Two weeks ago I purchased a new car and its metallic pearl white paint work looks wonderful .

 

So I’m wondering whats the best way to keep the paint work looking at its best , I have a lot of free time so I would like to do the necessary work my self.

 

At home I have an electric plug in high pressure power washer , but nothing more to use on my new car .

 

Can some one please suggest the best way to achieve protecting and caring for the metallic pearl white paint work and keeping it looking good , along with any product recommendations.

 

 

Many Thanks.

 

For Thailand,  the best thing is to keep it parked at home,  and still no guarantees it'll stay looking nice. 

Clear wrap, prevents scratches too.

As an owner of many new vehicles over the years, I can assure you that following the first stone-chip, or having your door panel dinged in a supermarket carpark, it won't seem all that important.

 

Meanwhile, consider getting your front bumper and hood wrapped in clear plastic, park it under cover to avoid UV, and apply a teflon coating.

3M ceramic coating is the way to go, look for a reputable car treatment centre, such as JS PRO near you, best done asap to retain that “ new look “.

I wouldn’t attempt to diy anything like this unless you have experience in the business.

 

If you are looking to keep your car in pristine condition on a budget then the normal rules apply.

Cover it at nighttime to stop jingjock or cats making it their bed.

Seek shade whenever possible but avoid parking under trees at all times.

Be that guy and park at the extreme end of the car park to avoid the 8 people in the pickup parking next to you.

 

Someone will be along with product recommendations for diy.

I don't bother doing anything when my truck ever get to be washed by the rain it looks good. ????

I've had a few new vehicles over the years.My old fashioned advice would be to wax it with a quality automotive wax once a year. It will certainly help retain the good look longer.

The average wax lasts around 3 months, but can last as little as a couple or weeks, or up to a year

https://autocarehq.com/how-long-car-wax-lasts-and-when-to-reapply-with-examples/

Park under cover whenever possible, the sun is the worst enemy of paint. Tree sap, bird poo etc. should be avoided.

Clean off road tar with turpentine prior to washing. Wash with clean running water only, car detergents promote corrosion. Use a chamois leather for cleaning, then dry off with the same chamois to avoid water staining.

IMO further treatments are not necessary, modern auto paint systems are a clear coat over the stock color. A clear coat will last for a couple of decades if it is looked after.

Park car under cover , maybe get a cover to put on it if you aren't using it everyday. This will protect against birds hit , tree sap, and if you have exploring cats - they are less likely to scratch the paint.

Wash the car regularly, and apply ceramic coating. I DIY with Armour Shield IX - but there are many reputable places that will apply ceramic coat to your car - prices vary from 5 to 30K - but you should be able to get a good job done for under 10kK 

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Park under cover whenever possible, the sun is the worst enemy of paint. Tree sap, bird poo etc. should be avoided.

Clean off road tar with turpentine prior to washing. Wash with clean running water only, car detergents promote corrosion. Use a chamois leather for cleaning, then dry off with the same chamois to avoid water staining.

IMO further treatments are not necessary, modern auto paint systems are a clear coat over the stock color. A clear coat will last for a couple of decades if it is looked after.

Snap!

I find petrol better than turps for tar removing, and much less labour intensive than clay bar.

Yes - I forgot to mention - drying the car after washing is very important to prevent water spotting. We have very hard water (full of Limestone) and the cars look hideous if left to air dry. After washing I use my garden blower to remove excess water, and then dry with microfibre towels. 

I am a bit OCD with my cars!

3 minutes ago, G Rex said:

Snap!

I find petrol better than turps for tar removing, and much less labour intensive than clay bar.

Yes - I forgot to mention - drying the car after washing is very important to prevent water spotting. We have very hard water (full of Limestone) and the cars look hideous if left to air dry. After washing I use my garden blower to remove excess water, and then dry with microfibre towels. 

I am a bit OCD with my cars!

Petrol is better than turps, yes. However, it is more likely to attack the paint/clear coat, because it's a combination of hydrocarbons and ethanol, making it a polar solvent.

Turpentine is a non-polar solvent, and hence less aggressive.

27 minutes ago, G Rex said:

and much less labour intensive than clay bar.

I find it interesting that no one else has mentioned clay bar.

Clay bar is a must if one to keep the paint looking brand new!

The paint doesn't need to be cleaned with clay bar often.

Just once per year is enough, then followed by a quality synthetic wax product.

The already mentioned advice is all good: keep the car shaded, washed regularly and covered, especially at night if parked outside and not regularly driven .

 

3 hours ago, jaideedave said:

I've had a few new vehicles over the years.My old fashioned advice would be to wax it with a quality automotive wax once a year. It will certainly help retain the good look longer.

If you have the time to wax it yourself then once every 2-3 months. Park under cover too. Once waxed, vehicles tend to stay clean for longer (as dirt less likely to stick) and are easier to keep clean. Avoid washing with strong detergent car shampoos too. 

 

31 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Avoid washing with strong detergent car shampoos too. 

 

Most of higher quality car shampoos are wax safe(er), when are being advertised as such.

Household and laundry detergents are definitely not.

1 hour ago, unheard said:

Most of higher quality car shampoos are wax safe(er), when are being advertised as such.

