Ok, I know, that's the subject of this whole board, and while I read all the posts of this board, I didn't find information for noobs like me.

I am getting my brand new Xterra tomorrow (after 3 weeks waiting, imagine my state of mind...). Color will be Night Armor.

The Xterra will be my first new car, and given the state of my previous used car, I couldn't car less about washing / waxing it and rarely did so. So, I am truly a big NOOB

My questions are:
- How often wash the car/wax the car?
- How do you do so? Myself or car wash shops? Does it even matter for a car?
- What else should I do to take care of the car? (Ok beside not craching with it, and routine maintenance)

Any tips, products, websites are welcome.

Cheers

Wash it only after you have covered it with a copious amount of mud and grime. Then, only do so after you have driven it to work that way for several days.

It's all a matter of opinion. I favor the old hose/bucket method with a nice soft sponge.

Some people are against using the self-serve high pressure washes because the pressure can "burn" the paint and/or imbed dirt into the finish.

I won't go near any of the drive-thru car washs where the cleaning brushes/pads beat the crap out of your truck.

I suggest washing the truck from the top to bottom, use a different sponge for the black/gray plastic parts and your nice sponge for the paint/body and windows....

Choosing your soap, sponges, drying clothes is a matter of opinion also.

I used to worry about the double sponge thing and finally just decided it wasn't worth it.

After all, it's a truck

The best thing I did was get a Mr. Clean carwash system. The spot free rinse really works - and it takes forever to wipe a vehicle the size of the X down after washing it.

The second best thing I did was get a brush that hooks up to my hose and takes soap in the handle. Picked one up at wally world. I put the Mr. Clean soap in there. The brush constantly flushes whatever dirt and grim is on the paint away, and is much faster than bucket/sponge.

Then I switch over and spot free rinse it. Perfect!

Park the truck on the lawn before I wash it and I water part of the lawn and keep the soap out of the sewer system....

If it isn't fast and easy, I find I won't do it, so the above is perfect for me.

Thanks for the tips !

As far as waxing goes, I just recently got some of the ICE product from Turtle Wax. You can use it on paint, trim, and everything and it works. I first used it and I didn't like it nearly as much as wax, although it was much easier to use. I just thought wax worked better. Then it rained and the water beaded up like Rain-X was on my paint and afterwards my X shined like a mirror, so the ICE product works like wax and is much easier to use.

If you really want that Night Armor to look spiffy, use Zaino products ( www.zainostore.com )

Expensive, but worth it, and it does a great job protecting your finish as well in the long run.

The key is coming up with a system that is easy enough that you will continue to use it. It should cost less than $40 to get everything you need to keep it looking great for years. Here is a short shopping list for you. All readily available at local places like Wal-Mart or Target.
1.Good wash mitt or sponge. I prefer the Meguiar's Chenille Mitts or sponges. A lambswool mitt will work fine as well.
2.A dedicated bucket ONLY for washing your car. A 5 gallon size works well.
3.Good car wash. Meguiar's NXT or Gold Class wash is great and a jug will last you well over a year.
4.An Absorber brand synthetic chamois. Keep it clean. You can machine wash them as often as you like.
5.A good wax. Meguiar's NXT liquid or paste will really make that black shine and will protect it nicely.

To wash the car:
1. Spray the whole car down with water.
2. Wash with light pressure using your mitt/sponge working a couple panels at a time from top down. You can do as much of the car at a time as you like, just don't let the soap dry.
3. Use a seperate sponge to wash the plastic if it's dirty.
4.Give the car a good rinse to make sure all soap is off.
5.Dry!

Those are the basics. You can get into wheel cleaners, exterior plastic protection, etc. if you feel like it. But like I said above, the key is keeping it simple enough that you will do it often.

It's a good idea to wax fairly often. Figure once every 4 months. You can never wax too much, but again, as often as you have time.

Jason, thanks for the detailed tips with brands' name, that's what I was looking for.

This is not a good way to wash your X.

Ditto. Anyone who is into detailing knows that Zaino is the product to use. He also has a very good FAQ on how to use his products as well.

1. Make sure you wash the truck in sections. Do not let the soap just sit on the paint. Start at the top and work your way down. (I do my truck in 5 sections: Top, Front fenders/hood, Right side, Left side, Hatch, rinising the soap off at each section)
2. Once you have washed your entire truck take your hose and remove the nozzle. Allow the water just to pour out of the hose and rinse the entire car again. This will "wash off" most of the water and cut your drying time in half (faster drying time means less water marks on the paint).
3. Washing and waxing should be done in the morning or just before sunset.

I agree with most all written except that of washing from the top down. This will cause streaking as the soapy water runs off the vehicle. Military types will remember washing from bottom to top to achieve a water break free surface for all subsequent rinse water to run over. If a water break free surface is not achieved then soapy rinse water will streak as it runs down the vehicle. my two cents

I use the rainwater method. My X only gets washed when it rains. It's UGLY and I don't care! Night Armor with copious amounts of mud. Good luck and welcome.

That's really more of an opinion than a fact as you state it. Zaino has a cult following for sure. And it does make paint look good. Saying it's "the best" is really pointless though. How do you prove something like that? It's all subjective. Meguiar's is on more show winning cars throughout the world than any other brand. Does that mean THEY are the best? Or do they just have the best availibility? Get what I'm saying?

aaah, those wonderfull plane washes. top to bottom inboard to outboard