Newbie need help selecting products


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I just bought a new 08 Cayman S. My car is sliver and has less than 600 miles. When I do not use it, my car is always garaged and covered.

 

In the past, I always washed my cars regularly but never waxed them. As I intend to keep my Cayman for several years, I want to make sure I I keep its paint in good shape. My main priorities are speed and ease of use. I do not need the shiniest car. I just want to protect my paint with minimal time and effort. I do not own a polisher and do not want to get one.

 

For the last week or so I have read a lot of posts on several forums. The more I read the more I see how little I know. However, I have noticed that that Optimum seems to have very good products. As I do not intend to spend a lot of time documenting myself, I want to limit my search to Optimum products.

 

I would like to know which produts I should get:

 

Washing: should I get Optimum car wash or ONR. I have a house and can use a hose to wash my car.

 

Cleaner: As my car is new, do I need to clay it? If so, which product should I get? What should I use to apply it? What should I use to remove it?

 

Polish: As my car is new, do I need to polish it? If so, which product should I get? What should I use to apply it? What should I use to remove it?

 

Wax/Sealant: which product should I get? What should I use to apply it? What should I use to remove it?

 

Detailer: What should I get for quick cleaning?

 

Any other advice will be appreciated.

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Car Wash - Get the Optimum car wash new formula, as you mentioned you can use a water hose and have no water restrictions. good idea to use a foam gun . the optimum car wash is so thick and foamy. ONR is a good idea too if you are environmentally conscious. but it does have a learning curve.

 

sealant - Opti seal. wipe on and walk away, no need to buff off. this is if you apply a very very thin coat. too much and it will streak. if it does use a mf towel and gently buff off (with little to no pressure)

 

wax - optimum spray wax new formula. smells good and lives up to its reputation. I have never really perfected the art of opti seal, i usually apply too much and get a bit of streaking. so what I do is let opti seal sit for about 20-30 mins. then I go over it with the spray wax. work it in with a mf towel or applicator, then with a new mf towel buff to a shine.

 

detailer - Optimum Instant Detailer. Gloss enhancer. many will agree it is a revolutionary product. very economical too. best in the industry at the moment i say.

 

 

all purpose cleaner - Optimum power clean. again wonderful product. many uses. very economical.

 

thats all the optimum products ive got. as for the polishes, there are many threads about it , or you could wait for the more experienced to chip in.

 

cheers

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Washing: Optimum car wash, good mitt (I like sheepskin) two buckets with grit guards. PowerClean diluted as an APC for wheels/wells/etc.

 

Cleaner: Yes, clay it. OTC clay with a quick detailer will work to get any bonded contaminates off your paint. You can use ONR as a quick detail spray.

 

Polish: Yes I would polish it. Optimum Polish with a light grey CCS finishing pad will bring out the gloss.

 

Sealant: I use Opti-Seal. Wipe on walk away product that is very easy to use. Use it on the glass, works great, especially the front windshield.

 

Wax: I top Opti-Seal every 3rd wash with Optimum Spray wax

 

Detailer: Optimum Instant detailer

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what they said. Is Opti-polish or Poli-seal good by hand or just machine??? He said he doesn't want to get a polisher (even though he should). If they can work by hand then I would suggest poli-seal. If not then maybe Duragloss from Carquest would be a good choice.

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what they said. Is Opti-polish or Poli-seal good by hand or just machine??? He said he doesn't want to get a polisher (even though he should). If they can work by hand then I would suggest poli-seal. If not then maybe Duragloss from Carquest would be a good choice.

 

I overlooked the part where he stated he did not want a machine (I agree, he should get one)

 

If working by hand I would probably recommend Poli-Seal also, then top with the spray wax.

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What will I miss if I do not clay and do not polish my car?

 

My car is new and the paint looks fine. I just want to protect it. If I only use Opti-Seal and Optimum Car Wax will I protect my finish properly?

 

I do not want a polisher. I have absolutely no experience with waxing/polshing and I fear I could much more harm than good with a polisher.

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What will I miss if I do not clay and do not polish my car?

 

My car is new and the paint looks fine. I just want to protect it. If I only use Opti-Seal and Optimum Car Wax will I protect my finish properly?

 

I do not want a polisher. I have absolutely no experience with waxing/polshing and I fear I could much more harm than good with a polisher.

