The Dealer said that I don't have to wax the car for like 5-7 years? Is he crazy?? He is an owner too!

How soon should I wax my baby?

 

Good question. From what I've read before, you can wax as soon as you like as the paint has had adaquate time to cure during it's trip here. I'm not 100% though so wait for more answers. It would make sense that you can do, as the dealer is supposed to prep it and if they don't wax, I have no idea what they do to get all those swirls in there.

 

I clayed, polished, and sealed mine the day after I took delivery. I would have done it the day I took delivery but it was 9 PM by the time I got home from picking her up.

You can wax her as soon as you want.

 

Feel free to wax it immediately - the paint was oven-baked at the factory, and it's been on the car for about a month by the time you take delivery, so it's had plenty of time to finish curing and off-gassing.

And the dealer wasn't completely out of his mind, although you have to realize that everyone's standards for an "acceptable" finish are different. With a modern clearcoat paint job, if you wash it on a regular basis without putting swirls in it, and don't let things like bird poop and tree sap sit on the finish, you can go for several years without waxing/polishing/claying, and the finish will still have an "acceptable" amount of gloss for the average consumer. Compare this to the single-stage enamel or multi-stage lacquer finishes from 30 or 40 years ago, which *would* fade, turn white and chalky, and practically slough off of the metal if you didn't keep them waxed and polished.

Now, if you're the type to worry about how soon you can wax your car after taking delivery, you're probably NOT the kind of person that would be satisfied with your car's finish if you went a few years without treating it, but believe me when I say that a lot of the 5-7 year old cars you see on the streets have *never* been properly clayed, polished or waxed/sealed. The fact that it's possible to go that long and not have the paint turn white or peel off the car has made the average car owner very lazy when it comes to maintaining their finish.

 

it comes from England. been made quite a while ago and baked to death as he said.

wax that baby up after giving it a good wash, quick detailer+claybar and enjoy.

mini's pimp

Kick your dealer in the teeth for me. Wax it 3x a year with synthetics.

 

Excellent, thank you all!

I just got my dual buckets, wash mitts, MF towels (drying and polishing) and all my cleaning products in the mail so I'm all set!!

 

what is in your bag? always interested to see what people are using for products

 

How much will it cost to repaint your MINI to the same quality as factory? Not $50. Not $500. Maybe $5,000. Probably much more.

How much does a bottle of wax cost? $15, $25, $95 and up

Neglect your paint by not waxing it, and eventually the paint on the horizontal surfaces will get eaten away and you'll suffer from clear coat failure. Very common on car 10 years or older that are never waxed.



If you want your MINI to last a long time, use a wax--let that be sacrificed, instead of your paint.

And as to your first question--factory paint can be waxed immediately upon receipt. In fact your dealer probably already waxed it.

Paint from a body shop needs 30 to 60 days to fully cure. Body shop don't have the luxury of emptying your car of all flammable fluids and removing hoses and anything that can melt before baking it, like the factory does when they are just working with the shell.

 

Octaneguy , can you please recommend a good wax and how often should we wax and clay our cars ?

 

I'm partial to Prima (Prima Epic)--but any wax will do as long as you do it frequently.

A synthetic polymer wax will last the longest--from 3 to 6 months.

How often you should wax is dependent on environmental factors.

Situations that shorten the life of the wax:
Non garaged cars
Frequently washed cars
Cars washed at the car wash
Cars subjected to environmental fallout--tree sap, bird crap, brake dust, etc..

Consider that in ideal conditions, a good wax job may last you 6 months, so base it on that.

Of course, if you use a spray wax like Prima Hydro everytime you wax, that will significantly increase the time between wax jobs as well.

You only need to clay your paint if you feel contaminants on the paint--it feels rough or sounds scratchy when you rub it. Claying is crucial before using a synthetic polymer wax. After that, depending on the above, you might clay once or twice a year, or in my case--once every few years. Just got to feel the paint, and understand that anytime you let dust and contaminants sit on your paint--that the potential for them to bond and not wash off is a possibility.

Richard

 

What color is your paint and what sort of climate do you live in?

 

Dark Silver , I wash my car myself. The car is parked in an open door garage so it does get a bit dusty. I will try using the Prime Epic wax.

 

I'm in SoCal too if you want to pick up a bottle--or I could ship it. I carry the entire Prima line as well as Meguiar's Professional products at my shop in OC.

Richard

 

moan.. if i lived in Socal, I would ask richard out on a date.

um. thats about it for my comments.

I would also then ask him to polish my mini.

He's the best at that I hear.

Too bad I live in NY.

 

There's so much on the subject that I decided to try these products first:

Body Wash: P21S Bodywash
Wheel Wash: P21S Wheel Cleaner Gel
Wheel Wax: Wheel Shield
XT. Rubber & Vinyl: One Grand Exterior Rubber
In-between Wax jobs: MEGUIAR #34 FINAL INSPECTION
Tar Remover: Mini brand (I picked it up at the dealer because I had so much gunk on the car at delivery) I don't love it so I'm going to look at One Grand Tar, Wax & Gum remover or maybe someone can recommend one they like??

I have a garage at work and home so I'm taking my time to decide on wax and clay... I sure do appreciate any input!!

Just washed the chili cart yesterday and she looks sweet. I will post pix soon.

 

Here's a pic after the first wash...




For more pix, check out my first gear post.