New car...when to wax?

[J3ffZ28]

Just got my car a little over a month ago....so when should I wax my car for the first time?

[NAHURRY]

ASAP...the paint is baked on at the factory.already cured.

[Chris@glimmerglass]

Yea, dont be afraid to wax when its from the factory. They can bake paint at higher temps than a body shop doing resprays, etc, b/c the molding/trim/interior etc usually isnt installed yet and as a result, wont melt stuff. Plus, it looks like its been a couple months since its build, so you'll be fine

[OUR72GTO]

Reportedly the GM car cover says not to install it for 90 days.

What do they know that we should.

[bhut]

Depending on who you ask, it can take 6 months for paint to fully cure. OEM paint is applied a bit differently than at most shops and may cure faster, but I always wait 6 months or more (from manufacture date) before I wax a car that first time. Kept clean, clear coat paint finishes are far more resilient than the lacquers and acrylic enamels of decades ago. Most new cars look great for years, and few people seem to wax (if any of my friends or coworkers are an indication) regularly or even ever.
I think some colors need more attention though - red, black, white and silver seem more prone to fade and shine retention issues in my experience. Just my opinion though.

[tradosaurus]

Originally Posted by J3ffZ28

Just got my car a little over a month ago....so when should I wax my car for the first time?

1 month ago.

[DetailAddict]

before you wax, clay the car too! you'll be surprised how much contamination you'll find with a brand new car!

[Moose]

Originally Posted by J3ffZ28

Just got my car a little over a month ago....so when should I wax my car for the first time?

ASAP!

[NAHURRY]

Originally Posted by DetailAddict

before you wax, clay the car too! you'll be surprised how much contamination you'll find with a brand new car!

Very true!

[DangerZL1]

Many dealers used to apply a paint protection package applied before you ever took delivery of the car, so saying not to wax the car for a period of time after purchase is conflicting. It can take several weeks just to get the car after it is completed, thus giving the paint even more time to cure. I could see this being true with older laquer paints which took a long time to fully cure and weren't baked to speed curing.

[J3ffZ28]

Im new to claying the car....what do you clay your car? what does it do?

[thomas granger]

when i got mine i used a 3m quick wax spray detailer recomended by the dealer ship and it does a great job giving it a show room shine

[NAHURRY]

Originally Posted by J3ffZ28

Im new to claying the car....what do you clay your car? what does it do?

What it is. http://www.autogeek.net/clbaandlu.html

How to use it. http://www.autogeek.net/detailing-clay-bar.html

[Chris@glimmerglass]

Originally Posted by J3ffZ28

Im new to claying the car....what do you clay your car? what does it do?

Those links nahurry posted certainly explain claying and what it does. In short (and for those not wanting to click a link), claying will remove the surface contaminents that have managed to bond to the surface of your vehicle and wont come off w/ normal washing.

What clay can remove:
rail head dust/iron particles
sap
tar
overspray
and general environmental fallout
(Basically, if it sits ON the surface, clay can help. And remember, the surface of the vehicle is significantly smoother after claying)

What it wont do:
remove swirls/scratches
fix etching
(if it sits IN the surface, clay cant help)

There are a lot of different clays out there and also different "cuts" to clay. from extra light/mild to heavy. Obviously a heavy cut clay is going to remove the more serious problems found on paint (overspray), however, this comes at the price of light surface marring, which needs to be followed up with polishing in order to clean it up.
From my experience, 95% of cars only need an extra light clay or light cut clay to do the job.

To use the clay, you simply mist clay lube on a small (think 1'x1' area) of the surface, then run the clay in back/forth motions, using light/medium pressure. This will pick up contaminents on the surface, which you can feel and see happening. Knead the clay throughout the process to try and keep a relatively clean side of clay face down. Usually, this is what the clay looks like after only a small section of the vehicle. (remember, washing and polishing wont remove what clay can)


I like to rewash the vehicle after claying. This helps remove the leftover clay residue on the surface and ensures a clean slate for polishing/waxing.

And fwiw, you can also clay glass and wheels