Help with the detailing....whole process

I feel like I'm in the general discussion forum asking about tires size/fitment for the eleventy billionth time..........so sorry for the question.

I bought my MC new in early May and was an ordered truck so it didn't sit on a lot for months on end waiting for a buyer. I have been washing it on average 2-3 times a month since I brought her home. When washed the paint looks and feels great. Here are the questions.

I probably don't need to clay bar it just yet and really don't have time this weekend. Probably not necessary at this point? Opinions?

Also, since the paint still looks new I don't know if I need to polish or not. Haven noticed any swirl marks or other minor defects. I have a decent 10" orbital buffer. Would you polish the truck and would you use the polisher or by hand?

Seems at this point, and please opine, that I really should seal and wax the truck at this point. Part of the reason I want to do this is because I am going on a long road trip and feel it will give some extra protection when traveling. Kinda like waterproofing your tent before you go camping for the first time. Obviously you guys can't see my truck in person but do you think polishing, sealing and then waxing is necessary on a three month old truck? Time is limited this weekend as we leave in seven days for the trip in the truck.

What would you do? At this point I'm leaning sealing and waxing then doing the whole nine yards in several months. You all know better than I. Thanks.

Btw, I use a professional wash soap bought at an auto detail shop the owner recommended. Two separate pads for the lower and upper parts of the body and waffle weave dry towels from the Rag Company. So, I believe I'm doing this part right.

You have the general idea. When you wash make sure you use two buckets, (one for rinse, the other for soap, and make sure you have a grit guard in the bottom of the rinse bucket.

For paint that new, seal and wax would be fine, no polish, no clay at this point, especially if you are happy with the paint appearance. I didn't polish my truck until it was about 2.5 years old, (but MAN WHAT A DIFFERENCE).... Living in OC, you likely wouldn't need to clay but once or twice a year, followed by the sealant/wax. I'd wash every week, wax every month, seal and clay every 6 months, and only polish when the paint started looking poor, after a year or two. You really only want to polish once, EVER, (every time you do, you are removing clear coat), the rest is just protection.

PS, don't forget that protecting the chrome and black plastic bits are just as important, especially in your climate.

I always clay a new vehicle, you will be surprised on how much contamination is on a new truck. Even before you polish you must clay. It's really doesn't take that much time if you break it down into 2 days. Day 1, I wash, clay and do interior. Day 2 I wipe down with a Some diluted isopropyl alcohol to remove all remaining clay lube and wax. Then I polish and wax or seal then wax, depending on time of year. IMO claying is very important to your paint, it really removes everything that is stuck on/in your paint.

I would at least clay the front ( front doors to the bumper) and wax/seal before the trip. Save the rest after you get back.

Think of clay barring your truck as laying a foundation for everything you do after. You want to start with a "clean" surface, that's what a clay bar does. If you only wax or seal your doing that over all the crap that has stuck to your venicle surface, no matter how new your truck is. If after you clay bar you notice any scratches or swirls those need to be polished out. Polish will "correct" any swirls or scratches and will give the surface more of a shine. If you don't have any scratches or swirls, skip the polish and put the sealant on, wait 24 hrs. then top it with a good wax. A good sealant will last about 6 months whereas wax will only last about 3-4 weeks. Use a detailer or spray wax after ever wash to maintain your truck.
Jay

Dodge paint SUCKS from the factory. I've 7 new dodge products in the last 9 years and every one need a full paint correction from the start. I use products from the chemical guys and have been very happy with them.

Wash using the two bucket method
Polish
Seal
Wax

In case you're in the San Antonio area and need help

PowerWagon2012 said:

Dodge paint SUCKS from the factory. I've 7 new dodge products in the last 9 years and every one need a full paint correction from the start.

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Please explain any inconsistencies and shortcomings from your experince with factory Dodge paint that deems it acceptable to be referred to as a paint that ' SUCKS ' and from what comparable basis are your findings, if any

xtr3me said:

Please explain any inconsistencies and shortcomings from your experince with factory Dodge paint that deems it acceptable to be referred to as a paint that ' SUCKS ' and from what comparable basis are your findings, if any

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Dirt in the paint,
Runs in the paint
So much orange peel you can almost take a bite out of it
Clear coat so thin you have to be careful when trying to correct it.

