newbie

[Z4 Guy]

Hi - I`m new here and at the age of 50 - just got the first car I really like - BMW Z4. It s brand new and I want to take care of it properly.

I know nothing besides which end of the hose shoots the water. Any advise would be gratelyfully accepted.

Thanks!!

[Beemerboy]

Z4 Guy welcome always love a fellow beemer lover.

A question or two........What`s the color of the car and how much time do you want to spend going over the car?

[Z4 Guy]

Sonoma County? When I bought the car Friday, I put in my favourite David Crosby CD - the song has the line "When I die, I don`t wanna go to heaven - I just want to drive my beautiful machine - up north on a Sonoma Country road - with Jimmie Dean and Steve McQueen"....

Anyway - it is Stirling Grey (the dark grey) with black Oregon leather interior.

How much I spend doesn`t matter too much. I just want to do it right. There`s a lot of opinion out there about waxes etc.

[RJ SD]

Good to have you, I`m new myself. You will learn a lot here!

[nthngd2say]

:welcome

[Beemerboy]

I love that song as well, and I know why Sonoma County is a great place to live.

Anyway, when it comes to product for your car its all over teh place as to what people think is the best.

I use the Poorboy line up for the paint. For the inside I use 4 star leather cleaners and condtioner.

Get some decent car soap and a good wool mitt or natrual sea sponge. After washing I would clay the car, there are a few threads here that will explain this process.

Then because the car is new I doubt that you will have any swrils to worry about.
Then I would use Poorboys polish with carnuba, follow up with PB sealant. Another combo after clay is the Wolfgang line up, I would buy a kit as a starter. This is a high gloss combo would look great on that dark gray.
After the sealant has cures I would top that with a paste wax, such as Nattys, P21s.
For the inside I use 4 star its about the best that I have used to date. For the dash, doors, etc. I use Poorboys natural look gives a real nice matted shine. For the windows I love Stoners invisable glass with micro fiber towels.
Thre is a host of other things to keeping up a car but sitck around and read the threads you`ll be addicted in no time.

YOu can buy all the above talked about on this site follow the links

[awd330]

Originally posted by Z4 Guy
I know nothing besides which end of the hose shoots the water. Any advise would be gratelyfully accepted.

:lol Detail City is a very friendly and helpful place. Beemerboy gave you some great starting tips. Jngrbrdman also posted a very comprehensive guide to detailing here - Link

I would suggest browsing through a couple months worth of threads (the Search feature is a wonderful thing) to learn about preferred techniques and product lines. Feel free to jump in and ask questions.

BTW - I came very close to buying a Z4 last year. At the last moment, I found a great buy on a seal grey Boxster and grabbed that instead. I have a 330xi on hand to quench my BMW thirst. Congrats on your new car!

[groebuck]

Beemer about got it - wash and clay then choose your weapong - Poorboy`s Polish With Carnuba topped with Ex or EX-P (ex has carnuba - EX-P does not) are a great combination. I would also add -

Get yourself some quality microfiber cloths - don`t let a bath towel touch the Z!! -

I would go with

Polish With Carnuba
Ex-P

also grab a bottle of Spray and Wipe from Poorboy`s to keep it shiney between washings and maybe a bottle of his QD+ (not a traditional Quick Detailer - it is more like a quick wax and imparts an awesome shine!!)

For the interior Beemer`s got it , 4Star Platinum is great for the leather...

[Dr Groove]

Z4 Guy - Welcome !

:welcome

It`s nice to see another fifty year old on the boards.

You`ll love the discussions.

[Z4 Guy]

Thanks to everyone for your kind advise and welcomes!! Let`s hope its a "top down" weekend!

[membim]

Try products from Pinnacle, Poorboys, P21S, and Wolfgang. These manufacturers make great polishes and great waxes/sealants. They all work well used by hand, especially the Pinnacle and P21S. The key is to find something you like and use it often and stick with it.

I highly, highly recommend getting a 32oz bottle of Poorboy`s Spray & Wipe. It`s a great product for any car (daily driver or garage queen). I use it almost everyday on my black bimmer and it has never marred a thing. S&W coupled with two or three high quality microfiber towels makes keeping your Z4 easy, pleasurable, and safe.

Don`t use a strong wheel cleaner. BMW wheels are a major pain to care for properly. They are gorgeous when they are clean. They will loose their luster after about a year of using a strong wheel cleaner. Four Star, Pinnacle, Wolfgang, and P21S make awsome wheel cleaners for BMW wheels. My personal favorite is Detailer`s Pride Gel Wheel and Tire cleaner. It`s as safe and works as well as the others I mentioned but costs considerably less.

I hope this helped. I hope you enjoy you new car, and welcome to DC!!!!