New Car Detail/Prep?

Definitive · 02-17-2010, 10:57 PM

Hello guys,

I did some searches, and didnt see a post on this specific topic.

So I have some time till I pick up my new M3 so I wanted to start my research early. The first question is if you all think a detail is needed when you pick up your car from the dealer. My car will be fresh off the boat.

I know that the dealer does a prep on the car. I have heard different things. Some people say they wont let the dealer prep the car. Some say that they take it home and detail it after the prep, and some say that the dealer prep is just fine.

SO what do you think. Is it needed. If it is needed then my next question is what should be done or used on a brand new car. I dont want to ruin the fresh paint or anything like that. But I do have my current car to practice on before I return it.

Thanks for any input!

D

JH M3 · 02-18-2010, 12:22 AM

I would definitely detail it after you get it. After I picked up my car which was fresh off the boat, I thought it was OK until I clayed it. The clay picked up a large amount of reddish contaminants. It was almost a shade lighter when I was done (my car is Space Gray). I personally use Adam's Polishes products, but any premium car care products will do. Wash it, clay it, apply a light scratch and swirl remover, polish, and then wax. If you have a random orbital polisher, it will make the process much easier.

Kendall01 · 03-01-2010, 01:15 AM

Wash it with the water. Apply a light scratch and swirl remover, polish, and then wax polish it. Or else get th right procedure from the experts.

10M3MAN · 03-01-2010, 03:28 AM

Would wash and wax as soon as I received it...

ChineseGuy · 03-01-2010, 04:03 AM

1. wash
2. clay
3. rinse
4. polish (find something like AG SRP that has little cut that you can use by hand/machine, saves you some time)
5. Sealant
6. Wax (optional)
7. Never drive the car again, or else it will get dirty

Envious Eric · 03-01-2010, 10:03 AM

I would definitely not have them to a full prep on the car. let them take off the plastics and what not, but make sure they DO NOT POLISH the car. More than likely the dealership "detailers" will instill deep holograms/buffer trails that would require more machine work to remove on your end.

When I do new car preps, its like this.

-Wash with CGWG, or dawn
-clay with lube and mild clay (megs blue)
-re-wash
-thoroughly clean the wheels and tires
-apply a sealant wax to the wheels
-make sure the paint is cool enough to polish, and go at it based on the swirls and damage in the paint (could be one step, two steps, or even three steps on a new car)
-re-wash once again to remove any oils/dusting from polishing
-apply a sealant wax to the paint
-apply UV protectant to trim pieces
-wipe off sealant wax and UV residue
-dress tires
-clean door jambs
-use mild APC mix on interior to remove any residue from dealership
-apply a matte product like 303 to interior
-clean windows inside and out
-snap pictures and give to the owner and say call me out again when it doesnt look like this anymore.

What dealership are you taking delivery from, and what color car? I am in so cal as well, and the few around orange county are notorious for hologram central cars leaving the lots!

quality_sound · 03-10-2010, 04:39 AM

I think the amount of work depends on how good the dealer is. I know my car was at least washed by the dealer and then it went 2 months with nothing more than a rinse with a pressure washer because of the garbage ass weather here. About a week ago I was finally able to really get into it and besides the trunk and par of the back bumper there wasn't a single swirl anywhere on the car. There was a crap ton of iron or steel from the snowplows but I think the clay bar was hurting more than helping so I switched to the polisher. If not for the back of the trunk and rear bumper I wouldn't have had to clay or polish at all. The paint didn't have anything embedded (I was shocked too) and there were no swirls at all. My dealer apparently has guys that know how to wash a car.

Definitive · 03-10-2010, 11:12 AM

Thanks for all the great info. The dealer is rusnak westlake. Do you know anything about them? Color will be AW/FR E90

Oh and my dads AW M3 come from the same dealer. Looked pretty good...

