Hey everyone. I'm proud to say that I'm a new owner of a British racing green Cooper. Just got it two days ago and I already want to give it its first wash and wax.

I'm new to detailing and was wondering if any of you could give me on advice on washing and waxing it. More specifically, what products to use. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated....

Thanks.

 

Welcome
Boy are you going to get info overload

 

Meguiars NXT is awesome stuff. It's affordable enough to use frequently, offers excellent protection, and will make your Green look very deep, rich, and dark!

Use good quality microfiber towels for drying and wiping

I use Meguiars Quik Detail and Microfiber cloths to keep my Indi Blue MC spotless every day. I also use it on my wheels to wipe off brake dust. Do wax the wheels first.

I've got a MINI Detailing video for sale that will be available on the NAM store shortly. It's being taught directly from the experts at Meguiars. It's a great learning tool. I've learned so much about detailing, and if I knew as much as I do now about paint, I wouldn't have some of the awful scratches I have now that resulted from my initial lack of knowledge.

FYI, I began with Zaino, as do many many MINI owners, and later found that NXT was as good or better, and for much less money. The money issue is important to me, as I want a full protection system that I can continue to use for the life of my car.

 

For the love of god don't use a synthetic wash mitt. Find some that say 100% cotton, not just "Cotton". Viking makes some of both, and I've found them all over locally. Stick to microfiber/water blade/leaf blower for drying. Rinse your wash rag often while washing. Accept the fact that the rear of the car is gonna get dirty.

 

>>Hey everyone. I'm proud to say that I'm a new owner of a British racing green Cooper. Just got it two days ago and I already want to give it its first wash and wax.

Panganiban,

Aloha and welcome to NAM. Congrats on your purchase. A weekly wash is good but I would wait at least three months to do the first wax depending on your build date which is clearly marked by month and year on the driver's door jam plate. The new paint job needs time to cure about 3-5 months before waxing.

>>I'm new to detailing and was wondering if any of you could give me on advice on washing and waxing it. More specifically, what products to use. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated....

A good reference is this one from the Detailing 101 forum you posted in. Just read the whole thing.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ic=8218&52

 

Thanks a lot guys....I'm gonna make a trip down to pepboys and see what I can find.

 

Panganiban, washing w/ a cotton mitt, as mentioned, is absolutely essential, but also please be very careful drying. If you go the microfiber route, please get GOOD microfiber that won't scratch and GO EASY! (...some have sugggested testing microfiber on a spare CD just to be sure it won't scratch...seems a good and reasonable precaution.) I wound up finding and ordering good microfiber off the web, which I recommend ultimately, but just take care buying directly off the store shelves. Just because it says microfiber doesn't necessarily mean it won't scratch your MINI up.

Best of luck w/ you new MINI. Detailing can be great fun!!

 

I find it hard to believe that you would need to wait 3 to 6 months for the clearcoat to "cure".
Ok, I could be wrong....but I'd say wax the car whenever you feel like it.

I like the Meguiars NXT a lot too, it does a great job. :smile:


R.E.

 

I'm a Zaino fan Click here for Zaino; this website is useful for some detailing tips Detailing Tips.

Welcome to NAM!

 

Thanks so far everyone. However, I was dusting off the vehicle earlier today and I noticed a little sticky residue between the driver's door and the back side window, the black strip seperating it. How do I get that stuff off without scratching it?

 

This might be a stupid question, but could you guys give me a step-by-step on a typical wash?
I mean after using that Meguiars NXT car wash and drying it with a microfiber towel or 100% cotton cloth, what do I apply next? Can I apply the wax after it has been dried? Also, what kind of wax should I use?
On top of that, when should I clay bar my cooper? More specifically at what point in the wash should I use it? Is it even too soon to do that???

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm very anxious on what would be the best way to keep my cooper in pristine condition. Plus, it looks soooo awesome when it's in shiny mode!!! Thanks again....

 

Told ya,great place for MINI info

 

Try using a Mr Clean Auto Dry. Follow the instructions and use a cotton mitt, and you'll never use anything else. My Black on Black MCS always looks perfect with no streaks or water spots, and I never dry it!

 

There's tons of good stuff out there. Zaino, Klasse, NXT, Pinnacle, Zymol, etc. etc. etc. Try em and see what you like.

And yes, by all means claybar your car.

Have fun

 

>>This might be a stupid question, but could you guys give me a step-by-step on a typical wash?
>>I mean after using that Meguiars NXT car wash and drying it with a microfiber towel or 100% cotton cloth, what do I apply next? Can I apply the wax after it has been dried? Also, what kind of wax should I use?
>>On top of that, when should I clay bar my cooper? More specifically at what point in the wash should I use it? Is it even too soon to do that???
>>
>>Sorry for all the questions, but I'm very anxious on what would be the best way to keep my cooper in pristine condition. Plus, it looks soooo awesome when it's in shiny mode!!! Thanks again....<

After you wash and dry the car apply the Meguiars NXT, (which is the wax), and you're done. Step back and enjoy the shine.

I don't have a clue what the clay bar is supposed to do, but I think I'd skip that step until someone explained what it's for. On the other hand if you already know you can tell me. Seems unnecessary.


R.E.

 

Hi, if your MINI has been manufactured in the last 5 months, you need to wait on waxing it. You can check the manufactured date on the inside of the driver door jamb. I work at a high-end detail shop in Nashville, and we tell our customers with brand new cars that they need to wait 5 months before waxing. Waxing this early will create swirl marks in the clear coat, especially with the MINI's fragile paint. Other than that, you can wash it every day if wish.

 

As I understand it the clay bar really cleans the fine grit that regular washing will not remove,not sure but it may also strip the last bits of old wax ,before you reapply
I got a gallon of anti-static ,polish, cleaner ,from the guy that does the detailing at my dealer,MINI Winnipeg.Commercial stuff,he sells it on the side.I put it on everything,paint feels like a babys butt,chrome gleams.black trim is very black,but not greasey looking.water beads up on glass and the bugs don't stick as bad
I know a shiny MINI is wonderful,but go easy on the wax,and make sure you get it off before you reapply,it can start to cloud up.
I know the purist won't like this,but I take Poco to the coin-op wand wash.DON"T USE THE
FOAMY BRUSH,there is more grit in those things.Wash with soap,strips their wax,rince,hot
spray wax,3Bucks.I'm lucky I pull out of the car wash and I'm on the highway ,air dry,when I get home a pail of clean water and a soft cloth gets rid of a few water spots,polish

 

If used correctly the clay bar will pickup any tiny bits of grime out of your paint
and give you a very smooth paint surface to apply your wax,be sure to keep the
paint surface slick with the solution that comes with the clay bar.

 

I personally feel better waiting 3 to 5 months before the first waxing.
The clear coat is super easy to scratch. Cut the tags off the microfiber towel.
Don't ever use a paper towel-it will guarantee scratch metallic colors with clear coat.

At http://www.autodayspa.com/facts&myths.htm
They recommend about a month after you get your car (this is about 3 months after it is built) or 2 months after it has been painted by a body shop to let the finish fully cure.

Wash always after rain or every 10 days (I prefer a week). Don't let the bad stuff dry and stay on your car or let the brake dust stay on the wheels. Bad Bad.