New Car- Do it myself or..?

thebullkf

Hi folks,

Long time lurker here- Car is 7 months old, Looking to clean and protect the paintwork and keep it looking in new condition.

Question is - Should i do it myself? If so is there a best all in one kit i.e. AG full kit?
Is it ok to mix and match manuacturers products, i.e AG wash, Merguers Polish, Onyx Wax etc
I was looking at both Spirit and Elite pages, should i go for a protective coating say twice a year, or will a wash / Hard wax application suffice ( and do it more regularly)

love this forum - never had a new car before so want to make sure i look after it correctly.

And i am amazed that there is only one recommended detailer in Dublin, are these other guys just not up to the standard or whats the deal?

Thanks in advance
*apologies for all the questions!*

Curran

Do it yourself - its far more satisfying!

In my opinioin; you'll only find an average enough kit, that has everything in it - the Autoglym one is OK, but there are far better products out there.

Regarding mixing manufacturers - yes and no - no problem mixing manufacturers when doing the preparation work, but when layering the final products, its generally best to stick to one manufacturer...thats not to say that mixing them wont work, some will, some wont mix well, and unless you do some testing or have been previously advised, there is no way of knowing...so as a rule of thumb, if you are unsure, stick to the same manufacturer - for when layering hand polish with a wax or sealant, or applying a sealant and wax combo, or glaze and wax, you get the idea.

Some of the protective coatings can last up to over a year, others up to two years - some people love this type of durable coating...all they have to do is maintain it by washing it with good wash techniques and the right products. Others arent too fond of it, as they like to experiment with different products. Durable coatings generally give a glassy appearance to the paint, opposed to say a wax which will give a warm wet look. A decent durable wax, will have to be applied approx 3 times per year, so its not as if you'll have to do it weekly.
The durable coatings that you see applied by the pro's can be done by yourself also...some are need very specific conditions to cure properly; for example a steady temperature of about 18-20 degrees Celsius, or no fluctuation in humidity; so arent ideal the average punter doing it in their driveway - others are a lot easier to apply - CarPro CQuartz would be a bit environment specific, but they released a version called CQUK which is designed for climates similar to the UK - once its over 3 degrees Celsius, it will work.
These ceramic or nano coatings will add a layer to the paint and most offer good resistance to light scratching too.

There arent many Detailers about. Two main reasons;
a) you are only as good as your last job...most cant meet the standards that are set by what a pro detailer should reach. A lot of work is based on word of mouth, so if you do a half arsed job, you wont get clients.
b) there arent as many high end cars here in Ireland, compared to the UK, for example. There are lots of people who would love to have their car detailed, but not when they hear the price of the job...the reason being, the majority dont realise the amount of work that is put into a detail. So, its a luxury to be able to have your car detailed; in recent years, there havent been many Irish that can afford that luxury!

thebullkf

Curran, thank you very much for the detailed post. really appreciate it.

Space is at a premium in my home, as is time, in saying that i was wlawys one for cleaning /waxing my other cars prior to this but never went above TW or AG for products and i guess i've been doing it wrong all these years ( based on prep and detailing i've read here) I mean i have never de-tarred, de-ironised, a car in my life.... I dont have a power washer, snow foam lance ( or space for either) however as its a new car, is this still a requirement?


I guess i'm kinda answering my own questions(or aksing the wrong ones!) as i will be pretty much restricted to the two bucket wash and a manual application/applicator as i havent a rotary/electric polisher.

So bearing theabove in mind... any advice ? I must drop out to your shop Curran or is it online only?

Thanks again

Curran

No problem - happy to help!

The ideal situation would be to have a power washer and lance, but they arent totally necessary...provided you are willing to do a little extra work....meaning washing it more frequently...not letting the dirt build up.
There are a few things you can do, that will help...get yourself a pump sprayer, the gardening type, usually a 2ltr one is fine, but you could go bigger and leave the mixture in it from week to week so you dont have to keep topping it up. Give the car a going over with a snowfoam mix, and rinse off before doing your regular wash. Obviously you wont get a thick foam, but will be enough to help soften dirt.
If the car is really bad, you could bring it to the jet wash, and using only the rinsing facility, as the wash facility uses strong traffic film removers, get the heavy dirt off the car, before bringing it home and giving it a proper 2 Bucket Method washing.

Considering its a fairly new car, and hopefully too much wash damage hasnt been inflicted, you shouldnt have to worry about polishing for quite some time, provided you wash correctly. The majority of products that you will apply for protection will hide the lighter defects, so no need to polish.

A product that might be really helpful for you, given the lack of time, might be CarPro HydrO2. Its a simple, spray on (when the car is wet), rinse off with a hose with a bit of power, and dry the car when finished. I will provide protection for up to 3 months at a time. The product actually dilutes with 3 parts water, so makes 4 times the bottle size. Here's a quick video of it in action - impressive, I think you'll agree!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbK8unWBrwg

We're only online at the moment, but we can arrange to meet for collection of products or for a chat/advice, no problem!

thebullkf

Curran, i may just take you up on that offer! Thanks for all you advice, apologies for belated reply-working odd shifts!

Mc Love

That CarPro stuff looks great!