Advise from the pro's on drying black cars

00GREENMACHINE

New member
I need some advised from some professionals on what is needed to dry a black VW Passat WITHOUT leaving marks,scratches on the cc. I have a absorber and it works very well. I always spray the car down good and to rinse it I remove the nozzle and let the water run over it so it will sheet.

I purchased a big big towel from pak-sak over a year ago and did not like it because you cant really ring it out and had to wipe over the surface several times to get it dried.

Please help me with some suggestive products you use.
( NO BLOWERS) :beer
 
Several more of those Pakshak or other quality ww mfs. I personally refrain from the Absorber. I also QD the surface to act as barrier from marring while drying. I still use a car dryer -like a small leaf blower- to get rid of the water in hinges and seams.
 
Bill D said:
Several more of those Pakshak or other quality ww mfs. I personally refrain from the Absorber. I also QD the surface to act as barrier from marring while drying. I still use a car dryer -like a small leaf blower- to get rid of the water in hinges and seams.
I'm no pro, but I agree... on my black finish I use ww/mf's from Poorboys and PAC, and use 4 or 5 large towels before I go for the blower and then 3 or 4 after, all with little or no pressure. I never considered using a QD for added protection when drying, but I like the idea. Thanks Bill! :bigups
 
I think that if you have a blower, it's the best way to start out drying, provided your blower is filtered, you don't want little dirt particles hitting your car at 200 MPH (save that for driving :LOLOL ). After that, a WW is the best thing IMO to use. I use the Cobra WW from Autogeek, 2 for $20, it's a pretty good deal.
 
..for those using a leaf blower to aid in drying, is it electric I assume vs. gas ?
If gas, I would think theres a chance of burnt fuel/oil out the exhaust causing
smearing or such if it comes into the air stream of the blower.
 
Yeah, all of those I've ever encountered who use an electric leaf blower do so for that very reason.
 
For Christmas I purchased a Metro Master Blaster and I'll never dry my vehicles by hand again. It has tons of power and puts my old leaf blower to shame. I can COMPLETELY dry my Dodge Dakota, including wheels and tires, in about 10 minutes. I have the hard fiberglass tonneau cover and I can blow the water off from either side. When I say completely dry, I mean 100% dry, including all cracks and crevices. There not cheap, and the advice that others have posted, should minimize your concerns.
 
I would advise getting a good stock of WW mf towels....you can also use your absorber but only blot with it...NO WIPING !!...
 
I actually use compressed air with a rubber-tipped blow gun. It's a heck of a compressor and I could, conceivably, dry about four cars off with the air the tank holds. :drool
 
i belive the ww I got from pak is not a microfiber. Are the Waffle Weave ones better. I point I did not like about the big blue was it seemed to puch water more than it absorbed.

WHat about the MF chamois at poorboys.com?
 
Bill D said:
I also QD the surface to act as barrier from marring while drying.


Proof that there will be always new things to learn while detailing. Thanks Bill. I'll be trying this out :)
 
Bill D said:
I also QD the surface to act as barrier from marring while drying. I still use a car dryer -like a small leaf blower- to get rid of the water in hinges and seams.

Never thought about using a qd for help with drying. What kind of QD
do you suggest?
 
Doesn't have to be the fanciest or the best. I'm probably going to use my Final Detail as I now spruce up my cars with S&W and enhance my car that has a wax topper with Crystal Mist.
 
I use Adam's DS when I dry all the time now. Makes the surface look good and acts as a waterless wash in case. Only drag is more moisture.
 
Here's what I've been doing for wash & dry in the winter:

1) Thoroughly rinse with water (remove sand, salt, etc..)

2) Mist Spray & Wipe on all painted surfaces. Let it soak, while you clean the tires, wheels, wells, & lower rocker panels. (I use a dedicated wash bucket for these areas).

3) Wash top surfaces, using 2 buckets (1 with soap, one to rinse out my mitt).

4) Wash vertical surfaces, top portions first, then lower.

5) Spray Rinse, then free flow rinse to sheet off the water.

6) Use a blower to remove 90% of the remaining water.

7) Mist Optimum Car Wax and wipe down (1 panel at a time). I use a WW for the initial wipe, and a PB velvet smooth for the final wipe.
 
Guys, if you use a leaf blower, you are just asking for trouble. 99% of them are not filtered and will blow dust and dirt at your cars finish at about 150mph. This will damage your cc just as quickly as drying the paint with a dirty towel would.

Spend that $100 of a 2 gallon air compressor, air filter and a blow gun tip. You'll get a much higher pressure blast of air...and since it is properly filtered, you won't be blasting contaminants into the finish.

SC~
 
What I like to do is to blot the car first. I use a cotton bath towel and just lay the towel down on the surfaces without wiping, give it a second or two to absorb, and then lift off. The panel is almost completely dry after doing this, and there really isn't any marring at all since you're not moving the towel against the paint. I finish off drying using a small waffle weave. I've never had to worry about saturating a waffle weave when I do this.
 
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