Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Masherbrum on April 20, 2007, 06:28:29 PM
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Hey Rip,
I just did a 1/2 arsed wash with my new car, as I've had it around a month now. The weather finally allowed a wash, I will NOT be taking it to "automatic washes". Any tips you'd like to share on keeping this looking good?
I love the 31 mpg this thing gets!
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c62/Masherbrum/Milan/Milan001.jpg)
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c62/Masherbrum/Milan/Milan002.jpg)
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c62/Masherbrum/Milan/Milan003.jpg)
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Originally posted by Masherbrum
Hey Rip,
I just did a 1/2 arsed wash with my new car, as I've had it around a month now. The weather finally allowed a wash, I will NOT be taking it to "automatic washes". Any tips you'd like to share on keeping this looking good?
I love the 31 mpg this thing gets!
COngrats! Nice looking auto, and you gotta love that gas mileage!
Considering its dark color, I'd do the following (Albeit alittle anal, YMMV)
Dark colors will show all paint imperfections the most (and, as most of you know, it shows dirt the best)
The following is for those who are obsessed with keeping their paint finish like it is factory new! For those that don't care, don't read any further!
Caring for dark colored paint have two primary catagories:
---> washing of the vehicle--
---> polishing/waxing of the vehicle---(I won't get into this discussion because it could take up 3 pages!)
Washing dark colored vehicles, I recommend the following:
Do's:
-Hand wash only!
-Always hose off any caked on mud.
-Wash in a "linear" direction, never in circles, you'll induce swirl marks if you wash in circular motion.
-When washing using linear method, flip the wash mitt over before going back over the same spot as to not drag dirt over the same spot, or you'll induce swirl marks.
-Wash beginning top down.
-Use 3 different wash mitts. One for the everything above the rocker panels and bumpers. One for the rockers and bumpers. One for the wheels. The reasoning is that your vehicles is dirtier as you go down, and you don't want to be dragging particles of dirt over you finish.
-Use "2 bucket method" if your comfortable taking an extra step of precaution.
-Use quality car wash soap. There IS a difference!
-Do one body section at a time, and rinse. Sitting soap especially in heat is not good for the finish after you've washed a section. Rinse it, and move to the next section.
-Dry with chamois, microfiber chamois or 100% cotton ONLY!
-A light spritzing of quick drying wax (many on the market) is good, just be sure apply it in the shade and quickly dry it. Do one body section at a time.
Don'ts:
-Don't wash a dark vehicle in bright sunlight, unless you actually LIKE the looks of dried on water spots.
-NEVER use anything but chamois or 100% cotton to dry your vehicles. Anything else will induce swirl marks.
-Don't re-use a wash mitt for more than 12-15 washes. Rotate it "down" to the Rocker/Bumper mitt, and the Rocker/Bumper mitt to the wheel mitt and get a new mitt for the upper parts. Chenille wash mitts are cheap, and if you paid this much money for a great 4x4, you can afford a $3 wash mitt every 3 months or so.
-DON'T use Dawn or Dish washing detergent to wash your vehicles! This will STRIP all the wax off the vehicle! If you are going to do a full detail, then Dawn is okay, because you're going to re-apply new wax afterwards!
-Don't use those brush type car washes! That is like INSTANT SWIRL MARK CITY!
-Don't use any brush on your vehicle except possibly a Boar's hair brush for the lower parts (That's my opinion, as I could see the swirls that an expensive Boars hair brush did to my black finish!)
-NEVER wash the towels you dry your vehicle with fabric softner, the small amount of fabric softner in the towel will break down the wax and induce swirl marks.
Regardless of how careful you are washing your vehicle, swirl marks are gonna happen. If you follow the recommendations above, you will have significantly LESS swirl marks and this will make the detailing portion (Polishing, Waxing) alot easier for you.
That's about all that I can think of at this moment in the morning, I'm sure I'll remember a few others.
And if you're asking what swirl marks are? Go look at some of the Black painted SUV's and Trucks in your area closely in the sunlight. You'll know what they are when you see it!
Good luck!
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Nice looking car. At least it's platform is good and reliable(Mazda designed Ford CD3). Is the trunk lid open in the last picture?
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Originally posted by mora
Nice looking car. At least it's platform is good and reliable(Mazda designed Ford CD3). Is the trunk lid open in the last picture?
