General Protective coat

[suzey]

I know my baby is only a couple of days old ..but am wondering when I need to wash it for the first time...have already carefully removed a couple of very small marks ...is there a good protective coating I could use to protect it?

You have kindly advised re the cleaning regime...presume that is all I need to do,but just wondered if there was anything in particular I could use in the first instance for extra protection.

This question has been sparked off by my colleague at work who kindly told me yesterday that although she luvs her 500 the paintwork is rubbish and scratches really easily She did go on to say that she does a lot of driving down narrow country lanes. My Fiesta got scratched easily, even catching the hedge at my friends house ..made a mess of the paintwork....but do not want that happening to my Bluebelle

 

[Midlife Crisis]

I can't help with product but after the other recent post I am seriously considering getting someone to 'detail' my car shortly after it arrives in the hope I can keep it looking great.

When I do the school run I have to go down a narrow country lane and am terrified at the prospect as all these women in their huge 4x4s tend to force everyone else into the hedges My old banger estate has suffered but don't care as it is so old anyway. Can see myself being too scared to take my 500 on the school run as a result and will continue to use the beaten up car which is a shame.

Don't even get me thinking about the nightmare which is the supermarket car park Perhaps a big old duvet wrapped around the car is the answer

 

[suzey]

Midlife Crisis;2242232]I can't help with product but after the other recent post I am seriously considering getting someone to 'detail' my car

Whats that ?

Don't even get me thinking about the nightmare which is the supermarket car park Perhaps a big old duvet wrapped around the car is the answer

I know what you mean...I am terrified of getting Bluebelle marked/scratched...I work on a site where there are lots of trucks and heavy vehicles and takes me ages to park on a morning trying to find a space to avoid them ..never been so protective over a car before

 

[Midlife Crisis]

I have never had a new car before so will be just as protective.

Take a look at the 'car care' section as the thread about detailing was moved there recently. Lots of useful info about getting this done - hadn't heard of it either myself. These guys will remove all the blemishes and gunk that is on your car after it has been in transit and treat it with something to protect it. That is my understanding anyway

 

[306maxi]

I can't help with product but after the other recent post I am seriously considering getting someone to 'detail' my car shortly after it arrives in the hope I can keep it looking great.

When I do the school run I have to go down a narrow country lane and am terrified at the prospect as all these women in their huge 4x4s tend to force everyone else into the hedges My old banger estate has suffered but don't care as it is so old anyway. Can see myself being too scared to take my 500 on the school run as a result and will continue to use the beaten up car which is a shame.

Don't even get me thinking about the nightmare which is the supermarket car park Perhaps a big old duvet wrapped around the car is the answer

My solution is just to not move over. Drive slowly in the middle of the road and they will stop

 

[Midlife Crisis]

My solution is just to not move over. Drive slowly in the middle of the road and they will stop

That has been my tactic up to now as figure they don't want to scratch their precious 4x4 and I don't care about my old Merc. HOWEVER, when I am in my new precious car maybe I won't be so brave

 

[MissR]

I was going down a narrow lane to school. I now drive and extra 2 miles to avoid it, lol. x

 

[suzey]

The Sky man has just let after installing Sky plus and I watched him like a hawk walking past Bluebelle with his ladders ..................

Do you think we all need therapy

 

[Midlife Crisis]

the sky man has just let after installing sky plus and i watched him like a hawk walking past bluebelle with his ladders ..................

Do you think we all need therapy :d

most certainly!!!!:d

 

[Lloyd71]

Whats that ?

It's a fancy term to a proper thorough clean, including a polish if necessary to remove any dealer damage to the paint.

If you think you're protective of your cars, try being into detailing as well as driving a 500! I get terrified when anyone so much as looks at it! The Detailing World forums are full of stories about people being really protective of their cars, some go as far as washing them only with distilled water from a bottle.

As for my car, despite being into detailing I scrape the left mirror on a hedge almost every morning backing off my nan's drive way and when my grandad gets out of the car after going shopping he opens the door straight in to the same hedge with a proper bang and scratching sound. But I've not found any deep scratches on it yet!

 

[pearce_jj]

For me it's AutoGylm resin polish followed by 'extra gloss protection' (hard resin based polish basically) every six months approx.

Bog standard TurtleWax "wash'n'wax" in between.

 

[Lloyd71]

EGP won't protect it for six months though, so you're probably best off re-applying every few months or so.

Mine's currently wearing Dodo Juice Light Fantastic with Dodo Supernatural layered over the top of it. I tend to strip it all off and clay the car every 3 months just to keep it looking pure white, then re-layer with either Supernatural or Finish Kare 1000P if it's winter time.

I've got a few waxes and sealants to choose from though so it's always interesting to see how long they all last! I might give the car a layer of Lusso Revitalizing Creme before the Supernatural next time for a bit more bling!

