Washing Your Vette?
10-24-2018, 05:12 PM
#81
Drifting
I daily my car and gets a bath about once a week if the weather is nice (normally true in sunny FL) and if I'm not busy with a honey-do-list. My steps are:
1) Pressure wash: 1800 PSI electric with a wide angle nozzle - this removes like 75% of the crud without touching the car, gets rid of brake dust easily
2) Foam canon with soap that has some wax in it - this removes another 5% of grime and water just beads off afterwards.
3) Wash mitt and 2 bucket method gets another 10% off because at some point you have to physically wipe any road build up / bugs / crap off the car
4) Quick detailing spray or a wax and dry product - this gives the car a nice shine with some limited protection and gets things another 5% closer to perfection
Getting that last 5% for a professional show level finish requires a clay bar and paste waxing but I only do this once or maybe twice a year since its very labor intensive.
If time is limited then I skip steps 1 & 2 and just use the garden hose during step 3 with step 4 drying with microfibers to finish up.
However I have to say the little pressure washer has really improved my routine - it removes so much stuff without touching the car and uses very little water doing it.
1) Pressure wash: 1800 PSI electric with a wide angle nozzle - this removes like 75% of the crud without touching the car, gets rid of brake dust easily
2) Foam canon with soap that has some wax in it - this removes another 5% of grime and water just beads off afterwards.
3) Wash mitt and 2 bucket method gets another 10% off because at some point you have to physically wipe any road build up / bugs / crap off the car
4) Quick detailing spray or a wax and dry product - this gives the car a nice shine with some limited protection and gets things another 5% closer to perfection
Getting that last 5% for a professional show level finish requires a clay bar and paste waxing but I only do this once or maybe twice a year since its very labor intensive.
If time is limited then I skip steps 1 & 2 and just use the garden hose during step 3 with step 4 drying with microfibers to finish up.
However I have to say the little pressure washer has really improved my routine - it removes so much stuff without touching the car and uses very little water doing it.
10-24-2018, 05:32 PM
#82
Safety Car
Sorry... I should have explained it better. I'm talking about a product like in post #47 Wash N Wax soap.
Last edited by JMII; 10-24-2018 at 05:33 PM. Reason: added link
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Slynky (10-24-2018)
10-24-2018, 05:42 PM
#83
Racer
Actually there are several exceptions... There's nothing wrong with a 20 min, quick waterless wash and wax - I do it all the time...but that's when the car is basically sitting in the garage, getting dirty from dust, etc. Its quite clear, you do not SHOW your car...and that's fine, but dont say "No exceptions" cause although I know you think your Vette is the ONLY Vette on the planet and that anyone without your EXACT Vette is wrong...but there is ALOT more to clean on a Vette then just the exterior. Ill also say that there are folks who just enjoy cleaning their Vette...it just gives them a sense of pride.
I guarantee you dont take your wheels off to clean the back...probably the most dirty area(s) on the car and you neglect it. You must cause it takes more than 20 min just to remove/reinstall all 4 wheels. Now Im not saying I do this every time...but I do when going to a show. If you're only taking 20 min - you are not detailing your engine at all. That must look like absolute crap on your car as well. Then again, you barely pop your hood since you believe in oil changes every 2 years. What about your interior, your leather, your carpet? Still 20 min? No way... What about your convertible top? Using even the simplest of kits (like RaggTop) can take 10 to 15 min just to clean the convertible top correctly.
So Joe - I have no issue with your idea of clean...but please dont post "no exceptions" when it comes to only taking 20 min to "clean" a Vette... Nothing wrong with a quick cleaning if your not the super **** type or the type that attends a show...but please stop thinking that your way is the only way to buy, own, maintain and/or care for a Vette - cause quite honestly...99% of what you post makes me cringe as to how you (dont) care for your car.
One last thought. Bright colored cars (for the most part) look clean. White and Silver rarely look dirty even if minimally cared for... Now I know according to you there is no other color but white for a Vette and all other colors are wrong - but if you owned / maintained a darker color Vette the way you do with your white one...you would not think a 20 min cleaning would look as "clean"...
I guarantee you dont take your wheels off to clean the back...probably the most dirty area(s) on the car and you neglect it. You must cause it takes more than 20 min just to remove/reinstall all 4 wheels. Now Im not saying I do this every time...but I do when going to a show. If you're only taking 20 min - you are not detailing your engine at all. That must look like absolute crap on your car as well. Then again, you barely pop your hood since you believe in oil changes every 2 years. What about your interior, your leather, your carpet? Still 20 min? No way... What about your convertible top? Using even the simplest of kits (like RaggTop) can take 10 to 15 min just to clean the convertible top correctly.
So Joe - I have no issue with your idea of clean...but please dont post "no exceptions" when it comes to only taking 20 min to "clean" a Vette... Nothing wrong with a quick cleaning if your not the super **** type or the type that attends a show...but please stop thinking that your way is the only way to buy, own, maintain and/or care for a Vette - cause quite honestly...99% of what you post makes me cringe as to how you (dont) care for your car.
