Washing & Caring for my Camry

[sephknite]

OK, so my '07 Camry SE's black, and everyone knows how much work it is to keep a black car nice and shiny. I drive by some area that does get muddy. This morning, after I got to work, I saw spots and spots of mud around/above the tire area. How would you guys go about cleaning that area with the tire in the way?

I've also been looking at paint sealants like the ones the dealerships offer when you buy a new car that charge an arm and a leg (I was offered $950 for a protective sealant). I came up with 2 possible products. Anyone know of these?


1. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/5-Sta...spagenameZWD1V

2. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/5-TIM...spagenameZWD1V


I've done some research. My dealership offered me something called PermaPlate. I looked on PermaPlate's site and found out they sell their stuff for about $45 versus the dealership's $950. Holy Ripoff! Any suggestions on the 2 products and washing the tire area?

[Joe B]

Snake oil!

Black is tough.
Especially for a novice.

Just use a quality wax or sealant like Zaino,Liquid Glass,Klasse,Pinnacle products and with black don't use a one step cleaner wax.
Use a paint cleaner and a non abrasive wax or sealant metioned above.
I use Zaino Z-PC cleaner and Z-2 sealant.
Just my .02.

[wilfredcruz]

ik used meguiars or mothers.

Meguiers Gold line is teh best cars wash I have used.
Also you will need syn tetic wax and Carnauba wax on top...

good luck

[TBONG]

I thought for some reason that you should wait before waxing a new car, as it's recently been finished/waxed, etc. when being built?

As for car washing, I'm SOLD on the RainX Car Wash with the carnauba wax beads in the wash liquid. And it's cheap!!!

[RICO8458]

I have a Black 05 Camry. I hand wash and then hand wax once per month. no polish. just hand wax with carnuba wax. and i try to keep it out of the sun as much as possible. any bird dropping i take them off right away with quick detail spray.

[mtnet2000]

Use a Baking Soda and Water mixture to neutralize the Acid in bird droppings, don't smear it thought just pick it up with a cloth like if you where picking up a smashed bug! Birds eat little stones to help there digestive track, and if you wipe you can scratch your paint!

I use a clay bar for the front of the car and mirror, usually where bugs smash!

Then I do the whole car with a cleaner wax that contains Carnuba

Then I use a pure carnuba wax, for nice deep shine

Then I wait a day and apply a synthetic wax to give the car a super gloss

Use a MicroFiber between coats

People walk past my car and use it as mirror!

You won't believe the shine!!

Oh, and don't use a swirly motion, use a left and right when applying and removing

[sephknite]

For any '07 Camry SE owners, how do you go about cleaning the wheel well? Since this year's model is designed to be lower/tighter suspension, it's harder to reach in and clean the springs/rotors. Any recommendations on cleaning that area?

[marc780]

I have owned 3 black cars, VW rabbit (RIP, totall POS), plymouth fury, dodge mirada. So here's my two cents, Black shows flaws if you look at it closely! If you dont, its not so obvious. It is not hard to touch up and when the paint gets too worn, not hard to repaint either. So just wash it and Keep wax on it.

In your area mud is an issue, your own labor an even more important issue, no doubt, so where does the mud try to stick to the most? Here's what i do, i always have wax in the trunk, whenever i wash it i usually wax something on the car if i feel like it.

Why not? The car is clean, you have rags and wax, it adds less than 5 minutes to this chore EVEN if you only wax the rocker panels. Your alternative is comitting half your Saturday to this sh$t, every month or two, or let the car turn into a dull rusted clunker after 5 years. So this is how i have handled it on my last few cars.

[sunnyice]

mr. clean auto dry, just takes me like 20 mins. very nice product. as for waxing, im not goinh to wax it yet cause its still new and it already comes pre waxed from the factory, gonna wait like 4-6 months. i heard that lots of waxing is not good for the paint.

[Hawkeye-SE]

www.properautocare.com

Here is what I just did with my Salsa Red Camry (red is about as tough as black):

Stoner tarminator and bug sponge if necessary.

1. Eimann fabrik tire cleaner + brush on tires
2. Menzerna wheel and tire gel on wheels (with microfiber applicator to scrub)
3. Hand wash with blackfire shampoo a microfiber wash mitt. May want to invest in a grit guard to keep the mitt out of the shit at the bottom of the bucket that can cause swirls.
4. Towel dry with big blue waffle weave microfiber towel.
5. Blackfire clay on everything (including windows).
6. Menzerna intensive polish with orange cutting pad with porter cable dual action on 6.
7. Menzerna final polish with white pad with porter cable on 6.
8. Menzerna glaze with black pad on PC on 3.
9. Menzerna full molecular jacket on red pad on PC on 2.5.
10. Final wipe down with menzerna acrylic shield.
11. Polish all plastic with mothers mag aluminum polish
12. Clean all windows and glass with Stoner Invisible glass.

Remember to use quality microfiber towels to buff after every step. I use about 12-18 on just the exterior.

It is about 6 hours every 3 months or so.

And that is JUST the exterior. Gotta pay to play. I wish I had pics, but it rained the same day.

[sephknite]

My primary concern was washing the wheel wells. I went and got a Husky pressure washer from Home Depot today and shot off all the mud around the wheel wells--works great and didn't need any soap. I did this because the the rotors and springs were covered in mud too, so I had to get it done fast.

As for the exterior, I'll be looking into using a swirl remove + paint sealant. I hope that comes out right.

[comanche]

I have a black '07 camry also and it got detailed by the dealer when I picked up the car as there was a minor scratch. They buffed it and left buffing marks/holograms...I returned to the dealer and asked them to re-do it...they buffed the entire car...and now holograms everywhere...the trunk, hood, etc...what should I do....??? I hesitate to return to the dealer for the third time
please help...

[joel_musicman]

Comanche - by holograms do you mean smudges from the wax, or fingerprints?

If you got a "Wash Tub" membership with the car (or some other detail shop), see if they can issue a voucher to take it somewhere else.

Seph - that paint sealant was definitely a rip. What we have is $349 for what's called the "Vehicle Shield Package," which includes the paint sealant as well as a rubberized undercoating for reduced road noise. All this is done at the distributor, before it hits our inventory.

[mtnet2000]

Comanche they might have burnt your clearcoat! This happens If they kept the buffer on at high speed at left in one spot for too long! That car needs to be sent to a paint shop!!! If you don't have them take car of it now, you'll be screwed in a few years

[comanche]

[quote=joel_musicman]Comanche - by holograms do you mean smudges from the wax, or fingerprints?

If you got a "Wash Tub" membership with the car (or some other detail shop), see if they can issue a voucher to take it somewhere else.

it's not smudges...it's permanent...you can see the buffing marks that create a hologram like swirls...
the detailer must be unprofessional...I am afraid if I take it back to the dealer...it will get worse...it's been more than a month now...are they still honor the mess they have done to my new car?
how much does it cost if I take it to a detailer...?