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Loving it!

4K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  Njbuchick 
#1 ·
I just hand washed my car for the second time and I really enjoy it! I want to do more. (ie: wax, polish, anything else to enhance the look of my car :D) I don't know a ton about it because this is the first newer car I have owned so I'm looking for tips, tricks, suggestions on products to further enhance the look of my paint and car.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Things I have used on the Malibu

I clayed it right after we bought it. Yea it is new but the paint had some rough sections and brown specks which the clay took care of.

I have used Meguiars Deep Crystal and Ultimate Washcar wash on it and I think the Ultimate Wash is a little better.

I have used Meguiars White Wax and Ultimate Wax and while both were good the Ultimate Wax was better at cleaning if there were any small spots left on the paint but the Ultimate Wax has a better shine.

On the wheels and tires I use Meguiars all wheel and tire cleaner and damn that stuff works great.
I then use Meguiars Hot Wheels tire shine.

On the inside I have used Meguiars Quik Interior Detail and also the Natural Shine detailer. The quik detailer is a cleaner only and does not leave any shine. The natural shine is perfect on the Malibus interior. Non greasy and not super glossy but adds a nice shine.

On the glass I like Stoner's Invisible Glass.

Wal-Mart always has the best prices on these products.

No, I don't work for Meguiars I just like using their products since they are easy to find, good priced and work great.

You have a black car which shows scratches easily and can ruin the look of the car quick. Just make sure your towels rags or whatever are clean and I would use the 2 bucket car wash method (I know I should too on ours but I admit I don't) to try and minimize scratches and swirls.
 
#3 ·
Great info! Thanks!
I also use Natural shine and Stoner's Invisible glass.

I used Meguiar's all wheel and tire cleaner for the first time last night and it worked amazing! But I was very nervous when doing it. I didn't know what it would do to the plastidipped rims. I didn't spray it on the wheels but I sprayed it on the tires and some over spray went on the wheels. Didn't do anything that I could tell. I just use soapy water and a micro fiber cloth to clean the rims.

I recently seen a product I might try called BDP (Brake Dust Professional). It's a no-touch rim cleaner. Suggested for plastidipped rims.

Yes, there are a few scratches on my car. :( But it happens.

So say I wanted to clay bar my car and give it a nice wax. Is it just that simple. 1) Clay Bar 2) Wax Or is there more to it?
 
#4 ·
OH, and I will be using the two bucket method soon. I'm ordering grit guards for a couple 5 gallon buckets.
 
#6 ·
I was able to skip steps 2 and 3 in DD's list because our car is scratch and swirl free, the color helps cover any up also.
The Meguiars Ultimate Wax is not a regular wax like carnauba but a synthetic wax/ sealant so steps 4 and 5 were like a combined step.

I have used the ultimate compound in the past on our 06 Malibu (Dark Ming Blue) and my old 97 Cougar (Alpine Green) with an orbital buffer and it really helped on the scratches especially on the Cougar. After applying Ultimate Wax on top they looked great. The Cougar really shined compared to before.
 
#8 ·
Yeah white helps a lot. Black shows everything. So I will probably do steps 2 and 3.
 
#10 ·
Hand washing is the best ! Car washes are fine for removing salt in the winter, otherwise you're simply moving the dirt around on the car. I always stayed away from automatic car washes too. I can imagine the debri that accumilates on those brushes can mess up your paint if they are'nt properly maintained. You also get a great workout and burn alot of calories!
 
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