My car's still on order and I'm plotting all these things as well, but Im not sure about this waxing: is it OK to put layers of this colly (or something similar) on a brand new car? I'll have to brush snow/ice off the car for months to come... is this enough to provide some protection, then maybe detail it in the Spring?

 

Waxing a new or old surface don't matter. Just make sure the surface is clean.

Never brush snow off of paint. Unless you scratches and marring on your paint. Just leave it be. Or take it to a touchless car wash.

 

Good lookin out on the coupon code -- ordered some 845 for myself just because of the cheap shipping. I think I'll try waxing the winter wheels I just got with it before they get the tires mounted.

 

I make sure to have a sweat shirt in the back seat to wear with my shorts. Winters in California can be brutal.

 

I get it that the brush will cause scratches, but this is my DD and I have to get the snow off quite often (we can get 5+ feet/winter). I'm wondering if this method of using a long-lasting wax could be useful to minimize the damage of a winter season (salt, slush, snow, various nasty stuff). If not, then OK, I'll look at something else, but this is method appeals to me much more than some kind of sealant.

 

Ordered Coli 845 & Aquapel based on this thread, we'll see how she holds for the first winter. She sits in the garage when the slop is on the road, but I'll sneak out for a squirt around town if the roads are dry and clear.

Not too concerned about tire/temp issues, I figure the temp recommendations mean "no hard racing". Worked with the Perelli's on my '10GT...

 

Oil thickness?

Is this a Boss? otherwise, isn't 5w-20 for year round and forever?

 

You should be concerned. It'll be like driving on ice anything below 40 degrees.

 

That's a bit of an exaggeration.. I've had my 19" Pirelli P-Zero's out in the mornings on the way to work where its been like 36F-40F, and it's hardly like driving on ice. The weather needs to be consistently cold before it really starts affecting the tires that much.

It also helps to drive sensibly.

 

Got around to claying & putting on a coat of the 845 yesterday/today. Looks pretty good (I wouldn't say it's stellar, but still nice), but the durability is what I was interested in, so we'll see how it holds up. The appearance would probably be helped by a top layer of some carnuba / Speed Shine.

 

I'm in the process of winter prepping the girlfriends' car as we speak. Just finished the Aquapel treatment on the front glass, now it's on to paint. Mine will be later.

 

What is the "paint prep"that needs to be done before the 845 is applied?

 

Depends on how intense you want to go. You could do a clay bar, polish, then wax. Otherwise, just clean the surface and apply it.

 

I think I'm going to try it on the Fusion before I try it on the stangs. I heard it was like chipping concrete if you put it on too thick. I'm wondering if the orbital will be better than hand application? I'm not the best at hand waxing, sadly. On the same token, worried about screwing up with the power buffer. Ugggh

 

my winter prep is to put on a jacket. It gets down into 50's here sometimes in the morning.

 

What kind of orbital buffer do you have? In most cases, a power buffer will put it on thinner and prevent you from having that thick application to get off. As far as screwing it up with a buffer, just apply a small amount, spread it around, then come back in and do a back and forth application and overlap a tad. It'll go on thin and easy.

 

I have one of those one handler buffers with the six inch diameter. I don't think it's strong enough to burn clear coat...

 

You should be fine then. Is it a rotary or a random orbital? If it's a random one, you have to really mess up to burn paint.

 

Orbital. Those things scare me. I also heard that you can use the 845 on trim and plastics. I'm not trying that but I read that it's great if you know what your doing.

 

Steve, do you have any tips for removing the 845 by hand? I thought I had buffed it all off shortly after I applied it Saturday, but then looking at the paint again in the sun on Sunday showed a very hazy appearance over most of the car. I got a fresh microfiber cloth and some Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer spray and buffed it all off again, but the same haze seems to have either reappeared or remained there.

My first guess is that I might've applied too much (although I only used about 3 quarter sized drops for the entire car) or didn't wait the correct amount of time before trying to remove it. I'm hoping the hazing will stop after I wipe it off again, or maybe wash it? The car definitely feels protected, but it doesn't look too great with all the haziness...