Brand New Car - Never Fully Detailed before

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mattwillis4

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Hello to all,

So here is my plight. My previous cars I would wash, wax, vacuum and shampoo the carpets, but that's about it. They were all just normal paints and there were no surprises. This past memorial day weekend I purchased a brand new 45th Anniversary 2SS Camaro. It brings several challenges that I'm sure I can find out and around these forums, but the fact I'm trying to get it all at once kinda makes it a big mind blowing. I have attached a picture from the day I bought it before I even drove it off the lot so you can see what I'm working with.

Also keep in mind, I live in South Texas and I live in an apartment with no garage. The sun during the summer here is about 6 inches away from your face when you're outside. So this car has a special color for the special edition known as Carbon Flash Metallic. It's an amazing paint color with metal flake. It also has a medium charcoal/red striping going down the center of the car all the way back.

What would be the best combination of products to use to get the best shine and depth? I'm new to having to deal with the vinyl stripes as well, so what would be the best solution for those. I want to make sure I don't do something stupid and stain them, or have them start peeling up due to improper handling while detailing.

Interior wise, it's all leather. Seats, steering wheel, some of the dash and all that jazz. There I was just going to get some good scotch guard for the floor mats and just use some good leather conditioning for the seats and such to protect them from the south Texas sun.

Finally the wheels and tires. Good ole' Pirellis and some special painted aluminum rims. They are painted deep silver. I've never had painted rims, and I know some tire and wheel-care products are acidic. I would like not to eat away the paint on the rims.

I know this is a lot for one guy to ask up front, I'm just new to detailing and uber car care. Any help will be very much appreciated.

-Thank you to all
 
ps21 wheel cleaner or adams or griots all the better cleaners sonax etc would be safe just read label. vinyl inside is use meguars vinyl x its been around for 25 years since naugahyde era. on a outside strip just keep it waxed up. the quartz type products are a good bet to start out. then i would use either menzerna power lock or collinite 845 insulator wax. just check out the boards for peoples love of those two. i would also get in the habit of using a shop vac or even a metro vacum to blow the car dry . really helps keep swirls off. most people dont use paint cleansers but the new sonax nano one is phenomenal for keeping your ride perfect. your car sounds great just make sure you drive it too.
 
Since it's new and it's outside I'd take a look-see at a good quality car
cover from California Car Covers for starters, until then I'd go to WalMart
and get one of the reflective sun shades to help with the interior. For the
glass you can use Stoners Invisible Glass they also make a product for
tires that I use called More Shine, if I remember right.
 
Work either early in the am or late in the pm

Poorboys World products work great in the Sun

Welcome from Memphis!
 
I would opti coat it if I were in your situation. Beautiful car!
 
Hi from a fellow South Texan!!

Here is what I do to keep a black C6 clean and looking good in South Texas. I prefer a traditional wash but with the ever present water restrictions it's not always an option.

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus (UWWP) for maintaining between washes. I really like UWWP as it has several uses: waterless wash, bug remover (spray the area, let it sit for about a minute, and wipe off the bug remnants), and quick detail spray. I was a big fan of FK425, but then I found UWWP and no longer use FK425. UWWP leaves a great slick, glossy surface.

Optimum No Rinse (ONR) for when my car too dirty for a waterless wash. 1 oz. of product in 2 gallons of water. I also use a 1 gallon Home Depot bug sprayer with an ONR solution to pre-soak panels. You can pick up 5 gallon buckets for washing from Home Depot as well.

All Purpose Cleaner (APC) - I like Optimum Power Clean as it can be diluted for various uses such as cleaning for tires, wheels, door jambs to the interior. Meguiars APC is also popular.

Wash mitt I use for ONR and traditional washes.

Optimum Car Wax (OCW) is great. It leaves a very nice shine and is easy to use. Spray and wipe off. It has UV protection so I use it on my exterior trim as well as it does not stain. I know others have reported streaking issues with OCW on dark vehicles, but I have not experienced the streaking issue. A little OCW goes a long way.

