'll want to clean the interior with a soft moist cloth, then condition it with a leather conditioner. A lot of people use different conditioners. Personally, I went with the 303.

Other then that you seem to be on the right track....Good luck!!

 

Topic about 303....
http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...er+Conditioner

 

don't drive it too lightly and don't abuse it.

you can wax/polish the car. my mom's black lexus had a coat of formula 113 (www.formula113.com) and man, it looks amazing. it's easily the best polish i ever used. for me meguiar's gold class polish was the worst. the wax shop wax was great. i saw zaino on another car and think it's also great. nu finish is good.

 

Thanks for the tips, fellas.

I believe I will try and acquire that Mother's brand of Clay Bar at Wal-Mart. As for wax, I suppose I will try to find that Zaino wax. I seem to remember that Zaino stuff being hard to acquire anywhere but online. (i.e. it isn't at pep boys) I suppose any typical car wash formula would be sufficient (dawn dish soap for the clay bar routine).

Driving to and from work has become a lot more fun as of late.

 

To be honest with you I use the whole Mother's system. Claybar, Polish and Glaze, and Carnuba Wax, and my car looks great when it's done. The only difference I've noticed from Zaino is that when it rains, the Zaino seems to hold up better. That doesn't bother me though b/c I try to wash and wax the car once a week. Plus, like you said, Zaino is only available online or through a distributor whereas I can buy the Mother's stuff at my local autopart store down the road......

 

One comment on the bras...

Personally, I hate the way they look, and they don't do all that much. I've seen people with the bras who found out after taking them off that stones got in under the bra, and that causes more damage than normal driving would.

Lately I've also seen that 3M has a clear plastic product you can apply to defeat stone chips, and I think it can also be easily removed.

 

On the topic of Zaino, what products would you recommend a person buy? I am planning on ordering Zaino products and I was thinking of ordering Z1 Polish Lock, Z2 Car Polish (for clear coats), Z6 Gloss Enhancer Spray, and Z7 Car Wash

Is there anything else that is important? My car is brand new, so I figure I don't really need the clay bar right now, just some Dawn dish detergent

Hope I'm not intruding on your thread! Thanks for the help.

 

there is a reason 3M clear bra is about $500 compared to a dealer leather bra at about $150...it works. You are better off without the leather bra if you don't want to spend for the clear bra. The clear bra looks better imo anyway, but of course that's subjective. Little rocks will find their way under the leather bra and scratch up the nose of the car pretty badly. I'd spend for the clear clear bra up front instead of repainting later on down the road. I'm kicking myself for being cheap when I bought my car.

Xorg, you are right on!

On a side note, I just tried Meguiar's Gold carnuba paste wax tonight. I have never used a real wax...what a pita to buff. I am dripping wet sweating after applying 2 coats. I'm pretty impressed with the results on my silver car. I was using that Zymol (re-labeled turtle wax) cleaner wax before, so my comparison isn't too impressive. I tried some Zaino 2 years ago when I bought my car...that stuff was pretty good too, but I feel like I could never get my car, or any light colored car for that matter to look really wet and to have a shine as deep as a darker car, so why spend the $$$ for the zaino when a wax will give me better protection. Bottom line: There are many great detailing products out there (3M, Mother's, One Grand Blitz, Zaino etc), but I like the Meguiar's for $10 at Autozone. Just my $.02

 

I understand using a claybar on a surface with lots of grit, etc. but on a brand new car???? That is crazy....you should have no need to claybar a new car---just put a good couple coats of wax on it and you should be just fine....

 

That's a big negative there.... a new car is filthy. Trust me.... my claybar was completely dirty after claying it. All of the dirt and grime picked up by the car during transportation (rail and/or truck) is disgusting. You'd be appalled if you saw it. Putting a couple of coats of wax on the car is only embedding those contaminents further into the finish. Unless you're picking your car up hot off of the assembly line, claybarring the car when you get it is not crazy at all.....

 

very true...a dealer never cleans the car like a clay bar will. THere is no point in taking the time to wax if you aren't going to clay bar and get all the crap off your paint first.

 

When I picked up my car I went home and washed with dish soap and followed up with 3 coats of wax and it was smooth as anything and looked perfect........I guess I'm just not a big claybar fan

 

the question is was it that smooth before you waxed it? Three coats of wax will look nice and feel nice, but as mentioned earlier, there is plenty of crap on your paint even when you take it off the lot. It's not stuff you are going to see, but more that you are going to feel. Waxing over it will just push it into your paint. It's always a good idea to clay bar adn get the paint as clean as you can get it before you wax. It really doesn't take too long, isn't a very expensive product and is very much worth it.

 

I don't agree. I have a two piece mask form Colgan Custom. Top quality construction and fits like a glove. No flapping (100+ mph). No chance for a stone or pebble to get underneath. I have a scratch mark on it from nearby construction that with out a doubt saved me from repainting my hood. This would have been a permanant mark on any clear bra. There is a thread somewhere where the owner pointed out some downsides to the clear bra. True the car looks better without the mask but I can remove it anytime.

Some masks are better than others. Check out Colgan before ripping on leather or vinyl.

 

I was just like you when I had my Accord. When I bought my TL-S I decided to try out the claybar. WOW! I thought my car was clean *before* I clayed it! It was silky, silky smooth after the claybar. THERE IS NO COMPARISON! You literally have to try it before you can realistically comment on the subject.

I know people are naturally skeptical on web advice... but I'm telling you to try it and let us know what you think. If you're like me (and you sound like I did) you'll end up wishing you had clayed your car a looong time ago!

Later,

V.

 

Which claybar do you guys recommend? I guess it's worth a try...but my finish is already flawless

 

Actually,
many new cars are transported via the rail system then tranferred to a trucking company. Have you ever heard of rail dust? It's the tiny particles that come from the friction of the wheel/rail combo that stick to everything close by including the new cars. This stuff is basically rust and has a tendency to mess with the paint finish big time.

I say clay bar as soon as you get the new baby home!

Iggy

 

hi guys,

For waxing and polishing, do u guys recommend using an electrical buffer OR just a regular terry cloth.

I was always told that brand new car's surface is fine for first few months jus by simply washing it ... and by waxing ..we re only "messing" up the finish of the car. I could be wrong guys, so please correct me!!!!!!

Also wut kind of claybar do u guys recommend?

 

Any clay bar is fine. I use Griot's, but they are all good. As for waxing, I do it by hand. An orbital works well too and is faster. I don't think there is a quality difference, jsut time. The guy I know who uses one has the most amazing looking car. I think it has more to do with him taking exceptional care of it than the fact that he uses an orbital over hand waxing it. Some people I knwo actually apply wax with their fingers. I guess the heat from your hands melts the wax. I guess had application is a good way to do it.