 

[MissR]

EGP won't protect it for six months though, so you're probably best off re-applying every few months or so.

Mine's currently wearing Dodo Juice Light Fantastic with Dodo Supernatural layered over the top of it. I tend to strip it all off and clay the car every 3 months just to keep it looking pure white, then re-layer with either Supernatural or Finish Kare 1000P if it's winter time.

I've got a few waxes and sealants to choose from though so it's always interesting to see how long they all last! I might give the car a layer of Lusso Revitalizing Creme before the Supernatural next time for a bit more bling!

Lol you're a nerd just like my fella

 

[sharpyboy]

I was going down a narrow lane to school. I now drive and extra 2 miles to avoid it, lol. x

You still going to school MissR...... you must be younger than i thought

 

[ads abarth]

I use the exrta gloss too, but whatever you have it's near impossible to keep that new look. If you keep using polish say every month, then it will wear through the paint at some point.

Try to use just warm water with the wash wax when washing the car, as hot water strips off the silicone polish.

Bug strikes are my nightmare, they fuse themselves on, does anyone have a tip to get them off without polish or hot water? Perhaps I should paint a big fly swat on the bonnet, they would fly away from the car before I hit them then :chin:

 

[mightydquinn]

well mine gets a wash every wee:idea:k at least.
to keep all tar marks off
and i keep wheels really clean
regular polish autoglym
i also use minute wax when i only got 2 hours
and this is just my van:worship:
I used to wash my yellow car every day at work untill i got a verbal warning as they were on a meter.

 

[306maxi]

regular polish autoglym

You do realise that polish is abrasive and just wears away at the paint right?

 

[elsie]

we weren't intending on washing our 500 just yet, it was still pretty clean but then this morning our neighbour decided to wash her can in the driveway next to ours and managed to spray soapy water all over the side of our car. :bang:
on the drive into town i spent the whole time sitting in the passenger side cringing over the millions of marks over the whole side and glass roof too
managed to clean it off but all the soapy water marks on the chrome mirror and door handle were a pain.
i guess there's no protection from your neighbors :shakehead:

 

[306maxi]

we weren't intending on washing our 500 just yet, it was still pretty clean but then this morning our neighbour decided to wash her can in the driveway next to ours and managed to spray soapy water all over the side of our car. :bang:
on the drive into town i spent the whole time sitting in the passenger side cringing over the millions of marks over the whole side and glass roof too
managed to clean it off but all the soapy water marks on the chrome mirror and door handle were a pain.
i guess there's no protection from your neighbors :shakehead:

Well tbh she's free to was her car whenever she wants to You car will get dirt when it rains, when there's crud over the road etc etc so to get a bit of soapy water on it is the least of your worries. At the "height" of summer I'd wash the car and then after one trip to work and back it was caked in dead insects.

 

[amen]

I know my baby is only a couple of days old ..but am wondering when I need to wash it for the first time...have already carefully removed a couple of very small marks ...is there a good protective coating I could use to protect it?

You have kindly advised re the cleaning regime...presume that is all I need to do,but just wondered if there was anything in particular I could use in the first instance for extra protection.

This question has been sparked off by my colleague at work who kindly told me yesterday that although she luvs her 500 the paintwork is rubbish and scratches really easily She did go on to say that she does a lot of driving down narrow country lanes. My Fiesta got scratched easily, even catching the hedge at my friends house ..made a mess of the paintwork....but do not want that happening to my Bluebelle

My advice is wash often (by hand) if possible. This way the surface is kept clean and contaminants dont stay on your finish for 2 long.
When and if you decide to use pastes or liquids, do so by applying with a foam pad, and remove with a microfiber towel. Or a really good terry cloth towel make sure its 100% cotton though. Take the first layer of "paste" off using one side, and turn to the other sides for the final wipe off.
If your gonna use a terry cloth, make sure its in new condition. If its worn it will scratch your finish. Never ever do this while the car is in the sun or has been running for a while.
Now as far as what to use; pick whatever brand you like, as long as it does the job.
First you want to use a paint cleaner to get ride of contaminants and stains that might be on the finish. I'm assuming you dont have any of this cause its a brand new car.
2nd Use a polish- It does what the name implies.
3d wax. The wax seals the polish and shine onto your finish, and protects it from the elemnts.
4th Ureathane formulations do all of the above, but without being great at something in particular.
All this can be done by hand or by orbital machine.
You will know when its time to re-treat when the "beading" from the surface of the car starts to fade. Beading is a term used to describe the shape of the water as it sits on the surface of the car than has been waxed or polished.
one last thing, for scrathes that are a bit deep, I use 3m scratch remover. Its amazing! Dont however expect it to remove key marks or really deep scratches that you can put your fingernail in.
Thats it