Aerospace 303 is what I currently use for protecting the interior including the leather.

Cobra Jr Microfiber Towels and Ultra Plush Microfiber Towels have served me well. You can also pick up do-not-care microfiber towels locally for general purpose cleaning.
 
The feedback here rules. Thanks again everyone. Pics shall be posted after the first go 'round.
 
Congratulations and good luck with your new Camaro....:props:

For me, the best bang for the buck is Duragloss products.

Wash - Duragloss #901
Cleaner/Polish - Duragloss 501
Sealant - Duragloss 601 Bonding Agent & Duragloss 105 TPP
Spray Wax -Optimum Spray Car Wax
Tire Cleaner - Meguiar's Super Degreaser
Tire Treatment - CarPro PERL
Trim - Ultima Tire and Trim Guard
Wheel Protectant -Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0
Glass Cleaner - Meguiar's Glass Cleaner
Glass Treatment - Aquapel [FONT=&quot]
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1. Clay with ONR lube
2. Blackfire Total polish and seal on an orbital with green CCS pad- this leaves almost no haze
3. Remove with BF poly spray
4. Blackfire crystal seal or BF Wet Diamond
5. Blackfire spray wax or poly spray
 
For the leather you want to avoid "condtioners" and use a protectant instead.

Leather Master Car Leather Protection & Cleaner Kit, Leather Master Leather cleaner, Leather protectant, leather conditioner

or

Ultima Car Interior Clean, Protect & Preserve Kit, interior car care, rubber and vinyl cleaner protectant

Both are the best of the best and will PROTECT from dirt and stains. not just coat your seat with a hydrated, moist look, like a conditioner will.

The Ultima is nice cause you can use it on your entire soft and hard touch interior panels as well as the leather.
 
Railroad said:
Since it's new and it's outside I'd take a look-see at a good quality car
cover from California Car Covers for starters, until then I'd go to WalMart
and get one of the reflective sun shades to help with the interior. For the
glass you can use Stoners Invisible Glass they also make a product for
tires that I use called More Shine, if I remember right.
Click to expand...

I agree and did the same thing with my new Challenger. Keeps the color since the sun doesn't shine on it all day. I purchased my cover from the Dodge Dealer $205 and worth every dollar since it's quality made. It will not scratch the surface.

Since I still have new car smell, I will not use any products on the interior since I keep it clean by vacuming and just using a wet rag to remove any dust buildup.

Congratulations on the new Camaro!!!
 
I agree with a couple others here that mentioned Duragloss. I just bought a brand new ML350 with an incredible paint called "White Diamond". It is suppose to be a five layered German paint and the depth is such that you can almost count each layer. It should be good - it was a $1600 option!

Along with it I have a Honda Ridgeline truck that is seven years old but looks brand new thanks to PoorBoys and Werkstatt for the first two years and Duragloss the last five years. I tried doing the same exact thing on the ML350 as I've done on the Ridgeline and it turned out really good.

Wash with ONR since it was new and not dirty at all.
Clay with mild clay bar (such as Griot) again since it is a new car.
Wash again
Apply Duragloss bonding agent (601) followed right on top by Duragloss Total Polish (105) and let haze. Thin coats of both is ideal. Wipe down both with good microfiber.
Let the car sit in the garage overnight.
Next day give it another coat of 105 and buff off.
Next day apply Duragloss AquaWax as you would a quick detailer. It gives a boost to both shine and protection.

On my Ridgeline these steps have provided protection for up to six months in this terrible Texas sun and heat that you know only too well.

After each wash and to remove dust and bird bombs between washes, you can restore some luster with their quick detailer, Fast Clean and Shine. It is like the famous PoorBoys waterless wash but on steriods as it cleans but also bonds with the sealant you have applied. Once a month, after a good wash, give it a shot of AquaWax. Remember, AquaWax is a true topper meaning it has sealant in it so you should use it sparingly and only on a very clean car.