 

Dennis, first off, welcome to the board and congrats on a stunning new vehicle!! To answer just this question, since I agree with all the other posters, what you will lose out without using clay and/or polish is the opportunity to bring the paint to it's most pristine condition prior to it's being protected with whichever sealant/wax you choose. Even though the car is brand new, it did spend some time in transit getting from point A to point B. There is a very good chance that during transport the vehicle was exposed to various environmental fallouts. Things like airborne particulates, rail dust, industrial fallout etc may be in your paint even though it's new. A good way to know if you should clay would be to put your hand in a sandwich baggie and gently feel the paint when it has a layer of car suds on it. If you feel "grittiness" then you would best be served by claying the paint before you polish it. Polishing will clear up any oxidation that is present before you seal the paint. That being said , Poli Seal has a very mild polishing agent in it so it would probably work just fine on your paint. Were I detailing your car, that's what I would actually use, unless it didn't bring me the results I wanted (doubtful) on the paint.

Lastly, by claying first, you pull gunk and contaminants out of the surface of your paint that could be detrimental to it's longevity.

 

Hope some of this this useful info to ya.

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I was about to respond when the previous post was made so changed my post a wee bit.

 

Like you I want to keep it simple.

 

I’m with you on the polisher.

They are definitely desirable and will probably achieve the biggest improvement in finish of anything you can do, but something I’m not pursuing in the near future partly because I've never used one before, I would probably only use it once a year and I don’t think the improvement in finish would be worth it to me at the moment.

 

I took the view that my new [silver] car was in very good condition and therefore didn’t need claying or polishing.

I decided to simply put OptiSeal on straight away without any preparation and I will wait and see how well it lasts.

I’ve topped it up every few weeks.

 

If the finish seems to deteriorate before the winter I may well have to resort to claying or more likely just polishing, to clean the paint, but I only anticipate doing it when I need to.

 

Optimum Car Wash is probably a good choice but it’s not cheap over here so I just use my regular shampoo and I’m sure I will have no problems.

 

I will try Optimum Car [spray] Wax because it seems so easy to use, and should give some extra protection and possibly visual improvement

 

As per the previous post, claying and polishing a new car is no doubt desirable prior to applying OptiSeal.

There seem to be two aspects

 

1..The finish will be better – if you are not after the best finish you can achieve but simply want to keep it simple, consistent with the good finish you have now, perhaps it’s a question of deciding if it’s worth it to you.

Claying is not without risk although if you are reasonably careful and use a gentle clay there should be no problems.

 

2..The longevity aspect of removing contaminants by claying as soon as possible.

How long are you likely to have to keep the car, or how many miles might you have to do before this becomes an issue.

I would suggest most cars on the road have never been clayed.

This will be evident with some but not I suspect all.

If you only anticipate keeping the car say 3 to 5 years is this likely to be a problem in practice.

 

No offence but like me you probably can’t answer these points but perhaps SteveH or someone else might be kind enough to comment hopefully for your benefit and mine.

 

I’m not for one moment advocating a sloppy approach to looking after your car but if you want to keep it simple and just want to keep your car looking tidy it’s a question perhaps of how far you need to go.

 

Edit:

 

Photos don't tell the whole story but for what it's worth this is mine wearing nothing but a few coats of OptiSeal with no preparation other than being washed

 

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Denis54,

I understand not wanting to go over board or beyond your limitations with the polisher.

If you are happy with the way the paint looks and have trouble seeing flaws I would recommend the following.

 

Optimum car wash

A good soft wash sponge

A brush for the wheels and one for the fender wells

Power clean for the wheels and any bugs you may get stuck to the front of your car. 3/1 dilution

Quality MF towels for drying.

Opti Seal for the paint and your rims as well. Protecting the rims will make them easier to clean.

Optimum Instant Detailer.

 

A couple of coats of Opti Seal will make your silver paint look great and the Instant Detailer will only add to it.

You can wipe the car down after every wash with the QD for that just waxed look and feel.

 

 

Don't forget to get some Tire Shine for your tires and protectant Plus for the interior.

 

In two hours you can have your Porsche washed sealed and dressed. After that just regular washes.

 

I would recommend this process to you or any one who feels that their paint finish looks good and wants the most effective as well as easy way to protect it.

 

Enjoy your new Porsche!

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Dennis,

 

I'm in much the same boat as you in that I am not a professional detailer--just a car owner who wants my car to look as good five years from now as it did when it was new. I have a Granite Green Passat Variant (light mettalic paint)--VWs, Audis and Porsche for the most part have very hard clear coats. This is good if you take care of it from the beginning and introduce no swirl marks, but bad for correction if you do--you'd need a DA polisher or rotary.

