Hello Everyone:

I'm the new owner of a 1965 Coupe, Nassau Blue (not original paint, but a beautiful job done 5 years ago), and I'm looking forward to washing and waxing it so I can get to know every nook and cranny. I've heard so many rules like: "never wash it in the sunshine," "only use water," "use Dawn dishwashing soap," "NEVER use Dawn dishwashing soap," "use a clay bar," "buy million dollar towels," etc. Any simple rules for this procedure? Any reliable products to use that are available in auto stores? All input will be appreciated.

Matt

 

It's just a car ---- wash it like you would your pick-up or family car.

 

Wash it really well, wax it really well and after that, wash it as needed, in-between just wipe the dust etc with a damp cotton towel. Use soap made for washing car, nothing else. Don't get your blood pressure up over this. Dennis

 

Letting water touch a mid-year?

Say it isn't so, Joe.

 

When prepping a car for paint, a good wash job with Dawn dishwashing detergent works very well for removing anything resembling wax. nuff said?

Russ

 

It's a car, with normal old paint.
That being said, I tend to be very particular, and think the following strikes a good balance between the insane/doing a horrible job:

Edit-- I should add that the *order* of the steps I follow:

For the first wax of the year:
(1) wash (2) speedshine (3) clay (4) wax (5) speedshine

For in-between wax cleanings:
(1) wash (2) speedshine

for in-season waxing:
(1) wash (2) speedshine (3) wax (4) speedshine (optional)


1) As previously said, wash well. Normal car wash. I use Meguiars , but just about any name brand car wash will do. I have heard of people using dawn to strip the wax off the car (as in, you just bought it, not sure how the previous owner took care of it, and you want to do it yourself.) I myself will not use it. It's for dishes.

2) towels: old timers like cotton. I don't. I prefer microfiber towels. In truth, when washing, since there's so much lubricant on it, cotton or microfiber will work just as well. the evil here is debris on the towel-- double check frequently as you wash that you hvan't picked up a up a leaf or other contamination, as this WILL scratch the hell out of your car.

3) wax: You will get a different answer to the age-old wax question for every person that responds. I believe subjectively that synthetic wax works better than carnuba for clear coated cars, and that's what I use (conversely, I don't like the way synthetics make a good lacquer paint job look. anyway, this is all very subjective) . I prefer Zaino (zainobros.com). Zaino is absolutely amazing, but it is more expensive than other waxes, and you cannot buy it in stores. Another good choice for a synthetic wax is Meguiars nxt wax. If you want to use a good carnuba wax, I think griots is pretty good, but that's out of my area. Just be wary of people that say its "pure" carnuba. That's b.s.... carnuba is rock solid, and the most you can really put in a paste wax is (IIRC) about 30%.

For towels, here the type will make a difference. I will not knock cotton, as I know people are fans of it. What you are looking for is a nice, soft towel with no labels, hard edges, etc. I again use microfiber. I've typically use the ones from griots. These are not million dollar towels, but they are more expensive. I guess 100% cotton would work as well, I just don't have information to make a recommendation.

4) speedshine: In between waxes, I use a good speed shine. It is just like it sounds-- it shines, and it's speedy. As long as the car is clean (if its not, clean it), just spray on and rub in. IT's not a substitute for waxing, but if you only wax once every 4-6 months, a good speed shine will bring back the luster.

5) Clay: I love clay. It is the most misunderstood and yet amazingly useful tool for the backyard detailer. Put your finger in a plastic shopping bag and rub it lightly over the finish of your car. Feel all the bumps? that's various debris embedded in your paint. Clay gets rid of all of that. It will also get rid of light stains (rain spots, bug splatter, stains on chrome).

Procedure is amazingly easy-- spray some speed shine, and rub with the clay. wipe off the speed shine. done. It will *not* damage your paint. It does not take any layers off the clear, it just picks up dirt and other crap embedded in the paint. Again, I use microfiber for this.

Clay is not labor intensive, and especially on a midyear's (small) body, goes quick. And, you really only need to do it once a year. I typically do it the first summer wash/wax.


Again, you will get a ton of opinions on this. People may disagree with the products I use (again, it is VERY subjective), but the procedure is sound.

 

Just in case you try to look it up, they're spelled Zaino and Meguiars

 

HA! thanks for the correction.
fixed above.

 

Google Chadwicks Triple Play. They are a sponsor on this site. I do not believe in washing collector cars with water. Have used their products with incredible success. I am not associated with the business in any way.

View the videos on their website. Their bar works very similar to Clay Bar and is forgiving.

 

I appreciate the time and effort you put in to your response. Seriously. That was great, JMG2. Thanks.

Matt

 

No problem. I'm very passionate about keeping my vettes clean and shiny :-)

 

Another vote for Zaino. FYI, the directions from Zaino actually tell you to wash with Dawn once and ONLY once to remove any old waxes then apply Zaino wax. Dawn is high in alkaline so it will strip off waxes.

Gary

 

Best advice you'll ever receive.

 

It should never get dirty enough to wash

 

Hey Matt - let's see some pics of your new Vette.
Mike T.

 

I asked this very question several years ago, here are 63 posts including one from JohnZ:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...and-water.html

 

An original Sting Ray? I wouldn't even let rain besmirch it, much less cause it to be wet by my own efforts. Show some reverence.

 

What is the aversion to water?
It's a plastic car with paint on it. And I assume you guys garage it.
Maybe If you live in the west or south, but in the NE, even in june, there's still sand and crap on the roads. Washing is a necessity.

I don't see why you wouldn't let water touch your car *BUT*

If you live in an area where the only thing you're going to get on your car is dust and pollen, then California cleaner and spray wash should do it, but I would LOVE to see the roads you guys drive on where the wheel-wells, undercarriage, and quarter panels only get dust on them after a drive.

Brake dust alone is more than enough reason to wash... no way a clifornia cleaner is going to get that off the wheel wells and rings, and no way I would spray shine without washing first.

Again, it's a car. It's not the magical wicked witch from the west, and it will not dissolve if you put water on it.

 

Speaking as a northern Californian, one has to be choosey about when to drive one's Sting Ray. The most satisfying days are those on which flowers are blooming that produce small-size pollen, such as marigolds, pansies and birds-of-paradise. These brush right off with a California Cleaner mop/brush. It is less advisable to venture out on days when large-pollen plants such as pine, acacia and monkey-pods spew out large, repulsive pollen. The repetitive toil of removing large pollen will only clog up the California Cleaner in no time and, if pursued too vigorously, will lead to tennis elbow (pollen elbow?). A word to the wise. Even if one MUST drive the Sting Ray on a large-pollen day, at least the perfumed air can be enjoyed, as always.

 

I dry my car with an electric leaf blower.