Household and laundry detergents are definitely not.

You believe advertising?

All cleaning products lower the surface tension of water, irrespective of whether they are "wax safe".

That means increased capability of water to penetrate any crevices in a car body, hence increasing the risk of crevice corrosion. Google it.

It's why I have only ever washed any car I have owned with plain water.

Is it something exotic... or just a Honda or Toyota etc ?

 

If the latter, then its just a car, keep it clean and don’t worry too much about it... 

As Gsxrnz mentioned... after the first stone chip it won’t matter to you so much. 

 

I look after our cars...  but I don’t want to be ‘owned by the things I own’....

 

At a shopping mall get it cleaned...  if you fancy it, get them to wax it while you shop... no need to over think it... 

 

 

8 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

As an owner of many new vehicles over the years, I can assure you that following the first stone-chip, or having your door panel dinged in a supermarket carpark, it won't seem all that important.

 

Meanwhile, consider getting your front bumper and hood wrapped in clear plastic, park it under cover to avoid UV, and apply a teflon coating.

 

When I was much younger and these things did matter to me more than they do today I did own a brand new very beautiful expensive sports car.

 

First thing I did was to wax its surface to preserve its surface. I used the best materials and the softest polish material I could think of.

 

But nevertheless: This was a mistake. If exposed to the sun (and only then, very tiny small scratches became visible, showing the movements of the polishing material). Later on someone told me that different colors have different hardnesses and especially the red used on my car was vulnerable. I wonder until today: If the car is coated from the factory on top of the color layer(s) , how can this happen - and even I am old now: How could one prevent such a thing in the future ?

 

In Germany there is a cleaning service where one single cleaning amounts to about US$ 10'000.-- I guess these guys know how not to spoil the surface. Should be - so there must be some way to have it shiny AND without scratches.

2 hours ago, moogradod said:

When I was much younger and these things did matter to me more than they do today I did own a brand new very beautiful expensive sports car.

 

First thing I did was to wax its surface to preserve its surface. I used the best materials and the softest polish material I could think of.

 

But nevertheless: This was a mistake. If exposed to the sun (and only then, very tiny small scratches became visible, showing the movements of the polishing material). Later on someone told me that different colors have different hardnesses and especially the red used on my car was vulnerable. I wonder until today: If the car is coated from the factory on top of the color layer(s) , how can this happen - and even I am old now: How could one prevent such a thing in the future ?

 

In Germany there is a cleaning service where one single cleaning amounts to about US$ 10'000.-- I guess these guys know how not to spoil the surface. Should be - so there must be some way to have it shiny AND without scratches.

Anyone who has worked in paint will tell you red is the worst color for cars in terms of durability, it starts fading as soon as it gets out of the showroom. As a paint chemist once explained to me, red absorbs more solar wavelengths than any other color, even black.

The best colors for cars to stay looking good are white, silver, and light shades - the ones that reflect solar radiation.

Black is terrible, it shows dirt faster than anything else.

turlte wax !!!

14 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Anyone who has worked in paint will tell you red is the worst color for cars in terms of durability, it starts fading as soon as it gets out of the showroom. As a paint chemist once explained to me, red absorbs more solar wavelengths than any other color, even black.

The best colors for cars to stay looking good are white, silver, and light shades - the ones that reflect solar radiation.

Black is terrible, it shows dirt faster than anything else.

My problem was not about fading (not noticeably) but that after polishing some very small scratches could be seen if the car was parking in the sun. And I did carefully wax the car although a certain minimal pressure could not be avoided to remove the white stain that invariably occurs when you wax it. The "scratches" were not visible in a shaded environment and the brillancy of the color itself did never fade.

 

It should not have. It was a good car. The color was called "rosso corsa" to give you an idea what I am talking about here ????. But you could neither change gears from 1 to 2 within the first 3 minutes after startup of the cold motor, nor were some of the instruments mounted exactly straight. In a Porsche you would call that "manufacturing defect", in my case it was called "character". Maybe the same for the lacquering.

 

 

On 12/5/2022 at 7:58 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

3M ceramic coating is the way to go, look for a reputable car treatment centre, such as JS PRO near you, best done asap to retain that “ new look “.

I wouldn’t attempt to diy anything like this unless you have experience in the business.

 

If you are looking to keep your car in pristine condition on a budget then the normal rules apply.

Cover it at nighttime to stop jingjock or cats making it their bed.

Seek shade whenever possible but avoid parking under trees at all times.

Be that guy and park at the extreme end of the car park to avoid the 8 people in the pickup parking next to you.

 

Someone will be along with product recommendations for diy.

I always park in the emptyist part of the car park but when i get back you can be sure some monster truck has parked right up next to my car.

19 hours ago, Lacessit said:

That means increased capability of water to penetrate any crevices in a car body, hence increasing the risk of crevice corrosion. Google it.

It's why I have only ever washed any car I have owned with plain water.

Do you never use detergents on your dishes either?

What crevice corrosion are you so concerned about?

Yearly: clay bar

6 months: polish

3 months: silicone wax or every 6 weeks carnauba. 

Buy decent stuff. I use Meguiers. Turtle sux