Ex-Contour Lover

I want to suggest a few tips to prep a new car.

1. Ask for no dealer sticker/decals/license plates except for a $1000 monthly advertising fee. I hate to remove the dealer plate and have to fill in the holes of the front license plate bracket. Or use WD-40 to remove the ugly dealer sticker.
2. Ask for no dealer washing/waxing etc. There is nothing worse than dealer installed swirl marks. Or white wax on the black plastic trim pieces.
3. Spray the interior carpets with Scotch guard at the dealership and let is sit for an hour. The entire car will never be as clean as when it comes from the factory.
4. Look around the car for paint defects and have the body shop not the car saleman repair the paint. I had a salesman get out the nail polish type touch up paint to repair the missing paint. Don't let him do it. Also an entire rear panel did not have clearcoat on it. Have them take the entire car to the body shop and clearcoat the paint or get it written up on a To-Do order form.
5. Keep the RPMs under 2.5k for the first 1k miles. Also vary your speed no cruise control during that time.
6. Don't wax the car until 2 months later. I prefer Zainobros.
7. Tint the windows ASAP, nothing worse than faded red interior. Ask about tint on the front windshield in about a 50% tint. Your dash will thank you.
8. Change the engine oil and manual tranny fluid after 1k and 3k miles. The engine and tranny shed the most medal during breakin. Goto Mobil1 or Amsoil after 3k miles.
9. Install security lug nuts. I can't see loosing my wheels.
10. Unplug the battery and let the OBD-II learn how you drive.

What other tips, do you have?

BillP

I disagree with some of your points.

2500 is too low. Cars don't need a "low use" breakin, they need a reduced LOAD break-in, and varying speed. If you baby it for 1000 miles, you will tend to NOT seat the things that need to be seated, and it won't wear as well after.

Tinted front? Are you talking the little strip at the top? I hope you realize that you can't legally tint below a certain space at the top, and no sane person would WANT to tint the entire front windshield. Any shop that would do it is run by someone whose IQ is in the double digits. BTW, tinting only the top won't save your dash worth a darn, so I must assume that you intend to tint the whole front. :scratch:

Engine manufacturers specifically do NOT want you to change your oil in the first 1K miles. If you want to stop the metal that might be floating around, use a magnetic drain plug. Follow the manufacturers suggestion, and run factory oil for the first 3K miles, and after 3K or 6K you can switch to Mobil1 (a great synthetic).

The computer constantly learns. The first 10 miles put on it by the factory isn't going to affect anything after the first month of your driving. Yes, you can acclerate it by doing this, but it's actually going to do nothing measurable for you. Go ahead, knock yourself out.

Ex-Contour Lover

Tint on the front windshield is allowable in some states at a 70% level. This is enought to get UVA and UVB protection for the glass. Heck, get only clear tint with the protection, to preserve the dashboard. Law Enforcement rarely will check the front windshield for tint, especially if it runs the full length of the glass. The sun can appear so bright out of the front windshield that tint can drastically reduce the glare and enhance the driving experience, and nighttime driving has not proved to be a problem for me.

Lets see the proof about the need to break in an engine over 2.5k rpms and manufactorer's suggestion to not change oil until after 3k miles. How can you install a magnetic oil plug without changing the oil?

Shelby Roadster

You can specifically request the front license plate mounts not be installed when you order the car.

Drive the car like you stole it. I think this "drive nice" for the first 500-1000 miles is bunk with todays technologies and better quality of oils.

Also, with the paint processes that go on in the factories, you can wax the car the day you take possession of it. No reason to wait a month or two before slapping the zaino on.

Lastly, don't have the dealer prep the car at all, and ask for the car to be delivered in the condition as it rolls off the truck, with all the plastic wrap and all. That way, it's sort of like Christmas unwrapping everything.

BillP

Tint: See The Automotive State Tint Laws.

NO STATE allows tinting of the front windshield below 6" from the top, or the AS1 line (depends on the state). Side front windows vary from very dark (25% transmitted light) to NO TINTING ALLOWED. My state allows only a light tint on the front side windows. But the fronts? Only at the top. It's a danger to you and people near you to tint the front windshield. It also looks like worry more about your car's looks than your driving performance. :bang:


Engine Break-in:
Page 5 of the 2005 Mustang owners manual states:
That means no synthetics for the first few thousand miles. My statement about engine RPMs doesn't come from Ford, it comes from sites like Overboost.com and GM's crate engine breakin page and what I've learned from machine shops (engine manufacturers) in the last 24 years of driving. And they all say to NOT run a synthetic. A lot of performance shops will change the oil from their 20-40 minute break-in on the dyno, but don't want you to change it for about 3K miles, and usually want you to go through 2 changes before going to Mobil1 or another syntheic.