D

Envious Eric · 03-10-2010, 11:33 PM

so did the M3 I just cleaned up...until I pointed some things out!!!

Envious Eric · 03-12-2010, 08:59 AM

hopefully its not from crevier...I have yet to see a car come back from that dealership near perfect! Holograms and hazy paint are a must from there I think, free of charge!

Small Yellow · 03-12-2010, 12:16 PM

Yeah you will want it professionally prepped. My M3 was cleaned up by Eric, it had pretty bad contamination.

335BBS · 03-16-2010, 02:59 PM

Got my new Black E92 in January and now that the weather is nice I have discovered swirl marks all over the car. Car looks great until you look at it in the sun. Dealer is great and is going to fix it.

quality_sound · 03-16-2010, 04:00 PM

I hope they don't "fix" it by throwing a glaze on it otherwise it'll look great until the glaze burns off

Envious Eric · 03-17-2010, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leaker

Got my new Black E92 in January and now that the weather is nice I have discovered swirl marks all over the car. Car looks great until you look at it in the sun. Dealer is great and is going to fix it.

I wonder how you get that one to be the "dealers fault???" wash induced swirls are not the dealers fault! Its a fact of life washing cars, theya re going to happen. If you are talking about holograms or buffer trials, and the car has never been detailed, then I can see that, but if you are talking wash induced swirls, you are better off taking it to a pro in your area..

quality_sound · 03-17-2010, 01:59 AM

Not if you have a clue how to wash a car. I don't have a single swirl in my paint. The only marks at all are from the service write wiping dirt off with his finger (I wanted to smack him) to make sure they were dirt and not damage prior to my last service, and rock chips.

It is VERY easy to wash without swirling. If I took my car in and it came back swirled, you bet your ass I'd be jumping down someone's throat.

Envious Eric · 03-18-2010, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quality_sound

Not if you have a clue how to wash a car. I don't have a single swirl in my paint. The only marks at all are from the service write wiping dirt off with his finger (I wanted to smack him) to make sure they were dirt and not damage prior to my last service, and rock chips.

It is VERY easy to wash without swirling. If I took my car in and it came back swirled, you bet your ass I'd be jumping down someone's throat.

so say a lot of people and then I show up and show them they really have a car covered!!! LOL

I get it all the time..."oh its not that bad, just light swirling" takes a full two step to bring it back to life!!!

quality_sound · 03-18-2010, 04:50 AM

Dude, I've been doing my own detailing for 18 years, I know what to look for and how to look for it. I have no swirls under lighting including sunlight, and LED or halogen spotlights.

This really isn't rocket science. 2-bucket method with grit guard, a good mitt or grout sponge, or in my case my trusty Meguiar's brushes, and some good waffle weave MFs and you're good to go.

I agree that the most people will mar the hell out of their paint but you're acting like it's divine knowledge that you're blessed with. It's really not that hard, it's just using the right products and knowing what to do.

eclipsisNA · 03-18-2010, 01:07 PM

+1. Eric does think he possesses some sort of mystical knowledge, but you're right, it's just knowing proper technique and the right products to use. Most people, even a lot of "detailers," don't know what they're doing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by quality_sound

Dude, I've been doing my own detailing for 18 years, I know what to look for and how to look for it. I have no swirls under lighting including sunlight, and LED or halogen spotlights.

This really isn't rocket science. 2-bucket method with grit guard, a good mitt or grout sponge, or in my case my trusty Meguiar's brushes, and some good waffle weave MFs and you're good to go.

I agree that the most people will mar the hell out of their paint but you're acting like it's divine knowledge that you're blessed with. It's really not that hard, it's just using the right products and knowing what to do.

Envious Eric · 03-18-2010, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quality_sound

Dude, I've been doing my own detailing for 18 years, I know what to look for and how to look for it. I have no swirls under lighting including sunlight, and LED or halogen spotlights.

