Hello All,

First of all great site! I spent lots of time reading the posts and getting great info. from them. I have a question though.....I just bought my 05 KR. How long should I wait before I clay or wax??? I understand that clay is used to exfoliate and clean the paint but should I need it right off the lot? I'm just as proud as everyone here about their truck and want to try to keep it spit shined at all times.

I guess what I'm trying to say is where and when do I start?

One small side story. I gave my friend a ride to the local 7-11 because he wanted to check out my new truck. This guy bought a slushy and insisted that he drink/eat it in the truck on the way home. I asked him politely not to eat in my truck. He pleaded and guaranteed me that he wouldn't spill it on the seats and what do you think happened .......I almost slapped him silly when he dropped some on the passenger seat . I cleaned it up with a damp cloth asap and luckily the leather looks as good as new.

Just wanted to share that side note.

Please help as to when and how to start the spit shine

Rick

 

As far as waxing goes, definitely do it right away -- multiple coats, in fact! The sooner you get a good layer of protection on the paint of your new vehicle, the better!

Claying, on the other hand, might be debatable. There is nothing wrong with claying a vehicle right away. Whether it's really necessary depends on the circumstances.

For example, if I purchased a vehicle off the dealer lot, I'd be inclined to clay right off the bat. Chances are the vehicle has been sitting there for awhile (check the window sticker for the date of production and you'll get a pretty good idea exactly how long) and has picked up surface contaminants from rainfall, passing traffic, etc.

On the other hand, if I special ordered the vehicle and picked it up as soon as it reached the dealer lot, I might be inclined to wait and clay at my next full-blown detail.

I purchased (special ordered) my wife a new Escape a few months back and when I checked the paint before my initial wax, I felt there was no reason to clay, so I skipped this step. I also just took possession of a new F-150 (also special ordered) and when I go to apply my first coats of wax later this week, I'll check the condition of the paint to determine whether I need to clay or not.

FYI -- purchase a clay kit and the instructions will tell you how to determine whether your paint needs to be clayed. Even if you decide you don't need to clay at your first detail, at least you'll already have your kit purchased and ready to go for the next time you do a full-blown detail!

 

I'd be inclined to clay it right off the bat so you can then get a good protective coat of wax on there as well. The rail/transport trip to your dealer - then sitting in thier lot uncovered will probably have built up some contaminants on the surface areas. I've used clay bars for several years now on 5 different vehicles and they do an excellent job and don't hurt your paint. Plus you can clay a vehicle pretty quickly as you really only have to clay the horizontal surfaces (hood, top of fenders, roof, etc.). You will "feel" the resistance if there are a lot of contaminants on the surface.

Take it slow - do a small area at once 1)spray, 2) rub over with clay bar, 3) wipe off spray with soft cloth - goes quickly....also be sure to keep an eye on the clay bar and turn it over often to keep a clean side down.

 

Do it now. Brake and rail dust are already contaminating the paint. You'll know that it was a good idea to clay when you do it. I use the Zaino Z-16 claybar and you can feel the grit go away and you move it over an area. Probably the same with other brands, but Zaino is the only one that I have familiarity with.

Enjoy your new truck. The King Ranch is an awesome trim package.

 

Well, I'll tell you this. I bought my new truck Friday night and drove it home. Saturday I got up Clayed it, Polished it, and put a new coat of wax on it. LOL. You can do it right away!

The Factory paint is baked on at the factory. They actually use the heat to initiate the curing process. The paint is fully cured in about 24 hours and your truck is older than that by the time it reaches the lot so it's ready for waxing.

I'd also clay the vehicle right away and polish it before that first coat of wax is on there. Might as well clean the paint of all the contamination it picked up during transportation and remove any swirls the dealership goons put on the truck. You can then protect your new finish with a fresh coat of wax.

I tell all my customers who purchase new cars and want to keep them looking new the most important thing is to keep your vehicle washed! I rate it over frequent waxing, claying, and polishing. Dirt, bird poop, tar, tree sap, and bugs will do more damage to the finish than not waxing. I can compound and polish paint to bring back the shine but taking out etching from bugs and bird poop doesn't always work. So, keep your truck washed!

 

^^^ AGREE! ^^^

I did the same thing - clayed, polished, and applied two coats of wax right away.

I just detailed mine this past weekend - pictures in my gallery. The thing still looks new.

Congrats on your new truck!

 

As has been said by the masses, go ahead and do it.

Many folks will testify saying that you cannot and should not wax a new vehicle... this used to be the case with older painting systems but, with today's high-tech and high-temp ovens that they utilize to 'bake' the paint, this effectively removes the volitales that could play havoc if it were the old style paint.

In short, you have the green light to shine it up.

I washed, clayed, polished, and waxed mine the first weekend I had it. The amount of surficial contamination was mind-boggling... don't skip the clay step. Like Intel said, if you're going to do it, do it right.

RP

 

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll shine it up this weekend. I'll try and get pictures up when I'm done.

Thanks!!

Rick