Car wash products

[Dakota Boy]

Ok, so up until I bought my '58, I had just been running the family vehicles through the automatic drive-thru car washes. I bet I havent hand-washed a car in over 20 years.

So you guys have to tell me the best procedure for hand-washing my '58 in the driveway. What are the best products to use, etc etc, how to avoid water spots, best way to dry off the car, etc etc etc

Thanks

I saw a commercial for Meguire's "quick wax" (name?) that was in a spray bottle and then just wiped it off with a towel. Looks too good to be true...

[Guest]

Hey Dakota Boy,
If your water is like ours here it is hard. Our car washes run the water through salt to soften the water. I myself will never run one of my old cars through the car wash. You might check with the car washes in your area and see if they do this process!
I know on Old Blue, I always just used a good car wash soap, never ran her through car wash and never use dish washing liquid it will break down wax. Hand wash her, dry her with good shammy, go over her with good terri cloth towel, to remove any water left behind, Wax her with Rain Dance Paste, no longer available. Take tooth picks and tooth brush to trim to remove any excess wax. Wax door jambs, trunk and hood painted areas. She has never been painted! Several people have rubbed her and said she feels soft. She feels like a piece of glass with powder on it!!!
Richard D. Hord

[Coral]

There are hundreds if not thousands of products out there, enough to boggle the mind!

http://www.autogeek.net/productlines.html

Mother's and Meguire's are good ones, and usually readily available

Use nothing abrasive, soft chamois cloths, fuzzy mitts.

Work on a manageable area, highest point to the lowest point

The easiest way would be to find a youth group offering car washes for 5.00...

[fomoco59]

I use Meguire's car wash (and Meguire's Gold car wax).
I wash with a soft mitt and dry with "The Absorber" from Wal-Mart.

[LuckyJay]

http://www.aa-ownercenter.com/car_care

Just bought some soap yesterday. Here is a start. I only take the daily drivers through the car wash in the winter. Never the T-Bird. I use the Meguiars Quick Detailer on the Bird often and after every night drive ( bugs ). Been hand washing cars for over 45 years.

[SandyBoy]

All I have used forever, on my 2 daily drivers and my 4 "Show Cars"
is " No. 7 " Car & Truck Wash from Cyclo Industries in Jupiter, Fla.
It's the best !

http://www.cyclo.com

Stock # 16140
8 OZ. Cans

Use 2 level tablespoons to a normal size outdoor bucket.
Using an old well worn towel that is thin with like NO nap
left -VS- a sponge, the old thin towel will NOT rub off your wax,
like a man made sponge will.

http://www.cyclo.com/no_7.asp

The last item this page - the round small can.

[GTE427]

Using an old well worn towel that is thin with like NO nap
left -VS- a sponge, the old thin towel will NOT rub off your wax

'old well worn towel', remember cloth diapers? After two children and many machine washings, they are worn and soft. I stashed them in the attic and still use them to this day, for washing cars.

[tarps3]

All I have used forever, on my 2 daily drivers and my 4 "Show Cars"
is " No. 7 " Car & Truck Wash from Cyclo Industries in Jupiter, Fla.
It's the best !

http://www.cyclo.com

Stock # 16140
8 OZ. Cans

Use 2 level tablespoons to a normal size outdoor bucket.
Using an old well worn towel that is thin with like NO nap
left -VS- a sponge, the old thin towel will NOT rub off your wax,
like a man made sponge will.

http://www.cyclo.com/no_7.asp

The last item this page - the round small can.

you are right about the man-made sponges.

However, the natural sponges work great!
That's what I use. They get extremely soft when wet and won't take off anything but grime and dirt.

[SandyBoy]

I think that one cannot buy those in N.J.

[Coral]

Sandyboy are you referring to old done out cloth diapers, towels or natural sponge?

Cause you CAN get all of the above, delivered to yer door without a fuss...

[dgs]

I once heard that shampoo (you know, human shampoo, like for your hair. I used to need that stuff ...) makes a good car wash. Strong enough to get stuff off, but made gentle for your scalp and whatnot. I used the $1 Suave stuff for a while and it worked well. Not sure if what I heard was true or not.

I also have a synthetic rubber like chamois called The Absorber. It's awesome, absorbs like crazy and rings out dry. Comes in a plastic tube and you store it in there slightly damp. Highly recommended.