westwest888

I apologize for the crappy pictures. I'll put up some good DSLR shots soon.

I've had my car for almost a month and 1500 miles of pure joy. I thought it was time I worked on the finish. I started with lofty goals to go high end on the wax. Apparently really good wax is $175 for an 8 ounce jar, but can be found on sale for $80. Kobe beef prices.

Anyway, I got a bit impatient and jumped the gun. I went to Autozone and got a Meguiar's claybar kit with the quik detail spray. Then I got Meguiar's tech wax. I also found some BMW Technology Wax that I had intended to use on my old car but didn't.

The claybar took a surprising amount of crap off of the roof and rear decklid in particular. While I was in there, I debadged the nonsensical V6T logos. God those are stupid. Although they led some people to draw the conclusion that I had an S6. You can take them off with dental floss. The "6" is the hardest to get off. You can get the tape off with goo gone, dish soap and your fingernail. Make sure you wax the car right after that, because those cleaners pull the finish right off.

Then I applied a layer of Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax. This wasn't my first choice, but I figure it might make an OK base layer. I can add some carnauba wax on top of that next month, and every 60 days thereafter. Probably Swissvax or Wolfgang Fuzion.

Overall, I didn't trust whatever the dealer did or didn't do. I wanted to make sure I had my own coat on there. The car feels slippery to the touch.

westwest888

The dog was helping, but I did most of the work.

awc

Lookin good, West! Thats about the plan I have for mine when I finally get it, although I'll have the supercharged badges put on at the port. Is your car a Brilliant or a Phantom?

westwest888

Thanks! It's a phantom. I figured it would prevent swirl marks and spider webbing. I like the way it's holding up a lot!

http://www.autogeek.net/wolfgang-fuzion-wax-sample.html

That seems to be the best deal going. 6 ounces for $49. A lot better than $175 retail!

awc

Haha, thanks for the post! I was just telling my girlfriend that I'd love to get some of the Wolfgang Fuzion, but it just wasn't in my budget...now I'll have to reconsider!

Mine will be a Brilliant when she finally arrives, I went back and forth between the Phantom and the Brilliant, and am going to go with my original gut feeling. I'm a little worried about the swirl marks and cracking, but, with a combination of waxing, sealant, and a ventureshield, I hope to limit it as much as possible.

Other than that, though, we've got almost the identical car (i.e. black/magma interior). Hope you enjoy yours as much as I know I will mine!

P.S., your car is now my background, something to keep me going until the end of July!

westwest888

Cool. I'm not a big ventureshield fan. If you're paranoid about the front end, just get it repainted every couple of years. To be honest compared to my 3 series, the front of the car doesn't really have much paint on it. It's all grills. I'd say there's 2 cubic feet of painted area on the bumper cover tops.

ashokeypokey

Nice work! The NXT will give you good protection. As a synthetic combo goes, it's pretty well rated. Have fun with fuzion when you get it. The smell is even addicting.

I was planning on another coat today but some jerk off let a shopping cart fly into my cart at Target. Nice little crease dent down. Going for a paint less dent repair.

As far as swirl protection, the wax isn't going to give you much. Very very good washing technique is needed and even then, you're going to get some. As far as long term protection(not against swirls) goes, try the wolf gang sealant topped by the fuzion.

PhilH

Nice pics! Looks good.

big windy

Car looks great...regarding wax, check out Chemical Guys' Pete's 53. Its mainly intended for dark paints and metallics, and that's what I used on my black M3 and now my S4. It looks incredible on jet black, and is relatively cheap compared to some high end stuff like swissvax. I think its on sale right now for 38 bucks.

nick71692

Looks good!