Tips for protecting the paint on the new car

[brianc]

Wondering what everyones tips are here for maintaining the paint condition. Of course all of our cars are freshly painted so we have a good start to FR-S and BRZ paint perfection but it won't be that way for long if people start to neglect and abuse their paint surfaces

Here are some of my personal tips. Others feel free to add

Don't Touch! - I try not to touch the paint surface if I don't need to. This is especially important if it's dirty or dusty, you will just drag the dirt across the surface leaving fine scratches!

Hand wash using quality products! I only try to use the best wash mitts I can buy. Most of the wash mitts available at your local autoparts store might be fine when they are new but once they have been used 2 or 3 times they start to become not as plush and will leave swirl marks all over your car! My favorite wash mitt is the RaceGlaze sheepskin wash mitt. Also remember to not use a mitt or microfiber cloth that is dirty on your paint. If you use the cloth or mitt to wash your rims, don't use the same one to wash your paint.

Only wash at touchless car washes - I avoid washing the car at those brush and bristle washes that beat on your paint to clean it.

Keep the car waxed! This is especially important if you have a colored car. Some cars may fade color over time. I find that keeping the paint waxed will prevent this. Plus having the car waxed is like having a layer or protection ontop of the paint. It's a slick and slippery finish so dirt and dust tend to just slide off which makes washing the car a breeze. There is this new product called Opti-Coat or Opti-Guard which is like wax but permanent. Many new car buyers are opting for this treatment as it is permanent and doesn't need reapplication like regular wax does. Plus sealing the paint on a brand new car just seems logical. Who doesn't love having a shiny car! Just make sure you read up on it before you attempt to apply it yourself. It's not hard but it is permanent so you must ensure your paint is in perfect condition before you apply it. Most local professional detailers will be able to apply Opti-Coat/Guard. Just shop around.

Keep those rims clean! If you ignore the baked on brake dust it will eventually... bake on! I've had to clean some very neglected rims before and it isn't fun. Doing regular rim cleaning is much easier than cleaning baked on brake dust. The same goes for the car. Keep it clean and don't let it get too dirty for too long. You are just making your life harder down the road.

No one enjoys door dents! Try to avoid them! There are many ways to lessen the chance of a door ding. Fixing dings can sometimes be expensive. Be weary of where you park and you will be safe (for the most part).

When driving on the freeway/highway - don't follow so close behind other cars. All that car is doing is picking up rocks and dirt and throwing it all over the front of your car at 60mph. There are ways to protect the front of the car from chips. A product called 3M ClearBra is a transparent film that can be applied to the paint and headlights to protect it from rock chips and scratches. Many tint and audio shops do ClearBra applications. Just look around.


Hopefully this was helpful to someone