Well guys/gals, I did it...I ordered all my cleaning / car care products last night... Here is what I got (hope I didn't forget anything):

Griot's Garage
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35 oz Wheel Cleaner (and a finest sprayer)
Fine glass polish
Vinyl & rubber dressing
Best of show wax kit
car wash
Free bottle of speedshine

Grit Guard
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2 Grit Guard inserts

Autopia
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Meguiars Versa-Angle tire brush
Real wool washmit
2 Sonus ultimate drying towel (MF)
2-pack of Sonus ultimate detailing towels (MF)
Plexus Plastic polish
Free bottle of Sonus detaling spritz

I spent over 200 bucks and I don't think my fiancee is speaking to me still!!!! (just kidding, she's not that mad)

We are picking up our MINI hopefully sometime this weekend! I can't wait to get it home and get it protected for Chicago winter!!!!

 

Looks like you have the basics covered... With winter approaching and you being in Chicago, I'd try and get a few coats of wax on the car ASAP... Wash it well and then put on the wax, allowing each coat ample time to cure before buffing it off. Ideally, the wax should cure to a powdery haze, which you can then drag your finger through, revealing a slick, smooth surface beneath. If it smears or feels greasy still, let it keep curing. If it's really wet or cold, the wax will take longer to cure, so try to do it in a warm garage or in the sun (if it's not too hot) if you can. Waxing will help the paint endure all that salt and grime that's to come and let you just spray the car off at a coin-op place when it's too cold for hand washing.

Oh, and don't forget to wax the wheels - it will REALLY help. If you can get the wheels off the car, waxing the large surface area ON THE BACK SIDE will help immensely as well. While you're at it, if you decide to do this with the wheels, when they're off the car, drape a towel over your brake assembly and spray the interior of the wheel well and the struts/springs with WD40. I've read from several people here that doing so keeps snow bunnies from forming in the wells, and makes springtime clean-up that much easier. I did this myself the last time I had the wheels off (last weekend) and I'm looking forward to seeing how that helps my winter driving experience.

Have fun with your new MINI!

 

Thanks for the tips! I'm not going to claybar this time was it is BRAND NEW but will in the future! I plan on washing it and then applying the griots wax and letting it cure. Probably will do two coats of the Best of Show. Fortunatly we have a garage in the city so it will be out of the elements most of the winter...Just the occasional trip home to Michigan for the holidays...

 

Yeah, no need to clay bar or polish yet, being brand new. Just wash it well to remove the surface dirt and then apply your wax coats. I'd use the detail spray after a coin-op wash to keep the finish slick, but I'd avoid using it straight of you have visible road grime or salt on the surface. I know that the detail spray is SUPPOSED to lubricate those contaminents and prevent scratching, but I'd aviod that if posible.

Oh, and I'm sure you know, but remember to spray the undercarriage well when washing with a coin-op washer - the salt can be very bad under there...

In the spring, plan to clay bar and possibly polish as part of your prep for the driving season.

 

WHAT??!??!?? You mean you didn't pick up the $1000 Zymol auto wax? (See another thread in the Detailing 101 Forum) You should be arrested by the MC Police!

Seriously, though, sounds like you got some great car care products!

Chuck

 

If I got the 1000 wax i'd be getting a divorce before I even got married!!!!

 

Thanks, glad to see someone else agrees with me about the claybaring...

Yes, that was my plan with the speedshine and the other free detailing spritz is to use it after a winter wash were I don't have time and warmth to wax!

One other question for you, if I by summer pick up some Griots polish, can I do that by hand or do i HAVE to by a power tool?

 

Do you mean the actual tire or the rim it self?

 

Actually I have to disagree about the claybar. Even a "brand new" car can use claybarring. I'm sure you've heard about rail dust. Being new has little to do with the possibility of above surface bonded contaminants already on the paint during delivery.

I've clayed MINIs as new as one day old from the dealer and 4 months from the dealer and they both had grime stuck to the clay after a good wash.

Clay bar is pretty inexpensive--the Meguiar's bar with lube is around $12 and that will last a long time for your own use.

Don't Wax your tires!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The reason to wax your rims is to make removal of brake dust easier. Some people swear by waxing. I prefer to use Meguiar's Speed Detailer to wipe down the rims of brake dust. It leaves a slippery coating behind that over time, gives the same benefits of waxing. But because you are wiping them down at the same time, it's essentially a one step. Of course the type of rim you have will determine what method you use. The 5 Star alloys are very easy to wipe down by hand.

Richard

 

I'd use tire dressing on the rubber, sure (I use Meguiar's and like it), as it will keep the rubber supple and dark, but I meant WAX on the rims, front and back. There's lots more surface area for grime BEHIND the part facing out to the street, remember.

As for polishing, you certainly CAN do it by hand, but if you have access to a random orbital device you'll have a MUCH easier time of it. BE WARNED: don't even try a RO unless you mean to buy one. After using one even a single time, I was hooked (just like people here told me I'd be). It just saves you SO much effort and does its job so well that it's hard to go back to hand polishing and waxing, let me tell you.

 

Richard,

Thanks for the help! I was watching the vid on your site the other day and that made me order the grit guards! Awesome product! I will definitly claybar next time...But I'm going to be fighting with winter weather and want to be quick and effective. I know...I know...

Can I just use SpeedShine on the rim or won't that work?

 

I'll probably just pick up a damn RO by next summer!

 

Sure you can. Just be sure to not get the speedshine on the rotors or brake pads... anything slick is baaaad for braking. I'd just spray it onto your cleaning cloth and wipe them down after you wash the car. Rims are covered with very durable power-coat paint that's basically baked on, so they tend to be VERY resistant to the elements. Good thing, seeing as how abrasive brake dust is!

I suggested waxing the rims not because of issues of fading or oxidation (which happens far easier to the body's clearcoat paint when not properly protected), but rather because waxed rims tend to not "hold" the brake dust and dirt as well as unwaxed rims. This translates to an easier time keeping them clean with just a coin-op cleaning gun, which (unless you own a heated garage) will likely be your main way of keeping the car clean until April or May.

 

Awesome! Thanks for the tips! I had already though about NOT spraying it onto the roters and brakes! LOL

 

first thing i do on new cars is claybar it and rewax, usually.

just feel the surface and you will note how rough it feels. not all MINI's
but a lot of new cars sit out in the lot for weeks, even months.

 

I agree with OctaneGuy on both points...

Although I think you can easily wait to clay in the spring, just because a car is new doesn't mean it can't use a claying. Unfortunately, all sorts of nasty stuff gets embedded into the paint between the time it is painted and gets to you! I've seen it time and time again.

Indeed, wax your rims but not your tires. Wax the wheels with a *synthetic* wax and pick the most durable you can find. The look of the wax won't make much of a difference on the wheels. Carnauba based waxes will actually attract dust/grime and will not last very long at all. For tires, use a UV protectant/dressing.

Have fun and good luck getting used to all this car care craziness!

-Heather

 

Folks a clay bar compound is an amazing tool for your car. I wasn't convinced until my daughter bought one for me through Griot's and it did an amazing job - especially on dark colors. Give it a shot.