It's my first new car. What can I do to my car to ensure it stays new and wonderful?
Any cleaning products and car accessories suggestion (OzBargain style)?
Just Bought a New Car. What Can I Do to It?
supervigilante on 29/10/2015 - 10:34
Comments
Thankyou. Too funny.
Purchase insurance so if someone smashes into you within 2 years they'll replace it with a brand new car.
Thanks! It's fully insured.
Is that a clause or an extra option you have to take, cause my unlucky aunt had a truck back into her brand new car a week after she bought it and the insurance company did not replace it with a brand new car. Though you can't tell the difference after they fixed it.
Professional car inspectors will always be able to make out the difference. Just had one done on my car recently and boy, they were thorough.
I guess it depends on the amount of damage. If it's repairable for significantly lower cost than replacing with a brand new car, then they'll just repair it. Also, not all insurance companies are offering that.
Sorry that's if you write it off. Not if someone smashes into you…
And a tiny dancing Elvis on the dashboard
make it fully sick bro
Don't worry. All my passengers will be getting car sick from my driving
You're hilarious OP!
We put one of these moulded dash mats in when new:
http://www.shevron.com.au/product-category/dash-mate/
Not everyone's cup of tea but have had them on previous cars and it keeps dash brand new.
Nice idea！
so the next owner can enjoy a brand new dash? while you looked at that for the time of your ownership.
Don't they come standard any more? Every 2nd hand car I've ever owned (3 in total) had one…
Every piece of cr@p car on the road was once new
Some craps are crappier than others
What about some of those rubber floor mats? Currently 50% off @ Super Cheap Auto until This Sunday…
http://images.lasoomedia1.com.au/imageicon/sca/prod/j0056900…
And maybe get:
- seat covers
- one of those reflective windscreen sun shields
- a cheapo steering wheel cover
Wow. I am looking at rubber mats and then you posted this. Thanks for that!
Yep I picked up those exact ones in the eBay craziness in September. But I paid $26 and thought that was a good deal (since it was $40). Amazing how much sand and dirt it has collected already, and thereby shielded the carpet underneath.
It does cover the boot/fuel lever in my car. I could probably cut out a gap with a utility knife but I don't mind just reaching underneath with my fingers. It's flexible rubber.
We don't have them at the moment but with our old car we found some good sheepskin seat covers kept the original seats looking new and meant we didn't burn ourselves when we sat down in hot weather. Mostly our car is garaged now. Those windscreen reflectors are also a good way of stopping heat getting into west facing windows on your house. You get some cheap ones and just hang them outside of the window.
I thought you were saying you had mats for the car boot. I was wondering how many bodies you had been transporting.
I didn't like rubber mats because the bottom has sharp rubber pins to keep the mats hold onto the car's carpet. Over the year, those pin marks will stay forever.
That's why I get the factory mats, don't need to worry about damaging the real carpet.
Saw 'deep dish' and immediately thought of Pizza, which I'm now craving.
Bought all covers from Supercheap Auto.
If you're talking about washing methods to avoid introducing swirls into your paint then you would want to use a foam lance / snow foam, rinse, then wash with two bucket method using a good quality microfibre mitt (or alternatively the Garry Dean method with one bucket and heaps of microfibre cloths used once only). Then final rinse and lastly, dry with a electric leaf blower.
Interior - regularly vacuum and use good quality leather care products (if you have leather seats).
A good detail and paint protection product applied professionally (NOT by the dealership) will help too.
So many of you mentioned the two bucket methods. I have just googled it and realised that I have been washing my other cars using the wrong way. Thanks!
How important is the paint protection? I didn't take up the offer from the dealer luckily because I'm skeptical that they want to make more money by offering loan, insurance and extras.
Paint protection will help the car stay cleaner, will look glossier/shinier and add an extra layer of protection on the paint to reduce damage from bird poo etc. Not absolutely required but helps reduce effort and frequency of washing as it repels diet and water to some extent. A detailer will also do a machine polish before applying and get rid of any swirls or superficial marks (if possible).
