View Full Version : How to Keep Car Clean on Road
OK, fellas (and Lynn, of course!), I finally signed up for Marauderville. Now I need to find out from some old hands about keeping a car clean for a show. Although I'm not signed up for the Show and Shine, I still want my girl to look good when I show her off to all of you. Naturally, she will be nice and shiny when I leave Houston Friday afternoon, but after the drive to Ennis, and sitting in a motel parking lot (not her home garage) overnight, I know she will need some touch up, maybe more, before I bring her to the track. What do those of you do who go to car shows regularly in situations like this?
cyclone03
08-21-2003, 07:24 AM
76 reads and no replys...
Well this is a tough call.The best thing to do is make sure you have a good coat of wax before you leave.
First thing you need to do when you get there is asses the damage. Bugs on the front,rain storm on the way etc....
I plan on hitting a car wash,useing the rinse only and hand washing when nobody is looking.
A spray bottle with water can clean splash behind the wheel wells.
The quick detailer sprays work of too.
Bring towels,and rags.
The cleaning products in the "baby Wipe" containers work ok too.
GordonB
08-21-2003, 07:25 AM
Ross,
Gather your normal cleaning supplies in a bucket and a box -- place in truck for trip. My wife and i do this for our Corvette and will do so now for the MM . Find a local You-Wash-it Carwash or find a local gas station that will lend you a hose for $5-10 to DIY. DO NOT use the soap that you can activate at the Car Wash places. And ... wash away the grime and rad stuff. Take you Duster if the air at nite is dry and you can dust your baby in the AM. Can't think of anything else. With our MM's trunk you can take anything that you would normally use at home, except your hose and house water.
BTW, I have a storage container (about 16:tall X 16" wide X 24" long) that I use for Car Shows to haul my stuff in. Take at least one gal. jug of water and bug/tar remover plus towels and whaever you use on your wheels.
Hop[e this helps. PM me and we can talk further.
Gordon B.
I know some of the guys who spend hour after hour every Saturday waxing and detailing will outshine me, but I want to look good for everyone who will be eyeing our MM's with envy!
Before a road trip, I usually "slather" a couple of THICk coats of carnuba wax on the entire front of the car, and DO NOT buff it off. Looks like crapple whilst in transit, but all the bugs and grime come right off when I wash the car upon arrival. Another coat of wax (loosens the now hardened "other" wax) and I'm golden. Or black. Or shiny. Or whatever.
But then again, I'm odd, so do whatever you like.
-Jim
one50npump
08-22-2003, 07:33 PM
I gotta hear this one... why not use soap at the car wash?? And then, what is the basis for your answer?
TripleTransAm
08-22-2003, 07:45 PM
Originally posted by one50npump
I gotta hear this one... why not use soap at the car wash?? And then, what is the basis for your answer?
That stuff is usually cheap as all heck, and will strip wax right off. I used to use either those types of car washes or the automatic brushless no-contact types, first thing in the spring on my GTA, as a lazy man's way of stripping off all the previous year's wax in preparation for the impending car show season.
(I stopped using the automatic ones once I realized some places used recycled water, or at very least unfiltered at high pressure...)
one50npump
08-25-2003, 06:55 AM
"That stuff is usually cheap as all heck, and will strip wax right off"]
Thats why I replied. I own 2 car washes and I disagree that the stuff if cheap as heck. I'd be willing to send you my soap bill for either wash.
I have a 1994 black explorer with 227000 miles on it and its never seen a garage. It gets washed at least 4 times a week with this "cheap as heck" deadly soap that you have advised the world not to use. I would challenge anyone to bring their new shiney marauder around and compare to the finish on this 10 year old work vehicle, so im guessing it must not be the soap. Plus I only wax this vehicle MAYBE twice a year.. and the water still beads up, once again, im guessing the soap hasnt stripped off any wax.
I will agree that years ago, car wash soap may have had some harsh ingredients in it, but thats not the norm , thats 1970's technology. Car wash chemistry and technology actually has progressed over the years, and when people get on the internet which is viewed by millions of people, then say product "x" is bad, dont use it.. with no actual information to back it up, well that kinda bugs me.
If the car wash is stripping the wax off your car, i'd say, switch car washes or maybe you just didnt do a very good wax job, but the blanket statement that the car wash stuff is crap with no justification just doesnt cut it. I see dirty cars leave the car wash everyday because of operator error, not the car wash performance.
Oh well, theres my car wash rant.. back to the subject.... If your cars dirty and youre away from home, dont be affraid to pull into one of the local self serves and give her a bath. If the wash appears to be clean and well maintained, I'd guess the owner also cares enough to use quality products. Follow the directions on the wall and you'll get a quality non harmful wash.
TripleTransAm
08-25-2003, 07:27 AM
Glad to know there are car wash owners out there who care about the products they supply.
I can only speak based on my own experience and the experience of those around me... the stuff that most automatic car washes use around here are the pits. My 1998 Civic has seen mostly these car washes and there just is no comparison between the hand-washed results and the automatic ones...
I guess the best approach would be if we knew what kinds of soap to look for. Perhaps if you suggested some preferred brands, one could verify that the car wash used any of these higher quality soaps before using it? I know I would...
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