No the trunk is shut. The fit and finish of this car is beyond good. The turnk "appears ajar", but isn't because of the rain channels. The wheels are going to be a PITA to keep clean as they are painted. I have yet to turn on my home hose, because I don't trust the temperature yet. But I will wax them when I wash it in my drive.
I washed this at a spray wash, and it took me about 45 minutes. I use the California water blade and touch up with a chamois.
It's my first new car, I've had 5 new trucks before this. I enjoy the 17" tires as well. It is family oriented (have a 5 year old) but sporty at the same time.
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Nice job, I'd like to get a similar finish on my wife's new Mazda 6. I know it's not mine but I drive it a lot so want it to look good. It's metallic red. I used stuff called 'demon shine' but don't think it quite got the effect I need. Will have to put in some elbow grease I think.
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Originally posted by cpxxx
Nice job, I'd like to get a similar finish on my wife's new Mazda 6. I know it's not mine but I drive it a lot so want it to look good. It's metallic red. I used stuff called 'demon shine' but don't think it quite got the effect I need. Will have to put in some elbow grease I think.
I use this (http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?L1=L1_1000&L2=L2_1001&SKU=11131). I have yet to wax this thing cpxxx. I will when I can spend a few hours with it. I know Rip is liking this stuff (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/kus-kla-10.html) better in the wax dept. I will try it as soon as my Griot's wax run out. Griot's wheel cleaner is superb as is their Car Wash. I bought a gallon of the wheel cleaner. It is safe and cuts through caked on brake dust (my wife's old Taurus had chrome wheels, and it took it all off).
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Originally posted by Masherbrum
No the trunk is shut. The fit and finish of this car is beyond good. The turnk "appears ajar", but isn't because of the rain channels.
The rear light assemblies look wierd to me... The body and the trunk part don't seem to be at the same level, and I think they should be. Are you sure the lid is properly fitted? It's not an unusual thing to happen and is usually easily corrected by adjusting the lock. It might be the angle of the picture too...
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Rip,
GREAT read... I am guilty of the dawn dish detergent! I have a problem, i left my jeep parked at my girlfriends house while we went on vacation... While we were gone the apartment complex pressurewashed the buildings leaving notices for everyone to move their vehicles.... problem - we were gone. Now I am in a legal urinating contest with them because i have thousands of paint chips allllllllll over the front of my jeep.
I have tried bug and tar remover and the liquid clay bar to remove them with limited success. The paint job is too nice underneath to use rubbing compound... even white compound seems too harsh (or is it?) anything you can think of that i could use to remove those chips without ruining my paint? It's kinda embarrassing!
ANYONE have any suggestions?
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I use the Griot's Garage Clay Bar with their Speed Shine. It is miles away better than the Mother's clay bar I used to use. I recommend getting the "Starter Kit" I posted in a previous post in this thread.
Also, buy some 3M Rubbing Compound. I used it on a log scratch on my 2004 Explorer I just turned in. I split a log at about 35mph on a trail, and had a 2.5 foot long scratch. I got it down to 4 inches, of which, you could barely see.
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Originally posted by mora
The rear light assemblies look wierd to me... The body and the trunk part don't seem to be at the same level, and I think they should be. Are you sure the lid is properly fitted? It's not an unusual thing to happen and is usually easily corrected by adjusting the lock. It might be the angle of the picture too...
It's the angle bud. I got a lot of looks today while cruising with the wife, and our 5 year old son asleep in back. I have just always kept a clean car, which is what my father instilled in me.
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Mr No Name, what Masherbrum said. Clay bar should do it. Use plenty of lubrication (water, or better yet, a detail spray )
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Ripsnort, what's your opinion on using pressure washers on cars?
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Originally posted by Viking
Ripsnort, what's your opinion on using pressure washers on cars?
I don't think pressure washers get all the grime off the finish, do you? I've used them on my pick up truck and I can still see dirt when I'm finished.
As an experiment, next time use a pressure wash car wash and when finished, dry the auto with a white towel. You'll see the result.
I might add, in climates like where I grew up (Minnesota, 10 feet of snow and 40 below) the pressure car wash or "Touch less" car wash is the only way to go in the winter. it keeps the salt off the finish (and sorta makes the car look clean) until spring arrives and you can give it a proper hand wash.