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Chonch1224

Chonch1224

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Hello my name is John, I recently leased a 2013 Infiniti G37x Black Obsidian.

I wanted to keep this is the best condition possible for years to come and was told everywhere that Autogeek had all of the answers. I was looking into the starter kits and wanted to get a good idea of what my best option would be to get started. I narrowed it down to the following 3 (but all recommendations welcome). Any advice or help would be great. I cant wait for the weather to break to really give my car the cleaning it deserves.

Wolfgang Fuzion Estate Wax Mini Connoisseur's Kit, Wolfgang Mini Wax Kit, Fuzion Wax Sample Kit

Souveran Sizzling Shine Kit, pinnacle car wax kit, pinnacle wax kit

Klasse All-In-One, Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, Pinnacle Souveran, Pinnacle Crystal Mist Spray Wax come together to create a forum favorite kit.

Thanks and all advice is welcome!!!

John
 
Welcome!

A big question I'd have is what your expectations are on durability? Do you live somewhere with a harsh climate? How often are you do you want to work on your car?

Of the kits you show, the durability of the Klasse products will be much better than any of the Carnauba products on their own. When using the Klasse twins I only have to do my vehicles twice a year. The waxes on those kits probably look great, but may not last very long. I've hear they are great toppers though for any sealant.

You'll also need to include a claybar or equivalent product to ensure your paint is really clean before hiting it with any product.

Do you need to do any correction to the paint? Was the dealer or Infiniti factory kind enough to install swirls in the paint before purchase? The only way your car will look as good as you probably expect is to deal with those swirls. You can polish them out or hide them with a glaze. My vote would be to polish them out.

While the kits are good and provide some savings, I often think they paint a customer into a corner because they don't ever seem to quite have everything I need. I'm a big fan of catching a sale here and then going ala carte.

The main things you should be looking for to use on your new baby:
- Car shampoo
- Clay or clay equivalent
- Polish
- Sealant/wax/coating
- Exterior rubber/plastic trim protectant
- Stuff to apply all the above
 
If it were me, I wouldn't use Klasse stuff. You've come here, try something more boutique. Also, don't forget clay, claying will be the most important step if you plan not to polish.
 
IMO claying is way at the top............. and may the detailing gods be with you in keeping your black car looking good.
 
Chonch1224 said:
Hello my name is John, I recently leased a 2013 Infiniti G37x Black Obsidian.

I wanted to keep this is the best condition possible for years to come and was told everywhere that Autogeek had all of the answers.
Click to expand...


Hi John,

The key to keeping any car's finish looking new and especially a black finish is to be very careful with any way in which the car's finish is touched.

Touched can mean washing, drying, wiping and any other process done to the car like claying or applying a paint cleaner, cleaner/wax, finishing wax or any polishing work.

How good a finish looks and how long a good looking finish remains looking good comes down to how it's touched.

A few articles to get you started.... read this one first and follow the steps which include inspecting the paint both with your sense of touch and visually to find out what if anything is wrong with the pant and IF something doesn't pass these two test the rest of the article walks you through what to do.

How To Detail Your Brand New Car by Mike Phillips


Then, after you get you car exactly how you want it to look, NEVER let anyone else wash it except for you. OR hire a qualified detailer, like a detailer that hangs out on this forum, and hire them to wash/maintain the car for you.


Click this link and DEFINITELY follow the recommendations....

DON'T WASH CAR !!!!!!!!!!!



Here's another good one....

"Black is not a color, it's a full time job"


And another....

Clearcoats are Scratch-Sensitive



Then get yourself a simple dual action polisher like the Porter Cable 7424XP, some 5.5" foam pads and a 5" backing plate, some quality polishes and waxes, (don't skimp on polishes), and learn to wash and dry your car carefully.

:)
 
If it were mine, I'd wash it and inspect it and if the paint feels clean and smooth and it passes the baggie test.

And if the paint is relatively swirl free.

