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I agree with TVM. Do nothing. Modern paints don't need polishing, just do it if you like to see the water beading. Just make sure you touch up any stone chips immediately.
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Well, that's that settled then. I shall do nothing :-)
I suppose I should pre-emptively get some touch-up paint... come to think of it, I'm surprised it didn't come with any -- even just a small can.
Thanks
BB
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If your attention to detail is anything like mine then,you could go as far as removing the wheels(if they are alloys)and polish/wax the inside and outside the rims.I have done this on my last two new cars and find its worth the aggro.as it makes it easy to wash off brake dust and road salt.My alloys are two years old and as new.
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Modern paints don't need polishing,
You have got to be kidding.
All cars(i have a new one)need periodic waxing
I have never owned a car that says no need to wax the paintwork in there owners manuals.As far as i know they all advise wax application.
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I think it's good you're actually interested in taking care of it.
Sounds like the next owner(s) will get a good car.
Also, I think modern paints are actually softer than old paints as they have to be water based for environmental reasons.
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My experience with SWMBO's 1993 Peugeot 106 bought new and still almost perfect bodily and mechanically apart from the odd stone chip and dent.
Under bonnet:
Check all bolts and bare metal nuts etc. Aply a fine coat of waxoyl or heavy oil.
Any aluminium pipes eg air con: waxoyl ones near to salt spray in winter.
(Hose radiator external fins at bottom in spring to rmove salt and dirt).
Waxoyl all exposed bare metal (not disks of course) under car.
Ensure wheel to hubs bearing surfaces are copperslipped to prevent sticking on.
Wax polish car once a year.Use a hard wax or one of the better liquid ones.
Clean windows inside and out ditto with a window cleaner.
Treat all unpainted plastics with a silcone based cleaner (not on paint) ditto.
Grease all locks.
Hose under car wheel arches in winter and spring to remove mud and salt.
Touch up all chips at once.
A clean car runs better than a dirty one:-))
madf
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>> Modern paints don't need polishing,
>>You have got to be kidding.
I was wondering that. Modern paints are water based, and are far more susceptible to damage.
Give it a coat of polish / wax at least once a year to keep it from turning a matt colour.
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Dont need polish, its had a paint sealant.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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True in this case. I wondered when you were going to spot that one Wilson.
However, I still stand by what I said earlier (excluding BeeBee's car) - modern paints are far more susceptible to damage.
That aside, the paint sealant won't last forever.
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IMHO paint sealants are a con - you're better off with a bit of Super Resin Polish every few months. Paint sealant is similar stuff and will be degraded after 6 months.
Practically all modern auto paints are water-based acrylics. They seem to chip pretty easy to me and some seem very thin (even on the likes of Mercedes!). Still, there's not much you can do about that. Keep if free of bird droppings though - tends to damage the paint.
To keep it rust free underneath I would suggest getting a cheap 'Karcher Compatible' pressure washer (i.e. one that uses same connectors) and a 3 - 4' lance with right-angle end (these cost about £30) then you blast underneath the car every now and again - especially at the end of a cold spell. This shift all the salt and grit off the underside of the chassis. Do the same under the back arches.
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Must admit im a bit of a car detailing nut.
Ask any car detailer about these paint sealants sold by dealers and see what they have to say about them.
They are about as good as the guarantees you take out when buying any electrical goods - nice money spinner for the sales rep but next to useless.
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"blast underneath the car every now and again"
A,
Any danger of also removing the underseal? Would the ordinary hosepipe "gun" be better for removing salt and grit? My pressure washer, only a cheap one admittedly, is great for getting stuff off the drive but gives the impression it would remove the paint from a car if held too close!
--
Phil
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"blast underneath the car every now and again" A, Any danger of also removing the underseal? Would the ordinary hosepipe "gun" be better for removing salt and grit? My pressure washer, only a cheap one admittedly, is great for getting stuff off the drive but gives the impression it would remove the paint from a car if held too close! -- Phil
Good point. Adjust the spray nozzle for a wide fan, the pressure per unit area is not too high.
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Unfortunatly you've been totally misled.
The standard required procedure of all B'roomers, when accepting ownership of a BRAND NEW vehicle, are to assign the entire weekend (or other rest days) to the immaculate detailing of said veicle.
Kindly ensure you follow the hints n tips in www.meguiars.co.uk & memorise fully, before proceeding.
Then complete the weekly checklist contined within your B'roomers manual (or the makers instruction booklet), for moderators inspction & confirmation.
Failure to do so, will result in your NEW car instantly becoming ano longer NEW car!!
NJOY!!
VB
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Every other weekend (weather depenent) i clean the cars and the van as follows:
Wash with cars and van with car shampoo and spray off salt and mud etc from underneath.
Shake mats and vacume footwels and dash.
Wash van seat covers
Mopp floor inside cargo area of van.
Check oil level and top up screenwash.
This is all I do, regular washing enables me to spot stone damage etc. I have never waxed a car and see no need as carshampoo is suposed to wax.
