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Exactly what Hammy just said. Im reading this thinking same things. I put about the same miles on mine and in perfect weather and can't imagine grinding all that road grime and crap into my paint without the lubrication provided by car wash, water, and a clean mitt.
Guess we have to look at things this way...
Either, we are the only 2 sane individuals on this thread, or...
We are the only 2 reactionarys that can't seem to adopt the new protocol.
Either, we are the only 2 sane individuals on this thread, or...
We are the only 2 reactionarys that can't seem to adopt the new protocol.
I think that the need for actually washing the car with soap and water has a lot to do with where you live. I have friends in Florida that tell me all the time about the terrible bug problems during different times of year. Here in Tucson I drive my 2007 vette convert around 250-300 miles a month and probably over a years time have to clean 25 very small bugs off the car so it is rather easy to accomplish that with detail spray. My car is garaged and really only use the car duster about once a month, the biggest problem as far as keeping my car clean here is wiping the brake dust off the chrome wheels once in a while.
This is a photo I snapped of the bottom of my car at the last oil change and this is after more than 7 years on the road. All the labels, stickers and factory production marks in the wheel wells are still all just as they were when the car was delivered.
3 days, but I don't wash mine that way. Mine goes to the coin-operated wash about once a week. Washed it that way just 3 days ago.
Same here. I just got back from the coin-op place. I don't use their brush though. Who knows where that has been and what crap is on it. I just use the water, soap and my washing mitt.
I normally wash my corvette once every 2 weeks, followed by a quick detailer of some sort. Full detail every 6 months.
I think that the need for actually washing the car with soap and water has a lot to do with where you live. I have friends in Florida that tell me all the time about the terrible bug problems during different times of year. Here in Tucson I drive my 2007 vette convert around 250-300 miles a month and probably over a years time have to clean 25 very small bugs off the car so it is rather easy to accomplish that with detail spray. My car is garaged and really only use the car duster about once a month, the biggest problem as far as keeping my car clean here is wiping the brake dust off the chrome wheels once in a while.
This is a photo I snapped of the bottom of my car at the last oil change and this is after more than 7 years on the road. All the labels, stickers and factory production marks in the wheel wells are still all just as they were when the car was delivered.
Wow! After 7 years, that is clean!
I hear ya, the underside on mine is still very clean after 2 years, but I admit cleaning the undercarriage once a year.
I just returned home from a short 4 day road trip, putting on about 430 miles.
The weather was sunny and dry the whole time.
I drove on nothing but well maintained clean roads.
Yet the car is so filthy with road grime, dirt, pollen, brake dust, bugs, etc., I cannot imagine trying to just wipe it down.
Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
I hear ya, the underside on mine is still very clean after 2 years, but I admit cleaning the undercarriage once a year.
I just returned home from a short 4 day road trip, putting on about 430 miles.
The weather was sunny and dry the whole time.
I drove on nothing but well maintained clean roads.
Yet the car is so filthy with road grime, dirt, pollen, brake dust, bugs, etc., I cannot imagine trying to just wipe it down.
Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
I was actually surprised myself when I saw how pristine everything was under my car after more than 7 years. It has never been cleaned under the car ever and that was the first time I actually saw the bottom of the car myself.
I have a friend in Port Charlotte, FL and he was telling me about when he drove his neighbor about 300 miles away to pick up his neighbors new C7 and how bad the new C7 looked by the time the got it back to Port Charlotte. He said it was covered in bugs and road grime just from that short trip and it made him sick to look at the brand new car after just a few hours.
I was actually surprised myself when I saw how pristine everything was under my car after more than 7 years. It has never been cleaned under the car ever and that was the first time I actually saw the bottom of the car myself.
I have a friend in Port Charlotte, FL and he was telling me about when he drove his neighbor about 300 miles away to pick up his neighbors new C7 and how bad the new C7 looked by the time the got it back to Port Charlotte. He said it was covered in bugs and road grime just from that short trip and it made him sick to look at the brand new car after just a few hours.
Oh yeah, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda area is the same as the East coast where I'm located.
An easy 40 or 50 mile drive, and the car needs cleaning.
I hear ya, the underside on mine is still very clean after 2 years, but I admit cleaning the undercarriage once a year.
I just returned home from a short 4 day road trip, putting on about 430 miles.
The weather was sunny and dry the whole time.
I drove on nothing but well maintained clean roads.
Yet the car is so filthy with road grime, dirt, pollen, brake dust, bugs, etc., I cannot imagine trying to just wipe it down.
Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
I took these photos 2 months ago...
How do you clean the underside? Put it on a lift and use a pressure washer? Any way to clean the undercarriage with it sitting on the ground?
I washed mine last week temp got near 45, I had to use a bucket when I first started as my garden hose was still frozen. But it was worth the frozen hands to see my baby looking good
This is a photo I snapped of the bottom of my car at the last oil change and this is after more than 7 years on the road. All the labels, stickers and factory production marks in the wheel wells are still all just as they were when the car was delivered.
So this is why those 50 year old cars going across the Barrett Jackson stage proclaim "Arizona Car!".
I'm jealous...I drive my car 50 miles here in KY and I'm not joking that even during daylight hours I'll have to wipe off 30 bugs from the front end.
So this is why those 50 year old cars going across the Barrett Jackson stage proclaim "Arizona Car!".
I'm jealous...I drive my car 50 miles here in KY and I'm not joking that even during daylight hours I'll have to wipe off 30 bugs from the front end.
I can feel your pain, I grew up in Minnesota and drove vettes up there year around for 22 years and remember well how bad the bugs were in the summer time.
I moved to Arizona in my late 30's and never went back to Minnesota again, even just to visit. I enjoy the top down weather down here all year around.
There is a reason that the military stores their entire mothball fleet of planes here in Tucson next to Davis Monthan Air Force base. When I have sold one of my vettes that have spent their entire life in the Tucson area on eBay I got offers from all over the country even in the middle of winter. Never takes more than 3-7 days to get one sold.
These are a couple of photos of the last one I sold to a guy in St Louis area and he actually emailed me twice during the following year thanking me for selling him the car. These photos were taken just before it shipped out to him and at the time the 2001 convert was 11 years old with 95k miles on it.
5+ years for ANY kind of wash. And that was only due to the fact that I was caught in a 22 mile long rainstorm on I-40 on the way home from Santa Fe, NM.
It was 32 degrees out, but went to the pressure washer and brought my buckets and mitt. The water is heated there and I only use the wand to soak it and rinse it.
Brought it home to detail. That's snow in the yard in the background. Had quite a bit of snow, ice and sleet lately in Dallas area. A couple of trips to take my kid to school got it pretty dirty and I had to clean it up.
Mine gets pretty dusty when it's not raining. I just wash and rinse with the wand down the street then dry it with micro fiber towels. I have two buckets and all the stuff to wash it, so I will probably start washing it at home when it gets warmer.
03-06-2015, 02:53 PM
