Well i am getting me a new Cobalt Sport this week or thanksgiving. and i am looking to keep it looking new for some time. so i am looking for some input on what to do to keep it looking like showroom new.

 

Don't drive it for the next 6 months. lol



The usual; wash, wax, tire shine, keep wheels clean from brake dust, vacuum regularly, etc.

 

if you have black, cover it, put it in the garage, and ONLY uncover it to wash it

but seriously, if you keep up something like this it should stay pretty clean:

wash, wax, polish, claybar, etc once every 2 months
polish every 2 weeks
wash once a week.
california duster every day

 

I will tell you right now, if you ever have a problem with dust there is a product that works so dang good. Its called "Heavy Metal" Instant detailing. Bet product ever. Its like anti-static for your car, makes it feel so slick and smooth. I would sex on my car and probably with it as well!

 

I can't recommend that. Polishing works by taking an ever so thin layer of clear coat of the car. Most people only polish and compound there cars twice a year. And really, you shouldn't have the need to polish your car every two weeks if your caring for the paint properly. Also, use of the California Duster on a black car is HIGHLY CAUTIONED. Do you really wanting to be causing dry friction on the surface of a car whose color is the most prone to displaying swirls and scratches?

What I recommend is a good regimen of the two-bucket method, washing with a good quality car shampoo, sheepskin mitt, and drying only with WW MF using the blot dry method. If you use these products, and the methods correctly, you really shouldn't have to worry about swirls and scratches at all.

Polishing is the answer to restoring the damage caused by poor paint care, it is not how you maintain the finish.

So here is my advice to you. Go out and buy the following:

Two 5 Gallon Buckets (one for your wash solution, the other for rinsing your mitt out after each pass)
Genuine Sheepskin Wash Mitt (not the cheap synthetic ones either)
Car Shampoo (I recommend Meguiar's Gold Class)
Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towel (can be purchased from numerous online retailers)
Clay Bar Kit (Meguiar's also sells a decent one that comes with lube and a MF towel)

Remember, swirls are inevitable, but especially on a black car, its about preventing them as much as possible.

Once your car is clayed, layer a good coat of wax on the car for protection. Not to sound like a broken record, but Meguiar's NXT is a good over-the-counter solution for this, and it is up there in quality with some boutique waxes I've used.

For cleaning brake-dust covered wheels that no amount of scrubbing will remove, try Eagle One A2Z or Eagle One All Wheel Cleaner. Its the best over the counter solution I've found to cleaning out the wheels and wheel wells of my cars. I got to experiment with it on an Ion Redline whose wheel wells where brown, tires were even browner, and the wheels themselves were coated in brake dust. All I did was spray down the wheels, tires, and wheel wells and watched the foam turn brown as it sucked all the grease and grime right out of the tire. Then I use a product from Meguair's called Hyper Dressing. It comes in gallon bottles, and can be diluted and used as a tire, engine, wheel well, rubber, and plastic dressing. I just spray the tire, and wheel well liberally with this solution, which looks like milk, then rub it in with a tire swipe. I let it dry, then wipe of the excess with a old MF. The wheels and wells finish to a deep black finish, which really is the key to a clean looking car. Nothing looks worse than a beautiful cleaned and wax car with dirty wheel wells.

Next, run out and get a bottle of 303 Aerospace Protectant. This is a great product. It does the same thing Armor-All does, but it doesn't suck like Armor-All. Use this product on your dash board, door seals, interior plastics, leather, vinyl, hell, it can even be used as a tire shine in a pinch. Plus, it is also a UV protectant, so it keeps the sun from harming interior plastics. It is a great, versatile product that I have found many uses for.

For glass, get yourself a can of Stoner's Invisible Glass (sold in Aerosol cans), and a couple of Microfiber glass towels. If you can't find Microfiber Glass Towels, check out the kitchen isle of your local Wal-Mart. Sometimes, they'll carry waffle weave kitchen towels that many have had success with on glass. Not to mention, there only $2.

This is just a little of my arsenal, and it doesn't really cost all the much. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

 

by polish, i meant quick detailer.

 

Gturismo pretty much nailed it.

If you can spring for one, a foam gun also greatly reduces the chances of wash induced marring since it lays down a layer of soap/lubrication for the mitt to slide over. Plus it also speeds up washing considerably. And, if for nothing else, makes washing fun, lol.
I would also avoid polishing every 2 weeks. For reference, I polish my m3 once a year b/c I use proper wash techniques and quality products Same with clay barring. Once or twice a year is typically all thats needed unless you work in an area that sees an unusual amount of fallout.
Once you start to see considerable swirling or scratching, I'd recommend picking up an ultimate detailing machine, which is an improved version of the porter cable dual action polisher. Very safe to use on your paint, yet has enough power to remove surface imperfections like swirls, scratches, holograms, etc.

 

again, by polish i meant a quick detailer. not machine polishing.

 

yea, sorry, your response wasnt there when I started typing mine

 

it's ok. i should have been more specific

 

Sorry...didn't mean to come off as harsh or question your knowledge, but "polishing" in relation to car detailing means machine or hand polishing the paint with some sort of abrasive compound.

Just be careful, because when you use a term like that, somebody might run out and buy some sort of polishing compound used for wetsanding, then start rubbing it into their paint.

Chris(NJ) is also right. A foam gun, or even better, a foam lance attached to a pressure washer will work wonders in conjunction with a good quality mitt, or if you really want to go all concours, a Boars Hair Brush. But then your getting into a long, arduous washing technique. The mitt and a foam gun should suffice.

It's funny you brought up the UDM, because that's exactly what I have Great little machine it is, other than the stupid power switch that if breathed on the wrong way will turn on and sling polish everywhere...lol. I'm actually testing its abilities on an old Neon, which is scratched, dented, oxidized, and generally in bad condition.

Here is a link to some of the pictures of my progress on the Neon.

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...6&postcount=12

The pictures don't capture it too well, but the trunk lid was swirl city. So bad in fact, that it looked chalky and oxidized. So I went to it with the UDM. After a couple passes from Prima Cut, Swirl, Finish, and Amigo, I was able to get it back to a glossy, deep finish. The only thing that remained were the pitting and deep scratches that were there to begin with.

 

Contact the UDM company. All new UDM's sold are equipped with a new power switch which is FAR less sensitive. I have no problems with mine and havent heard any complaints from customers who I've sold them to. They should be able to provide you with a piece to retrofit at least.
The neon is looking great too! Very nice work. Turnarounds like that can be a blast

 

Well i picked up my car last night and got some products for it today. i got the 3 step Meguiar's cleaner, polish, and protection. I also picked up some quick detailer for the wheels and interior. I will post some pictures this weekend of the finished product.