I'm not the only one who notices it. Search the subject on Google. You will see tons of other people with the same complaints.

PowerWagon2012 said:

Dirt in the paint,
Runs in the paint
So much orange peel you can almost take a bite out of it
Clear coat so thin you have to be careful when trying to correct it.

I'm not the only one who notices it. Search the subject on Google. You will see tons of other people with the same complaints.

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Oh okay - No worries then
Nothing different than you may find with the other 2 big auto manufactures

xtr3me said:

Oh okay - No worries then

Nothing different than you may find with the other 2 big auto manufactures

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I wouldn't know. I only buy Mopar. People here are so touchy lol.

I guess when you pay upward of 40-50k for a vehicle your expectation is that you will have a defect free paint job. This has been an ongoing problem for the 4th gen Ram trucks for quite some time. I don't think anyone is expecting a 50k custom paint job but at least one that is defect free and looks good. Quality control has gone to hell and I'm sure there has been enough complaints about this problem that Ram surely has to be aware of the problem, but it hasn't seem to gotten any better. For those of us that take really good care of our trucks, it is really frustrating.
Jay

I don't know. Other than a little orange peal, mine was pretty spot-on. I've started to correct the orange peal bit-by-bit. I don't really have any complaints. Would it be nice to have a perfect paint job? Yes. But you're not going to have a one at this price. It takes manual processes to get perfect, and with something the size of these trucks, it would add a lot of expense to the vehicle.

You forget that the manufacturers, (ALL of them)... are only interested in making a vehicle "good enough" to sell at the margin they need. You bought yours, as I did mine, because it was "good enough" for us to spend whatever sum we did.

PowerWagon2012 said:

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In case you're in the San Antonio area and need help
View attachment 55466

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I didnt think Id say this, but the powerwagon sure looks sweet

Yeah, my white 1500 felt like sand paper when I bought it. Took me like a week to clay it mind HAHA.

By the way, you mentioned about the paint sucking and I agree. I have owned various automobiles during my long life and this is by far the worst I have ever seen, So much so that if I were buying something similar used I would have thought it was previously in a collision and repaired its so full of defects. However, I dont care anymore and dont plan on getting it "fixed" under warranty.

I am sure Ram has *** amount figure wise on what is deemed acceptable to them but we are not savvy to that information. How thick is the clearcoat on these rides by the way? It comes across as being pretty hard though.

PowerWagon2012 said:

I wouldn't know. I only buy Mopar. People here are so touchy lol.

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Easy now ...
I think you misunderstood my question as being an attack against you by your statement of ' some people are so touchy lol ' that you have directed specifically at me, I'm sorry but you are wrong, it was not an attack. You see, I'm not a big Dodge fan at all, I just happen to own one... But now that you want to hide behind your keyboard and throw rocks, let's clarify...

I asked what comparables did you base your findings against w/o an answer, instead you wanted me to search online and read complaints which is useless as there are too many variables at play. On many sites I found the majority of complaints were pertaining to scratches in the paint which has no bearing on the quality of the paint as posters believed. Dodge has a hard clear coat and I noted that many posters were confusing the hardness and softness of paints with how hard or easy the paint scratches, while there may be some bearing to this thought process, it actually reflects on how hard or easy the paint is to correct. Most of the negative remarks were dated back in the early 2000's and I've concluded that several other forums/sites were misleading as members were complaining of dirt in paint upon receipt from dealership whereas it later became evident that they were uneducated with industrial fallout and had never used a clay bar b4 to remove embedded contaminants from paint. I find dust in paints at times, it's not limited to Dodge paints. I'm not defending Dodge paints, just curious to why you used such a strong negative term as ' Dodge paint sucks ' yet continue to buy Dodge products. Okay, so with regards to your statement above it's clear now that you're unfamiliar with the shortcomings of all the other automakers paints and your statement lacked any comparables - meaning no other manufactures paints used as a comparable basis for your findings

I find Dodge to be failing in other areas myself but I don't get on the internet and bash them with negative remarks, especially w/o supporting pics. Speaking of, I would like to see a pic of the run in your paint, otherwise I will acknowledge your claim as being from another person's findings. It happens but far and few between. Blame the paint defects on the EPA, mass production and poor Quality Control/Assurance.. I just performed a paint correction on a 2015 BMW B7 that cost over $100,000 with orange peel. Not long ago, I worked on a LS460 that had orange peel and these models are wet sanded at factory as part of the paint process, not to mention both of these manufactures have paints far superior to Dodge.. so keep on thinking $45 to $50,000 is going to get you a defect free paint job...

