new car treatment and winter protection

[mpukas]

I'm a realitive noob when it comes to detailing. Just got my 135i a week ago, and it's the first car I've had that I really care a lot about protecting and keeping clean. I've always kept my cars/trucks clean, but never really bothered claying/polishing/waxing etc that much.

That being said, I thouroughly detailed (well, clayed and waxed) my 330xi before turning it in @ lease end, and was amazed at the results. Now looking at my new 135i Space Gray, I can really see that it needs some tlc. I've learned tons reading through the threads in this column, but I'm not sure what's the best thing to do for a new car. I was planning on claying and waxing, now I'm thinking maybe I need to clay, seal, and wax. What else?

My main concern is protecting the paint long term - here in the Colorado high country, we have extreme cliamte changes - lots of cold, snow and ice in the winter, and intense sun and heat in the summer.

Which brings me to my next question - what's the best way to protect the front end of a car f/ winter road conditions? The front of end the car gets sand blasted in the winter f/ the sand that's used on the roads. 80% of my driving is freeway @ 80+ mph. Is there anything other than an old fasioned bra that can be used to protect the paint on the front end? Thanks much!

[holo777]

First the easy answer, Look into clear bras for the front of your car. It is basically clear window tint that gets applied over the paint. I don't have any experience with them but there are alot of post on em.

The proper care regime is more difficult. Personally I think clay is not nessecary for a new car, and that it removes more clearcoat than I'd like. I only will clay every couple years (or if my neighbor spray paints something with me aprked outside). I'd recommend starting with good washing technique. Then a good cleaner wax. I'd think one of the better waxes from Walmart or Target would do for protection. Of course Space Gray will probably look good with a bit more work, but start small and work into the big multistep detailing process.

[mpukas]

Should have also mentioned the dealer installed a clear bra - hood, headlights, mirrors, inside door handles. Had it on my last car too. Mixed feeligns about it... The area I need to protect is the front end below the hood to the bottom of the bumper, and from wheel well to wheel well - all those areas where there is no clear bra.

I'm ready for a multi-step process. I'm gonna get a buffer to do it right. I want to put some effort in now to protect the paint f/ some unavoidable damage during winter months.

[mpukas]

What about BMW's nose mask? If I did use it, I'd prolly take it off every week or two and clean it and the car underneath.

[Greg@DetailedImage]

I live in upstate NY so I can somewhat relate to the harsh conditions of winter and the need to protect your vehicle. As you mentioned the clear bra or nose mask may work better for the front end. To care for the rest of the vehicle I recommend you do a full detail about 1 - 2 times per year and then come up with a maintenance routine where you re-apply protection at least every three months. Use a clay bar to deep clean the paint removing contaminants stuck to the surface. Next use a polish after to remove swirls and keep a smooth and glossy finish. Polishes can be applied by hand but you'll get much better results with a buffer. I highly recommend you look at the brand new Porter Cable 7424 XP or the Flex XC 3401 VRG. Both buffers use a random orbit motion so they won't burn the paint like a rotary buffer can. We have package deals for each buffer on those pages as well. For protection I highly recommend using a sealant because they are far more durable than a natural carnauba wax is. However I still really like to use a carnauba wax because they offer strong protection (while short term) and a deeper gloss. Here is what I would recommend:

Full Detail with some of my favorite products
Wash/Dry
Clay Bar - Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar and Chemical Guys Luber (clay lube)
Polish - Menzerna PO106FA (apply with white pad)
Sealant - Chemical Guys Jetseal 109 (apply with blue pad)
Wax - Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax (hand applied)

Maintenance Detail (every three months or sooner)
Wash/Dry
Sealant - Chemical Guys Jetseal 109
Wax - Chemical Guys 50/50

These are just some of my favorite products that I would recommend for the space gray 1 series. I can help you tailor a package to your needs as well so let me know if you have any questions. Again I highly recommend you look at some of the buffer kits as well that we offer for those two buffers I listed. They can really help you work in a polish to get maximum results. They also save you time and effort during the detail. Additionally we offer 10% off on most individual products to forum members with the coupon code 10offBMW1. Let me know if I can help you any further.

Greg @ Detailed Image