Today is Day 6 with my new R56. So far I've discovered a couple things that worry me from a detailing standpoint.

First, I must have parked too close to a tree at work yesterday because I noticed a couple orange/yellow (sap?) spots on my bonnet. I busted out some quick detailer to get them off, but they left a light stain on my white bonnet stripes! Is there anything out there that can remove the stain?

Secondly, the interior plastic seems to attract a lot of smudges/scratches. Does anyone have any experience with a product that could enhance the resiliency of the interior and/or be used to quickly wipe away smudges on a near daily basis? I want to keep this car as pristine as possible, which I'm sure you all can appreciate.

Thanks in advance!

 

You could always try clay to get that etching out. If that dosn't work maybe try Prima Nero, and the Nero is a nice interior cleaner as well, so you'd be killing to birds with one stone if you do go with Nero.

 

I'd also recommend clay for the gunk on your bonnet. Just work it gently and keep going for a bit. It may come right up or it may take a few minutes of gentle rubbing (w/ a lube spray of course too). I would recommend you clay it as soon as you can in case the deposits are harsh and thus could etch as they sit there.

For your interior, I would recommend Prima Nero or 303 Aerospace Protectant if you have the standard style vinyl and regular plastic interior. If you have the high-gloss painted plastic style interior, then you could technically use either of the above or, for more glossiness and durability, Prima Slick or Hydro. Hydro has filling properties which is nice if you already have any minor little scratching or anything like that. Slick has better cleaners though.

All of the above options will repel dust and smudges in your interior. Which one you choose would depend on what kind of interior you have.

Congrats on your new R56!!

-Heather

 

Thanks for the sound advice. I have a long wishlist of product to buy that seems to get longer every day.

I'll clay bar those spots ASAP!

 

Congrats. I really like Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer. It has a nice mild lemon scent and can be sprayed on everything---dash, headunit, clear plastic gauges, leather, vinyl--removed smudges and scuffs.

FWIW, clay will not remove an etching. An etching is a physical defect caused by something--tree sap, hard water mineral deposits, bird poo, etc..