My First Nice Car - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

RanDMC · 05-11-2011, 11:49 AM

So my Camaro is the first car I have been very concerned with keeping the paint in fantastic condition. I just purchased everything needed to do a 2 bucked wash on autogeek and now I'm waiting for it to get to my house. (I plan on using Mothers California Gold). I just have a few questions if anyone would like to give advice.

1) I didn't spend the $40 on a foam gun but I totally understand the importance of it. I have a Mr. Clean car wash gun , and I was thinking if I put some Mothers in it would that get me similar results? I will eventually but a foam gun, just looking not to spend hundreds in equipment all up front.

2) If the car is brand new how long should I wait before I do anything other than wash? When should I clay/ Seal/ Wax the first time?

3) If I clay the car should I seal and wax? Or just one or the other?

4) How often should I seal/ wax the car?

bthomp01 · 05-11-2011, 12:11 PM

I'm no expert on any of this (just look at my cars paint, it's in rough shape but I'm learning), but I have seen plenty of people here request that the dealership NOT wash their car due to them grinding the rail dust into the clear. I think it's pretty safe to say a clay right off the bat is a good idea to prevent that stuff from causing issues.

Unless there's some "settle" period the paint needs before doing that? I couldn't say :/

Adam's Polishes · 05-11-2011, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RanDMC

1) I didn't spend the $40 on a foam gun but I totally understand the importance of it. I have a Mr. Clean car wash gun , and I was thinking if I put some Mothers in it would that get me similar results? I will eventually but a foam gun, just looking not to spend hundreds in equipment all up front.

Not likely. A foam gun works by metering soap/air/water in the right proportions to generate foam. The Mr. Clean gun really isn't for that use, but if you have the filters in it still use it to do your final rinse so it can help reduce the minerals in the water than thus reduce the chance of spots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RanDMC

2) If the car is brand new how long should I wait before I do anything other than wash? When should I clay/ Seal/ Wax the first time?

You're good to go right away. The paint is cured when you take delivery of the car so getting it cleaned properly and protected right away is important.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RanDMC

3) If I clay the car should I seal and wax? Or just one or the other?

Depends on what you want out of the process.

Sealants provide more durable protection (on average) and waxes tend to give a wetter/richer look with moderate protection (on average) Theres no harm in doing both, but you won't be making a mistake if you only do one or the other.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RanDMC

4) How often should I seal/ wax the car?

As needed. The way to tell if your sealant or wax protection is breaking down is to watch the water while you wash. If you spray the car down and the water goes flat, you have no protection and its time to reapply, if it beads up and rolls away the wax or sealant are still doing their jobs. Obviously theres so many variables including the kinds of products you use, how the car is stored, how much its driven, the climate, how you care for it, etc. that makes each situation unique.

RanDMC · 05-11-2011, 03:07 PM

Yeah, I doubt there is a settle period, but I didn't know if there was any treatment on the car already...

RanDMC · 05-11-2011, 03:13 PM

So sealant goes down first? Do I need to clay bar every time i use sealant or wax?

RanDMC · 05-11-2011, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan@Adams

Not likely. A foam gun works by metering soap/air/water in the right proportions to generate foam. The Mr. Clean gun really isn't for that use, but if you have the filters in it still use it to do your final rinse so it can help reduce the minerals in the water than thus reduce the chance of spots.

So this is different from just saopy water?

Uncle Harvey · 05-11-2011, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RanDMC

So sealant goes down first? Do I need to clay bar every time i use sealant or wax?

Watch the Junkman videos (youtube). They will save you time and money. You do not need to clay the car every time. Put your hand in a sandwich bag and lightly rub the car. If you need to clay, you will feel bumps.

RanDMC · 05-23-2011, 08:12 AM

SO I did my fist two bucket wash this weekend. I am quite happy with the results here were my take aways.

1) I need to work earlier in the morning I had a hard time keeping the car wet.

2) I found dirt on my towel! I must have been rushing too much and missed a spot in the wash process.

3) The pooling rinse is freaking hard to get down.

05-11-2011, 11:49 AM	#1
RanDMC Drives: 1LT/SS Join Date: May 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 63	My First Nice Car So my Camaro is the first car I have been very concerned with keeping the paint in fantastic condition. I just purchased everything needed to do a 2 bucked wash on autogeek and now I'm waiting for it to get to my house. (I plan on using Mothers California Gold). I just have a few questions if anyone would like to give advice. 1) I didn't spend the $40 on a foam gun but I totally understand the importance of it. I have a Mr. Clean car wash gun , and I was thinking if I put some Mothers in it would that get me similar results? I will eventually but a foam gun, just looking not to spend hundreds in equipment all up front. 2) If the car is brand new how long should I wait before I do anything other than wash? When should I clay/ Seal/ Wax the first time? 3) If I clay the car should I seal and wax? Or just one or the other? 4) How often should I seal/ wax the car?

05-11-2011, 12:11 PM	#2
bthomp01 Drives: 2010 2SS/RS IBM M6 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 359 View My Garage	I'm no expert on any of this (just look at my cars paint, it's in rough shape but I'm learning), but I have seen plenty of people here request that the dealership NOT wash their car due to them grinding the rail dust into the clear. I think it's pretty safe to say a clay right off the bat is a good idea to prevent that stuff from causing issues. Unless there's some "settle" period the paint needs before doing that? I couldn't say :/ __________________ 2010 IBM 2SS/RS - T BRUTAL Matte Black Bumblebee Stripes - Unpainted Heritage Grille - Blacked Out Bowties - Stainless Works S-Tube Catback - CAI, Inc. Cold Air Intake Whiteline Rear Cradle, Rear Differential, Front Radius Rod Bushings - BC Racing BR Coilovers - Installed by Whiteside Customs

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05-11-2011, 03:07 PM	#4
RanDMC Drives: 1LT/SS Join Date: May 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 63	Yeah, I doubt there is a settle period, but I didn't know if there was any treatment on the car already...

05-11-2011, 03:13 PM	#5
RanDMC Drives: 1LT/SS Join Date: May 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 63	So sealant goes down first? Do I need to clay bar every time i use sealant or wax?

05-23-2011, 08:12 AM	#8
RanDMC Drives: 1LT/SS Join Date: May 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 63	SO I did my fist two bucket wash this weekend. I am quite happy with the results here were my take aways. 1) I need to work earlier in the morning I had a hard time keeping the car wet. 2) I found dirt on my towel! I must have been rushing too much and missed a spot in the wash process. 3) The pooling rinse is freaking hard to get down.