New Car Protection and Care

Get a 3M Clear Bra and then Zaino the whole car.

 

Disclaimer: I don't have my Prius yet, so this is conjecture. I have put a lot of thought into it, though.

I was thinking about the ClearBra, and decided against it. Just don't want anything on my car, and my 10 year old Camry has just a few pits from flying stones, not that many, and I guess over the course of 10 years I've found them to be preferable to a permanent plastic thing.

As for Zaino, I've never used it, but I place my trust in a friend who spends a lot more time thinking about these things than I do, and I'm going to be using One Grand Blitz Wax. It's a carnuba wax. According to him, Zaino has a great internet presence, but it just doesn't look as good as wax, and although it beads water for a long time, that's not the only important part about protecting the paint. He also says to wait a month before waxing. I'm going to be following his advice.

Oh, and I'm gonna get the side moulding, available in the prius chat accessory store.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DavidTO @ Jul 16 2006, 02:29 PM) [snapback]287243[/snapback]</div>

The 3M Clear Bra can be removed at any time. It does no harm to the underlying paint. The best cars in the world are the ones which usually get the 3M treatment (M-B, BMW, Audi, etc.)

That would be reasonable advice for a freshly-painted car. But the Prius you get will have been painted back in Japan before it got on a slow boat. You do not need to wait to protect your paint.

 

Get the clear bra. Because of the aerodynamic shape of the car the hood is a rock magnet. If installed professionally you shouldn't be able to see the clear bra at all, not even on black.

You don't need to wait to detail your car. There are plenty of threads on how to do it yourself. I would recommend you do NOT go to an automatic car wash.

 

Please ignore DavidTO's conjectures. He's getting 20th Century advice.

3M clear paint protection as soon as you can, Godiva's right, rocks love a Prius. Zaino works well, it's polymer, not plant wax.

For the interior, look at 303 Products which can help keep the leather and plastic new looking. [Disclaimer: I don't have leather, the plastic, carpet, and fabric looks great with 303.]