Cincinnati(middle aged) Kid

[Bill G.]

Wow what a great site. I found the site last night and have spent hours on it since. I am inspired to take better care of my cars. I must confess I have been very bad. I have not waxed, polished, sealed or anything else other than washing it since I bought it new 6 years ago. (I can imagine the groans that confession will bring.) After reading all the great info and watching the videos on this site I have the confidence and motivation to turn off the Golf Channel and get to work.

 

I need some help getting started. I'm not sure if I should beg for advice here or post elsewhere on this site. I am a total noob to forums so please forgive me if I'm going about this wrong. I would like to give my old car some TLC before I sell it and get off to a good start with my new baby. Need to know what Optimum products I need to get started.

 

1. Old Car - Current condition - a variety of bugs stuck on the front of the car, small scratches and scuffmarks here and there, some chips in paint (some starting to rust), some tar behing the wheels.

Goal - I'm not looking for perfect finish. I would like to get the bugs and tar off, touch up the chips and seal or wax the finish. Perhaps using the new clay bar substitute or a noob friendly easy way to improve the finish before sealing or waxing.

 

2. New car- Would you recommend sealing or waxing or anything else right away? I did read that it was recommended that you use a clay bar before sealing a new car. The whole car or just any areas that need it?

 

I need a shopping list for both projects, ONR,OS, towels, mits etc.

 

I have reviewed all the tutorials and many of the posts. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

If I need to post this elsewhere I'm happy to do it.

Thanks,

 

Bill

[Charlies02GLS]

Hi Bill

 

First of all let me welcome you to the Optimum Forums, I'm sure we'll be able to help you out with anything you might need.

 

If you're currently experiencing freezing or below freezing temps your best bet for washing is going to be using the Optimum No Rinse (ONR) and a 2 bucket method. Grit guards are somewhat optional, I say that because there is a certain amount of dirt that will be suspended in the rinse water which will migrate back into your wash media. However, I've found they DO help as I normally have about a tablespoon of dirt trapped under the grill during the winter when I empty out the rinse water. For the wash media itself I'd go with any of the ones that have been used on this board (chenille mitt, high quality mf, mf mitt), I typically go with either a few Danase phat towels or microfiber mitts (dreadlock style).

 

For the bugs on your old car, I'd recommend picking up a bug sponge such as those available through Top of The Line (topoftheline.com) , I've found them to work extremely well without any marring. Just use a heavier than normal concentration of your car wash soap to provide additional lubrication (i.e. 2-3 oz of soap per gallon of water versus 1 oz per gallon). Follow the directions and use little to no pressure at all, let the tool do the work.

 

Regarding clay, I've used both the elastrofoam and traditional clay. While the elastrofoam was quicker overall (and with less marring than using medium clay) I found it tough to spot bonded contaminants that were picked up. There's definitely some potential for marring to occur with the elastrofoam but on the other hand there is the potential to marr the surface using some of the heavier grades of clay as well.

 

I've got to run now, so this will be continued....Hopefully someone else will pick this up in the mean time

 

Charlie

[Bill G.]

Thanks Charlie

[Anthony Orosco]

Hey Bill,

 

Welcome to our forums and thanks for the kinds words regarding the forums and information here. We are starting out here so much more info will be posted up in the coming weeks and months.

 

As for your particular car issues.....how about a match and a gallon of gas for the old car?? Just kiddin

 

Seriously though, a bug sponge is a great tool to have and you can get one from, as Charles noted, www.topoftheline.com Here is a link. http://www.topoftheline.com/bug-tar-remover.html

 

Or you can also use a Mr. Clean Eraser sponge BUT this will also mar the paint a bit so you'll need to polish these areas when finished.

 

Since you don't have a polisher you will be best off with PoliSeal as it cleans and seals in one step. This is what's known as an "All-in-one" (AIO). If you're really serious about car care then you may want to invest in an orbital polisher. You can check out Top Of The Line for a PC (Porter Cable) or if you're really serious look at the Cyclo.

 

Optimum spray wax is an absolute MUST as it is so easy to use, can be used after every wash plus it's the only spray wax with UV absorbers. I would also recommend getting some clay and claying both cars.

 

To get further help go to the Optimum Products Discussion part of the forum. There will soon be created another forum section called "Detailing 101" where we can discuss topics such as yours.

 

Anthony

[Bill G.]

Thanks Anthony. I'll give it a try.

[Bill G.]

My new black car should arrive very soon. Based on the above advice I purchased ONR, Poly-Seal and Optimum Spray Wax. When the new car arrives I plan on washing, claying, Poly-Sealing and then the spray wax. Is that correct? Should I get some OS and use that as well?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[budman3]

It looks like you've got all of the bases covered. You don't necessarily need the OS, but if you like the idea of spray on, wipe away, then it would be a good choice.