Then I would coat it like I did this Corvette that passed the baggie test and was swirl and scratch free.


How to detail a 2014 Corvette Stingray


Prep paint for coating
Here you can see the residue covering the car everywhere the Surface Cleansing Lotion was applied by machine. For a few of the tight ares like the fresh air intake louvers on the hood, around the tail lights in the back and the vent areas on the sides of the car.


2014_Stingray_008.jpg



Coated...

2014_Stingray_020.jpg





:)
 
Welcome to Autogeek !!!!

Here my friend you will find all the info and knowledge you need to know on how to properly care for your car. Between all the friendly advise from All the members to the expert advice of Mike Phillips, you will be able to dive deep into this great hobby, that can easily become an obsession.

Mike's book is great way to acquire the knowledge on products, tools and techniques for what you want to achieve.

Simply put though these are the steps that you want to focus on for dramatically improving the look of your ride.

Proper Wash
Decontamination
Polishing
Protection

Start educating your self based on these 4 steps.... I'm sure you will enjoy the results but you will also Enjoy the journey...
 
Thanks for all of the help and information everyone! I really appreciate it, like I said it is brand new because it was a Lease so Im hoping (guessing) that The paint should be in great condition from the start, only problem is this crazy winter in PA.

I will post some pics of before and after once I do my research and the weather breaks so I can actually go get it cleaned properly.

Thanks again!
 
Oh and as much as I LOVE the way the black looks clean, maybe I should have went with the Graphite Shadow instead haha
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Hi John,

The key to keeping any car's finish looking new and especially a black finish is to be very careful with any way in which the car's finish is touched.

Touched can mean washing, drying, wiping and any other process done to the car like claying or applying a paint cleaner, cleaner/wax, finishing wax or any polishing work.

How good a finish looks and how long a good looking finish remains looking good comes down to how it's touched.

A few articles to get you started.... read this one first and follow the steps which include inspecting the paint both with your sense of touch and visually to find out what if anything is wrong with the pant and IF something doesn't pass these two test the rest of the article walks you through what to do.

How To Detail Your Brand New Car by Mike Phillips


Then, after you get you car exactly how you want it to look, NEVER let anyone else wash it except for you. OR hire a qualified detailer, like a detailer that hangs out on this forum, and hire them to wash/maintain the car for you.


Click this link and DEFINITELY follow the recommendations....

DON'T WASH CAR !!!!!!!!!!!



Here's another good one....

"Black is not a color, it's a full time job"


And another....

Clearcoats are Scratch-Sensitive



Then get yourself a simple dual action polisher like the Porter Cable 7424XP, some 5.5" foam pads and a 5" backing plate, some quality polishes and waxes, (don't skimp on polishes), and learn to wash and dry your car carefully.

:)
Click to expand...


UPDATE:

Well on Friday I went out and spent about 5 hours on a wash, clay, lotion, and waxing my car. I posted few before and after pics as well as what i used. My first time ever doing everything. Curious to see what everyone thinks or where i can improve!

Thanks!

20140321_092721.jpg



IMG_20140321_154323.jpg


PhotoGrid_1395430831369.jpg


Thank again for all of the info and tips!!!
 
Nice job........ couldn't tell by the pictures (old eyes) but I hope you got some clay...... also, good protection as in a sealant should be applied before a wax.

The main step is the first one as mentioned by Mike, that's to be sure the paint is ready.......... meaning are there any swirls, scratches, surfactants etc. Get a plastic baggie (or any piece of thin plastic) and put your hand inside the baggie..... very lightly run your plastic baggie with your hand inside and see if it feels smooth or if it feels like craters on the moon or somewhere in between.
If it feels smooth, congratulations....... and best of luck keeping it that way. You'll need loads of time keeping a black card looking good. That's one of the things about a black vehicle, when they're detailed properly, there's probably no other vehicle that looks better, however, if it's not spotlessly clean and shiny then it shows the neglect more than any other car.
My black interior keeps me busy enough...... and I don't drive more than 6K yr. and still spend about an hour (or more) per week keeping it clean and it does make me smile when I don't see those little white flecks of dust.
Welcome and best of luck.
 