By the way, I can swap out a drain plug and lose less than 1/4 a cup of oil. B) If you changed your own oil, you'd be able to also.

BillP

Now that's a really cool idea...



Then again, I'd want to unwrap it WITH the dealer, in case there is some paint damage or anything else you'd want them to take care of for you.

But I LIKE IT!!! I think I'll tell my dealer as my car gets close to shipment

autothing

Following the topic of keeping the factory installed wrapping on the car...

If you want an after-market shop to lower your vehicle, tint your windows or perhaps install a GREAT sound system and/or alarm w. auto-start (etc.), KEEP THE WRAPPING ON.

Most body shops are hectic and their people walk around with tools, which are the enemy to your new Stang'.

Do all your upgrades the same week you get the car, THEN take off the wrapping. :cop:

ponyboy66

Did anyone notice the oil specs in the owners manual?

Use nothing but Mobil1. Nothing else comes close. Not even Amsoil.
If Amsoil was as good as Mobil1 they would have it API certified. It is not.

Galaxie

I totally agree.

Factory finishes are baked at around 400F and are completely cured coming out of the factory. Couple that with a couple of weeks for delivery and I am positive the paint is completely cured.

The 1-2 month wait is usually when a car is refinished at a bodyshop. If they don't have the equipment to "bake" the finish, a certain amount of time has to pass before the finish should be wetsanded or polished.

Shea

There seems to be a lot of misinformation flying around on this thread.

Firstly, regarding break-in procedures: It is my sincere belief that to baby your engine during break-in does a disservice to the life of your engine. Vary your engine RPMs, and do NOT baby it during break-in.

If you think about the mechanics of an engine, the point of a "break-in" period is to seat new parts properly. You cannot do this when you are being easy on the engine. For instance, if my rings seat themselves and form a groove at a certain point in the stroke, that point is not the same if I was babying the car. There is a lot of information regarding this topic online, so, if you are interested do a search on it. But that first post about keeping the RPMs under 2.5K is hogwash.

The most important time for your new car is the first few hours it is driven. The oil should be changed after just a few hundred miles, because during those first few hours, and imperfect parts will shed their slivers of metal, and they will end up in the oil. I realize I am recommending something which goes against manufacturer recommendations.

Lastly, even though the factory paint is baked onto your car, that paint is still not fully cured until approximately a month later, perhaps more depending on type of paint. This was told to me by my auto. painting instructor who has been doing it for 40 years.

Galaxie

I guess it comes down to differing opinions,

The best argument to say that the paint is fully cured is the fact that dealerships offer paint sealants along with undercoating when the car is purchased new. If the dealer is willing to push a wax-type product, I am sure the paint is cured, because they would not want to deal with the warranty issues otherwise.

I spent some time working in an automotive paint shop that painted factory parts, I am confident in my knowledge of the process that the paint is cured by the time we show up to the dealer to pick the car up.

I guess if you don't want to risk it, wait a month or two, the worst that can happen by waxing right away is you could ruin a factory paintjob (maybe i'll wait a week to be safe )

adrenalin

I never let the dealer place free advertising on my cars. I disagree with the front window tint since this is illegal in Canada and most states that I know of.

As far as waxing there should be no harm in doing this when you receive your car. Factory paint finishes are not the same as your local body shop.

Cameron

About the paint: As a general statement, cars that come from manufactorers have there paint baked on at significantly higher tempretures and cure before they leave the factory. Once all the little tid-bits are put onto a car (you know the ones that melt), automotive paint companies can no longer cure the paint at super high tempretures. Your auto shop guy is correct, but not about new cars. Wax away day 1 and I would encourage it since some of us (not me) will be parking our cars outside all the time.

Break in: anything below red line should be used. Anything less and you likely aren't seating the seals as well as someone who does.

Andy Haynes

I loved the statement about your car will never be as clean as it was when you got it from the dealership. Are you kidding me? Have you not ever wiped down a new car and had to use 3 rags because of all the dust that gets in the interior and the black scuff marks?