Paul
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In my experience more deterioration of the bodywork is caused these days by carpark bumps than by the weather. So if possible always park where nobody can hit you. If this isn't possible, park such that the maximum amount of your car is protected by walls, hedges etc. Give priority to protection of the front rather than the rear. Avoid parking next to a vehicle that (a) has lots of bodywork damage, (b) is not reasonably in the centre of the slot, (c) has been left with the front wheels significantly turned, (d) has wide doors or (e) is generally uncared for.
--
L\'escargot.
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I wouldn't worry about using WD40 under the bonnet if I were you - maybe in about ten years time (as it's a Honda) if you get condensation problems. Honda HT leads etc don't seem to deteriorate as fast as some others.
BTW, I finally saw the new Civic in the metal yesterday. Wow! Lucky you.
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Yes, where you park makes a lot of difference - just adding to L'escargot's list: park well away from the trolley park in the supermarket and as far away form the entrance as possible. Give vehicles with a tow-ball a wide berth too. Y
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And I would strongly suggest that if you get any birds c*ap on the car, wash it off STRAIGHT AWAY. Even if that means going out after dark or whatever, even more so in the warmer months.
Also, wash it with a lambs wool mit, not a sponge as this traps dirt and results in many tiny fine scratches. Don't use Alloy Cleaner unless they are stained or have a rough carbon build up, use shampoo and an old flannel. I also use Turtle Wax Alloy Protector which is a sort of wax.
Afraid I totally disagree with the comments that cars don't need waxing. I can see a massive differance and find the car easier to clean, I use Turtle Extreme Wax and then use Autoglym Super Resin Sealant "over the top".
I always park well away from the shop entrance, you'll notice most other owners with new or "nice" cars do the same, its a sort of club!
Once you have clocked up a few miles (2000 or so), pop back for an oil/filter change and get the fluids checked, keep the receipt.
Enjoy!!
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>>> Once you have clocked up a few miles (2000 or so),pop back for an oil/filter change ....
A few years ago maybe. But with today's modern oils, coupled with better machined parts, changing the oil too early *could* mean that the engine will end up using oil as you haven't given the pistons and cylinders time to bed themselves in.
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In my experience more deterioration of the bodywork is caused thesedays by carpark bumps than by the weather. So if possible always park where nobody can hit you. If this isn't possible, park such that the maximum amount of your car is protected by walls, hedges etc. Give priority to protection of the front rather than the rear. Avoid parking next to a vehicle that (a) has lots of bodywork damage, (b) is not reasonably in the centre of the slot, (c) has been left with the front wheels significantly turned, (d) has wide doors or (e) is generally uncared for. -- L\'escargot.
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Don't park next to any car (in carparks) that has child safety seats in the back - as the owner probably will bring the kids right alongside the door in the buggy and the potential for the buggy to scrape your car whilst manoevering the kids into the car is very high. I try to park next to a well cared for and highly polished Merc/Audi/BMW if possible...........and definately avoid Renault Scenics with "Baby on Board " stickers, builders vans, bangers,....in fact don't even go to the supermarket - order from Tesco@home or whatever it's called !!!!!>>
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In addition to this avoid parking near trolley park,and if car park is sloped park on higher side.Trolleys do not roll uphill.
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>> >> Modern paints don't need polishing, >> >> You have got to be kidding. I was wondering that. Modern paints are water based, and are far more susceptible to damage. Give it a coat of polish / wax at least once a year to keep it from turning a matt colour.
I've had a 2000 W plate Legacy for 3 years now and have never polished it. It always comes up like new when I wash it using cheap wash wax bought by the 5 litre. However, I thought there must be something in this polishing lark so I splashed out on some expensive Autoglym polish and did one door. I couldn't honestly see any appreciable difference. So I put the polish away and saved it for use on my cellulose-coated classics which do need polishing as the paint oxidises. Modern paints don't do this. I suspect the cleanliness you get after polishing is more to do with the removal of road film from the top laquer coat.
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I think there is some confusion over the terms polish and wax. Any car, no matter what it is and how old it is will, most probably, never need polishing it its life as long as its looked after. Once or twice a year (just before and just after winter maybe) give it a good coat of wax, and the chances are, it'll be fine.
To me, polishes are more like paint restorers like T-cut etc, where a small layer of paint is removed, in order to restore its finish.
Unfortunately, the terms are now used so that they can mean either a wax/preserver or a restorer.
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Take note of HJ's FAQ No.5.
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I wax the car thoroughly every 6 months.
The bodywork at the moment is very grimy in parts and NO ONE parks next to me in the supermarket, because their clothes might get dirty ;-)
btw.Lights/numberplates/windows etc are spotless
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Make sure you clean any bird poo off asap.
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Don't park next to 3 door cars - those big doors need to be swung right out.
Don't park next to chav cars Saxo etc or "bird's cars" Vitaras that kind of thing - driven by airheads.
A wax every now and then has the side benefit (as you apply and rub off) of showing you any stone chips that do need sorting.
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