I have to leave my new Expedition in the driveway (in Georgia) and I want to protect it from the sun whichout using a cover of some sort. Is there a wax or simlar product that would help? Or some regular routine in cleaning that I should follow?

 

Without physical protection your best bet is regular cleaning and periodic wax jobs.

Wash the car with plain warm water and maybe some car wash soap every week or so or when it gets really dirty.

Wax the car at least 2 or 3 times per year. The way I know that I need to wax is when the water no longer beads up as well as it used to. You should have bazillions of small beads of water versus big puddles or long streams of water on the paint, you know the wax is dead when the water just soaks into the paint, ewwh.

Most of the quality waxes will do a good job. I personally prefer a good carnuba paste wax for serious cleaning/waxing. Then I use a good liquid carnuba wax for in between touch ups. I like Classic but have had trouble finindg it lately.

I have heard that Meguires Gold Class wax is very good, it is not clear to me if it is carnuba or silicone based, but like I said it is supposed to do a good job. I will know when I wax my truck next time since I just bought a can.

Some people shy away from silicones since they have a tendency to cause streaking and once the silicone is on it kind of soaks into the paint and is difficult to remove. I don't know, that is what I read and heard. Most owners wouldn't notice the difference.

For a really good cleanup, use a clay bar to remove all the little bits of junk that stick to your paint. Then do a good wax job. You can feel the bits of junk on your paint when you wash your car. Just run your hand over the hood while it is wet, you will feel the bits. Clay removes these and gives a very smooth shiney surface for the wax to lay on.

You can over wax a car, especially if you use a cleaner wax. I once waxed a car every weekend for the 4 years I owned it. The shine was beautiful and if you laid a dry towel on the hood it would slide off. But, you could see primer grey on sharp surfaces where I had rubbed the paint thru.

In winter when the weather is nasty, I will usually run thru a soft scrub car wash, or a touchless wash. If the wax on the truck is good, the detergents won't hurt things much. It is the nylon brush type washes that scratch the paint, so avoid those.

A good car cover can be worthwhile and will save you a lot of washing and waxing. I have heard the types that use Noah fabric are excellent and repel rain and still breathe. Be sure to use a lock, I have had one cover stolen and one attempt that failed do to a steel cable and lock.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

VPW: You may wish to visit www.meguiars.com. They provide a free service which is a car care formula designed for your car and your climate. It is an education at the least.

Russ

 

I agree with Jim on everything he said, but I want to clarify one statement: you can't overWAX a car, but you can definitely overPOLISH it. Yes, there is a difference. Waxing is done to preserve and protect a finish, polishing is done to revive an old and faded finish. I just want to cry when I see someone get out polish and go to work on a brand-new vehicle. Then they wonder where the swirl marks came from. Any "wax" that dries in 10-15 minutes after it's applied has polish in it, and shouldn't go anywhere near a new paint job. The wax you use on a new vehicle should take several hours to set up before it's removed. Look for Classic, Excalibur, or Maguiar's #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax. Avoid Rain Dance, Turtle Wax, Nu-Finish, Rally, etc...

 

Thanks one and all!

 

There are many products out there that you can use. How much time are you willing to spend cleaning your truck? How do you want it to work? Do you want something easy to work with so you dont lose an elbow buffing it off? lol Here is what I would do:

1) Wash / Dry or use Spray & Wipe
2) Clay the paint and glass/chrome
3) Scratch/Swirl removal
4) Polish
5) Wax/Sealant

From there its all just maintaining all your work which is easy. Just make sure you spend the time on the prep work ( steps 2-4 ). Prep work is the most important to me when working on clients or my own vehicles.

Cujo

 

Cujo,

You lost me with the clay thing. Is there a brand name?

Are these steps good for a 5 year old and 20 year old vehicle?

Thanks

 

VPW

Yes, you can use this prcedure on a car you just drive off the lot as well. Claybar is basically used to remove contaimants, over-spray and such off your paint to give it a very silky smooth feel. I was amazed when I brought my truck home from the dealer and clayed it. It was night and day. The stuff I use is very safe on all types of finishes including boats. The thing to remember is that you dont want to polish too much because that will take away from your clear coat and then damage your paint. Polish only once, maybe twice a year. For the first time however, really spend the time on it to get the paint * rejuvenated * as I like to say

The clay I use most often is the Poorboy's and Clay Magic. Mother's has a nice bar as well that you can get in most, if not all car parts place. Comes in a kit for about 20-25 bucks.

Cujo

 

Wow. A whole new world!

 

Yes there is a difference between waxing and polishing. The gotcha is that many "waxes" also have polish in it, that is how I "waxed" the paint off of my old TA.

Liquids usually have less polish in them. Good quality waxes usually will state on the can whether it is wax or cleaner wax.

I personally don't care for some of the "modern" paste waxes, like Raindance etc. They set up on the paint and are really hard to buff off. A good wax will make a thin haze and wipe off really easy.

A new product out there is a spray on wax. I haven't tried it yet but hear it is very good and easy to use. I have a bottle I got for free but haven't tried it yet.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Jim is correct, if you just want to wax your ride for the upkeep then do NOT use the "Cleaner Wax" as that does contain mild abrasives. Only use a pure wax or sealant. Try to use a cleaner wax or polishing twice a year. Your best bet is to do all the prep work up front ( compounds, polishes, wet sanding ), so all you have to do is put your protectant on. Each year strip it all off and do a 3-4 step process to keep your paint at its best.

Cujo