This really isn't rocket science. 2-bucket method with grit guard, a good mitt or grout sponge, or in my case my trusty Meguiar's brushes, and some good waffle weave MFs and you're good to go.

I agree that the most people will mar the hell out of their paint but you're acting like it's divine knowledge that you're blessed with. It's really not that hard, it's just using the right products and knowing what to do.

whoa...where did I say I am the know all??? who said I am blessed with it? I hate washing cars...I just like correcting them, hence the reason why I dont offer washing only. You have your routine, good for you. I wasnt saying your car has a lot of swirlmarks...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipsis

+1. Eric does think he possesses some sort of mystical knowledge, but you're right, it's just knowing proper technique and the right products to use. Most people, even a lot of "detailers," don't know what they're doing.

?????...get over yourself! I dont think I am "holier than thou". I learn something new every single detail. I have no idea what your issue is with me other than I was posting work just like everyone else does/did, you complained (while not being a sponsor) about it, and here we are today, 5 months later and you are still holding a grudge...its a real shame man...if its something else, feel free to call me to talk about it. You know what my website is and how to get a hold of me...you obviously are just out to slam me every chance you get and I am sick of it.

mykcheng · 03-24-2010, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Definitive

Thanks for all the great info. The dealer is rusnak westlake. Do you know anything about them? Color will be AW/FR E90

Oh and my dads AW M3 come from the same dealer. Looked pretty good...

D

Did you pick up your car yet? I picked up my E90 M3 Space Gray a little over a week ago. They prepped it and it looked quite nice. I made the mistake of washing it this weekend when it was a little warm and the hard water in Camarillo left water spots. I don't know the proper technique to get the spots out, so I clayed the car and most of the spots disappeared. Also, while claying, it didn't pick up too much grit so I'm assuming the guys at Rusnak knew how to prep. Now, after reading these posts, I'm going to find time to re-detail my car. I use Klasse products and I usually wash/dry/clay and apply products in that order. Let me know if I'm doing this correctly or other people have better techniques. Thanks.

Envious Eric · 03-25-2010, 02:20 AM

like what is said most of the time....

if you clay, you must polish! clay is abrasive (how else do you think its removing the contaminants?) and any abrasive MUST be followed up with a finer abrasive to remove the previous...

I would wash, rinse, clay, dry, polish, IPA wipedown, sealant wax for best results....no need to dry after the wash rinse since the water will act as more lubricity anyway = saving time, but if time is not a factor, then feel free to dry!

quality_sound · 03-25-2010, 03:05 AM

Clay picks up comtaminants the same way gum picks up rocks. If clay was an abrasive it would be the same as polishing, it's not. Unless you're using an abrasive clay (none of the OTC clays are so he's have to order it from a body shop supply store) he does not HAVE to polish after claying.

There's really no reason to dry between the clay and polish either.