Like Sbarron stated, the vehicle must have been acceptable at time of purchase, otherwise why buy it... if you're not happy with Dodge paints I suggest you don't buy Ford - okay.. Within the Dodge family, I find the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 to have the worst paint defects. If you want a defect free paint job, expect to spend $6000 and upwards on a custom job or buy an auto that cost more than twice what you paid for your Dodge. It sorta falls in line with politics... people are uneducated and complacent with their surroundings that no one in govt, much less the auto industry are held accountable anymore, it then becomes the normal ... (politically correct/paint correct) if that makes any sense, sounds good though

As for anyone that wants to jump in and take a stance against Dodge paints, show us the pics instead of sharing hearsay so we can see how ignorant you were at time of purchase, we all learn the hard way and sometimes it's costly.... instead of jumping on the bandwagon and sharing comments w/o any merit. Hint - florescent lights will aid in revealing defects not seen by naked eye alone... Another hint, if a vehicle feels like sandpaper and a clay bar or towel removes the gritty texture (contaminates), it's not dirt in the paint, to say otherwise is rubbish...

To the OP.... I apologize for hijacking your thread. So to help put it back on track I'll add to what others have said about wax and sealants. A sealant bonds to the paint whereas a wax lays on top of the paint. A wax with polymers as an ingredient is a hybrid ( wax/sealant ).

xtr3me said:

As for anyone that wants to jump in and take a stance against Dodge paints, show us the pics instead of sharing hearsay so we can see how ignorant you were at time of purchase, we all learn the hard way and sometimes it's costly.... instead of jumping on the bandwagon and sharing comments w/o any merit. Hint - florescent lights will aid in revealing defects not seen by naked eye alone... Another hint, if a vehicle feels like sandpaper and a clay bar or towel removes the gritty texture (contaminates), it's not dirt in the paint, to say otherwise is rubbish...

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I wouldnt go about calling folks including myself ignorant for not locating dust and runs during the purchase process. You come across as a person who seems to know a thing or two about detailing, you also know that most defects are only visible once paint correction or least a clay is performed. You also know that most vehicles detailed and washed at the dealership are actually in worse shape than when they left the plant of manufacture.

When I purchase a new vehicle, I purchase it in good faith. I assumed ( incorrectly) 21st century mass production painting methods and practices to have been implemented to the Chrysler RAM manufacturing plant in good old Warren, MI. I would not for one moment have thought the vehicle was painted or quality control checked by a visually impaired person(s). During my adult life of vehicle ownership, I have not come across a vehicle so poorly finished from new. I am not talking about orange peel or rail dust, like those uneducated folks you make reference to. Those so called defects are chump change to what I have noticed and seen, examples are primarily but not limited to contamination, paint runs, body panel fit and finish and also uneven paint thickness. Now, indeed most vehicles I have owned from new are not perfect, however their manufacturing tolerance levels must be different from what RAM has in place. Most other vehicles that I have owned have the same poor water based paint that chips easily and is covered in orange peel. Thats normal in my books. You will find millions of those folks also crying and complaining about their beloved brand having these symptoms.

However I must confess that after some research about runs, dirty paint etc etc I came to the conclusion that this is relatively normal for my type of vehicle, so with that I have learned to accept it. More so, given that my research and importantly personal experiences indicate that more often than not, taking in vehicles for warranty work can lead to further frustrations and issues rather than resolution and closure.

Should I purchase another RAM product, perhaps I should request that I may be allowed to take the vehicle home so that I may perform a full detail on it prior to signing any lease or purchase agreement.

