Exterior detail

b3arfruit

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curious how often you guys get a exterior detail done. Not just a normal wash and wax but a good hand wash, clay bar and hand wax. I was thinking ever four months or so (change of season).
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H23civic

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curious how often you guys get a exterior detail done. Not just a normal wash and wax but a good hand wash, clay bar and hand wax. I was thinking ever four months or so (change of season).
I had a few coats of xzilon applied the day after I bought the car. Washed it normally about 4 times so far. 2 times hand washed and 2 touchless car washes. No need to clay bar yet as the new paint feels very smooth. You'll know if you need to clay bar if the paint ever feels rough after a wash. I clay barred my old si and couldn't believe the crap coming off of it. So smooth after. Also note that once you clay bar, all of your wax comes off and you are starting fresh. I'd say check it after 6 months to a year, however with normal waxing and washing you shouldn't need it as often on a new car. Also I've only washed and dried with microfiber cloths so far. Very ocd about scratching the new paint. I even mostly dried the vehicle with shop air using my air nozzle as to avoid as much paint contact as possible. I usually apply wax/paint protection seasonally.
 
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b3arfruit

b3arfruit

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Yeah I normally do air dry with my leaf blower and dry the rest with micro fiber. Thanks for the info. Normally wash once a week and would clay bar and wax every six months. Was wondering if I should change the routine with this car.
 

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In all honesty you shouldn't have a set timeframe that you make your self think you need to claybar just pay attention to your car and its paint and clay bar as needed.
 
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b3arfruit

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In all honesty you shouldn't have a set timeframe that you make your self think you need to claybar just pay attention to your car and its paint and clay bar as needed.
So would you recommend clay bar every wax or only when you began to feel grit on paint?
 


TheRealWizzy

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So would you recommend clay bar every wax or only when you began to feel grit on paint?
Nah only clay bar when its needed (aka when you have some sort of contaminants in the paint then always re apply whatever protection you usually out on it such as wax or sealent
 

cypress

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I like to do a complete detail every 3 months or so. I wash my car once a month and do a wash and wax and detail the interior as well. I take my time so it will take me about 4-5 hours. Definitely don't mind though lol
 

TheRealWizzy

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I like to do a complete detail every 3 months or so. I wash my car once a month and do a wash and wax and detail the interior as well. I take my time so it will take me about 4-5 hours. Definitely don't mind though lol
I usually wash my car every 1-2 weeks depending on how dirty it is. (Wisconsin rural areas don't keeps cars clean very well) I usually wax my car every 1-2 months and then sealant every 3-6 months. i rarely go a week without washing a car between my two cars and my parents cars lol
 

CEPA_Si

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This is really more up to you then anyone else. If you want your car looking it absolute best then you will want to clean it and put a new coat of wax or sealant on it more often. Personally I don't really use waxes as the durability is just not there. I would use a sealant over a wax, however all my vehicles have Ceramic Coatings on them. I would highly recommend either Carpro Reload or Gtechniq C2V3. Both of these are extremely easy to use and you can apply them following a wash every few months. Both of these provide a durability of 6-9 months, with an extremely slick and glossy finish.
 


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Having been a professional detailer in the past, as well as doing it for people on the side for the past 20 years, you are wasting your time if you put multiple coats of the same wax on a car. The next coat takes the previous coat off. That being said, I use Collinite 845 Insulator wax. If you wax your car when it is new, very few impurities will stick to the paint, including road tar and bugs, that cannot be removed with soap, water and spray wax. Collinite usually lasts about a year. As long as you stay on top of keeping your car free of tar, bugs and tree sap, you will have nothing to worry about by waxing once a year.
 
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I am really interested in all the paint protection methods out there. I like the Ceramic coating over the film, but the film is replaceable, so that is a bonus, but the cost is high.
So my question is, can these ceramic coating be installed by anyone effectively, even without a DA buffer/polisher? I saw some ceramic recommendations as well above from some detailing experts which I will surely look into. Are there others besides those mentioned that you guys like?
Also what clay bar system do you guys like/prefer? I always used Mothers previously but feel that is too main stream, and just a name. What are your thoughts?

I want to protect my finish as soon as I get the new Si and want to have all my ducks in a row as soon as I'm ready. Anyone know some good places for detailing and mostly window tint (ceramic) in south central NJ? :)
Thanks all.
 

CEPA_Si

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I am really interested in all the paint protection methods out there. I like the Ceramic coating over the film, but the film is replaceable, so that is a bonus, but the cost is high.
So my question is, can these ceramic coating be installed by anyone effectively, even without a DA buffer/polisher? I saw some ceramic recommendations as well above from some detailing experts which I will surely look into. Are there others besides those mentioned that you guys like?
Also what clay bar system do you guys like/prefer? I always used Mothers previously but feel that is too main stream, and just a name. What are your thoughts?

I want to protect my finish as soon as I get the new Si and want to have all my ducks in a row as soon as I'm ready. Anyone know some good places for detailing and mostly window tint (ceramic) in south central NJ? :)
Thanks all.

Jason, there are plenty of options available for coatings that can easily be applied by the DIY type. Some of the easier coating to apply are Optimum Gloss Coat, 22ple HPC and Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light. The DA polisher isn't required for the application of the coating, that is required more so for the prep work. There is nothing wrong with the Mother's detailing clay, so if you have it or its readily available use whatever you can get. Personally I rarely use clay anymore, I like using a Nanoskin Mit which I use following the wash process. You typically want to get the surface as nice as possible prior to applying the coating. A good source for information on products along with guides for completing different tasks is Detailed Images AAP Blog.
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