02-17-2010, 10:57 PM	#1
Definitive definitivecars.com 354 Rep 3,833 Posts Drives: Elsa - 2015 F80 M3 - YMB/SS Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: So Cal iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011 E90 M3 [6.66] 2009 (Lease up Sept ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up 6/19 ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up Octo ... [0.00]	New Car Detail/Prep? Hello guys, I did some searches, and didnt see a post on this specific topic. So I have some time till I pick up my new M3 so I wanted to start my research early. The first question is if you all think a detail is needed when you pick up your car from the dealer. My car will be fresh off the boat. I know that the dealer does a prep on the car. I have heard different things. Some people say they wont let the dealer prep the car. Some say that they take it home and detail it after the prep, and some say that the dealer prep is just fine. SO what do you think. Is it needed. If it is needed then my next question is what should be done or used on a brand new car. I dont want to ruin the fresh paint or anything like that. But I do have my current car to practice on before I return it. Thanks for any input! D
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02-18-2010, 12:22 AM	#2
JH M3 Second Lieutenant 117 Rep 275 Posts Drives: 2017 F80 M3 ZCP Azurite Black Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rhode Island iTrader: (0)	I would definitely detail it after you get it. After I picked up my car which was fresh off the boat, I thought it was OK until I clayed it. The clay picked up a large amount of reddish contaminants. It was almost a shade lighter when I was done (my car is Space Gray). I personally use Adam's Polishes products, but any premium car care products will do. Wash it, clay it, apply a light scratch and swirl remover, polish, and then wax. If you have a random orbital polisher, it will make the process much easier.
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03-01-2010, 01:15 AM	#3
Kendall01 Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 1999 Chevy 1.5VD Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Wash it with the water. Apply a light scratch and swirl remover, polish, and then wax polish it. Or else get th right procedure from the experts.
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03-01-2010, 03:28 AM	#4
10M3MAN Lieutenant Colonel 34 Rep 1,498 Posts Drives: 2006 Nissan Altima SER Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wharton, TX iTrader: (0)	Would wash and wax as soon as I received it...
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03-01-2010, 04:03 AM	#5
ChineseGuy QuickShifter 137 Rep 1,500 Posts Drives: Black E90 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: North Pole iTrader: (2)	1. wash 2. clay 3. rinse 4. polish (find something like AG SRP that has little cut that you can use by hand/machine, saves you some time) 5. Sealant 6. Wax (optional) 7. Never drive the car again, or else it will get dirty
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03-01-2010, 10:03 AM	#6
Envious Eric Banned 37 Rep 1,168 Posts Drives: nissan xterra, 335 soon Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: orange county, ca iTrader: (1)	I would definitely not have them to a full prep on the car. let them take off the plastics and what not, but make sure they DO NOT POLISH the car. More than likely the dealership "detailers" will instill deep holograms/buffer trails that would require more machine work to remove on your end. When I do new car preps, its like this. -Wash with CGWG, or dawn -clay with lube and mild clay (megs blue) -re-wash -thoroughly clean the wheels and tires -apply a sealant wax to the wheels -make sure the paint is cool enough to polish, and go at it based on the swirls and damage in the paint (could be one step, two steps, or even three steps on a new car) -re-wash once again to remove any oils/dusting from polishing -apply a sealant wax to the paint -apply UV protectant to trim pieces -wipe off sealant wax and UV residue -dress tires -clean door jambs -use mild APC mix on interior to remove any residue from dealership -apply a matte product like 303 to interior -clean windows inside and out -snap pictures and give to the owner and say call me out again when it doesnt look like this anymore. What dealership are you taking delivery from, and what color car? I am in so cal as well, and the few around orange county are notorious for hologram central cars leaving the lots!
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03-10-2010, 04:39 AM	#7
quality_sound 8 tracks of madness 62 Rep 2,735 Posts Drives: Slowly Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: At home iTrader: (1)	I think the amount of work depends on how good the dealer is. I know my car was at least washed by the dealer and then it went 2 months with nothing more than a rinse with a pressure washer because of the garbage ass weather here. About a week ago I was finally able to really get into it and besides the trunk and par of the back bumper there wasn't a single swirl anywhere on the car. There was a crap ton of iron or steel from the snowplows but I think the clay bar was hurting more than helping so I switched to the polisher. If not for the back of the trunk and rear bumper I wouldn't have had to clay or polish at all. The paint didn't have anything embedded (I was shocked too) and there were no swirls at all. My dealer apparently has guys that know how to wash a car.
