Hi all -

Just took delivery of my new 2008 Clubman S on Saturday...

Looks like we might be having a spell of good weather here in Pittsburgh and was looking for advice on I should do a full wash-clay-wax detail routine on the car... I use Macquire products and am interested in your opinion on how they work on the Mini finshes...

~ Manu

 

Congrats on your new Clubman. Meguiar's products are fine---better if you know how to spell ther name because their product selections can be just as confusing.

Which products are you using? Deep Crystal or NXT??

Wash with Dawn
Clay using a quick detailer for lube or Prima Glide
Wax
BlackWow on trim and you're done

Enjoy!

Richard

 

Or you could just Hydro.

Totally stealing Ken's thunder.

 

True, but if that's the case, Hydro can also be bought HERE

But the OP should still wash, clay, and protect the trim, lol.

 

Never too soon! Who knows what kind of crap wax the dealer puts on there, if any at all.

Definitely Dawn wash, clay, then apply your wax of choice.

 

I used Prima Glide the other day and I'm really liking it. Does not affect the clay (DP, Zaino or Meg's blue), smells good and provides just enough lube.
Personally I always abbreviate Macquires ... Maguires ... er, Meguiar as Prima.

 

Yeah, the cool thing about Prima is that even if you call is PREEEEMA or PRY MA--it's still easy to spell. Meguiar's is pronounced one way and spelled a million different ways. I'll take Prima ANY DAY, lol.

 

I know it's got the fancy pants accent mark, so it should be PREEEEMA, but I can't help but think PRY MA in my head. Thankfully everyone I know in person is clueless about detailing, so I haven't need to speak it yet.

Mequiars is just lucky that Google's pretty good about knowing what word you're pathetically attempting to spell.

 

Congrats on the new purchase!

Richard has you down for a:

wash
clay
wax
Black Wow

That's awesome.

Hopefully when you bought the car you didn't pick the DISO (dealer installed swirls option) and are able to get away with just waxing.

 

Thanks for the advice guys - I guess I know what my weekend plans are now!

Do you guys have any tips on how to keep wax off the black trim pieces so that they don't get that hazy white look from wax getting on them?.... Is that something Black Wow can correct?...

BTW: this is the first I have heard about Black Wow - can it be bought at any auto store or only on line?...

~ Manu

 

it needs to be purchased on line. quite honestly it is the best product though for our trim pieces and it lasts forever. my bottle is still 3/4 full after several full details.

 

Wouldn't it be better to put Black Wow on the trim first? You wouldn't have to worry about getting it on the paint and it would make it easy to wipe off any wax that got onto the trim. Right?

 

It's a matter of preference...but yep, you can put BW on first--I just didn't want to confuse the OP since most trim products are applied last.

PW will do a better job at removing wax..but that's a different discussion altogether.

Check out www.black-wow.com for your favorite retailer. I have a lot of retailers that are NAM sponsors. Some may be local to you, and others will be better via mail order. Check out the site for the official list of authorized retailers.

Richard

 

Are you going to have PW at MiniMania?

 

Yep the current version. Also will be showing off my first prototype Nuvi mount for us R53ers, lol. No tools needed. Plugs in or unplugs easily.

 

I hear a lot about 'clay'. Seems it comes in a bar and a liquid form. Any pro/con?

 

Liquid clay ?! Never heard of such a thing. Either I'm in the dark like a mushroom or you've been eating some bad ones.

Seriously... if there is such a thing, I can't imagine it would be effective. Stick to the solid type clay bar.

 

Clay comes in one form only---a clay bar. There are other products that mimic the effects of clay with varying success--they all have drawbacks as well.

Liquid form isn't a clay--Turtle Wax Ice Clay is a polish with pieces of clay inside---it isn't anywhere nearly as effective as clay and shouldn't be thought of as such.

As one newbie asked me---can they use silly putty to save money? The answer is...no. lol.

How about Play Doh?
Nope sorry that's not clay either

How about Modeling Clay???
Nope only thing they have in common is the color.

How about artist eraser clay?
Haha nope..

Everything you want to know about clay is in the FREE First Issue of the Alliance.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/alliance

Click on the DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY on the right.

Richard

 

Crap, that means I'd better get to polishing then!

 

OctaneGuy,
Thanks. I'll get myself a bar and scrub off all that ICE wax so I can put on some 'good' stuff.

 

So, when did Dawn become the wash product of choice?

I don't hang around the detailing forum much, but when I took delivery last year and posed basically the same question as the OP I was told never, ever to use dish washing liquid and to use Mystique.

So ...what gives? Is the Dawn used to strip whatever crap the dealer may have applied?

Thanks.

Dean.

 

Ice Wax is fine---I'm talking about their Liquid Clay Bar....
Haha--or we can find ways to make your trim white on the spot, lol.

 

Things change!! Like the R53 and the R56. =P

Dawn ISN'T the wash of choice--however it IS a great first wash to remove whatever waxes the dealer put on before you took the car into your possession.

Go download the ALLIANCE FREE FIRST ISSUE to get updated
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/alliance

There are Prep Washes that are done before waxing and polishing and there are Maintenance Washes. You choose the products and processes based on whatever you are trying to do. Mystique is fantastic once you have a good synthetic wax on your paint, like Epic.

Richard

 

Then ICE it is until used up.

 

only use the blue Dawn to strip off the existing wax to do your detailing... clay bar, polish, wax.

Otherwise, you're right, never EVER use dishwashing detergent on your MINI. Or any other car you care about, for that matter.