[charlief1975]

I will say it right of the bat....I am a complete newb when it comes to washing/maintining the exterior of a car. Previous car I only washed...and that was not a quality job, since it was an SUV and got dirty pretty fast, i just cleaned it every week.

So, I got my Mini...and I actually want to be hands on.

After reading the info here, and it was overwhelming, I went and purchased Meguiars NXT wax. I also bought some terry towels to remove the wax.

My car is only 2 weeks old, so I don't know if I am going to see the benefits or a better shine immediatly since the car is pretty shiny as it is.

But I got a couple of questions....

A-What exactly does a Wax do?
B-I always thought wax was hard to put on, this seems simple...whats the difference between Meguiars and turtle wax?
C-How often should I wax the car to keep the shine?
D-How should I wash my car? I am going to do it myself. But what soap, or proper step should i take.
E-How does this affect the invisishield?
F-Any tips so I can get the best out of my car.

I love my Roxie already, a little over 2 weeks and 950 miles and is the most fun i've had driving. My nephew just turned 9 and I am looking forward to the day I can give him the car so he can enjoy it.

Thanks for all the info here and all the great discussions.

[dansmini]

Quote: Originally Posted by charlief1975

I will say it right of the bat....I am a complete newb when it comes to washing/maintining the exterior of a car. Previous car I only washed...and that was not a quality job, since it was an SUV and got dirty pretty fast, i just cleaned it every week.

So, I got my Mini...and I actually want to be hands on.

After reading the info here, and it was overwhelming, I went and purchased Meguiars NXT wax. I also bought some terry towels to remove the wax.

My car is only 2 weeks old, so I don't know if I am going to see the benefits or a better shine immediatly since the car is pretty shiny as it is.

But I got a couple of questions....

A-What exactly does a Wax do?
B-I always thought wax was hard to put on, this seems simple...whats the difference between Meguiars and turtle wax?
C-How often should I wax the car to keep the shine?
D-How should I wash my car? I am going to do it myself. But what soap, or proper step should i take.
E-How does this affect the invisishield?
F-Any tips so I can get the best out of my car.

I love my Roxie already, a little over 2 weeks and 950 miles and is the most fun i've had driving. My nephew just turned 9 and I am looking forward to the day I can give him the car so he can enjoy it.

Thanks for all the info here and all the great discussions.

Not an expert here, but I think wax fills the pores of the car which will help keep dirt out of the paint. Wax also puts a thin layer of protection on the paint to protect against corrosion from water, salt, etc. Wax makes the car easier to clean off and shiny, too. You will be suprised when you wax a small area, just glide the cloth over that area. Then glide it over an area you have not waxed yet. The area you waxed will feel a LOT smoother and the cloth will glide right over it, where the unwaxed area will grip the cloth more. But I think the main reason for it, to me, is the protection it provides to the paint. It is not difficult to apply, it's just time consuming. I know I will take a beating for saying this, but I use Turtle wax, the stuff that's $3-$4 for a can of it. The reason I do this is because it's what my dad uses and his 1994 Dodge Dakota looks brand new and he hasn't even waxed it for a couple of years because he was sick.

[obehave]

Here's a link to a very good site that is chock full of good info. The above link is about "why wax a car"

There's much more to it than just waxing the car. That said though, just waxing is much better than doing nothing.

[tuscan_thunder]

waxing will help put a sheen on the top of the paint. it will prevent stuff like salt, bird s*it etc seeping into, and attacking, the paint.

wax will make the car easier to clean as all this gunk will sit on top of the wax not on the paint.

the best thing to do, if you are really serious, is to speak to a wax manufacturer. they will recommend the best treatment for you car. a good (expensive!), one off treatment will have a long lasting effect and will only really need 'topping up'.

i personally prefer Zymol wax. i think it's better than megulars.

when putting on wax be gentle. you're not scrubbing the car. always make sure your cloths are totally clean with no grit etc.

you should polish the car ever so often (i do every 3 months approx). polish is abrasive and will take off a tiny layer of paint. it also removes all the cr*p which is on the paint.

polish should always be followed by wax. polish will help keep the paint 'fresh' and shiny.
i use auto glym super resin polish.

hope that helps a wee bit