[Bez]

Hello all:

New to this forum, just picked up my new Titan Tuesady night. Love the truck! Problem is, I have NEVER had a new vehicle before. My last truck, a used white Ranger, was never washed unless I went through a car wash at a gas station. I don't think I want to do that with this new beautiful ride. Problem is, I really have no clue as to what to buy to properly maintain the brand new appearance of my Titan. About the only thing I have is a ShopVac. So let me hear it: what should I buy? Soap, wax, what about the wheels and tires? And I mean for the inside too, Armor All, etc?

Thanks in advance, and this forum rocks!

 

[Doghouse]

I have never used armor all, and never missed it. I personaly think it collects dust and makes things look dirty quickly. JMHO

DO NOT use that tire shine stuff. It will glue the break dust to the rims and makes them look bad fast. besides it shows curb rubs faster.

The harder the wax, the harder to apply, the better it works.

 

[Mustard]

Here is the best place I know, Great bunch of folks.

http://www.autopia.org/

Here is what I recommend.
Klasse Concours Kit

 

[Titanic_04]

Here is the best place I know, Great bunch of folks.

http://www.autopia.org/

Here is what I recommend.
Klasse Concours Kit

Good site with a lot of helpful information. Also check out the Meguiars site too.

It all depends on how obsessive you are going to be with your truck. When doing a hardcore detail (once or twice a year) on any of my cars I do a three step process.

After washing and complete drying.
1. Use a clearcoat "cleaner". This will remove the crud that has found it's way into the paint. This is typically a liquid but I will also use a clay bar at the same time.
2. Polish the car, not to be confused with waxing. This actually "feeds" the paint. I use Mequiars #7. In my opinion this is the best bang for the buck.
3. Wax. Use a good Carnuba, Meguiars #26 paste is a good buy. I have used all sorts of Carnuba waxes including Zymol ($40-120 per jar), Pinnacle, Meguiars and countless others.

Follow up with a quick wax job once a month. If you wash your car a lot than wax more frequently.

I do not like using regular Armorall on the interior, it's too greasy and attracts dirt/dust. They used to make a formula for use on interiors which was pretty good. But I have not been able to find it any more.

I spray my tires down with the clear liquid tire dressings (stil haven't found a favourite). I try not to get it on the wheels but when I do I always wipe it clean so it does not attract additional dirt/dust.


BTW If you really love your Titan check out this wax offered by Zymol (just a marketing ploy)
http://www.zymol.com/vintage2.htm

 

[Dave N]

Like the other people said, Autopia is a great place to learn about detailing, but it can be a little overwhelming, especially if you're not hard-core about detailing.

Here is another great site by the same guy who runs Autopia:

http://www.bettercarcare.com/

Click on the "Detailing How-To Series" in the upper left hand corner. Then check out "How to Wash and Dry Your Car", "How To Polish Paint", "How To Wax Your Car", "How to Quick Detail Your Car", and "How To Clean Your Paint With Clay" (2nd page). There is a wealth of information in these articles, and this will give you an excellent idea of how to properly care for your truck's paint.

Here are a few of my favorite locally-available detailing supplies:

Washing - Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash

Wax - I use sealants, not wax, but Meguiar's Gold Class isn't bad. Waxes don't last nearly as long as sealants though. You may want to check out Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax -- it's new and reportedly gives great results.

Rims - Eagle One A2Z (This is strong stuff and I only use it 2-3 times per year. The rest of the time I just use car wash on my rims)

Tires - Eagle One Tire cleaner (sometimes hard to find, but it works great and is not as harsh as other tire cleaners)

Glass - Stoner's Invisible Glass or Eagle One glass cleaner

Black Outside Trim - Mother's Back to Black (I also use this on my tires)

Tires - 303 Aerospace Protectant (great stuff!!!)

Interior Plastic - 303 Aerospace Protectant (great stuff!! not greasy like ArmorAll)

Hope that helped. I could go on and on and on and on....

 

[CaliforniaTitan]

I use McGuires products myself for wax/cleaners.

For 'Car wash' soaps they are all pretty much the same or at least I can't tell the difference.

I just clean my wheels last after washing the truck.

I wash my cars weekly and wax them once a month for the first 6 months and then every three months afterwards.

My cars are garaged and that helps keep things pretty clean as well.

I thoroughly hand dry my cars as well.

I use 20/20 glass cleaner and a very very light use of Back to Black when needed.

Thats it!

See the hand wash vs thread for more info. You will also see a pic of my other baby with 17yo original paint.

Chris

 

[BearBrawn]

Zaino Bros is the BEST!!

 

[KYDeepwater]

Hello all:

New to this forum, just picked up my new Titan Tuesady night. Love the truck! Problem is, I have NEVER had a new vehicle before. My last truck, a used white Ranger, was never washed unless I went through a car wash at a gas station. I don't think I want to do that with this new beautiful ride. Problem is, I really have no clue as to what to buy to properly maintain the brand new appearance of my Titan. About the only thing I have is a ShopVac. So let me hear it: what should I buy? Soap, wax, what about the wheels and tires? And I mean for the inside too, Armor All, etc?

Thanks in advance, and this forum rocks!

I bought the new Mr. Clean autodry system, and to my amazement it actually works!! It was 50 degrees here Friday, so I washed the car and didn't have to dry it at all. I got it at Wal-Mart for $ 18.90 for the starter kit. It took me 25 minutes to completely wash my Titan, and it dried in about 30 minutes at 50 degrees! This saves me probably 25 minutes of drying, and you don't take a chance of scratching the truck with a dryoff towel.
I think this will work well for me during the part of the year when the weather isn't so good. I always try and do a cleaner/wax and a polish twice a year also.

 

[speedtrip]

For the interior I recommend Meguiar's Gold Class Dash & Trim Protectant. It's a foam instead of a spray. The foam allows for a more even application so I don't see as many streaks and there is no overspray. My Ford stays outside all the time and even during the summer the product lasts a solid three weeks and starts to fade after that. If you don't see it at the stores it is available from Meguiar's website for $4 a can.

Griot's Garage has alot of nice products and information but they are $$$$!

 

[gtshouse]

Zaino Bros is the BEST!!

I just bought some Zaino Bros, but haven't had a chance to use it. How long does it last? I'm going to do it right when I do it...clay bar, everything the first time.

 

[Sabre66]

I just bought some Zaino Bros, but haven't had a chance to use it. How long does it last? I'm going to do it right when I do it...clay bar, everything the first time.

I've used Zaino products for over 3 yrs now. On my first application to a new vehicle i put 2-3 coats of Z5 to get the swirls out. After that (barring inclement weather) i usually put a coat of Z5 on monthly and Z2 every 2-3 months. In between i use the Z6 or Meguiar's Quik Detailer to keep it shiny and dust free. And i clay bar once or twice a year.

I get about 8 applications with a bottle of Z5 or Z2 with (about 6 months).

Hope this helps.

 

[BearBrawn]

Wow Sabre - you are fanatical about that "Mile-Deep" shine...

I have use Zaino #2 and #5 for a couple years now - on the wife's Durango.

My paint on the old Dakota wasn't worthy of the effort. I've been using up the remaining Meguiar's products on mine.

But I only wax when it starts to lose its deep glow - probably every 6-7 months. It really is so easy to put on and shine off in a couple hours total.

I wash every couple of weeks with Zymol wash and a cotton mitt.

 

[superdelish]

Mr. Clean Auto Drying System

Just wanted to let you guys know, tryed this on the Titan today and it works GREAT! I highly recommend to anyone. No drying or scratching your paint trying to dry.