 

On my VW and on my previous A6 (black) I have been using another brand of product, but am in the process of moving over to Optimum because I feel they offer the same amount of durability and looks with much less effort and much less cost.

 

That being said here is the routine I use which has been very effective in keeping my cars looking new through out their life:

 

Wash-I've never used any type of automatic commercial wash- Any good quality car wash like Mothers Gold or Megs Gold Class would be fine, but I've found the Opimum Car Wash to be outstanding- holds it's suds throughout the wash and feels considerably slicker than others I've tried. The ONR is great to use in the winter so you don't have to use a commercial wash, but I find myself using it in the warmer months also since it cuts labor down to a minimum in that you don't have to drag out the hose etc.

 

Cleaner I clay my cars shortly after bringing them home. You would be amazed at the contaminents that get into the paint during transportation. You can really feel the difference in the finish once clayed and it only takes about 30 minutes to do the entire car. Since my car is garaged I find I only need to clay it every spring when I do my major detail for the year. You can use any of the Clay Kits you find OTC, but the Meguiar's Kit seems to be the best value--about $18 for a 200gram bar, clay lube and a microfiber towel.

 

Polish I wouldn't think you would have to polish now if you don't want to, but I use an all in one product like PoliSeal at least once a year, usually at my spring detail, after claying. I apply and remove by hand. It seems to really clean the paint well and take care of any minor scratches, plus it adds a base layer of protection on the paint.

 

Wax/Sealant OptiSeal will be your sealant. You won't believe how fast you can complete the car and the protection lasts for up to 9 months. I put on a coat in the spring and then every 3 or 4 months after that. Before winter I usually put on 2 coats 24 hours apart just to get through the 5 months of snow, slush, salt and sand. Don't forget to do your wheels!!

 

You would be fine if you stopped after this point and washed regularly, but with an additional 15 minutes of work you can add a coat of Optimum Spray Wax that produces an unbelievably incredible shine on light metallic paint (IMO). The first time I used it even my wife was blown away and she thinks of cars much the same as toasters. I find myself adding a coat every two or three weeks bkz it is so simple and quick. And it adds additional protection.

 

Detailer You don't absolutely need a detailer, but I've found the new Optimum Instant Detailer to be the best I've ever used and it is very reasonably priced when you buy the 32 oz concentrate and mix it as you need it. If my car is dusty, but it hasn't rained, I'll remove the dust with a California Car duster and then do a 10 minute once over with the detailer--can save you the time of doing a complete wash. I've never had any scratching (even with the black Audi) using the duster--the trick is to just go over the car very lightly.

 

All in all, I spend very little time on my car. Perhaps a full day each spring to remove winters rath and do the interior, but after that other than regular washings or quick detailing it's 15 or 30 minutes here and there. I constantly get positive comments from friends and strangers and when I sold the Audi after 4 years and 80K miles it had no swirl marks or scratches to speak of. Good Luck!!

 

There are allot of good places on the web to purchase Optimum products so you can usually get a good deal on the price and the lowest shipping charges.

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Many very good replys, but if I may add to the mix by restating that you should have a polisher. A dedicated polisher for a one a year polish on the Cayman is probably not worth the effort, but there is a dual purpose tool that works great with Poly seal. Go to your local hardware store or tool outlet and purchace an innexpensive 5 inch random orbit sander. They cost under $50, and can also be used for general sanding chores. Add to this a foam pad(try to get a lake Country 5 inch orange CCS pad) and you are ready to give your Caymen the look of love.

 

Polishing your car in this way will take under 30 mins, followed by a Opti seal application, and it will look better than when the dealer presented the keys to you. Should you want that extra once of prevention start with a clay rub down. To see if you need clay(I use it as a selling technique for my customers) put your hand in a plastic bag and lightly finger the surface, the paint you belived smooth will have more bumps than a teenagers face that has a diet of Chocolate and Mc D's. Get a clay bar and just do an out of the way section(bottom of door) and compare the before and after.

 

Remember you have invested in a car that most can only dream of, honor those dreams by spending a few hours to start it,s life off in the right direction, or if you don't want to get a professional to do so(personally I love making a car look better than anybody has a right too). Wash, Clay, Poly Seal, Opti Seal, and spray wax can all be done in less time than than it takes to watch a movie, and you will get much more out of it.

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