One last thought. Bright colored cars (for the most part) look clean. White and Silver rarely look dirty even if minimally cared for... Now I know according to you there is no other color but white for a Vette and all other colors are wrong - but if you owned / maintained a darker color Vette the way you do with your white one...you would not think a 20 min cleaning would look as "clean"...
10-24-2018, 08:20 PM
#84
Drifting
Sorry... I should have explained it better. I'm talking about a product like in post #47 Wash N Wax soap.
10-25-2018, 12:20 PM
#86
Safety Car
its counter intuitive since wax repeals water how can it mixed with it? To me a big key in vehicle washing results is to ensure NO product or water dries on the surface since it will leave spots / residue. The wash-n-wax stuff in my experience works well in this regard, it seems to make drying the car go faster (like using a blower).
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Slynky (10-25-2018)
10-25-2018, 12:36 PM
#87
Race Director
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I find it remarkable how many people think that "high pressure" water is not damaging to the paint.
10-25-2018, 12:47 PM
#88
Drifting
Its a synthetic wax, not a traditional polish that fills in scratches. As stated in post #47 it seems to leave behind a smooth, slick finish. No idea how it works as I failed chemistry in HS its counter intuitive since wax repeals water how can it mixed with it? To me a big key in vehicle washing results is to ensure NO product or water dries on the surface since it will leave spots / residue. The wash-n-wax stuff in my experience works well in this regard, it seems to make drying the car go faster (like using a blower).
its counter intuitive since wax repeals water how can it mixed with it? To me a big key in vehicle washing results is to ensure NO product or water dries on the surface since it will leave spots / residue. The wash-n-wax stuff in my experience works well in this regard, it seems to make drying the car go faster (like using a blower).
10-25-2018, 01:55 PM
#89
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jan 2015
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St. Jude Donor '15-'16
The correct amount of time to spend
washing your Vette is exactly the amount that it takes me to do mine. Anyone spending more is a fanatic. Anyone spending less is abusing the car 
(Nod to George Carlin)
(Nod to George Carlin)
10-26-2018, 12:08 AM
#90
Instructor
10-26-2018, 07:10 AM
#91
Melting Slicks
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I'm skeptical about washing the car with a pressure washer. I tried to do some research but found no real information. Like many things, there's people for it and people against it. The main thing I found against using a pressure washer is the idea that the powerful spray will drive the grit into the paint as part of the process of driving the grit off. If this is happening the damage will be very minor, likely not visible to the owner. We're talking about microscopic pits here. OK, no harm done, right? But what about after 20 times, 30 times? Think maybe over time that damage may accumulate into a cloudy clear coat? I see plenty of older cars with a cloudy clear coat. Another problem I found mentioned online is the pressure blowing off pieces of clear coat. I discount that mostly because we've all seen bad clear coats that are chipping off for a variety of reasons. Same with cloudy clear coats, I guess, lot of reasons. Most reasons boil down to poor car care. So we come full circle back to the question "Is a pressure washer poor car care?" I don't know but I really see no reason to use one and take a chance. It may be faster than a garden hose and a stack of micro fiber towels but I doubt its better. I guess I favor the gentle touch.
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10-26-2018, 07:38 AM
#92
Race Director
I'm skeptical about washing the car with a pressure washer. I tried to do some research but found no real information. Like many things, there's people for it and people against it. The main thing I found against using a pressure washer is the idea that the powerful spray will drive the grit into the paint as part of the process of driving the grit off. If this is happening the damage will be very minor, likely not visible to the owner. We're talking about microscopic pits here. OK, no harm done, right? But what about after 20 times, 30 times? Think maybe over time that damage may accumulate into a cloudy clear coat? I see plenty of older cars with a cloudy clear coat. Another problem I found mentioned online is the pressure blowing off pieces of clear coat. I discount that mostly because we've all seen bad clear coats that are chipping off for a variety of reasons. Same with cloudy clear coats, I guess, lot of reasons. Most reasons boil down to poor car care. So we come full circle back to the question "Is a pressure washer poor car care?" I don't know but I really see no reason to use one and take a chance. It may be faster than a garden hose and a stack of micro fiber towels but I doubt its better. I guess I favor the gentle touch.
10-26-2018, 08:40 AM
#93
Race Director
Member Since: Jun 2005
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My Corvette never sees "heavy dirt or mud" and I suspect that most owners never do either. I can see it in the wheel wells but in the engine compartment???
10-26-2018, 08:57 AM
#94
Race Director
Theres no better way to clean an engine compartment than with a power washer, but aside from that and the wheel wells, they`re not all that useful.
Last edited by PatternDayTrader; 10-26-2018 at 09:03 AM.
10-26-2018, 01:51 PM
#95
Instructor
11-02-2018, 03:20 PM
#97
Race Director
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Wow!