No, you're reading too far into my statement.. I said post pics of your ignorance at time of purchase, that we all learn the hard way and sometimes it's costly. I believe 'we' includes me as can be seen in the following pictures.

Check out my Parchment Crystal 02 Lexus Ls430 that had a sticker price 13 years ago of $62,000. Note the difference in the shade of color between the rear of the car and the front half.... note the rocker panel, rear quarter panels, trunk and hood are a different shade than from the rear doors towards the front of the car. This is common amongst this color and the silver that was available between 01-03... it's only noticeable at certain times of the day and when up close it is not noticeable, it is much easier to see in pics... looks as if two different paint facilities painted a half of the car using different paint formula or product brand as this car has never been in an accident nor ever had any repaint performed... to correct a three stage paint would cost $3,000 plus, not worth it to me as I've only had one person ever notice the defect and I brought to her attention


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It is a good idea to spend some time with a vehicle prior to signing on the bottom line . Before I purchased my truck from Liberty Chrysler I kept it for 4 days b4 making the purchase. Of course, I don't know if all dealerships will let a person keep a vehicle for a time span while they decide if that vehicle is for them. I found the paint on my truck to be good and with very few defects..

Of course there are times when a new vehicle one gets damaged and the dealership may have to perhaps repair and respray it. In fact when I was looking for my current truck, one dealership stated that the particular one I was looking for ( and it was a mistake they made ) was in bodyshop being repaired due to the heavy winds we had. Its all normal practice and I'm aware of this. As are few cars that leave plant with issues, happens everyday.

That Lexus could have been repaired and repainted like that at the dealership. Without wanting to sound arrogant, I would have easily picked up on paint color differences on panels, especially when they are metallic or tri coats. I always view a vehicle in daylight and when dry, thats the norm. As you are aware certain defects only show up once a detailing session has been performed, that is when mine was noted. I could have made a fuss and push for repairs etc, but I have learned that my mental health and well being is far more important than an object to stress over.

The only thing I wanted Chrysler to do is note these issues so that if a problem occurs down the road in relation to them then they will acknowledge it was a pre-existing condition and remedy it. Instead as it stands now, If I am unfortunate enough to have an issue they will probably turn around and tell me that I had the vehicle painted myself and that is not under warranty anymore.

I did contact them via web customer care but no response was ever given after the automated ticket was generated over 2 weeks ago.

Limeybastard said:

That Lexus could have been repaired and repainted like that at the dealership. Without wanting to sound arrogant, I would have easily picked up on paint color differences on panels, especially when they are metallic or tri coats. I always view a vehicle in daylight and when dry, thats the norm.

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Wrong....
Every Parchment Crystal and Silver car in the 01-03 era has this shade defect. It's not showing up till years after ownership. It is believed to be in the pigment of two different paints and revealing its ugly head over time. I can walk outside right now and not be able to tell any shade difference but the filters in a camera will pick the difference up

You guys are awesome and I usually reserve that word for God almighty. Pictures speak a thousand words... w/o pics people tend to be skeptical it never happened..so lets see the pics

An example of a pic revealing what the naked eye can't see .... bird bomb etching, you can take a picture and view the damage on a bigger computer screen and be able to tell if wet sanding can correct the damage w/o burning thru the paint. If the etching is too deep, the clear will crumble and dissolve when wet sanding and easily burn thru to the basecoat or even the metal...

Anther note.... from your details provided, it sounds as if your vehicle had some repaint after being handed off from the manufacturer to dealership. At what point is the paint not considered factory paint anymore?

I used to work in a bodyshop as a stripper / helper many moons ago back home in the UK. If the car was re-painted then they did a super fine job in hiding the lines and area as there is none, not to say it didnt go through the paint booth twice at the factory, only way to tell is with a guage.Instead they forgot to hide or clean the dirt and debris. Once the paint is re-applied outside of the plant then its a refinish.
I have seen other Ram vehicles, they are all primarily ***** in their coachwork. I didnt buy into the finish of the car nor the paintwork, so all is good and thanks for your kind explanations and pics.

Now you requested that I take some pics of the dust nibs and dirt? I will try and do this a little later this evening.