cruisinV6 said:
By the way, your car is REALLY clean from the look of the pics. Any tips on getting it that clean, other then taking forever, cuz I already take 2 hours to just wash and dry my ride.
KITT has some good points. the way my car looks is the result of religious cleanings and waxings since I bought the car new in 1998. I never got lazy and never slcaked off. it's ALWAYS waxed. here are some tips:
1. again, always keep a good quality wax coat on it. not crappy turtle wax either ...use Meguaier's or another good quality wax. And put it on with a buffer.
2. Never use abrasive cloth when you wash. 100% cotton is the way to go.
3. Don't use sprays that are considered "in between" detailers. If your car is to dusty ...wash it. If you use those sprays, your grinding dirt into your paint and causing "swirly" marks.
4. Don't use high pressure car washes. Nothing about those things are good for your car. Their "wax" is worthless and I have seen the high pressure water take off paint. Plus, if you have ever noticed, if you don't wipe with a cloth, it doesn't even really clean your car. The brushes in most high pressure car washes WILL cause swirly marks. Stay away! If you use the car washes, your basically just throwing money away to hurt your car.
5. Try to wash, dry and wax in the shade ...even if it's shade from a tree or if you have to go over to a friends house. Hard water spots will waste a good paint job quick. If you absolutely HAVE to wash it in the sun, do whatever you have to do to bust up the water drops as quickly as possible. Even if you're not completely getting the car dry ...keep the water moving until it IS dry. Remember, the water DOES NOT have to be completely dried by the sun to leave a water spot. The drop WILL leave a water spot while it's still wet.
6. You only have to use paste/cream wax about once every two or three months. Use "Wax-as-you-dry" between waxings. It will save you a lot of time, energy and will keep UV off your ride. Don't just stay in one spot until it's dry. Keep moving around your car quckly, several times, to keep the water moving. It will become dry by the time you get around it a couple of times and it really only takes about 30 minutes (maybe).
7. After you think your done ...drive the car around the block and see how much water comes out of the cracks and creavasses. Wipe that crap off cause they cause hard water "runs" and not just spots.
8. KITT is right about the thick foamy crap folks put on thier tires. Your tires don't look better when they are "wet" looking. They look better when they are clean, black and shiny. Most folks make thier tires look "wet" to take the attention off of thier crappy paint jobs. Most tire foams and thick sprays cake on dirt when you drive and, when it's fresh, will splatter everywhere. Again, go to the tire wax or use Meguaier's tire spray. Don't spray directly on the tire cause it gets all over. Spray on the rag and wipe evenly across the tire. You can use a spray to coat your wheel wells if you like to make them more black but if you do that take care not to get it on your tire tread and dont forget to take a brush and clean under there once in a while.
9. NEVER TAKE YOUR CAR THROUGH AUTOMATED, DRIVE THROUGH CAR WASHES!!!
NUFF SAID!
I know it sounds like a lot but I only spend about 1 hour twice a week keeping my ride clean. The cream wax days (once every other month) I'll take a half a day cleaning everything including under the hood and under the deck lid.
I can not stress enough how important it is to keep your car waxed. UV rays from the sun will eat clean through your clear coat and destroy your paint
hope this helps a little
Sooner