Some people say you should use Duragloss' pure sealant on new cars (111) and I need to try that some time but 105 has worked perfectly for me so far. They also say you can save a step by mixing 4 parts of 105 to 1 part 601 but I have the time to do it right. If that was the preferred method they would simply market it that way in a mix product instead of selling two different products. Again, I like to experiment so I might try it but at best I consider it iffy because there is no chance for the bonding agent to lay on the paint prior to the application of sealant. I don't know the chemistry involved but it sounds like a compromise to me. Anyway, try Duragloss and you won't be disappointed.
 
You'll love this forum. So much great information and everyone is so nice. I bought a new car last year and have got tons of great feedback. I do suggest that you do your research first and then pick what a good quality basic assortment. I have a fair amount of products so far which can get expensive but its still fun trying different products. Also check out the how to videos which are very helpful. I have a white GTI, but I would start with this basic set up and go from there. I think this stuff is the must have list but still keeping it fairly inexpensive to get you started. I know you said you were in an apartment but you'll see tons of others have the same situation as you and will help

1. The two bucket wash method with grit guards. Don't skimp.
2. wash mitt
3. Good soap, but there are tons to chose from. I like Dodo products because of the smell. Your choice
4. ONR or ultima waterless wash (both can be a quick detailer also)
5. Good quality and a ton of micro fiber, glass waffle weave and the cobra guzzler to dry
6. Swiffer duster will be great for the interior, plus your leather cleaner/conditioner
7. Stoner glass cleaner
8. Clay
9. Collinite 845 cant beat the quality and price
10. If you stay on top of the wheels plain soap and water will be good. I do suggest the Daytona wheel brush

That would be my go to started kit. All that is probably around the $100 mark and you can probably take advantage and get some of this on the buy one get one deals

It will be so overwhelming at first but to start keep it simple. Everyone has their choice of products
 
One thing I have noticed that everyone has neglected to mention aside from washing to protecting the interior is window tinting. I got my car and in less than a month I got the windows tinted. It also helps cool the car in the hot sunhere in Florida. Also it will help protect the leather interior, not to mention make it look good.
:buffing:
 
wdw3082 said:
One thing I have noticed that everyone has neglected to mention aside from washing to protecting the interior is window tinting. I got my car and in less than a month I got the windows tinted. It also helps cool the car in the hot sunhere in Florida. Also it will help protect the leather interior, not to mention make it look good.
:buffing:
Click to expand...

Great point. I had to wait a month for my tinting appointment because I wanted to go to a shop in C-bus that works on high end cars and their wait list is that long. Well worth it. First off, it protects the interior, second it looks awesome, and third, it makes it so much more comfortable inside. I went with the 30% ceramic on the sides and back and a sun strip on the front. Today it was 85 degrees and it's actually cooler to have the windows rolled up because of the ceramic. I would assume that in Texas it would be worth the extra $ for ceramic. Not to mention it holds up better. I don't have one bubble in my tint either. Go to a reputable place
 
lucky472 said:
Great point. I had to wait a month for my tinting appointment because I wanted to go to a shop in C-bus that works on high end cars and their wait list is that long. Well worth it. First off, it protects the interior, second it looks awesome, and third, it makes it so much more comfortable inside. I went with the 30% ceramic on the sides and back and a sun strip on the front. Today it was 85 degrees and it's actually cooler to have the windows rolled up because of the ceramic. I would assume that in Texas it would be worth the extra $ for ceramic. Not to mention it holds up better. I don't have one bubble in my tint either. Go to a reputable place
Click to expand...
I understand there is a completely clear film by 3M called crystalline that blocks heat better than darker films and can be used on the entire windshield.
 
Kinda sucks you got black , Camaro Black paint Swirls just looking at it... Other than that has fun!


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