Hello my name is Al I'm looking to buy a newer DA or rotary. I'm looking at flex. I have the old G100 port a cable. I would like any help in which buffer I should buy. Thank you in advance for all your advice.
 
Hi John!
:welcome: to AGO!:detailer:

This is just the first stage of total insanity called AutoGeekitus.

A couple notes. Ditch the microfibers in that pack for paint use, relegate them to interior and wheel duties. Then look up retailers that sell 360 GSM towels as a BARE MINIMUM. Get yourself a couple dozen, enough for a decent washer and dryer load. Maybe a few waffle weave towels for drying.

I saw you have a power operated "wax spreader" there in your photo. That sure beats using you fingers and a foam pad, but will do NOTHING to buff your paint. And unless you're very careful with it, you'll end up instilling swirls more often than not, because there are not any decent foam pads available for it, (like say Lake Country) only over the counter fake sheepskin, terry cloth, and cheap microfiber "bonnets" for it.

Heed the advice of either getting clay, or better yet, check out Nanoskin, it's here in several form factors. You can get a pad that'll fit a buffer (like the PC or the GG6), or a foldable towel, or individual fine and medium units that'll fit in your hand. (I have the pad and the hand held ones and LOVE THEM!) I haven't used clay on the major surfaces of a vehicle in over a year now since I started using Nanoskin. :dblthumb2:

I'll also throw my vote in here for regular use of a sealant. Forgot about carnauba wax, it's great for weekend car shows, but if you want something that'll last, give a LOT better protection, and looks great.... use a paint sealant.

But most of all....
Learn to enjoy all the unending time you'll be spending in the garage taking care of that black paint! :D
 
cardaddy said:
Hi John!
:welcome: to AGO!:detailer:

This is just the first stage of total insanity called AutoGeekitus.

A couple notes. Ditch the microfibers in that pack for paint use, relegate them to interior and wheel duties. Then look up retailers that sell 360 GSM towels as a BARE MINIMUM. Get yourself a couple dozen, enough for a decent washer and dryer load. Maybe a few waffle weave towels for drying.

I saw you have a power operated "wax spreader" there in your photo. That sure beats using you fingers and a foam pad, but will do NOTHING to buff your paint. And unless you're very careful with it, you'll end up instilling swirls more often than not, because there are not any decent foam pads available for it, (like say Lake Country) only over the counter fake sheepskin, terry cloth, and cheap microfiber "bonnets" for it.

Heed the advice of either getting clay, or better yet, check out Nanoskin, it's here in several form factors. You can get a pad that'll fit a buffer (like the PC or the GG6), or a foldable towel, or individual fine and medium units that'll fit in your hand. (I have the pad and the hand held ones and LOVE THEM!) I haven't used clay on the major surfaces of a vehicle in over a year now since I started using Nanoskin. :dblthumb2:

I'll also throw my vote in here for regular use of a sealant. Forgot about carnauba wax, it's great for weekend car shows, but if you want something that'll last, give a LOT better protection, and looks great.... use a paint sealant.

But most of all....
Learn to enjoy all the unending time you'll be spending in the garage taking care of that black paint! :D
Click to expand...


Wow first off Thank you everyone for the feedback, very much appreciated!


Cardaddy - Lots of useful info there like I said I am just getting started, I just picked up a Porter Cable 7424xp NIB for only $100. I also am about to invest in the following:

-Klasse ALL-IN-ONE Polish
-Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze

I think these will work really well from what I ready to remove the very minor "scratches" from teh last 4 months of wear in the winter on the car. Also as you said give it some great protection. I will use the wax on top of these.

I did in fact clay the car before hand which worked INCREDIBLY. I was honestly shocked by what was on my "New" car.

With everything said I know need to figure out which pads to get for what I want, any suggestions?

Thanks again
 
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