GSBeliever

My last car was a 91 Acura Legend. Now I have to admit upfront I'm totally guilty of not putting in the time to take care of my last car with regular washing, waxing and leather care. As a result over time the leather on the back seats became discolored from the sun and the paint oxidized on the trunk lid and top of the car probably from the ocean air as I live in Santa Barbara and dont have access to a garage.

I just bought a 1998 GS400 and want to do this right. A friend recommended me to a highly regarded detailer around the corner from where I work and I want to put this car on a detail maintenance program to keep my new purchase looking good.

Would like to hear your recommendations on what I should ask for when I talk to the detailer.

I want to get it washed every week.

>Wax
Should they wax every week as well? Or should I get the wax applied once every month?

>Leather Seats
How do I approach the topic of the leather seats? How often do I have them conditioned, Every Month? I want to keep my leather seats in good condition so they wont discolor and fade. Like I said before I dont have access to a garage and am parked outside all day.

>Engine
Wanted to know about the engine compartment. How often do you recommend that being detailed? Every 6 months?

As you can tell by my last car I know nothing about detailing lol.
So any recommendations would be really appreciated. I want to do this right.

Thanks

picus

A lof ot this is subjective, so I will let you know what most of my customers get done.

1) For weekly wash customers I wax the car for free. I use a spray on/wipe off wax that is easy to apply and provides good gloss and protection. I figure if they're paying to get it washed weekly it's the least I can do. If it costs extra to have it waxed where you get it done I'd do it monthly (realistically most waxes will hold up 3-4 months, but it'll look better if you do it monthly). Alternatively you can have the detailer use a booster, like a wax or sealant based quick detailer. Ask him about those - odds are he will offer that for free since it's a 5 minute process.

2) Clean the seats whenever the interior is cleaned with a leather cleaner (normally just a spray on wipe off deal). Condition every 2-3 months. Conditioning too often will only make the leather greasy.

3) It depends on how often you want it looking clean. Most of my customers get it done bi-yearly with polishes.

As for polishing - it depends on how **** you are and how much you want to spend. My bi-weekly wash customers normally get two polishes a year, one before winter and one in spring. I follow the polish with a sealant/wax that will last 4-6 months, then just boost the wax weekly when I wash.

Cheers.