Hi all!

I'm proud owner of a brand new super black 2001 Maxima SE!

I was wondering if I could get some advice on car care, like when and what to use for washing, waxing, polishing, etc. I've only had it for 4 days now and it's parked out in the open...no garage

I noticed on the first day that on the front hood that there are a few light marks (kind'a like a scratch...but not). Is this something that the dealer can fix or something I'll just have too look at? What can I do to get that mark out? I'm not real pleased to find it and just wasn't sure if that was normal or not.

Also, I was looking into getting a bra to protect it and wasn't sure what the best one would be. Any suggestions? I heard Wolf (I think?) is supposed to be a good brand.

I'd also like to tint the windows any recommendations on particular brands (like 3M) that have good results.


thanks for any help or suggestions. I really appreciate it.

 

I'd like to welcome you!!! Nice to have more females on board!!! As far as the bra goes, Nissan's fits the best from what I've heard. I had one and it fit fine. 3M makes a clear covering that is applied to the front and to the side mirrors that is clear, protects the paint, and doesn't damage it like a bra car. Only drawback is it's pricey.
Again welcome!!!

 

Congrats on the ride, welcome to the Org.

Washing and waxing is kinda tricky. A lot of people swear by their own products. If you do a search, you'll find a lot of threads out there, you'll definitely get a lot of info on that.

Get used to the scratches. Nissan's paint sucks. Eventually, you'll get used to em' like the rest of us. I know, it sucks.

Don't know too much about bras. Again, searching will help you out with that one too.

Tinting is a must. I think it totally adds personality to the Max. I have an Onyx super black tint (35% all around). Whatever you get, make sure it's a lifetime guarantee on it.

Anyway congrats again, and enjoy the ride =).

 

Welcome to the org. and congrats on your purchase - great choice in color.

In terms of bras stick with the one from nissan - it fits the best. Just remember to take it off it gets wet and dry the it.

The scratches - yeah get used to it - the paint isn't the best. It could also be tar or bug splatter - a good washing, polishing and waxing will get rid of that.

Which brings us to the cleaning products - well a ton of people swear by zaino products - I use meguiars three step and that works well too! Check the sticky at top of the 5th gen board - that should give you good info.

Tinting - I agree with Y2K1MaximaDevil its a must - it does add to the look of the car. Don't know about specific brands but just make sure you have a lifetime guarantee on whatever you get put on - most good shops will give you this with a high quality tint.

Enjoy the ride!

 

Welcome to the board. I'm sure that you will find plenty of useful information here. The "Sticky" theads should be able to answer alot of your questions. If not just ask, most people here are real helpful.

I've got a 35% tint all around on my Max. I like the look because it's not too dark. The brand is Johnson, dont think it has a lifetime guarantee though.

As far as parking on the street, my block has to be one of the narrowest blocks in the world and so far so good.

Congrat's on the car!

 

Thanks for all of the quick replys!!

I was hoping to hear that the paint didn't suck...but oh well...I LOVE the car! heh heh

I had read the thread on 'Cleaning your Max' and found some really useful tips. I just wasn't sure if there was something I should start out with that would help keep the exterior look'n good. I heard from a friend that waxing a new car right away can be bad for it, because it takes away some of the protective coating that is already on there. Is that true? Anything that I should do right from the beginning? I'd hate to have to experiment to find out what works best.

I have to agree with those that have posted that tinting the windows is the way to go. It really does add to the look of the car.

 

Hey and welcome! i too have a 2k1 super black SE (5spd)
just click on 5th generation (2000+) and one of the top 5 topics should have the thing on "cleaning your maxima" read all that.

about those scratch like things on your hood, i noticed i have them too when washing my car. its still there, cant scrap off, but maybe some wax or polish will do the trick.

about the tint. i personally do not like 35% tint. to me its like nothing is even there and a 35% would be a waste of money. i personally like the 20% darkness. its smoky somewhat, still visible in and out durring the day, but at night, its nice cause no one can really see inside. i heard bad things about johnson tint, solar gaurd and sun gaurd are supposed to be the best from what i heard. get a life time warrantee and you should be fine. once you see the tint turn purple or bubble, bring it back and have them re tint it. 1 piece, or 2 piece for the rear window, it looks the same. maybe the guy who did mine was one of the good guys anyway, have fun with your new max!

~soon you'll be dreaming of driving your max, dreaming of what mods to get, how your car would look like ALL hooked up, or just be paranoid about it getting dirty or whose looking at ur shiny new ride. You've entered, the twilight zone.. doobee doobee doooooo not that i do these things...not at all

 

Congrats on your new purchase and welcome.

