That was my point in my first post. If you get it done professionally once, then you should be able to maintain it yourself after that. It's much easier to learn to detail on a car that does not have significant damage. You'll need a random orbital buffer, a polish, a glaze, a sealant, three pads for the the buffer (two black and a red) and a half dozen microfiber towels. You will also want a quick detailing spray compatible with the sealant. This is really the bare minimum. It is very satisfying to drive a car that looks like it just came of the showroom floor.

 

Life is a learning process, now you got the message. Now you know never to take your new ride to a car wash unless they're going to wash it by hand....especially with an OB coupe. Since you're the new owner and if you've ever done it I'd wash..clay..cleaner/wax your whole car using an orbital buffer if you have one. I remember how bad those scratches used to look when that was the only way car washes worked....nylon brushes.
Gary

 

Same here. Mine sits in the garage all winter but I did wash my GFs new Accord coupe the other day in 30 degree weather, sun was out so it wasnt that cold wearing black.

 

have a local detailing shop do a Stage 1 paint correction...they will polish all the swirls out and add a sealant and wax to bring out the shine again...if the scratches are really bad, then do a Stage 2..good luck

one more thing u shud know about drive-thru carwashs...they can scratch up the lip of your wheels too...and sometimes the size of the wheel well isn't wide enough for the rear wheels we have...thats another lesson u don't want to learn the hard way either..Touchless all the way!

 

Yeah, I'll probably have to go get it done.

Yeah I'll have to buy one of those soon. Any suggestions on a good orbital buffer?

yeah looks like I learned the hard way.


Yeah I'll probably take it to a detailing shop the first time then learn how to detail later.

 

Who in their right mind would take a g through an auto wash..

 

My personal favorite is the Porter Cable 7424 (now 7424XP). I've used mine for 8 years without a problem. There are also ones from Meguiar's, Griots Garage and Flex. Autogeek.net offers some great kits that come with the backing plate (needed to attach hook & loop pads) and multiple pads at good prices.

 

My dumbazz.

Thanks for all the helpful info!

 

From this thread and a buddy's recommendation, I got a 3-stage wax / paint recondition done today.

Slippery paint is fun, Duke's of Hazzard time!!!

He said it would last a year and a half, plus I had no clue what the previous owner did to maintain the paint.

I'm not letting this paint fade and die like my Cougar's

 

I take any car I pay less than $30k thru an auto wash. *shrug*

I'm sorry, but even hand washing grinds dust and dirt particles into your paint, there's no getting around it.

Sure, the plastic spinners at a gas station are evil, so avoid them at all costs. Anything else tho, MUST touch your car to get it clean. Touchless?! High pressure water that can get real dirt off will also blast the surface particles into your paint (even miniscule) so you're screwed either way.

It's physics.

 

Haha of course. If you don't mind me asking, how much did that run you?

 

I paid $99.95 for their Paint Recondition service (they looked at it and said I didn't need clay bar).

Then I had them condition the leather, dash and door panels while vacuuming the interior as well as windows for another $25.

I also tipped the 2 guys $20 each, because the I was in a good mood and the car looks fantastic.

So $165 plus tax. Should have been $125 but the admins I work with wore skirts and that just makes a damn good day

 

haha it's always the skirts . But yes that's not too bad. Thanks for the input.

 

+1 for only hand washing

 

congrats on your new car. Any pics? Yeah only use touchless car washes or hand wash