4. Look around the car for paint defects and have the body shop not the car saleman repair the paint. I had a salesman get out the nail polish type touch up paint to repair the missing paint. Don't let him do it. Also an entire rear panel did not have clearcoat on it. Have them take the entire car to the body shop and clearcoat the paint or get it written up on a To-Do order form.
I wouldnt buy a car that I saw had a paint defect.

The locking lugnuts was another one of my favorites. On all of my cars I have ever bought from ford they had factory locking lugs. Why would I wanna buy some more?

GTJeff

To help clear up the waxing issue, here is the email that I sent to Zaino's:

I ordered a new 2005 Mustang. When it arrives and I bring it home, how long should I wait before I polish it. Does the factory paint need to cure, or can I polish it immediately?

Response from Sal Zaino:

Thank You for your interest in Zaino Bros' Show Car Polish Products.
I am a custom painter by trade for over thirty years and very familar with Dupont and PPG and all other paints.

Todays paint technology uses a chemical reaction caused by a catalyst to cure the paint. Factory paint is fully cured in 36 to 48 hours. Polish your car as soon as you get it. That factory paint is already cured and needs protection against airborne contaminants and UV rays.

07MustangSB

guess i better start warming up my elbow grease! ( extends\straighten arms over and over again) :worship:

Dan

Going into the FAQ. Great post!! Glad you asked them.

thegoalie

I'll admit that I don't know much about waxes/polishes. Since we're on the subject, maybe someone can clear this all up for me?

First of all, I always thought a polish was an abrasive that is used to strip the paint of an ultrafine layer so that tiny scratches no longer exist. Thus making the paint nice and shiny. Why would you want to do that on a brand new car?

Everyone says that the paint sealants that dealers use are expensive and unnecessary. What is paint sealant? If I buy a new Mustang, what should I do to it? Is waxing enough?

I have a friend who swears by Nufinish. I used it on my POS car, and it seemed to work okay. Any thoughts?

Enfynet

According to my dealer, when I asked for an extra clearcoat for more paint protection, they said they used a wax of some kind that did the same thing... at the factory. So I'm not sure it's even necessary to wax the car when you get it.

kevinb120

1: Request no P.D.I. be done on your order(pre delivery inspection) they will put tags, license plate brackets(if any), take off all the plastic, and usually throw away the build sheet and everything "non-retail" if you want your car "raw" There is no front bracket only hole marks, usually the PDI tech will put a blank dealer tag with screws on the front.
2. Same thing. Quick detailer or a red pencil eraser removes wax from rubber and unpainted plastic anyway.
3. Scotchgaurd is ok, just dont pay a dealer $200 to spray a 4.00 can of it.
4. If you do not have the car washed, its nearly impossible to find every defect, so its a double-edge sword. I by all means have no problem with them washing my car for this reason. Get a requisition or some other form that guarantees it gets fixed, definately durring delivery.
5. Never break in a car weakly. Modern cars do not need break in. The main thing to avoid is long, sustained-rpm drives. Use SOME common sense, but do not be afraid to get into it. There is no break in oil anymore.
6. Modern paint is ready to wax. It will most likely be a month old before you see it anyway. The car should be cleaned with a strong mix of car wash and carefully inspected for mineral deposits. You can use a mild paint deposit cleaner or quick detailer to remove stains and road dust before your first waxing.
7. Modern interiors are pretty fade resistant, I wouldnt worry about red leather at all, windows are solar-tinted already. NEVER tint a windshield. NEVER use armor all on a dashboard or plastics. Get a reflective sun visor and leave a window vented on hot sunny days. Use very good quality leather conditioners with aloe for leather(and any soft vinyl) Meguires gold class is the best.
8. I change at 3k miles, usually go sythetic after two standard oil changes. You have to check with the manual, some cars like SVT focus do not suggest sythetic oils other then blends ever. I dont bother with the trans oil. Most parts are friction-coated and do not 'shread' durring break in anymore.
9. It is an option, but always get wheel locks.
10. It doesnt hurt to reset the computer after 1000 miles or so, simply disconnect the battery, let it sit for a few seconds, then drive it hard for a little bit. It also helps to do this if you add anything, like mufflers or a cold air or K&N filter, etc.