Fun Small Hatchbacks w/ Good MPG

[Buck]

Edit: I got a 2014 Focus ST1 (aka the base version).

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Buck

I was going to wash her this weekend, so I'll get that stuff.

Edit: do you need a buffer?

no buffer. just patience, and don't rush it. throw on some tunes, and a cooler of beer...

get a little foam buffer pad, *2 of them - 1 for polish and 1 for wax* and lots of terry cloth rags. I bought a pack of like 16 of them *probably "10x10"* for probably $15 years ago. after I'm done with the car, I just have the wife wash them, then I fold them and put them in the garage with my car stuff.

[Dayze]

...oh, and since it's new, protect that clear coat as long as possible with wax. wax protects, polish gets out any surface scratches you may not see with your eye. and the clay bar will pick off all the gunk you can't see, like pollution, sut, etc and other crap you might not see.

if you were to simply wash and wax, the wax would just lock in that stuff until the wax wears down.

My $.02

[Buck]

So where is the best place to buy all that stuff?

We have O'Reilly's Auto Parts and Autozone here, and I think Napa.

[hometeam]

Originally Posted by scott free

He'll sell any new car on the lot at invoice, right hometeam!

yup

[hometeam]

Originally Posted by Dayze

throw in free detailing for life, or it's no deal.

No undercoat, 90 days infinite detailing and we got a deal~

[Miles]

Originally Posted by Buck

So where is the best place to buy all that stuff?

We have O'Reilly's Auto Parts and Autozone here, and I think Napa.

http://www.autogeek.net/

which also has some good instructional stuff:

http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html

Clay bar, finishing polish and sealant would probably do the trick on a new car. Only use clean microfiber towels (cheap at Sam's Club or Amazon) washing or detailing.

A machine (dual action polisher - you can get these for around $100 or as low as $60ish for Harbor Freight) saves time and can also remove imperfections/achieve results that are either not possible or a total pain by hand. Since your car is new, it might not have many microscratches and you can get by with hand.

I have had great luck with Wolfgang products but there is a lot of good stuff out there.

If you live in an apartment I highly recommend looking into optimum no rinse to wash your car.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Buck

I was going to wash her this weekend, so I'll get that stuff.

Edit: do you need a buffer?

All about how quickly you want to get it done. Certainly would save you time and effort. It's always a debate over doing it all by hand or not.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by hometeam

No undercoat, 90 days infinite detailing and we got a deal~

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by scott free

This has happened a few times, they go under the fence and it snaps back into place.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Dayze

yep; clay bar, polish, and wax for me 3 times a year. 2 at a minimum. My car is 6 years old and the paint looks deep and like glass. there are rock chips on the front as you would expect, but a paint pen does wonders.

Kind of related.

Has anyone ever used any of those hard sealant finishers? I forget the name, something like Hard Candy? There's a number of methods of application, from a liquid treatment to action sheets that will fuse with heat to eliminate a seam before they cure. But essentially the keep a high finish and eliminate chips, dings and will even stand up to a pretty good hail beating until the hail size is bigger than a quarter - which is pretty darn rare to encounter, and by then it will have shattered all your windows too?

I don't have any experience with it, or know of anyone else who does, but I'd like to entertain an application of it maybe in the spring?

I'm planning on dropping some serious coin for a custom high quality full detail of my car- both the interior and exterior, as it's coming up on 4 years in august that I have had it.

[KC native]

Buy a dual action polisher and good pads and you will shave off about half of your detailing time.

I got a harbor freight one on sale for about $50. Saved me at least 2 hours of polishing time.

Make sure you get a dual action polisher so you don't run the risk of burning your paint (stripping the clear coat).

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Kind of related.

Has anyone ever used any of those hard sealant finishers? I forget the name, something like Hard Candy? There's a number of methods of application, from a liquid treatment to action sheets that will fuse with heat to eliminate a seam before they cure. But essentially the keep a high finish and eliminate chips, dings and will even stand up to a pretty good hail beating until the hail size is bigger than a quarter - which is pretty darn rare to encounter, and by then it will have shattered all your windows too?

I don't have any experience with it, or know of anyone else who does, but I'd like to entertain an application of it maybe in the spring?

I'm planning on dropping some serious coin for a custom high quality full detail of my car- both the interior and exterior, as it's coming up on 4 years in august that I have had it.

haven't heard of that.

[TravelingChiefs]

I have a 2011 vw golf TDI. 45-50 mpg n plenty of power n fun to drive. Germans make a great car