I just got a black '05 z.......unfortunately I don't have a garage to put it in since I will be living in an apartment for the next 2 years until I finish law school. What is the best stuff I can use to protect the paint?

 

get you a car cover i just bought mine used from a great guy on here for 125 shipped. You can sinch them down on the bottom so wind etc. wont rip it off. I keep mine covered even in my garage lol. im paranoid about my baby .

 

Keep it washed and waxed. The wax will protect the paint from water spots and UV rays. Use a quick detailer in between washes to keep it looking freshly detailed and help enhance the wax. I did this for 7 yrs with my last car, and the paint looked great.
Car cover isn't a bad idea either.

 

park in the shade when possible. clean weekly. wax monthly. car cover wouldnt hurt but lets face it, its a pain. windshield shade to help protect your interior from UV.

 

+1, also get a covered parking spot if your apartments offer it. The problem with parking under a tree is (1) bird crap, (2) tree sap and other stuff that comes off the leaves. I'd rather have my car in the sun than under a tree. Zaino it at least 2-3 times a year, and that should help, the same way wearing sunscreen prevents you from looking like a dried up prune.

 

I'm kind of weary of using a car cover since I've already seen how easy it is to scratch and chip the paint. Is there any kind of wax or any other brand of protectant that works really well on the Z?

 

I used to not have a garage and I just made sure I waxed frequently and took care of any bird droppings or sap with washes ASAP. A car cover isn't a bad idea, I just think it's a little bit of a PITA. A sun shade isn't a bad idea to protect the dash from the sun, but if you use a good protectant on your dash you should be fine. My main concern without a garage in an apartment complex is door dings.

 

1. Zaino for the outside
2. 303 for the interior
3. Wash regularly

 

I agree... I picked up a cover almost a month ago, and only use it on those occasions when I know I wont take the car out. Otherwise, it's a pain to put on, take off, stuff in the bag etc...

Get the best wax you can and go to work on that paint.

I use Zymol's cleaner wax, Turtle Wax Ice as a Polish & seal it all up with a couple of coats of Meguiars NXT. Meguiars Ultimate Quick Detailer for those in between moments, and to lessen washing.

(Some would frown on my choice of products, being that they are mix-n-match, but they work great in my opinion. Some would say that I should just get Zaino and call it a day... one day I'll try it, but I'm happy with my results until then.)

 

Put a cover on it.

 

how much is the nissan cover?

 

I brought the $200 Nissan cover. Very pleased. In fact this is my second Nissan cover. The first lasted about 20 months.

 

Nexx, Joker and Davidv have pretty much said it.

Ensure you follow the directions on the bottle of wax too. No point doing it half pie, it won't last.

 

davidv, do you always park outside?

 

Yes. And the car is always covered. Both at home and at work.

 

How's the nissan car cover? because I had a car OEM cover for my previous car (Mitsubishi Eclipse) and with the daily use all i got was a nice set of spider web scratches all over after a year or so of daily use since the cover gets dust/rain/dirt/ etc... and then you rub that all over the car when you're putting the cover on/taking it off....
Then again my car was/is black so maybe another color wont show it as much...

 

Everyone's right except for the parking under a tree thing. Stay away from trees, especially pine trees. I've seen what sap can do to a paint job and it ain't pretty. Also, trees hold birds, birds crap in the air, you know the rest.

 

Any time that you put a cover on the car, you risk rubbing the surface. Still, covering that car is better than leaving it exposed.

 

nice aftermarket car covers have nice material underneath so it prevents scratches. I bought a 300 dollar one and not even one surface scratch so far. Only way i can see you getting a scratch with this is if there was loose dirt underneat the car cover and then you slide that around.

I would never put a car cover on outside. First, it attracts theives attention. Second, they can break in your car easily and take their time stealing your stuff in the car since no one can see under the car cover at night(if you have valuable things in there). Hope that helps.

 

kill the birds that live by your house