MoeMistry

Glistening Perfection New-Car Prep

Here’s another elaboration of the New-Car Detail that I do. In this segment, we’ll talk about why it’s so important to do this detail, the procedure of the detail, and what to do post detail.

The New-Car Detail was originally incepted when I started to get some current clients that bought new cars and had me come to their home to do the detail. It was apparent, somewhere along the line, the paint on the new cars I was getting should not have had swirls, scratches, and hologramming. Once we backtracked a bit, I realized this was being done when the dealers prepped the cars prior to the client taking delivery. My assumption was confirmed after watching cars being prepped at various dealerships here locally.

Most dealerships need and want to get the “unit” out the door. I say unit, because no matter how much you’ve spent on this new car, it’s a unit in the eye of the dealer. To us enthusiasts, it’s a “car” and at this level, it should be treated with some dignity. Often times, a car arrives at the dealer, it’s stripped of all plastic and protective films, washed by the porter, and waxed using hand or machine to shine it up for the client. Most people don’t ever notice the small detail such as paint swirls, scratches, and imperfections in the paint because of the emotional high of finally getting the car you been waiting for. The client just wants to sign the papers, shake the salesman’s hand, and drive. It’s only the weekend when it comes time to wash the car, the way the sun shines on the hood when coming out of the office one afternoon, or when a obsessive compulsive detailer point out these flaws, that you realize the extent of the damage done to your car’s paint from one wash alone at the dealer.

So I decided, I would offer a service that would keep the car in pristine condition, just as it left the factory, until you take delivery. This service would step in right after the car had been delivered and the dealer did their technical pre-delivery inspection, PDI. New-Car Detail would have me be the first to take all the plastic off the seats, remove stickers from windows, remove plastic wrap from the paint, etc. Your car would be cared for in a manner that respected this new acquisition, with assurance that YOUR best interest was in mind. After all, you are the one paying for this service, not the dealer.

Below is a recent New-Car Prep on a 2008 Porsche Carrera GT3. This GT3 was delivered four days before my arrival. I thank my client’s salesman Mike Rennhack of McKenna Porsche in Norwalk for his hospitality.

Initial Condition

Each dealership has different protocals. I don't always get the car with all the wrapping.











All plastic film and wrapping is removed (15 min)





Only waste. The rest of the wrapping and stickers are preserved for the client's re-sale in the future.





The car gets a thorough wash (35 min)

Wheels, wheel wells, and tires are cleaned using a pH-balanced all-natural wheel cleaner using a gentle horse hair wheel brush.



An all-natural pure tallow, coconut essence oil, and lemon extract soap is used to gently clean the paint. A 100% Australian Sheepskin Wash Mitt is used for its delicate wool.







The paint is decontaminated and prepped using klay (20 min)



The einszett Atomizer Sprayer is an excellent tool to spray the Zymöl Lehm Lube without getting sore hands from pumping the sprayer.



This was just the embedded contaminants on the rear wing.



The car is then rinsed and dried using forced air blower (15 min)



The condition of the paint is examined and the proper action is planned (5 min)

The paint is polished using a gentle, all-natural, and SAFE paint cleanser to condition and prep the surface for wax (35 min)





The paint gets a defined and deeper look after the polish. It also feels as smooth as silk.





Notice the flash. The paint is free of any swirls or imperfections. This is why clients opt for this service. When everything is done right, the integrity of the car is kept.



The paint is then waxed using an all-natural, Brazilian white carnauba-based wax. Zymöl Destiny ($500 /jar) was massaged by hand into the paint in this particular detail level (35 min)

Now comes the wax. This detail package was Destiny.



The higher-end waxes are massaged into the finish with my bare hands. This is to melt the raw carnauba further and also to check the "feel" of the paint for proper cleansing. If there are any rough areas that need further polishing, this is the step you'll detect imperfections that can only be felt by hand. I'm assured of a clean and well-polished finish when applying wax this way.



Engine is cleaned (20 min)






The tires, wheels, and wheel well are cleaned, conditioned, and protected (40 min)

The exterior glass is cleaned, conditioned, and protected (30 min)

The interior is vacuumed and cleaned to remove fingerprints, dirt, and adhesives (25 min)





All the documentation is neatly stored.




The various leather, vinyl, aluminum, etc. surfaces are conditioned using the proper products (90 min)

Many clients don't want the New-Car smell to go away after conditioning the interior. This is why using an all-natural solvent-free, banana-oil and collagen-based leather conditioner keeps the desired scent and not a chemical odor.



The interior has a soft and satin look as apposed to a more glossy look that traditional products impart.







Interior glass is cleaned and conditioned (20 min)

Condition all exterior trim (20 min)

A waterless natural conditioner containing ingredients such as Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Tea Tree Oil and Copaiba Root, is used to condition all exterior rubber trim.



Crystallize wax to speed curing process (20 min)

Since there was humidity present due to the rain, the wax would not cure properly. To speed up the process, a liquid carnauba spray was applied to crystallize the wax and cure it more rapidly.



Final inspect vehicle for quality control (10 min)











Photo documentation throughout entire detail (90 min)

In recap, some may say this is too much work, a new car doesn’t need this much work, or this is over the top. To these critics, I can only say that there has never been a time in our lifetime that a typical high-end luxury, sport, or exotic car has cost more than a home. Starting on the right foot and maintaining the car’s level of care is just another aspect of ownership. I feel we’re never the true owner of a car. Cars will typically outlive us and be passed down generation to generation. You are the current caretaker of this new Porsche, or a Ferrai, Bugatti, Lamorghini, etc. It’s your responsibility to make sure the time, effort, and passion that went into making this car is reflected in how you carry the torch. Properly detailing the car through its life is simply the best investment in assuring you get top-dollar when it come time to sell the car and move on to the next purchase.

c2silver

Great write-up!
What determines the product line you use?
I noticed that you used zymol products 100% on this GT3.

MoeMistry

Good observation! We use what we feel is the best product at any given moment in time. This detail was done a few years back and at the time we felt Zymol made the best product for certain applications. We have been using Zymol products since 1997, and early this year we have replaced the line with a product from Switzerland called Swissvax. The focus of our detail is the end result. We must assure our clients that the detail they receive stays consistent and meets our demanding standards. Therefore, if we feel a product falls short of that objective, we will search to find a suitable replacement. The focus of this thread was to educate the consumer to realize that even new cars need a proper foundation.