Car wash advice
- Thread starter Shawn
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FlagstaffGT
GT Owner
Open the back engine cover, in the place where it’s being washed and cover vent exposed engine with large towel. Close cover. I use a foam gun, cuts dirt nicely, with lower pressure electric pressure washer, kept at a distance from the car. Never power wash windshield if you have clearplex, destroys a UV filter film applied on the outside of the clearplex. Keep it wet and dry if off in the garage, after removing towel. Never in hard sun. Drive it. And then drive it some more.
Barry
Barry
extrap
GT Owner
KennethClay
GT Owner
You can use a microfiber cloth as long as it's clean (and you've removed tags, etc.). If you're going to blow the car dry, I'd use something like the MetroVac MasterBlaster, which is designed to be a dryer and has better filtration than a leaf blower.
I wash with a deionizer like this.
www.autogeek.net
I made mine with two prefilters and a large nuclear media filter(that's what my buddy calls it). It all fits in a milk crate. It take my tap water from 60PPM TDS to zero. No water spots. He used this type of system for washing house windows. The media has to be changed every month doing windows so he went to larger system. He said mine will probably last years washing cars.
I bought a TDS meter too, they're cheap. TDS total dissolved solids
Simple Chucks Double Chuck Spotless Water System
Simple Chuck's Double Chuck Spotless Water System - Get clean, di-ionized water simply! Simple Chuck's Double Chuck Spotless Water System is a water de-ionization unit that provides approximately 400 gallons of spotless water, allowing you to ...
www.autogeek.net
I bought a TDS meter too, they're cheap. TDS total dissolved solids
I have never washed my car with water. I use waterless spay and wax...many brands available. Coupled with a microfiber towel proves to be very effective. With our cars aging screws/bolts are prone to rust. Also make sure water does not seep into the front boot area. Maybe I am just too particular,but mine after all these years is in show room condition because I avoid water when possible.
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FlagstaffGT
GT Owner
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
First, mine had a front facing surfaces clear bra. I washed mine with Turtle Wax soap and water. Rinsed, dried with two very old terry cloth towels and microfiber towels. Followed up with Turtle Wax spray detailer. No matter what you're going to want a pro detail/polish every 5 years or so because no matter what you're going to get some microscratches.
I used this same process on my twin black Shelby GTs and my British Racing Green Cobra - all dark colors that are impossible to keep clean and show scratches from a mile away and look dirty 1/2 hour after cleaning. For them I also did a clay bar cleaning and a Turtle Wax Ice "wax" (really, a paste "polish", two coats) followed by the liquid polish and a second pass of liquid polish at half way during the season. The GT being a lighter color and being mostly covered with the clear bra material never needed the wax job
Avoid California Dusters like the plague!!! They pick up stuff but then you just drag it around. Especially if you have a black or blue car.
I used this same process on my twin black Shelby GTs and my British Racing Green Cobra - all dark colors that are impossible to keep clean and show scratches from a mile away and look dirty 1/2 hour after cleaning. For them I also did a clay bar cleaning and a Turtle Wax Ice "wax" (really, a paste "polish", two coats) followed by the liquid polish and a second pass of liquid polish at half way during the season. The GT being a lighter color and being mostly covered with the clear bra material never needed the wax job
Avoid California Dusters like the plague!!! They pick up stuff but then you just drag it around. Especially if you have a black or blue car.
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GTdrummer
GT Owner
Earlier days of Rally's when we had a semi dedicated detailer that would show up(don't recall his name- other probably will), I asked him about micro fiber towels and how long they where good for and how to treat/clean them. He would clean his towels only in Woolite. His test to see if the towel was still good for detailing, was to use a new media CD( from those old computer storage days) and place the towel between his fingers and CD and pull it center to edge. If it scratched the plastic Cd, the towel was used for oil changes. YMMV. At 15 dollar a bundle from costco, i don't reuse towels very much. Deionized water and the Metro Vac are a great combo.
I find ambient humidity seem to have a larger impact at surface rust than car washing..
I find ambient humidity seem to have a larger impact at surface rust than car washing..
extrap
GT Owner
It seems like touch-less has just got to be better than any rag no matter how clean, fine and soft? 
"Quality" micro fiber is great. Take a look at GriotsGarage "Microfiber Plush Edgeless Towels, Set of 6". Very plush and soft.
I prefer cotton, dries the car better than synthetics. My wife checked out all the cotton towels as she went to the stores. Here is a very soft plush cotton towel sold at JCPenney. Washing further softens them up.
I prefer cotton, dries the car better than synthetics. My wife checked out all the cotton towels as she went to the stores. Here is a very soft plush cotton towel sold at JCPenney. Washing further softens them up.
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twobjshelbys
GT Owner
My best car towels are quite literally some 40+ year old bath towels that have been washed over and over and over again. They started off as some home made seat covers when we lived in Arizona in the late 70s (because we didn't make enough money to buy real ones so my wife sewed these up from bath towels), and after we sold the T-bird I kept them in the garage and used them for car washing. 10x more absorbant than the fake chamois. They are soft as a baby's bottom
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GTinTN
GT Owner
Consider using Optima No Rinse or other such product to avoid having to spray water everywhere. I use it and am very happy with the results.
The Grey Ghost
GT Owner
If you are referring to Optimum No Rinse, we use this as well.
Happy with the results, especially with the ceramic coating, but good on cars without it as well.
GTinTN
GT Owner
PL510*Jeff
Well-known member
The softest cotton I know of are the old fashioned baby diapers. Have been using them on my cars for many years.
Interesting you mention old cotton diapers. I have used those forever for removing car wax. I have recently switched to using the awesome plush microfiber that I noted above. My diapers are a bit worn out.