First thing to do to a "New" used car ???

[nymickey]

After getting t-boned on the driver's side to the extent my car was a total loss ... more importantly I walked away without injuries ... I am faced with buying a "new" used car. I am picking up a 2024 Silver Ford Explorer that is in mint condition. I am a total newbie to detailing.

What would you do immediately to maintain and even improve the finish? Wash and clay it? Wax it? Polish it? Do I condition and protect the leather seats?

All thoughts and product recommendations appreciated!!!

 

[BLM]

First thing you should do is evaluate the condition of the paint. If the paint isn't marred then you don't need a correcting polish but you could possibly use a finishing polish to optimize your shine.

If no polishing needed then I would wash with a decontamination car soap, then clay towel, then wash again, then panel wipe followed by the sealer of your choice and treat afterwards ( when washing) with a detailer/Drying aid/spray wax.
Lots of choices for your products and plenty of good ones. Always read the directions to assure proper preparation/cure times/etc.

One tip I would give is until you decide what will be your go to sealant/wax/detailer don't buy larger quanities of any one product. Buy the smallest size so you can try different products. Products are rapidly changing and being developed. New and better products are coming out all the time.

 

[Desertnate]

First thing you should do is evaluate the condition of the paint. If the paint isn't marred then you don't need a correcting polish but you could possibly use a finishing polish to optimize your shine.

If no polishing needed then I would wash with a decontamination car soap, then clay towel, then wash again, then panel wipe followed by the sealer of your choice and treat afterwards ( when washing) with a detailer/Drying aid/spray wax.
Lots of choices for your products and plenty of good ones. Always read the directions to assure proper preparation/cure times/etc.

One tip I would give is until you decide what will be your go to sealant/wax/detailer don't buy larger quanities of any one product. Buy the smallest size so you can try different products. Products are rapidly changing and being developed. New and better products are coming out all the time.

This is essentially what I do to. Also, Many times I'll purchase the car in times when the weather isn't ideal for doing a full exterior detail, so I'll at least hit it with a sealant I have on hand, or buy some inexpensive, small quantity of a reputable sealant to hold me over until I do more work. I will say with the last 3~4 used cars we've purchased across out immediate family had significant issues with the paint from automated car washes. They all needed to be polished out.

I'll always deep clean the interior because most dealerships do a terrible job on this front. Steering wheels and gear levers are always gross, they need a good vacuuming, and the interior plastics will always need a wipe down with a good protectant since it's highly unlikely the dealership did that either.

 

[yakky]

First thing to do is make sure the dealer keeps their abrasive paws off of it. They are out there, dealers that understand what it takes to keep paint nice, but they are a unicorn.

Second, figure out how much work you want to spend on your car. Detailing tech has evolved a ton and you can keep your car pristine (at least against normal environmental issues) with only a hour or so a month. Or you can obcess and spend day and even nights on chasing perfection.

Third, figure out a plan of attack based on your time availablility. Lots of folks here can help with that.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

First thing you should do is evaluate the condition of the paint. If the paint isn't marred then you don't need a correcting polish but you could possibly use a finishing polish to optimize your shine.

^^^^^ THIS, a thousand times THIS ^^^^^^^
Don't fix what ain't broken but know what it is your fixin'.

 

[Bunky]

And do a test spot!

 

[Optimus Grime]

I am picking up a 2024 Silver Ford Explorer that is in mint condition.

I can’t count the number of cars that have entered my garage the last 3 years but out of them all, many of them brand new, only two have not needed some form of paint correction. If you don’t have the tools to properly examine the paint find a detailer that can do it for you. I had a 10 day old car come in today and the owner thought it was in pristine condition but as soon as I pulled out my detailer’s light I could see all the love marks from the dealership. I’d be willing to be that a light polish, at minimum, is probably in order.