S
Skant
Guest
I just want to take care of my car and have it look pretty. I want it to be shiny and nice, but I'm not concerned about the next car being just a bit more shiny. Not like I'm going to do car shows or anything.
Reading the various posts and web sites about the topics of cleaning and waxing (and polishing... and glazing... and clay barring.. and...), I'm actually _afraid_ to touch the car now. From what I can tell, all the paint will immediately fall off if I don't carefully apply a 63 step Zaino process over the course of 13 days... and get it just right with the right equipment and procedures...
I asked one of my friends who keeps expensive cars, and he said I shouldn't do any of it myself. I should pay a professional detailer about $500 twice to four times a year to have it done. Because it's too complicated and difficultt to do yourself.
That's pretty expensive.
I mean no offense to Zaino folks or detailers or anything... I'm certain that the big money or complicated pro systems (like Zaino) produce absolutely stunning results that will get you awards at car shows.
But I'm just this average guy that would like to wax my car and be happy, ya know?
Is that possible?
Here's what I'd like to do...
My car is a daily driver. I'd wash my car about once a week (maybe less if I get lazy... no... when I get lazy) with Meguiar's shampoo and conditioner. Simple.
I'd wax the car every three months with Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax product. One step wax. No scary clay bars and stuff. Maybe buy a Sear's orbital thingie to make it easier because I'm lazy.
I've got Meguiar's Quick Detailer I'll use for spot stuff like bird droppings and stuff any time it happens.
Plus I've bought a host of Meguiar's stuff for the interior. Which seems to be pretty easy. Just clean it when it's dirty. Simple.
If I have any problem with scratches or bird dooky that won't come out or weird stuff, I'll take it to a professional detailer for a more thorough job. Maybe do that once per year or two if I think it needs a boost.
I just use regular towels and stuff. No special microfibre stuff. I don't know if they're 100% cotton. I think they're supposed to be.
I'm thinking of buying a car cover and using it when it's parked at work (or I otherwise know it will parked outside for many hours). Mostly because I understand that if you do this you won't have to wash it nearly so often. It seems like using a car cover would be less hassle than washing every week.
So am I doomed? Will my paint be ruined if I take care of my car this way?
It seems like my scheme is a good deal more maintenance than the average joe puts into their car. But compared to what I read on this site, it seems like it's 1/100th of the effort needed to keep the paint from falling off a vette. I'm actually quite nervous.
Is it really that hard/expensive to keep a vette looking pretty?
- Skant
Reading the various posts and web sites about the topics of cleaning and waxing (and polishing... and glazing... and clay barring.. and...), I'm actually _afraid_ to touch the car now. From what I can tell, all the paint will immediately fall off if I don't carefully apply a 63 step Zaino process over the course of 13 days... and get it just right with the right equipment and procedures...
I asked one of my friends who keeps expensive cars, and he said I shouldn't do any of it myself. I should pay a professional detailer about $500 twice to four times a year to have it done. Because it's too complicated and difficultt to do yourself.
That's pretty expensive.
I mean no offense to Zaino folks or detailers or anything... I'm certain that the big money or complicated pro systems (like Zaino) produce absolutely stunning results that will get you awards at car shows.
But I'm just this average guy that would like to wax my car and be happy, ya know?
Is that possible?
Here's what I'd like to do...
My car is a daily driver. I'd wash my car about once a week (maybe less if I get lazy... no... when I get lazy) with Meguiar's shampoo and conditioner. Simple.
I'd wax the car every three months with Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax product. One step wax. No scary clay bars and stuff. Maybe buy a Sear's orbital thingie to make it easier because I'm lazy.
I've got Meguiar's Quick Detailer I'll use for spot stuff like bird droppings and stuff any time it happens.
Plus I've bought a host of Meguiar's stuff for the interior. Which seems to be pretty easy. Just clean it when it's dirty. Simple.
If I have any problem with scratches or bird dooky that won't come out or weird stuff, I'll take it to a professional detailer for a more thorough job. Maybe do that once per year or two if I think it needs a boost.
I just use regular towels and stuff. No special microfibre stuff. I don't know if they're 100% cotton. I think they're supposed to be.
I'm thinking of buying a car cover and using it when it's parked at work (or I otherwise know it will parked outside for many hours). Mostly because I understand that if you do this you won't have to wash it nearly so often. It seems like using a car cover would be less hassle than washing every week.
So am I doomed? Will my paint be ruined if I take care of my car this way?
It seems like my scheme is a good deal more maintenance than the average joe puts into their car. But compared to what I read on this site, it seems like it's 1/100th of the effort needed to keep the paint from falling off a vette. I'm actually quite nervous.
Is it really that hard/expensive to keep a vette looking pretty?
- Skant