detailing a white car- questions

[OpenSkye]

I just picked up an Ibis White A3 and was wondering which combination of car wash and wax/polish i should use? I definitely would like to get a nice wax in before the winter hits and I'm confused with all these brands that everyone raves about. Zymol, Zaino, p21, klass, einszett, etc. Ive heard some are better on darker/lighter cars than others. Can you help me narrow down my search by the color of my car? Also, should I be polishing my car too? Or is that more down the road?

Seems like detailing my dark green mk4 jetta was never this hard- I just want to keep this car as bright, smooth, and shiny as possible!

Please help! Thanks! [:)]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/a4turb/ValsA3004.jpg

[A4Pdot]

I think its advisable to wait about 5-6 months after you receive your car to wax it. 1 it was most likely waxed just before you picked it up. 2, I've heard that you should wait to give the paint time to cure. (might have been true for older cars, but not sure) As for the answer, all I can say is I have used Zymol and WOW is it hard to apply. Tons of elbow grease, in fact borrow some help cause there is a lot of rubbing involved. The pay off, Premo glossy paint, however I can't see myself doing that again for a a couple of months. If you find something that is easier, I am intersted also in knowing. As for now, just drive the snot out of her/him.

[Dark 'n' Dirty]

I think its advisable to wait about 5-6 months after you receive your car to wax it. 1 it was most likely waxed just before you picked it up. 2, I've heard that you should wait to give the paint time to cure. (might have been true for older cars, but not sure) As for the answer, all I can say is I have used Zymol and WOW is it hard to apply. Tons of elbow grease, in fact borrow some help cause there is a lot of rubbing involved. The pay off, Premo glossy paint, however I can't see myself doing that again for a a couple of months. If you find something that is easier, I am intersted also in knowing. As for now, just drive the snot out of her/him.

Unless your car just rolled off the assemly line from the factory, you should definitely be able to apply a coat of wax to the finish. The cure time is normally for freshly painted cars that have not been flashed cured in a booth, etc... I'd probably say most times, the car has already been sitting long enough for the paint to cure, or while else would they put the protective coat of saran wrap on the flat, horizontal surfaces? In any case, if you have the time and want to do it correctly, do an entire detail from start to finish because you can never trust the dealer prep. Unless you request and pay for a detail, they definitely won't wax your car for free. They prep the car to remove the protective layering and may dress the tires, etc, but don't put that much effort into it. In regards to a good wax to use, anything in your garage would work, but a good boutique wax applied to a well prep'd/clean surface will make it much easier to remove.

[VroomVroom]

Your car is ready for wax fresh off the lot.

Check out the detailing forum sites. There are dozens of great products and hundreds of opinions. www.autopia.org and www.detailcity.com will get you started.

Detailing is 90% process and 10% product. No offense intended, but if Zymol...or any decent product....is hard to apply or remove, you're doing it wrong. Most likely using too much product and/or not leaving sufficient setup time prior to removal. Or, the finish simply isn't ready for a topcoat. Not much sense in applying to a rough finish - be sure to clay and cleanse/polish the paint first.

You'll need to polish at some point. The beauty of white is that it hides swirl marks and light scratches very well. Proper washing technique will go a long way toward delaying the onset of swirls...even more so than keeping a fresh topcoat on there.

So, for what it's worth - my opinions. Buy good shampoo and mitts, and use the two-bucket method for washing. Start any detail with a clay bar to remove contaminants from the paint prior to polishing/cleansing. If you're not machine polishing, use a paint cleanser or mild polish. For topcoat(s) - on white I prefer to use a sealant. Actually, this holds true for most light colors as well as any color with a heavy metallic content. Sealants make the finish really pop. They're also generally much more durable than waxes. However, if you want durability and a highly wet and reflective finish, you can top a sealant with a carnuba wax. There are also sealants that have carnuba forumulated in, a la Poorboy's EX. On German white and silver finishes I've found Four Star UPC & UPP to offer outstanding results. I understand Menzerna FMJ is very similar to UPP, and I'm a big fan of their FPII. Cleansers (a la Four Star UPC and Poorboy's Professional Polish) can be applied by hand with minimal elbow grease. To be effective with other polishes you'll want to use a buffer. If you want ease of use and minimal effort, give Klasse AIO a shot.

But...there are tons of options out there. Read up on those sites and if you're really into it, be prepared to experiment a bit. Enjoy!