SunnyG

i just took delievy of my CG TSX yesterday, and passed on the dealer's "paint protectant." i was a bit skeptical of it. any comments? is there a particular product i should use right now to try and protect the finish? do i need to wait to wax the car, or should i do that now as a sort of protectant. sorry for the newbie questions, i just want to keep the TSX looking new for a long time to come.

TSXsurf

welcome to the board.

I dont know the answers to your questions, but check out these posts until somebody else answers you:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17353

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17945

darth62

SunnyG,

You'll get better protection (and far cheaper protection) from a good Polymer sealant than you would from some nonsense the dealer sends you. Lots of posters here use Zanio or Klasse. Klasse is a lot cheaper, and about as good. If you want to order it, try one of the following sites:

properautocare.com
premiumautocare.com
autogeek.net
autopia-carcare.com

For premiumautocare.com and autogeek, the code "DetailCity" gets you a 10% discount.

If you prefer something you can buy locally, look for Meguiars NXT.

TSXtc

dont worry about a "newbie" question, we all start somewhere. good move by skipping the dealer rip off paint program. no need to wait to wax your car, your factory paint job is well cured before it even leaves the factory. for long term protection (a couple to a few months) try a synthetic like Klasse AIO and top it with Klasse SG. Meguires NXT is also a durable product and can be found at local auto parts stores. the Klasse twins can be found online. alot of people like Zanio but alot of folks dont like the mulit-step process of application, depends on the time you have.

paint prep is the key to any worth while detail job so for best results clay before applying any polish or sealants. not always necessary but it really enhances the finish and leaves the paint as smooth as silk. you can find Clay Magic at any AutoZone, only $10 and simple to use.

defineltly get some protection on the car as soon as you can. if you go with a carnuba then you can give p21s/s100 a try. you can find s100 at any local harley dealer for about $15

good luck and welcome

SunnyG

thanks for the advice guys. i think i'm going to order and try out the 'Klasse Twins.' i am not clear as to whether i am able to use that polish (the klasse AIO) immeadiatly or if i am going to have to wait. if i do have to wait, should i just use a carnuba type wax in the meantime and then apply the Klasse twins in a couple months? also, when i do apply the Klasse Twins, am i supposed to put a layer of wax on top of it, or do the twins act like a wax also?

cmf

Wash the car, do a coat of Klasse AIO, then the SG, then get some of the P21S/ S100 and do a coat of that. You don't need to do that w/ every wash, but you can bring out the shine more by using a coat of the P21S after each wash. At least I do, 2-3 times a month.
No need to wait to start doing this. The sooner you begin to protect your paint, the better.

TSXtc

the sooner you start with the klasse twins the better. take a microfiber applicator pad and dampen it, not soak it, just dampen it. apply a small nickle or dime size drop to the applicator pad and that should do a whole door or a whole quater panel. apply the aio in the direction that the wind would flow over that section if the car were moving. some people like to apply the aio to the entire car before removing but i prefer to apply to a section and then remove right away. it will buff right off and you should see an obvious difference in look and feel of the treated area. dont worry about removing it right away as it bonds with the paint instantly. once your done applying and removing the aio you can go right to the SG application. apply in the same manner as you did with the aio except with the SG you need to let it "set up" for a few minutes before removing it. i usually wait about 20 minutes before removing. also apply the SG very thin, if you can see it going on you could be using too much. if the SG begins streaking when you try to remove it just spray some quick detail spray in the streaking areas and it comes right off.

aio is an acrylic protection and works just fine on its own, however, the SG topped over it will provide you with the "wet look" and add onto the protection benefits. if you wish to top the SG with a carnuba based wax you should wait at least 24 hours before doing so. i usually top the SG the following week after the next washing. the AIO and SG twins will give you a good few months of solid protection and if you wish to top the SG with a carnuba it really "softens and warms" it up very nicely.

good luck and let us all know how it goes.

SunnyG

so this is what i've decided to do next week:

1. wash
2. clay
3. Klasse AIO
4. Klasse SG
5. S100 wax

how much better is the P21 wax? it's basically double the cost, so i'm not sure if i should go for it. if i have something out of order or am missing something, let me know.

cmf

wash
clay
wash (my recommendation to ensure you get all the detail spray, and loose debris/ dirt off)
AIO
SG
S100/ P21S (same thing)

darth62

This, IMO, is the ideal sequence. I might suggest doing two or three coasts of SG (remember, SG needs at least 24 hours to "cure" before you put anything on top of it).

S100 and P21S are supposedly the same product. I've heards that S100 is sold as a motorcycle wax, and P21S is sold as a car wax, but they're basically the same product. I've never tried P21S so I can't say for sure. You can get either fairly cheaply at carcrazy.net. If you spend $25 there, no shipping charges. Otherwise, you could get it at Autogeek.

There are two reasonable alternatives to S100 that you might think about. One is a synthetic polymer, that looks just as good as traditional waxes - Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (www.properautocare.com).

Another is Meguiars #16. That is very similar to S100. I've heard it looks about the same, but is more durable. Again, I never tried it.

SunnyG

it seems like there are a wide array of waxes out there, and for now i think i'm going to give the S100 a try. btw, how are you supposed to tell when the wax wears off and its ready for another application? is it true what they say about the water beading? or should i be rewaxing along a time interval?

TSXtc

if youre gonna use aio and sg your protection will last for a few months. if you wish to "warm up" the look by topping with s100 you will need to re-apply the s100 at least once a month. just wait at least 24 hours before topping your sg with s100. and like darth said, the four star ultimate paint protection (or PUPP) is a great topper for klasse sg. the two combined leave the car looking and feeling slicker than anything i've come across yet. and they really make the finish "pop".

your plan of attack looks good but a quick tip i like to use is to clay while you are washing the car. this saves alot of time from having to re-wash and you also get to use the soap as a lubricant for the clay and this saves you some money from having to buy detail spray. after you wash a section, rinse it and then apply more suds to that area and then clay the area and then re-rinse. it saves a ton of time.

p21s and s100 are the exact same product just marketed towards two different groups of enthusiasts. plus s100 is half the price.

darth62

One thing about Klasse, the durability is amazing. YOu'll still get SOME protection like a year later. So, if you use the AIO-SG-S100 combo - you'll see beading for quite some time.

I usually add another layer of S100 or whatever I'm using as the last stage product when ever I want to give the car a little bit more shine. Products like S100 don't usually last more than 2 or 3 months and, in fact, a lot of the protection is gone after a few weeks. However, with polymers like Klasse, the protection can be quite long lasting.

SunnyG

i was suprised by how easy the AIO was to apply. the SG was a little harder to buff off, but i only waited 30mins. the S100 went on and off like butter. the finish is very slick now, which i like. thanks for the help guys.

cmf

Next time you wash the car, put two coats of the S100, you think it looks good now?

spotcheckwilly

since it is going to be in the 60's tomorrow here in MD, i decided on the spur of the moment to wash and wax my car. i bought the NXT because that is what was available locally. i'll let you know how it looks.