Dealer paint protection is generally a rip, but some aftermarket paint protections (like Opticoat) are worth looking at.
If you leave the car in the elements a lot and/or you don't have the time or inclination for polishing and waxing, I'd definitely consider it.
There are different types of paint protection.. permaguard I got on my car (jeep) by dealer is fantastic everything (crap, sap, dirt) comes off easily and water rolls off. None of this yearly maintenance crap done once and it's permanent. My last car was a Honda and the paint protection was a joke - they offered different "grades" I found out after complaining how useless it was, it was just sitting around in bottles applied with rags at the dealership.
Get a little hammer and give it a smack somewhere not very noticeable…then you will be able to enjoy it for what it is, a mode of transport. You will be able to park it anywhere without the worry of someone else denting it.
I feel sad just thinking about it. =(
Fart in it before someone else does
So, Opticoat is not a product that I apply to my car myself? It's actually a service that I need to get someone else to do for me?
Correct.
And because it's semi-permanent, it's strongly recommended that the car is property detailed beforehand (e.g. paint correction to remove dealer inflicted swirls).
But if you want to keep your car looking it's best with minimal effort for the most amount of time, it's the way to go.
"It's my first new car. What can I do to my car to ensure it stays new and wonderful?"
I hope you don't say the same thing about your women (or men?)… If you don't use it, someone else will.. Your car I mean.
I like my car like I like my women
There's something you can do with your woman but you can't do with your car :)
Listen to the nagging?
"He never drives it. He just rubs it with a diaper!"
"A man with priorities so far out of whack doesn't deserve such a fine automobile."
The chemical that bonds to your clear actually damages it. It will need a polish to restore its original shine.
I want to keep my car shiny and chrome, not matte and plastic.
If you're in Melbourne, I can recommend someone that does great paint protection (including interior protection). Send me a PM and I'll shoot through his details.
Im interested, PM'ed.
Thanks for your offer. PM'ed
Sent.
there's a decent savings deal on kickstarter from adams polishes
i normally just buy direct from them, but they are a premium productWith a brand new car, if treated well, wouldn't need to be polished for the first couple of years. Unless there are dealer delivered swirls.
the brand is called adams polishes, they don't only sell "polish"
to maintain the car you'd want to have some decent shampoo, mitts, detailer, and some layers of protection (whether that's sealant/wax/etc)Sorry, my mistake. I assumed the brand was adams and you meant to get polishes.
Keep a tub of wet wipes in your boot, whenever birds shit on your car, wipe it off as it can corrode the paint.
Are the KFC wet wipes satchels okay for car paint?
Its alcohol contents strip whatever wax (or potentially sealant) on your car.
That'll scratch your clear coat…
Get a water bottle with squirty bit and use the water pressure to remove the bird faeces…Another method for semi or dried out bird droppings - get your favourite microfibre towel, make it soaking wet and leave it on the affected area for a few minutes. Hopefully you're doing this when the panel temperature isn't too high and the bird dropping should be easy to wipe off. Spray spray wax like Duragloss Aquawax (love that stuff) to ensure there's some protection afterwards if you aren't gonna wash and wax it right afterwards.
Perfect timing too to stock up at Car Care Products, good old Shop Small has started.
Crash it within the first year and your insurance company will let you buy a new one. Thats the best way to keep it like new
Go big or go home!
what car did you get?
Japanese car.
lol a bit more information?
Please be a Honda?
lol, Why so secretive…
Does it fit goldilocks and 3 bears?
For a new vehicle Id definitely spend a few extra hundred and get a quartz overcoat protection. Will make the car paint much easier to maintain and scratch resistant… that's if you care enough about how your car looks.
I just want it to look new for as long as possible. I'll definitely consider paint protection.
Most exterior protection is down to how you wash and store the car
Did they not suggest it to you when you purchased the vehicle? They sure did for mine and kept saying it was required by law that they offer to me lol
Go into an Autobarn, tell them what you want to achieve and ask them to recommend products.
