First wash/wax suggestions and advice

[woohoo]

I didn't have any paint protection applied to the car so that wasn't an issue. I suppose if you used an aggressive polish multiple times, it could wear the clear coat. I used Mother's micro-polishing glaze. It's a very fine polish that is just enough to hide swirls but really brings out the shine.

If you have any kind of paint protection applied I would refer to the products literature for what you can and cannot do to the surface. It varies by product.

Thanks! I actually called the Honda dealership today and they told me it was perfectly fine to apply polish and wax on their paint protection.

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[hondo]

Thanks! I actually called the Honda dealership today and they told me it was perfectly fine to apply polish and wax on their paint protection.

Nice. Enjoy giving your car some TLC. Great way to get to know the curves of the car.

 

[scsi]

So it seems we're in agreement that a good wash, clay, polish and wax is a good (or, at least, not bad) idea when new. Now, how about products... I've stuck with Meguiar's products, but couldn't tell you why. What's everyone's preference and why?

 

[woohoo]

So it seems we're in agreement that a good wash, clay, polish and wax is a good (or, at least, not bad) idea when new. Now, how about products... I've stuck with Meguiar's products, but couldn't tell you why. What's everyone's preference and why?

Same! Meguairs products are the best. I was debating however on whether to get the meguairs ultimate synthetic wax or just use the meguairs gold class wax. I ended up using the gold class wax and it still did an excellent job on the shine. I mainly use meguairs because it's affordable and also does a great job at making the car look it's best.

 

[hondo]

I go between Mother's and Meguairs. Both are great. For the clay and micro-polish I used Mothers and for the wax I used Meguairs NXT 2.0. No particular reason for one over the other, it's just what I happened to have in the garage at the time. Mother's 3 step is a great line, but I find NXT 2.0 very easy to use for my general wax maintenance.

 

[mechatune]

This is how I wash in the winter:


Also a good how-to:


I'd also like to add that I do vertical strokes on the sides of the car, horizontal on the hood, roof & trunk to minimize visible scratches. Currently using Adam's Car Care products, amazing.

I'm lucky to have a great detailer near me, and I get a machine polish + wax done once a year. Check out the eye candy here: http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7432.

I hand wax it myself in between (6 months) with Meguiar's Ultimate Wax for now, again no circular motions.

 

[G26okie]

I washed and waxed the day after I brought my accord home.

My current products are Mothers California Gold Synthetic Wax (paste), Meguairs Ultimate Quick-Wax (spray) and the two bucket method.

 

[SuperTongue]

I did my first wash/wax a couple weeks ago. Forgot to post follow-up pictures and details. Here's what I used:

Washed with Meguiar's G7164 Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner (Used Gilmour 95QGFMR Foamaster II Cleaning Sprayer and let the foam sit for a few minutes. Rinsed, then hit it again with the foam. Hand washed with a mitt and the two-bucket method)

Rinsed again. Dried with a silicone blade and some micro-fiber towels

Hit it with this clay bar Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar System

Then did a first coat of "wax" for some shine with Chemical Guys GAP10416 Wet Mirror Finish Ultra Slick Gloss Magnifier

Hit the tires with Chemical Guys TVD10716 V.R.P. Super Shine Dressing

Hit the wheels with Chemical Guys WAC303 Wheel Guard Rim and Wheel Sealant

Then used sealant for some added winter protection Meguiar's M21 Mirror Glaze Synthetic Sealant 2.0


And here are some pictures! Thanks to everyone who posted in this thread - you guys gave me a lot of info to hopefully keep my car swirl free and looking good!

And if anyone happens to read this far, one quick question: I seemed to have gotten some wax/sealer on some of the black plastic trim pieces on the exterior of the car. Is there any way to fix this? They look kind of weird.

 

[scsi]

And if anyone happens to read this far, one quick question: I seemed to have gotten some wax/sealer on some of the black plastic trim pieces on the exterior of the car. Is there any way to fix this? They look kind of weird.

On my Element, I used Dawn dish soap and a toothbrush to clean up my inevitable sloppy wax job on the plastic panels. It seemed to work on that, but I haven't tried anything on my civic yet. I use painters tape to mask off plastic before I wax now.

 

[SuperTongue]

On my Element, I used Dawn dish soap and a toothbrush to clean up my inevitable sloppy wax job on the plastic panels. It seemed to work on that, but I haven't tried anything on my civic yet. I use painters tape to mask off plastic before I wax now.

I'll have to give that a shot. I really got a lot on the plastic trim so hopefully that works.

 

[Grambles]

As raw as all the surfaces and material properties are from the factory it's usually a good idea to protect it immediately.

A good stripping wash followed up with highly detailed waxing and sealant would suffice.

Not much need for polish since the surfaces are already fairly smooth with little imperfection.

 

[woohoo]

I'll have to give that a shot. I really got a lot on the plastic trim so hopefully that works.

Also since wax is oil base, just use something like vegetable oil or peanut butter or even makeup remover to dissolve it. Since like dissolves like. I used makeup remover yesterday on my sisters accord black trims bc I had accidentally gotten wax and polish on it and it did the trick ! Good luck!!!

 

[SuperTongue]

Also since wax is oil base, just use something like vegetable oil or peanut butter or even makeup remover to dissolve it. Since like dissolves like. I used makeup remover yesterday on my sisters accord black trims bc I had accidentally gotten wax and polish on it and it did the trick ! Good luck!!!

Awesome! Thanks a lot - I honestly thought I screwed myself over by getting so much wax and sealant on there. I'll give it a shot whenever the rain and ice chills out haha

 

[hondo]

Nice work SuperTongue! Looks great.

 

[CivicTouring]

I use Liquid Glass Polish. No wax required. Liquid Glass is easy to apply and easy to remove and you can do it in the sun. I use it on all my vehicles, the 2013 Mazda 6 we had before we bought this Civic Touring has paint that looks showroom new on it and it has only had Liquid Glass polish used since new. There are a total of 17 coats on the Mazda and the shine of its Steel Blue paint is deep and the metallic pops in the sun light. We are giving the Mazda to our oldest daughter.

The paint on my 2014 Ram 1500 is Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl Coat and has 7 coats of Liquid Glass, that paint also has a deep shine and metallic that pops in the sun light.

My 2016 Harley Ultra Limited is a two tone red metallic with 7 coats of Liquid Glass and that paint is also deep and rich and glows in the sun light.

The 2016 Civic Touring has two coats right now of Liquid Glass polish and the Modern Steel paint has a nice deep shine to it as well.

I have tried many different brands of waxes over the years and the best product I have found is the Liquid Glass polish for outstanding protection, shine and ease of use.

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