Best polish/wax for new car?

Stallingrad

What is the best polish/wax to use for a new car? The paint does not require any type of restoration obviously, just want to avoid anything too abrasive, swirl marks, etc.

Ron Burgundy II

Some tips

don't use a sponge when washing the car. Guaranteed to get marks. Use a microfibre wash mitt or even better a lams wool mitt. (You can use a sponge for washing the wheels)

two bucket wash method to reduce any grit etc from marking your car

Always dry your car with a microfibre towel and nothing else.

before applying any wax/sealant go around the car with a clay bar to remove as much of the impurities as possible

Then apply the sealant/wax as per instructions on the bottle

Waxes and sealants are different. A wax won't last as long as a sealant but givers a better, deeper shine to it.

I use Klasse all in one which is a sealant, you get around 6 months protection from it.

They are some very good people on here who will give you even better advice than me. Off the top of my head Curran is one of them to talk too.

Best of luck with the new car.

sean1141

As ron said the way you wash it will do a lot for the paintwork. Invest in some decent gear for washing. Good quality wash mit and drying towel and some decent shampoo are a must. Try to keep it washed fairly regularly too. As for a wax/sealant I use chemicalguys blitz. It's very easy to use and not expensive. To keep the car in tip top condition use it every third week or that after washing and drying. Auto glym hd wax is also very good but more expensive. Have a chat with John or Larry in cleancar.ie and they will advise you on what to get. Always found them very good guys to deal with.

Curran

Ron pretty much covered all the bases for the basics of keep your car in good shape!

The secret to a good job is the preparation! As its a new car, it obviously shouldnt need a polish, to add depth and shine - but there may be bonded contaminants in the paint work, as cars often sit up for weeks in a yard. So claying the paint would be advisable, so the paint work is fully cleansed and ready to take your protection - either a wax or sealant.

Once the paintwork is prepared, any of the good products on the market, not the likes of Turtle Wax, etc, will work very well. Waxes tend to look better on deeper colours and Sealants better on Whites and Silvers....but having said that - either will look great on a well prepared car.

If its durability you are looking for; generally sealants are best, but Collinte 476S is a very durable wax that gives great shine.

Maintaining your finish is the secret - so minimum, a good wash mitt, good shampoo (wax safe: pH neutral), wash with two bucket method, dry with a plush microfiber drying towel, wash on a fairly regular basis, and keep it topped up with protection. After that, depending on mileage, claying is advisable approx every 6 months to remove any build up of bonded contaminants and to lay down fresh protection!

*Claying can leave slight marring, if its aggressive, so perhaps a hand polish might be necessary.

Stallingrad

Thanks guys, great advice. I have an unhealthy stash of microfibre mits and a host of cleaning products.

I have some Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection, would that be a safe option after a good wash and dry?

Curran

Autoglym EGP is a great sealant - it will work after a good wash and dry, however, it wont bond to its best ability without the car being clayed.
It would be best if you could get your hands on some AG Super Resin Polish. Give it a good wash, dry, light polish with SRP and then apply EGP straight over the freshly buffed SRP - should look pretty good after that!

JohnBoy26

Curran wrote: »

Ron pretty much covered all the bases for the basics of keep your car in good shape!

The secret to a good job is the preparation! As its a new car, it obviously shouldnt need a polish, to add depth and shine - but there may be bonded contaminants in the paint work, as cars often sit up for weeks in a yard. So claying the paint would be advisable, so the paint work is fully cleansed and ready to take your protection - either a wax or sealant.

Once the paintwork is prepared, any of the good products on the market, not the likes of Turtle Wax, etc, will work very well. Waxes tend to look better on deeper colours and Sealants better on Whites and Silvers....but having said that - either will look great on a well prepared car.

If its durability you are looking for; generally sealants are best, but Collinte 476S is a very durable wax that gives great shine.

Maintaining your finish is the secret - so minimum, a good wash mitt, good shampoo (wax safe: pH neutral), wash with two bucket method, dry with a plush microfiber drying towel, wash on a fairly regular basis, and keep it topped up with protection. After that, depending on mileage, claying is advisable approx every 6 months to remove any build up of bonded contaminants and to lay down fresh protection!

*Claying can leave slight marring, if its aggressive, so perhaps a hand polish might be necessary.

What would be a good car shampoo to get that's wax safe/ph neutral?

Curran

The best ones arent necessarily the ones that produce the most suds or bubbles! Im going to sound like a mad man here - but you can feel when the shampoo is slick and well lubricated - thats what you want for limiting swirls and obviously that combined with it being wax safe

Chemical Guys Glossworkz Shampoo - very slick, a little goes a long way - a favourite of mine
Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II - not quite up to Glossworkz
Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild - never used it, but gets positive feedback on Detailing World
Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner - not the best, as you have to use quite a bit more than they recommend

Id go for Glossworkz - its a bit more expensive, but the dilution ratio is very high, so it lasts!

JohnBoy26

Thanks for the all the info Curran I will go with your reccomendation and the glossworkz.

dingdong1234567

Sorry to butt in here OP, Curran - what sealant/wax would you recommend. My car is Sea Grey in color. Do a fair bit of driving on dirty back roads and i am looking for a decent protection for my car.

I have noted your recommendation for Glossworkz Shampoo above. Thanks in advance.

Curran

If you are looking for something that is durable...then the following are generally recommended...
Collinite 476S (wax) is excellent - very durable and looks great on all colours (designed originally for Marine purposes)

Chemical Guys JetSeal 109 (sealant) - will look great and very hard wearing. If you wanted to get even better shine, and make it last a bit longer, then after a wash, use Chemical Guys Blitz...simple spray on, buff off - adds shine, gloss and a tops up the protection a bit.

Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection (sealant) - I find it looks best on lighter colour cars, as a product, probably doesnt get the recognition it deserves.

Autoglym HD Wax - for the price, its almost impossible to beat. Serious value for money - wont be as durable, but it looks fantastic - if it were made by any of the other manufacturers it would certainly be alot more expensive!!

You could go a step further and go for a nano coating - you'll easily get 6 months out of something with nano technology....however, they usually have to be applied in a fairly controlled environment and also, if applied over a defect in the paintwork, and needs sorting, they only way to get it off the car would be machine polishing!
Wolfs Body Wrap would be one Id recommend....have it on my own car for over the winter!