First NX Clean

[First_Lexus]

Having had my NX Sport for nearly two weeks, today was the day for my first clean. The car has the 'Williams F1' ceramic coating applied by the dealer (well, by an indy the dealer uses) so today was also a good chance to assess the quality of the application and finish 

The good news is that the paintwork is flawless. Regardless of the merits or otherwise of the Williams coating - which I didn't pay for - the preparation of the car was evidently done very well. 

My basic regime today was the same as I use for my other cars, although with the Williams coating present I didn't (at this stage) clay or actually prep the paintwork, which I would normally have done. 

- Snowfoam - Bilt-Hamber Auto-Foam

- Wash - Bilt-Hamber Auto-Wash (three bucket method - body, wheels & rinse)

- Paintwork & wheels - CarPro Re-Load sealant

- Tyres - Bouncers Dress to Impress

- Glass - Dodo Supernatural followed by Auto-Perfection Pro Clear

- Exterior plastics - Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel

 

 

[Rusty Crobar]

Looks great and you've used some good quality products 🖒

You clearly know your stuff, were you worried about the quality of the application of the Williams or did you know who was going to do it beforehand? 

[Normski]

Love the new motor! The side protection strips...are they from Lexus or aftermarket? Never seen them before. I wish her 3RX had some as the sides are just an expanse of easily damaged metal :(

[First_Lexus]

22 minutes ago, Normski said:

Love the new motor! The side protection strips...are they from Lexus or aftermarket? Never seen them before. I wish her 3RX had some as the sides are just an expanse of easily damaged metal :(

The side protection strips are a genuine Lexus accessory for the NX. I'm not 100% convinced by the looks, but my car is in a work car park every day, so I see them as an essential. I've had similar on every daily driver I've had over the last twenty years, and they've saved my bodywork on a number of occasions - and I'm very careful about where I park!

 

1 hour ago, Rusty Crobar said:

Looks great and you've used some good quality products 🖒

You clearly know your stuff, were you worried about the quality of the application of the Williams or did you know who was going to do it beforehand? 

@Rusty Crobar - I've never really believed in the 'new car wonder treatments' - Supaguard and similar - but the Williams ceramic coat was thrown in by Lexus for free, and it does seem to have been done well by the company they used. Having detailed many cars over the years as a hobby I'm a sceptic, but I'm interested to see how this treatment lasts. I'm topping up with CarPro Re-Load sealant so I'll never really know for sure, but I'll report back as the years go by. Reviews elsewhere suggest this is a good treatment if prepped and applied properly. We shall see...

[Goggy]

Nice job, the car looks brilliant. I do like the protection strips. They don't look right on some cars but on the NX they look good. 

[Old Sandy]

On ‎16‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 7:25 PM, First_Lexus said:

The side protection strips are a genuine Lexus accessory for the NX. I'm not 100% convinced by the looks, but my car is in a work car park every day, so I see them as an essential. I've had similar on every daily driver I've had over the last twenty years, and they've saved my bodywork on a number of occasions - and I'm very careful about where I park!

 

@Rusty Crobar - I've never really believed in the 'new car wonder treatments' - Supaguard and similar - but the Williams ceramic coat was thrown in by Lexus for free, and it does seem to have been done well by the company they used. Having detailed many cars over the years as a hobby I'm a sceptic, but I'm interested to see how this treatment lasts. I'm topping up with CarPro Re-Load sealant so I'll never really know for sure, but I'll report back as the years go by. Reviews elsewhere suggest this is a good treatment if prepped and applied properly. We shall see...

 I can't make my mind up on the side strips, just wondering if they do them in chrome.

Talking of the paint treatment, I've got a few weeks left to deliberate about it before delivery. They've quoted me £349, which I thought was a bit steep, what happens to the protection if you use clay or polish over it ? Does that eat into it and destroy it's longevity ? I've had various paint protections applied to my previous cars, mainly Gtech 3 and Supagard, but I've never really noticed if they genuinely do make any difference.

Be interesting to hear others thoughts

[First_Lexus]

I certainly wouldn't pay for the treatment @Farne

My Lexus dealer added the ceramic coat for nothing without me even asking. That seems to be pretty common across marques - such treatments are added at no cost as another way of sealing a deal to buy the car.

I've never had a treatment like this before, but so far I'm pleasantly surprised. Early days though. I'm using Car-Pro Reload to maintain the finish. I understand normal polishes, sealants and waxes shouldn't affect the coating. Not sure about clay though.

[rayaans]

On 31/12/2017 at 1:34 PM, First_Lexus said:

I certainly wouldn't pay for the treatment @Farne

My Lexus dealer added the ceramic coat for nothing without me even asking. That seems to be pretty common across marques - such treatments are added at no cost as another way of sealing a deal to buy the car.

I've never had a treatment like this before, but so far I'm pleasantly surprised. Early days though. I'm using Car-Pro Reload to maintain the finish. I understand normal polishes, sealants and waxes shouldn't affect the coating. Not sure about clay though.

clay is abrasive so yes, it would have an impact on the coating.

I would personally ditch the car pro reload and go for Sonax BSD. Beading is insane and lasts fairly well.

[First_Lexus]

29 minutes ago, rayaans said:

Clay is abrasive so yes, it would have an impact on the coating.

I would personally ditch the car pro reload and go for Sonax BSD. Beading is insane and lasts fairly well.

Oh no, another product for me to try! I'd seen the positive reviews of the Sonax detailer - will add it to my list. Need to get through the Car-Pro first. And the Bouncers. And the Dodo. And the Swissvax..uh-oh. 

[Guest]

I wouldn't accept a coating for free even. They will often just slap it over contamination and swirls.

Opinions on products are as varied as the products themselves, they also require proper use to get the best results. Forensic detailing on YouTube does some good product comparisons.




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[First_Lexus]

On 01/01/2018 at 6:32 PM, rayaans said:

Clay is abrasive so yes, it would have an impact on the coating.

I would personally ditch the car pro reload and go for Sonax BSD. Beading is insane and lasts fairly well.

I've ordered the Sonax BSD this morning. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the other detailers I've used / got - I'll post thoughts once I've got it and used it over the ceramic coating (which seems to be holding up very well so far after 6 months).

[rayaans]

10 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

I've ordered the Sonax BSD this morning. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the other detailers I've used / got - I'll post thoughts once I've got it and used it over the ceramic coating (which seems to be holding up very well so far after 6 months).

The best place to get it is ECP or CP4L when their discounts come along, every weekend or end of month!

It doesn't give a typical smooth finish but feels grabby - something to do with why it can bead how it does. You can mix 50/50 with a QD of your choice and you should retain the beading properties with more slickness if you prefer

[First_Lexus]

Used the Sonax BSD for the first time this morning. I see what you mean about it being a bit 'grabby' @rayaans - one of the fussier QDs I've used - but the finish is good, with the flake in the metallic being more noticeable. That's impressive for a QD. 

I will be interested to use the various QDs I've got over the Summer and come to a conclusion on which I prefer. The CarPro Re-Load is excellent, as is the Auto-Perfection Clarity, especially given the price. The Bilt-Hamber requires the paint to be in really good condition otherwise it's a pain to use. My all time favourite for ease of use and finish is the Dodo Red Mist, but I haven't got any of that at the moment. Will use up a couple of those I do have before deciding what to order next.