New car prep

[JLD8BMW]

I'm picking up my black sapphire 128i this week via PDC. Leaning towards Blackfire Wet Diamond products. Couple of questions for any Blackfire fans:

1. What product do you use to wash the car that will strip the mfg. applied sealant? -assume they put something on car.

2. Assume I'll do a lite clay. Yes?

3. Do I need to apply Blackfire gloss enhancer prior to applying the Blackfire sealant?

I would like to spend some time on the road getting closer to 1200 miles, but want to get off to a good start. Thanks

[Detailers Domain]

you want to

wash
clay
polish or pre clean your paint
wax or seal

what color is your car?

[rsjean]

To strip off anything on the paint prior to doing your work a lot of detailers have recommended simply to use Dawn liquid dish detergent.

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Originally Posted by JLD8BMW

I'm picking up my black sapphire 128i this week via PDC. Leaning towards Blackfire Wet Diamond products. Couple of questions for any Blackfire fans:

1. What product do you use to wash the car that will strip the mfg. applied sealant? -assume they put something on car.

2. Assume I'll do a lite clay. Yes?

3. Do I need to apply Blackfire gloss enhancer prior to applying the Blackfire sealant?

I would like to spend some time on the road getting closer to 1200 miles, but want to get off to a good start. Thanks

I'd suggest cleaning and protecting it as soon as you can. This will help preserve the finish and make future cleanings easier.

Washing & Drying
Washing and drying is critical to the appearance of your vehicle. Most swirls come from this process so it's important to use good techniques and quality products. To safely remove any left over glaze, sealant or wax on the surface I recommend washing with a product like the Chemical Guys Citrus Wash. Just wash with it and you will start with a bare surface and it's a great washing solution on top of that. For your wash medium I recommend the DI Accessories Sheepskin Wash Mitt or the [url=http://www.detailedimage.com/Lake-Country-M7/Blue-Grout-Sponge-P293/]Lake Country Blue Grout Sponge[/url. Both are paint safe and will work great. For drying the DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel is a great choice and a must have in my opinion. This towel is super absorbent, washer safe and paint safe.

Clay Bar
This is a great way to make sure the paint is really clean before polishing and protecting it. The DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo is a great value for this step.

Polish
Polishing on a new car is not a must, but it certainly helps. I recommend either a chemical polish or a light polish. The Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish (with Glaze fillers) is a good choice to help further clean and shine the paint. If you want to remove some light swirls I'd suggest either the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 or the Menzerna PO106FA Nano Polish (Super Finish). Both will help really bring back a great shine and they will be even more valuable down the road when the car has more miles on it.

Protection
- Sealant
The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger is a great sealant that I highly recommend. It looks outstanding and provides very strong protection on any color paint. It applies with ease so the application is quick too.

- Wax
The sealant will provide all the protection and shine you need. However if you want more you can layer a wax on top of it. The Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba Paste Wax is a great choice especially on darker colored paints. The Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax is another great choice that is also a great value.

Microfiber
I hand remove all of these products with quality microfiber towels. I would suggest getting 5x - 10x of the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. It's paint safe, washable and highly effective at removing the left over clay lube, polish, sealant, etc.

If you have any other questions please let me know I'd be happy to help. Don't forget we are offering 20% off through midnight tonight (9/30) EST sharp with the coupon code Fall2010. Take care!

[JLD8BMW]

Originally Posted by Greg@DetailedImage

I'd suggest cleaning and protecting it as soon as you can. This will help preserve the finish and make future cleanings easier.

Washing & Drying
Washing and drying is critical to the appearance of your vehicle. Most swirls come from this process so it's important to use good techniques and quality products. To safely remove any left over glaze, sealant or wax on the surface I recommend washing with a product like the Chemical Guys Citrus Wash. Just wash with it and you will start with a bare surface and it's a great washing solution on top of that. For your wash medium I recommend the DI Accessories Sheepskin Wash Mitt or the [url=http://www.detailedimage.com/Lake-Country-M7/Blue-Grout-Sponge-P293/]Lake Country Blue Grout Sponge[/url. Both are paint safe and will work great. For drying the DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel is a great choice and a must have in my opinion. This towel is super absorbent, washer safe and paint safe.

Clay Bar
This is a great way to make sure the paint is really clean before polishing and protecting it. The DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo is a great value for this step.

Polish
Polishing on a new car is not a must, but it certainly helps. I recommend either a chemical polish or a light polish. The Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish (with Glaze fillers) is a good choice to help further clean and shine the paint. If you want to remove some light swirls I'd suggest either the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 or the Menzerna PO106FA Nano Polish (Super Finish). Both will help really bring back a great shine and they will be even more valuable down the road when the car has more miles on it.

Protection
- Sealant
The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger is a great sealant that I highly recommend. It looks outstanding and provides very strong protection on any color paint. It applies with ease so the application is quick too.

- Wax
The sealant will provide all the protection and shine you need. However if you want more you can layer a wax on top of it. The Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba Paste Wax is a great choice especially on darker colored paints. The Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax is another great choice that is also a great value.

Microfiber
I hand remove all of these products with quality microfiber towels. I would suggest getting 5x - 10x of the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. It's paint safe, washable and highly effective at removing the left over clay lube, polish, sealant, etc.

If you have any other questions please let me know I'd be happy to help. Don't forget we are offering 20% off through midnight tonight (9/30) EST sharp with the coupon code Fall2010. Take care!

Thanks Greg. My car is black and minor to no swirls. I'll be using the 2 bucket system with grit guards. I like what I'm reading about the Blackfire products and will be ordering from you soon. Thanks again.