da mayor

iTrader: (2)

clay, seal and wax before the winter

blitzebill

i haven't waxed mine since i bought it in oct 09 so you're not alone.

the finish still looks great.

i may have a local detailer do it next year.

Infiniti7

i mean im not really into doing all those wax steps by my self. i would rather drop it off somewhere and have them do it for me. can u go to quality places and have them wax it usually?

PascalT

sure but over time it will cost you a bunch of money. I bought a PC and some detailing products and 6 months later they already paid for themselves with scratch fixes, etc.. If you plan on keeping your vehicle for a while i'd recommend doing it on your own, unless of course you have a lot of money

Waxing can be a pretty tough job considering you usually need to wash and clay first, and sometimes seal as well if it's your bi-yearly detail. If I was to have someone else do it (bleurgh, don't touch my car) it would be the best local detailer I can find.

Infiniti7

i just dont trust myself with all the steps on my own. i would rather have somebody do it ya know. and its hard to wash and wax in the cold weather here

Loudog2

Polish the car twice a year(spring/fall). Wax it at least once a month. If you clay it you need to re-wax it also. Be careful what clay you use, some will mar your car from using it. Use gentle in-between polishing and medium to heavy before polishing. Use soft microfiber towel for drying and wax removal.

Infiniti7

so it is november and i got the car december 09 and have not waxed it yet. is that bad? if so should i wax it soon or can i wait a little more?

TinsleyC

If it's "bad", why would you want to wait? It's just a matter of how much time/money you want to spend, and how nice of a finish you wish to maintain.

To maintain the ultimate finish there is a lot of work to do. The poster above your message summed it up well - basically, clay & polish 2x a year and wax monthly.

Anything less than that is not ideal, but certainly understandable. I bet 95% of the cars on the road today are waxed less than 1x per year. Your car will survive - it's just not the best paint care. Also, an owner can choose to neglect ultimate care for years and then "catch up" with a heavy claying, polishing, and waxing. It's up to you.

Me? I've had my G one year and have clayed it once and waxed it twice. The surface looks good to me, but I'm not in car shows or trying to show it off. I do plan to do a more complete job in the next few months.

canucklehead

iTrader: (9)

^ well put. that's a good, concise summary of paint care. neglecting the paint finish is only "bad" if the owner wants to maintain an optimum appearance. some people care about retaining a glossy finish, others could care less or have no knowledge about car care to begin with. and yes, years of neglect can be wiped away with a professional detailing (including machine polish) - assuming no major scratching.

i wash once a week or so, sometimes every other week. full detail every ~6 months, waxing & interior every ~3 months. that works for me in terms of my comfort level with effort vs appearance. i like driving a car that looks nice so i keep it that way, but i don't make time for waxing on a monthly basis.

different strokes...

financeman

IMO car wash wax is a very poor substitute for a hand applied wax job. If you do use a car wash, make sure its brushless.

I don't have time to care for my car like I once did, but still try to detail at least twice per year with clay bar, polish, and wax. In the winter time I will occassionally use a brushless car wash, but I feel the harsh chemicals used in these machines is not good for the paint or rubber seals.

Infiniti7

so if i am not really into doing it myself and "once every month" what can i do to keep the car looking nice? and if i wax it at a place twice a year will i be fine?

financeman

Just focus on keeping the car clean and using careful washing techniques; wash it every week or so with car soap; use a micro fiber mit for washing the body and a different mit for the wheels and underbelt locations, and dry with clean cotton towels or a synthetic chamois. The key is to avoid the introduction of small surface scratches into the paint. In my experience, the spray on waxes at cash wash places might provide an element of protection, but they tend to leave the finish slightly dull...a problem that compounds with repeated applications.

My wife's car is an 08 Toyota Highlander that we lease. I have only waxed that vehicle once....and it still looks pretty good. It stays in the garage normally, its hand washed regularly, and if I want to make it look like its been detailed, I will apply tire black to the tires. Judging by the feel of the paint, it certainly needs a polish and wax job, but the lease is up next month...why bother.

The bottom line is simple...even with minimal care, a new car will stay looking nice for a few years. However, as your car ages, poor care in the early years will become clearly evident.

Infiniti7

so like i said before i bought it dec 09 and have not waxed it once only washed it. so if i want to protect it should i have it waxed in a couple weeks before the snow comes? if i take it to a quality place that charges about 125 for a full wax will they polish it as well? whats the difference your saying between polish and waxing?

TinsleyC

This is a great summary. It explains it all and walks you through the entire process -

Washing and Drying Auto Detailing Guide - Detailed Image