My MINI is 3 months old. So far I've washed it a few times, but haven't done more. Paranoia about new paint and the fact that it's been cold has kept me from spending too much time on it.
First, I am not one to spend every waking moment on my car...too many other requirements for my time. Reading the various posts here, it would seem some folks have no life outside the garage
Second, I have no clue about to really take care of a car's exterior. All of my previous cars have had a Ziebart or like coating to protect the paint. Problem is you can't get that here...the strong Vegas sun (UV) apparently makes these coatings break down too quickly.
Third, I haven't the budget to drop a ton of money on supplies...reading these posts I see folks describing purchases of supplies and tools of $300 and more. No way can I afford that (well, I could, but my wife who thinks of a car as only something one drives, would not get it). I have a $20 Coleman 6" waxer/polisher with no real clue how to use it. All these posts talk about what they do, but none really describe how.
Last, here in Vegas we have horribly hard water. I tried a chamois to dry my car but it just didn't work. No matter what, I end up with huge water spots everywhere.
All that said, I'm looking for a reasonable approach to washing and "detailing" my car. Not looking to create a show car, just want to keep it looking good and keep the paint in good shape. I feel like an idiot but previous attempts at waxing/polishing/whatever have resulted in a car that either looks no different or even worse than when I started.
PS...I have a transparent (vinyl?) nose protector on my car...any expereince on wht the long term effect will be to the paint underneath relative to the uncovered paint? Will it fade at a different rate?
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