What prodcuts to protect paint on new car
What prodcuts to protect paint on new car
Author
Discussion

Memnon

Original Poster:

27 posts

115 months

Saturday 17th February 2018
quotequote all
Ordered new car.

Dealer offer £370 lifeshine treatment - but I am not convionced about dealer applied finishes.

Happy to do this myself.

What is the optimum sequene - this will be new finish, do I need to leave it before treating. Load of post here about letting solvents 'breathe out' .. but new painst are no solvent based so that seems illogical ....water based paints are baked on.

Do I:
Snow foam
2-bucket wash
Seal
Wax

Some posts mentions using clay (never done this) is it worth doing on new car ?


Then the second part .... what products ...
What sealant (for DIY) ?
What wax ...?

As an asside ... for years have used Collinite fleet wax on my sports boat .... then I tried Maguiars prodcut - so much easier to apply and seems a far better, longer lasting finish .... so would not use Collinite .... agree its almost pure Carnuba wax ... but fI feel there are better technical products out there.


vikingaero

12,435 posts

193 months

Saturday 17th February 2018
quotequote all
If you wash you car every week/fortnight/month then you don't need Lifeshine.

If you need Lifeshine buy it off FleaBay for £30-£40.

If you want to protect your interior carpets/fabric then buy 2 spray tins of Scotchguard for about £7 each.

If you're too lazy to do any of the above then get Lifeshine on the basis that something is better than nothing.

A900ss

3,310 posts

176 months

Saturday 17th February 2018
quotequote all
Interesting post as I’m in the same boat and when the dealer asked me if I wanted it ‘protected’, I immediately thought snake oil.

But thinking about it, I guess Scotchguard could be worthwhile if applied when brand new.

bitchstewie

64,412 posts

234 months

Saturday 17th February 2018
quotequote all
Lifeshine is a £20 product usually applied by dealer valets who tend not to be the best then sold to you for £350.

If you spent that money with a professional detailer you'll get a vastly superior end result both in terms of finish and longevity.

Do that and then you should be into safe washing and drying and using a spray detailer just to keep on top of it.

psi310398

10,668 posts

227 months

Saturday 17th February 2018
quotequote all
I've been using AirGlide Ultimate Shield - http://www.airglideltd.com/airglide-ultimate-prote... - on my cars for a couple of years.

It is an easy two step process well within the capability of a DIYer - easier done with a DA polisher but perfectly doable by hand. From my experience, it has lasted so far two winters on the oldest application (a car kept in the Alps and applied to the wheels too) without blemish or losing lustre.

IIRC, it costs about £60 for the base inside and out kit, which is good for at least two cars. It is not a miracle cure - if the paintwork is blemished or marred it needs a good mopping first, but it does seal and shine beautifully and for a long time.

I have applied this product to my own cars: three Mercedes, two Alfas, one Porsche, one Range Rover and a Jaguar. All have come up brilliantly.

No connection to the business, except as a satisfied customer.

smudgerebt

241 posts

137 months

Saturday 17th February 2018
quotequote all
Local detailer will do a new car prep for not far off same money.

Then you have choice of sealant or wax.

Some may charge more for interior protection, wheel sealant, glass sealant etc.

Blue62

10,308 posts

176 months

Sunday 18th February 2018
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There's loads of options for protecting a new car and a lot depends on your budget and how fussy you are. I had my current car detailed on delivery, detox, cleaned and then had Gtechniq crystal serum applied and 6 months on I'm happy but it cost £600. I would never let a dealer or anywhere near my car, it's a con. If you're prepared to do the work then I'd recommend you join a detailing forum and read up on the process and techniques and then invest £100 or so on decent products and go from there, I have done it many times without a problem and I'm no expert.

Craikeybaby

11,837 posts

249 months

Monday 19th February 2018
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With regards to claying a new car, the metallic paint seemed to sparkle a lot more on my new MX-5 after I clayed it. I'm sure it must have had some thick transport wax on it.

Memnon

Original Poster:

27 posts

115 months

Monday 19th February 2018
quotequote all
smudgerebt said:
Local detailer will do a new car prep for not far off same money.

Then you have choice of sealant or wax.

Some may charge more for interior protection, wheel sealant, glass sealant etc.
As mentioned - Happy to do this myself.
Comments seem to be £30-£60 which is a lot better than £300

Edited by Memnon on Monday 19th February 14:32

Memnon

Original Poster:

27 posts

115 months

Monday 19th February 2018
quotequote all
psi310398 said:
I've been using AirGlide Ultimate Shield - http://www.airglideltd.com/airglide-ultimate-prote... - on my cars for a couple of years.

It is an easy two step process well within the capability of a DIYer - easier done with a DA polisher but perfectly doable by hand. .
Do you wax on top once this has been applied - or relying on just this layer

psi310398

10,668 posts

227 months

Monday 19th February 2018
quotequote all
Memnon said:
Do you wax on top once this has been applied - or relying on just this layer
I generally wax my nicer cars but ignore the snotters! But it's not really necessary, just therapeutic.

A bit of quick detailer wipes the surface down nicely and a wet cloth is all that is needed to deal with birdst.