Hey!

I ordered a 2003 Ford F150 XLT from the dealer (supposed to be here by mid-to-late-August) and was curious about the paint.

I want to do a full coat of wax on it when I bring it home (right after taking it to Krown Rust Control.... Canadian winters are a bitch!), but have heard the the paint takes a month or so to fully cure. If this is true, should I wait a few weeks before waxing the truck? It will be just off the line withing the last 2 weeks of me receiving it, so I thought I'd get your feedback.

I also ordered it in True Blue. What would be the best wax for this colour? Does it really make a difference? I use Turtle Wax Extreme on my Black 99 Mazda B3000, and it shines like obsidian when I am done. What do you guys think?

Thanks!

Robert C. Hedley,
MCP, CCNA

Soon to be the owner of a 2003 F150 XLT!

 

I'd wax it the first chance you get. If you really want to get a good protecting/shine wax get Klasse. Check out the General Care forum and Intel will fill you in....best stuff out there iMO.

 

Congrats on becoming a F150 owner soon I know its going to be a long wait but it will be here sooner than you think.

 

Welcome annuvin. Enjoy your new pickup, BTW you are at the best site for info on that new 150.

 

yeah, like Blake said, Klasse is a good one. There are pretty much 3 types of polishes/waxes that most people use on here. Zaino, Klasse, and Liquid Glass.

I've heard Zaino is better for lighter color vehicles but also takes forever to do with the bazillion different products and order of this and that.

I've heard Klasse is better for darker color vehicles. (such as your true blue and blakes Dark Shadow Gray)

And Liquid Glass is good for either dark or light colors.

I use Liquid Glass and its the best stuff out there IMO, but when i get another truck, i may try Klasse just to test it out. Zaino is too much work for me, and i spend 20+ hours getting my truck ready for shows. Anyway, Liquid Glass goes for about 20 bucks for a 16 oz. can, but is worth it. It actually bakes onto your truck, for a deeper, more reflective shine and protection. I get comments all the time at shows on what kind of wax i use, but actually LG contains no wax at all. If you have waxed your truck before, you would need to get a precleaner so the LG can bond to the truck. Your supposed to let the truck bake in the sun for 4 hours inbetween coats, and the more coats, the better the shine, i've got 14 or 15 coats on my truck now, and it just turned 2 years old. Its very easy to put on, its just like regular wax, you apply it, let it dry to a haze, and lightly buff it off. My dad has always used LG on his stangs, stingrays, chargers, and all those other muscle cars, and has gotten tons of compliments on those. Well, i hope all this ranting will help you out. Let us know what you decide on, and welcome to the site.

 

Your are going to be waiting alot longer than mid August. They wont even start building 2003 till about August 28th. That's after a plant shutdown,then they have all the bug's to work out of the line with the new modifications. Then there is your 9 week wait after August 28th. So you may see your truck in Oct or Nov maybe not untill Jan. Hope you like to wait. I ordered my Truck May 9th and still no sign of it yet. 7 weeks already. I waited 3 months for my last Truck to come in.That one was ordered in Oct.......Good Luck to you when you get it.

 

I was told by a body man, in general the truck has had the paint on it for 3 to 4 weeks before you get it.
This may not hold true for Ford, his brother is a GM dealer.

That is long enough to wait on the paint process to "cure" as you put it ( he expalined the process for what this means, I won't even try to expalin it...I'll get it wrong for sure ).

As for what wax to use...If you have something you like...stick with it.
I have yet to change from Mother's, it is what YOU like, and what YOU want to use. Nobody else is going to wax your truck for you <g>.
Take the input then decide for yourself., you can always wash the truck with Dawn and start over if you don't like what you start with....

 

Unless you use Liquid glass and for some strange unknown reason want to strip it off, then you'd have to wash your truck in mineral spirits . That may be a good hint of how durable it is. LoL


I know tampa did his truck with 10 coats of glass 1st, to seal the paint completely and give it a killer shine, and then he waxes over it ever since. That would work too. If you've seen pics of his truck, they speak for themselves.

 

Thank you for all your replies and insights.

I appreciate the input. As this is going to be a brand new vehicle, I want to take care of it right from the start. From what I have read on this site, Turtle Wax doesn't seem to be too popular. <g>
I would like to try Klasse, but don't know where to get it in the Toronto area. Anyone have any suggestions?

FWIW: The dealer I bought my truck from is a high-school buddy. He assured me the truck will arrive by early September at the latest. Regardless, he has guaranteed me $11000 for my 3 year old Mazda (this was confirmed by the dealership owner). I should think they would be ripping themselves off if they lied about the delivery date on the 2003, while guaranteeing me top dollar for my trade-in (especially when I put 1500 km a month on it at least). It certainly won't fetch $11,000 anywhere else by January.

Robert C. Hedley,
MCP, CCNA