I just ordered a new 2007 TL Type-S, and will be picking it up tomorrow from the dealer. I definitely want to start my car care the right way, and plan on immediately washing and claying the car to remove the who-knows-what that's been baking on it in the lot. I'd like to follow that up with a FF Polish, but here's the rub: The car is outdoors and is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future, as my garage is currently filled with clutter from my recent move. The temps during summer get pretty hot outdoors, and while it's not especially windy or dusty where I live, it does get it's share of full sun. (Though I'll catch a couple overcast days now and then.)

How then, my dear friends, do I properly polish the car in this situation? I don't want the car to bake with polish on it while I wait for a 24-hour cure, but I also can't imagine doing nothing to protect the paint. I may be able to apply the polish at sundown when it gets a little cooler (around 72 at night) and take it off at sunrise, but would it be dangerous to leave it unprotected overnight, collecting dust or bugs or whatever else to be shmeared around later?

My current thinking is to put a 3 hour polish on at sundown, take it off, and repeat the next day for a couple days until I get some layers down. Sure, it's laborious (not to mention having to wash the car again each time I polish) but I honestly can't think of any other solution. Unless of course, someone has had experience in this area and knows that outdoor curing in overcast or sunny conditions is ok; I just don't want to test it on my brand new baby without knowing what will happen.

Thanks very much for any insight that may be offered. I have learned quite a lot over the last few weeks just skimming this forum, but I think it's finally time to get my feet wet and start participating. There certainly seems to be no lack of knowledge to go around.

Cheers,
Juno

 

flood lights?

 

I would was and dry it first thing in the morning (at the crack of dawn) and you should have about 2 hours or so to polish it and remove it. If you get dew in the morning wash it and dry it at night and then first thing in the morning dry it agian (wich also knocks off any debree from over night) then you should have a little longer to polish it.

 

I am a little confused (not an entirely new situation for me to find myself in...) I think when you say polish, you are referring to applying some kind of protection to the paint, not actually polishing the surface of the clearcoat down to remove imperfection (although there are some products that do BOTH at the same time).

For a brand new car (assuming no Dealer Installed Swirls), claying should be fine, but then you will want to apply protection in the form of either a wax or a sealant (or both). Many waxes and sealants do not require much cure time, and many people here have perfected the "apply to panel A, apply to panel B, remove from panel A, apply to panel C, remove from B, etc..." technique.

If I am wrong and you wanted to polish the new car with a PC or something to remove scratches or swirls, chime in and let us know.

 

Why dont you use an all in one type of product i.e. Duragloss #105, Poorboys Pro Polish W/Carnauba, even NXT ().
Point is, get it protected, and stay at it until you can #1. Afford all the proper products and equipment to do a first rate job, and #2, you have settled in after the move, and finally #3, you have your garage again!
Ive got some other All in one type products, Im just going through a little brain fart at the moment....

 

Good ideas, guys. I'll respond to each reply in the order they were posted:

#2: Umm, huh?

#3: Sounds like a good idea. As far as I can tell, my area doesn't get a ton of dew in the morning. (I should know, I was up all night unpacking the kitchen boxes.) I may simply be relegated to applying only 2-3 hour coats. Not what I would prefer, but I can't imagine why it would be bad either, and in my case, probably the only viable option currently.

#4: Perhaps I was a little ambiguous in my original post; when I said 'polish' I was referring to applying a synthetic polymer polish to my car. I do not expect to find scratches or impurities that I'll have to buff out when I pick it up from the dealer. (Although if I do, I'm certainly not going to let the dealer fix them!) I'd rather not use a wax, because the SP's have improved so much that a traditional wax with a life of 2 months max has nothing on a UV-blocking chemical bond that lasts upwards of a year.

#5: All in one type products sound interesting, but I'd prefer to do it the right way from the start, even if I can't let it sit as long. Though it's not as grand as a full cycle cure, I'm more inclined to go with something like NaplesTL said than try to get by with an AIO. It also has to do with the fact that all of the stuff is moved into the house, and it's filling up. I can't really imagine where the stuff in the garage is going to go; I may be able to consolidate it a tad, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to squeeze in my TL.


Having that said, can anybody think of a reason why 5-6 light cure coats of FF Polish might be less effective than 2-3 full cure coats? Obviously it's more labor, but I can deal with that.

To me, whether the polymer gets applied in 2 sessions or over 6 would not seem to make much difference, as theoretically it should end with the same amount of chemical bonding, right? If anybody knows why it wouldn't, please feel free to share.

 

I don't know what FF is but polishes don't have cure times. Polishes are applied to correct paint then removed.

Sealants have cure times and if FF is a sealant then there isn't a problem .. With a sealant you apply it and let it flash/dry whick tales no time at all .. then you remove it ... THEN you need to wait 24 hours for it to cure before adding another layer.

You don't leave it on for 24 then remove it.

 

FF means First Finish, and they make a product which they call "First Finish Polish". Actually, it's a polymer that's applied to the care and chemically bonds with the paint/clearcoat to create a hard, clear protective layer that lasts far longer than a wax.

It's not a sealant, and while the grounds for calling it a polish may be arguable, I simply refer to it as FF Polish since that's what it's branded, even if it's a tad misnomer on part of the company. (Though I understand exactly what you mean when you describe polish/sealant and would agree on those definitions you listed)

Vasu's amazing Car Care thread on this board describes the coating process in detail, and refers to letting the SC (Synthetic Polymer, in this case FF Polish) cure for 24 hours before taking it off: Ultimate Car Care FAQ

Auto-Ease , FFAP, and For My Ride all refer to being able to leave the product on overnight. Most of the coats that I'll probably be putting on will only last a couple hours, and by all accounts this product does not harden itself, meaning you can easily wipe it off after hours of sitting there. I'll be going to Autozone tomorrow (actually later today, as it's 1:43 am), so hopefully I'll be able to check out the FF Polish instructions exactly as they are printed.

Just got my car from the dealer today, and she is beautiful! (Her name is "Sheila", btw) The underspoilers really give the car a sic look, and help differentiate it from the other TL's that are showing up more and more on the streets. Handling is a dream; I love this car. <3

 

In detailing circles, polish has but one meaning. You can verify this by visiting online detailing sites and stores. The term polish has been misused mostly by product manufacturers in an effort to market their wares. As far as leaving the product on for 24 hours, totally up to you. Just to reiterate what Jess mentioned, most products are designed to be removed when it dries or hazes. There is a cure time of 12-24 hours (product dependent) before applying the next coat.