When is a good time to give my TCH it's first wash/wax?
Can/should it be done right away?
I've had mine for 2 weeks, and I think she's about ready for her first bath

Any recommendations on soaps and waxes?

Any other tips?

You'll get a range of opinions, but the common wisdom I've heard and chosen to accept is that waxing a new vehicle is a good idea. If it's literally brand new and rolled off the assembly line recently, I'd give it a little time to "cure" but it ought to be ready. Otherwise, what I did is clay bar my vehicle to remove already accumulated road grit, tar, overspray from passing a striping convoy on the highway, as well as to remove rail dust and other gunk that may have accumulated during new vehicle transport, test drives and showroom display. Then I gave her a good wax job (Maguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax is what my Dad uses on his Torch Red Ford Mustang GT, and I like the look of it -- that and it requires only a thin coat, though you may find you need to apply it more often than other waxes.)

Due to time constraints I only just now got around to doing all of the above. I've had our '06 FEH since March 6, 2006, but she's garaged 85% of the time and I have washed her several times prior (just wash and hand dry on those times, though).

I must say after the clay bar and wax, the paint is as smooth as a baby's bottom and looks terrific. I took photos and will post a few in the Share section. She looks better than she did when I took ownership of her, if that's possible (well, aside from the repaired winshield rock strike right at driver's eye level that I got 4 days after purchase ) Progressive didn't want to replace the windshield due to its size (about the size of the tip of your pinky finger) and I didn't really want to either, since that would break the factory seal. We'll cross that road if we need to later.

I didn't used to have favorite car care products (I took good care of our '92 Corolla, which we still have, but I didn't really look for the "best" stuff), but I highly recommend the whole Maguiar's NXT Generation line of products... They smell wonderful, really bring out the color and shine (my Dad's torch red color literally is painful to look at once it's had a bath!) and are easy to apply.

I splurged and bought a stack of microfiber cloths which I use for all my detailing. I throw them in the washing machine on a heavy duty wash after use (all but the one I use to wipe down the tires, after I learned the hard way that not wiping the excess off led to spray all over my rocker panels and lower doorframe.)

I figure I'll wax maybe 3 to 5 times a year, depending on weather and how the paint feels over time. I'd wax more often if I kept the car outdoors, due to our intense heat and heavy pollen. I wash the car once a month or so, weather and time permitting, but I wash bird mess and such off immediately with Maguiar's Quick Detailer (also smells wonderful).

I don't know if you're familiar with clay bars but I highly recommend 'em. I've been a believer ever since I felt my Dad's Mustang GT, comparing the smoothness of a clay barred panel to one that had not yet been done. Night and day! Doesn't need to be done often and in fact you'll want to wax afterwards as the clay bar removes not only bad stuff but also any wax build-up.

I use Mother's Clay Bar. I don't know if Maguiar's has one, but I've been happy with the Mother's brand for that.

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

How does a clay bar work? What keeps it from scratching if you run it over a piece of dirt? How long does it last?

Sorry for the simple questions, but I have never used one before!

Thanks!

My father introuced me to clay bars and I'm a believer now, at least for preparing a new vehicle for its first wax and for restoring the look of an older vehicle (like my '92 Corolla that doesn't get washed as often as it should), removing things like road tar and the like that are often so difficult to remove.

The clay bar is a sticky, low abrasion clay -- think Silly Putty but stickier. It is not used on the paint without some sort of liquid product to allow the clay to glide over the painted surface. Any grit, tar, etc. sticks to the clay as it's *lightly* rubbed against the paint and the grit gets trapped into the clay itself. You do not clay bar a dirty car -- it should be freshly washed or detailed and I find it should be dry, as well, otherwise the water mixes with and dilutes the liquid lubricant that works with the clay.

Most clay bar instructions suggest kneading the bar periodically, at least once per each body panel, to ensure you're working with clean clay. And if you drop it, it's over -- the stuff it'll pick up from being dropped will scratch paint, unless you manage to drop it on grass or your jeans or something.

Each product indicates how long it'll last. The Mother's Clay Bar I use indicates it's good for 2 or 3 normal sized cars. I figure the bar I have is good for one more clay bar use on my Ford Escape Hybrid, but thankfully clay bar application isn't something you necessarily need (or want) to do often. It's just a good prep for waxing and when you know your paint's picked up grime (run your fingers across your paint....feel the little "catches" as grime hits the ridges in your fingerprints? After clay bar application, your fingers will glide over the paint as if it were wet, clean glass.)

Sites to check out regarding detailing clay bars:

• Autotopia Car Care: Clay Bar
• Proper Auto Care: Clay Bar
• Mother's California Gold Clay Bar System (This is what I use, on our '92 Corolla and our '06 Ford Escape Hybrid. The Corolla's had it done twice in the past 2 years. The FEH just got it done this weekend so I could put on its first coat of wax.)
• CarForums.com: Clay Bars

And there's more on Google...

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

Great posts! Thank you!

Thanks, GeekGal!

If I ever get my TCH, I will keep this in mind...

Glad to provide useful information. That whole AutoTopia Car Care site is worth checking out if you are looking for tips and/or tricks on car care. It's chock full of information. I always forget it's aimed at men until I view a tutorial with photos included (pretty, "perky" female models in many of their photos. )

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

I just got my whole Sonus Perfect Paint Finish kit and P21S Carnauba Wax in the mail today!

Here's something we didn't talk about: SOAP

When I was a kid, I used to use liquid dish detergent (hand wash detergent, not automatic dishwasher detergent). Is this what I should use or should I buy something for cars? (Recommendations please).

^ Loves the smell of Mother's wax.

I recommend waiting a couple of months to wax your car, and be very mindful of the softness of your new paint until then. New paint needs to breathe, and waxing it too soon will seal the paint before it it fully cured.

Clay bars are amazing. I use Mother's.

Never use household soap products, since they will remove wax. Use a specifically-made car washing soap only.

Meguiar's products are all excellent, as well.

Steve Villatoro
www.stevenvillatoro.com
“An enlightened guide to small business mastery.”

Is the $225 clear protectant the dealer offers anygood? I had one on my Jeep and it seemed to be a ripoff.