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03-10-2010, 11:12 AM	#8
Definitive definitivecars.com 354 Rep 3,833 Posts Drives: Elsa - 2015 F80 M3 - YMB/SS Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: So Cal iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011 E90 M3 [6.66] 2009 (Lease up Sept ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up 6/19 ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up Octo ... [0.00]	Thanks for all the great info. The dealer is rusnak westlake. Do you know anything about them? Color will be AW/FR E90 Oh and my dads AW M3 come from the same dealer. Looked pretty good... D Last edited by Definitive; 03-10-2010 at 12:28 PM..
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03-10-2010, 11:33 PM	#9
Envious Eric Banned 37 Rep 1,168 Posts Drives: nissan xterra, 335 soon Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: orange county, ca iTrader: (1)	so did the M3 I just cleaned up...until I pointed some things out!!!
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03-12-2010, 08:59 AM	#10
Envious Eric Banned 37 Rep 1,168 Posts Drives: nissan xterra, 335 soon Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: orange county, ca iTrader: (1)	hopefully its not from crevier...I have yet to see a car come back from that dealership near perfect! Holograms and hazy paint are a must from there I think, free of charge!
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03-12-2010, 12:16 PM	#11
Small Yellow Track Addict 110 Rep 813 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW M3 E92 \| 2008 Z4M E86 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Orange County, California iTrader: (0)	Yeah you will want it professionally prepped. My M3 was cleaned up by Eric, it had pretty bad contamination. __________________ BMW ///M3 Coupe Completed November 16, 2009 Received December 29,2009
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03-16-2010, 02:59 PM	#12
335BBS Brigadier General 55 Rep 3,606 Posts Drives: 2009 335 coupe. Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Toronto, Ontario iTrader: (0)	Got my new Black E92 in January and now that the weather is nice I have discovered swirl marks all over the car. Car looks great until you look at it in the sun. Dealer is great and is going to fix it.
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03-16-2010, 04:00 PM	#13
quality_sound 8 tracks of madness 62 Rep 2,735 Posts Drives: Slowly Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: At home iTrader: (1)	I hope they don't "fix" it by throwing a glaze on it otherwise it'll look great until the glaze burns off
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03-17-2010, 01:59 AM	#15
quality_sound 8 tracks of madness 62 Rep 2,735 Posts Drives: Slowly Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: At home iTrader: (1)	Not if you have a clue how to wash a car. I don't have a single swirl in my paint. The only marks at all are from the service write wiping dirt off with his finger (I wanted to smack him) to make sure they were dirt and not damage prior to my last service, and rock chips. It is VERY easy to wash without swirling. If I took my car in and it came back swirled, you bet your ass I'd be jumping down someone's throat.
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03-18-2010, 04:50 AM	#17
quality_sound 8 tracks of madness 62 Rep 2,735 Posts Drives: Slowly Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: At home iTrader: (1)	Dude, I've been doing my own detailing for 18 years, I know what to look for and how to look for it. I have no swirls under lighting including sunlight, and LED or halogen spotlights. This really isn't rocket science. 2-bucket method with grit guard, a good mitt or grout sponge, or in my case my trusty Meguiar's brushes, and some good waffle weave MFs and you're good to go. I agree that the most people will mar the hell out of their paint but you're acting like it's divine knowledge that you're blessed with. It's really not that hard, it's just using the right products and knowing what to do.
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03-25-2010, 02:20 AM	#21
Envious Eric Banned 37 Rep 1,168 Posts Drives: nissan xterra, 335 soon Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: orange county, ca iTrader: (1)	like what is said most of the time.... if you clay, you must polish! clay is abrasive (how else do you think its removing the contaminants?) and any abrasive MUST be followed up with a finer abrasive to remove the previous... I would wash, rinse, clay, dry, polish, IPA wipedown, sealant wax for best results....no need to dry after the wash rinse since the water will act as more lubricity anyway = saving time, but if time is not a factor, then feel free to dry!
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03-25-2010, 03:05 AM	#22
quality_sound 8 tracks of madness 62 Rep 2,735 Posts Drives: Slowly Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: At home iTrader: (1)	Clay picks up comtaminants the same way gum picks up rocks. If clay was an abrasive it would be the same as polishing, it's not. Unless you're using an abrasive clay (none of the OTC clays are so he's have to order it from a body shop supply store) he does not HAVE to polish after claying. There's really no reason to dry between the clay and polish either.
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