I use Autoglym products, but there are others.
It takes a bit of effort every few months to reapply some of the products, but it is well worth it.
My oldest car is now 4 years old and still looks like new, though it obviously has a few stone chips on the front etc.Thanks! I'll check out Autoglym products!
Consider going to Car Care Products instead. Professional level products at decent prices.
sell it and turn into cash……………………….. haha
Drive it. I thought that was obvious.
subaru wrx
amirite? :P
Why does everyone want to guess my car =/
I'm just after recommendation for general car care..
Probably just need to know which car to key
waxing a bonnet scoop could add minutes to your detail to keep it looking new. This information could affect our recommendation on what you need to do.
Wash regularly and clay bar, polish and wax twice a year. The DRIVE channel on youtube has an excellent tutorial on how to fully clean and maintain your car.
I found online forums to be great to work out what you can do to your car. People who own the same type will often have little tricks that make life easier, or tell you about common mods or issues.
Go online and make a few connections, learn the things others do when they first buy their car. I modded both my new cars a little to make them better.It's just a car ? Why should you worry too much about it ? Get a life :)
There's a series on Youtube called Drive Clean which talks about detailing/washing.
Start with this video first and then move onto others in the series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Sqi1lAj1A&list=PL96D52AF54…
Get a dashcam! Some good options here: https://dashcamtalk.com/
You can get a good quality and discreet one for <$100
For the interior, keep the windows closed, use the air-conditioning.
Are you telling him to throw money out the window….
Remember your car is not worrying about you, so don't worry too much about it. It is just a tool, like a pen, ruler chair etc, but an expensive tool. A tool to be used and not abused. It is there to make your life easier. If you spend a lot of your valuable time fretting about it you have become the tool. Drive safely and don't miss oil changes.
Paint protection + Window tinting
If you're trying to get rid of new car smell, and have a spare day to not use the car, this is what I've done/would do:
- use wet wipes to wipe down every crevice of upholstery,
- for fabric seats: Pour drops of essential oils into a box of baking soda. Shake up the box. Then rub the baking soda deeply into the fabric. Leave it overnight (the longer the better). Then at end of the following day vacuum it all out.The car may smell a bit strongly of essential oils afterwards depending on how many drops are used, but this disappears after a hot day or so. The musky new car smell didn't come back for me though.
The best tips I can give you are:
- wash your car with a microfibre was cloth, make sure to rinse the cloth in a seperate bucket after each consecutive wipe on your car. This will ensure no dirt catches on the cloth and scratches your car.
- always try to park next to more expensive car than yours, or next to a wall to avoid people hitting your car with their door.
- BIG ONE: use premium petrol. It does wonders for your car!
- regularity service the car, even if the KMs are low.. Follow the service schedule in your cars log book.
- make sure your reverse parking is on spot.. Don't want no gutter rashes!
- opti-coat your car for better protection. This guy does a great job. https://www.facebook.com/matt.economides/posts/1015311260215…If all that still fails and you somehow slightly damage your car.. Little blemishes and scratches are not visible to many. I'm like you and have had certain parts of my car re-sprayed over the years. However you can't control what happens so its best to just enjoy your car and try to beat protect it.
Enjoy!
Go to waxit.com.au and buy yourself some wax and a clay bar. You'll want to clay the car initially to remove rail dust from when it was being shipped, and then you want to wax it each month.
Bird drops is the enemy, dont wait till it eats through the clear coat, clean it within few days.
Wash your car once a week with your own gears, especially windows on the inside!
Wax your car twice a year.
And for the love of god dont use the same sponge/bucket to clean your rims and the body of the car.
Avoid dodgy wash places if you arent going to clean your car yourself.
Get someone to steam clean your car every now and then if you are one of those who cant find their mouth when they eat/drink in the car.Rest is outta your control, dont become too paranoid…
PS: Of course service your car when needed.
Don't worry about it, just enjoy driving it. Just make sure you have insurance.
Get some nice seat covers.
Vinyl Wrap
or the stick family