Lots of people swear by the Zaino Bros. brand (www.zainobros.com) of car polish. It's a multi-step process where you would have to buy various things, but the finished polish is incredible looking. Your SE is black, so you should be able to get a fantastic mirror-like shine.

For a bra, I just got a Colgan Custom (www.autoseattle.com) bra. Colgan invented the car bra and lots of car makers (Porsche, Mercedes, Isuzu, Lexus, and Mitsubishi to name a few) use their designs. They offer their two-piece, one-piece hood, and mirror covers. I believe they have the best car bra warranty on the market and the bra seems to be of very good quality. Some have said that the Nissan bra can be a very tight fit and falls apart easily. Colgan is a bit pricey, so if you don't want to go with that brand, some of the folks here have LeBra brand (www.saddleman.com) which can be about $15 to $25 less. Just remember to only put the bra on in dry weather and only for longer-distance travel. Leave it on too long and your paint will fade underneath the bra.

As for those things that look like scratches, I noticed something similar when I first got my SE. After a few washes, they went away, so I believe they were just residual marks left by whatever finishing process Nissan or the dealership uses. Just wash and buff it away a bit.

For tinting, go to a shop. Don't take chances on those do-it-yourself kits. That's just my opinion, though.

 

Welcome aboard!

You're gonna love your new ride!

 

congrats and welcome....

watch out for the mod bug, it has gotten a lot of people here

 

<Start brainwashing>Zaino, Zaino, Zaino<End brainwashing>

 

Welcome.
Congrads on your Max.
I won't give you a lot of suggestions, cause I really don't have any. I personally love my Max the way it is without any mods, however these guys will make you rebuild your car in no time

In any case enjoy the ride, stay cool
Welcome again.

 

Welcome, good choice on picking the Maxima, it is a great car mods or not (I don't have any yet, soon perhaps), you will enjoy it.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome and all of the help and suggestions!! I really appreciate it!

I checked out the Zaino website and was thoughly impressed after looking at all of the photos. All I could say was WOW! (Didn't take long to brainwash me eh? ) Looks like I'll be spending some quality time cleaning and polishing once everything arrives on my doorstep.

As far as bras go....I'm split between getting one from Nissan or Colgan. I can't decide. I'll prolly be getting the Colgan.

Again...thanks for all of the help and suggestions!

 

Is not bad as long as its roughly 90 days after production. Within those 90 days, the paint is still curing so you don't want to wax it because it will "seal" the finish and will not cure correctly. Check the manufacturing date on your drivers doorjamb and you should be able to make the call.

Good luck and congrats on the purchase...You are one of us now...!

 

Watch out for the modding bug that seems to be going around!!
Seems like you got the nice welcome! Usually when new people come and ask questions they get the 'ol FAQ U. Tons of info contained in the stickies and FAQ at the top though. Again, welcome.

 

Congrats on the new purchase

Have you considered a bug deflector .
I had a bra on my previous car. It's a drag taking it off and putting on. Besides, there is a difference in shades on the paint (3yrs later). Look into a bug deflector. They are effective and appealing.

 

Hmm.....bug deflector. Hadn't thought of that one. Thanks for the suggestion. Any particular brand or type? Guess when thinking of a bug deflector I automatically think of something like a big pick-up truck with a giant plastic shield that has a smiley face in the middle.

I think I read somewhere that they make 'em so it angles back, follows the curve of the car more and doesn't stick up. Is that right?

 

You can check them out at www.autostyles.com/carflect.htm.

It does kind of stick up, but it angles back and flows with the shape of the car. Since you have a black SE, it shouldn't be as noticable from a distance. It's less than $70.00 too.

 

Do a search for him. He has probably the smoothest looking bug deflector here.

 

welcome MissMaxima!

I find this thread rather interesting, though.

When someone with a "gender neutral" or male-ish type screen name posts that they're joining the .org and just got a Maxima they usually get just a couple of replys and welcomes.

But now all of a sudden "MISS" Maxima (a female sn) comes along and EVERYBODY in this predominantly male forum is EXTRA helpful and the thread rolls over to page 2...hehe

...and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just male/female gender psychology at work here and I thought I'd point it out because it's rather amusing - at least to me. Male/Female gender psychology is another little hobby of mine in addition to import cars.

Wouldn't it be funny if "MissMaxima" was really a guy just using a female screen name? hahaha

Anyways, MissMaxima, this is a great bunch of guys here and I'm sure you'll find this forum to be a lot of fun and welcome to the .org. This is perhaps the best automotive forum on the Internet, after my Accord V6 forum of course (j/k...hehe )

 

I'm glad you notice also.

