Hi folks,
My 2005 HB/B MCS is arriving in less than 2 weeks and I've been coming up with a plan for keeping her clean and keeping her paint in good shape. I should say up front that I'm not a detailing nut and while I do like to wash my car myself when I have the time, more often than not I don't have the time. I also have never been one to detail my own car, really. I wish I would but I lack the attention to detail or something.
Anyway, I thought I would run my plan for taking good care of the car, detailing-wise by all of you and see what you think. Please let me know if something seems not right, too often, not often enough, something important missing from the schedule, etc. I have decided to go the CrystalGuard route as a sealant for the paint to protect it from swirls, etc, as it seems like a good option that isn't too expensive, is more protective than wax, and is relatively 'maintenance-free'. Here's the schedule.
- When car arrives, get a clear bra and then get CrystalGuard Pro applied.
- Rotate in weekly pattern: For 3 weeks, each week either wash car by hand or take it to the local hand wash if I don't have time. The next week take it to a good detailer for a $35 "mini-detail" (so this ends up being one 'mini-detail' per month - note that this would be a regular wash and wax, which is okay to do with CrystalGuard on the paint, it just sits atop the CG).
- Every 3 months, bring the car to CrystalGuard to have CrystalGuard Quick applied to renew the CrystalGuard finish.
- In the meantime, always cover the car with WeatherShield cover and keep California Duster and Dash Duster around for dust, and perhaps some special Griot's 'clean wipes' for taking care of bird crap, etc.
How does this sound to you all? I'm not the most obsessive person about this sort of thing but I'm trying to take very good care of my new baby right from the start. I figure if I don't do it that way right away, the incentive will be less for me to start in the future, but if I keep it pristine from the get-go, I'll be more likely to keep it up.
Thanks.
-mike