Welcome and enjoy your stay!

 

I don't know if that's true for all of us here.

Some of us just have that competitive spirit where we just gotta be the first to post something if we know anything that even remotely deals with the subject matter. Hmmm...looking that up in the Webster's dictionary...oh yes, here it is...the term is: Post *****.

 

Are you implying something?

Hehehe

 

Welcome aboard Miss Maxima!!

If you have any questions on the .org all the guys and gals here are very helpful.

Also if you need any car audio questions for your new ride just click on the "audio and electronics" section under "Maxima.org members looking for car audio". I'm currently answering questions for everybody on the org about their car audio systems...

 

 

I negotiated with the dealer to install it so I can't really make any other recomendation. It does not stick up. Click on jpg I posted and take a look for your self.

 

welcome,

a new 5th generation member, I think its time for a party.

 

Hello Misses M .....

Check out www.courtesynissan.com for service needs including Nissan Bra and other goodies, can I hear a Front Strut Bar anybody!! They carry most of the easy mods and give us maxima.org members a small discount.

The Zaino products are 1st rate, but you must follow the directions exactly for perfect results. It is much faster and easier than Mequires or Mothers 3 step process. (I previously owned a Black Ram Air T/A, so I know dark finishes) Nothing better for the current $$$$$.


Good luck with a great car, and a great group that is dedicated to "Nissans Flagship"....they all come in different shapes and sizes...and we all complain about the paint....but most trully enjoy spirited driving in a car that only Maxima can fill.

 

Welcome. Good to see more people joining. As far as a Bra goes, get one quick if you decide on getting one, B4 your front end starts to chip. I prefer the Nissan Piece, not sure what the other one will fit like. I have the Nissan Bra and it fits just right.

Don't worry about these guys, I was the 3rd 5th Genner on the forum 2 years ago (after Russ and Peter) and Now look at us. Just last year this time we were 1200 Members all togather. Now we are 5000+. Some great people here, stick around and you will learn a few tricks to make your car better.

 

Welcome. I'm sure you will enjoy your ride!

 

Thanks for the welcome everyone!!

I haven't had the chance to post too much...been busy driving!!

I've done some reading and found that I have this problem and have busy been trying to get the dealer to fix 'er up with the part. I took the time to print part of the thread to show them...but I don't feel like I'm being taken very seriously for two reasons. 1-I'm a woman 2-I found it online.

While showing the part of the thread to one of the salesmen (I know...big mistake there eh?) He actually asked me "Soo...why would you do this? I mean...why would you look this up?" ouu..he's lucky I stayed nice and didn't lay the smack down on him. I did find it funny that at one point he was saying "ohh well...I don't have this problem, I've got a 2000 Maxima. So, I'm not worried about it" ehh...yeah. I've got too many things to say/type about the whole thing. I just quit now.

Sorry about venting! Thanks for the warm welcome and all of the really great suggestions!!

 

I have a 2k1 super black as well and would recomend you get a clear bra ASAP!!!!!!! It will be the best 300.00 you spend on the Max. I made the mistake of not getting one and my front end looks like salt and pepper.

Mark

 

I just got my cover installed a few weeks ago and the dealer did it with out any questions. My gas filler is much cleaner now with the cover. I suggest you go to another dealer who will just fix it.

Mark

 

Congrats on your car and Great name choice!

 

I'd love to do this...but the next Nissan dealer is a couple hours away. Soooo...would a pain the butt to do. If I can't turn things around here at this dealer that maybe my only option.

BTW...what kind of clear bra did you get for your car? I had been look'n at those and wasn't sure how well they held up. I was told they didn't protect the front end very well over time...but I like the fact that's clear and less hassle then the typical bra.

 

Hello Miss Maxima and welcome! I'm brand new just like yourself and I hope you're liking your new car as much as I'm liking mine!

 

Go 3M and they do hold up very well. I hate the look of regular bras.

Mark

 

uh-huh!! I LOVE it!! hee hee

3M does car bras too...Wow. Was it very expensive or time consuming to get it done?

I had also seen a Magnet car bra (here) that could match your paint. This seems kind'a funny to me though. I don't see it holding up well and can only imagine what it would do to the paint underneath the magnet. Anyone try one of of these? I realize that they aren't available for the 2kMax..and I really wouldn't want to see one of these on my car (I think it would look like crap) but...wanted to know if anyone had done it.

 

Congrats. You will soon find out you are obsessed about your car! Check the threads on here or so a search. Tons of excellent links full of knowledge for proper car of your new toy.