Is you car smooth after you wash it?

Y

YoSteve

New member
I'm curious when you wash your car, how much do you go out of your way to make sure the paint's finished is as smooth as possible.



For example, if you were to take your finger and run it over the lower panel of your car (disclaimer: this is hypothetical ;)). Aside from the chips, which you can't control is it always smooth? I really make it a point to smoothen out all mine "rough" spots or blemishes or stuff that sticks, specks, etc. Which is why it takes me about 2 hours to wash my car. It is my belief that these "specks" might be the cause of those "rail dust" issues.
 
It takes me about 1.5 to 2 hours to wash my car also. I spend a lot of time on the lower panels and wheels as well as frequent rinsing .
 
Depends on how much time I have. I wax often enough that most tar wipes off when washing and I always QD when I am done washing to help keep the paint real slick so stuff doesn't stick to it. I sometimes bust out some polish for stubborn tar and then rewax the area...but then since S100 is almost as easy to use as a QD, half the time I end up waxing my whole car.



With QEW, I can usually wash, wax, dress the tires and clean the windows in about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Of course, Accords aren't that big.
 
I usually wash with GC Wash with chenile mitt.....wash every square inch, making sure I get all of the spots, dirt, etc. off. Then rinse, then spot free rinse, then dry with the waffle weave and MF towels.....takes about an hour or so.....paint usually pretty smooth except on part of the back bumper.....need to clay that area in the spring....then reKlasse and SG
 
Since switching to my Japanese sealant, my car washing duties are reduced to 30-40mins sessions...



I usually apply more coats of the sealant stuff on the lower part of the car... usually about once every 2 weeks...



I don't get to QD anymore since my sealant seems to hate FI or EO Wet...
 
I'd say it takes me about an hour inside and out.



I spend about 5 mins on each wheel throughly making sure they are spotless. When they are dry I apply some EG sealant :up



With the interior I get a cig lighter hoover and give the front wells a good hoover and damp MF the dash.



I always pay attention to fine detail which seems to add to the time though :rolleyes: :D
 
Body takes about an hour. I alwys wax it every week, over kill maybe but it keeps me happy!!!! I use either A1 speed wax ( ok wack) blitz or p21s depending on time an weather. once a month i polish with Autoglym, or megs hand polish or no 7. After a wash the car always feels so slick and smooth. I use F.I qd after a wash and it never feeels much different.



It takes me another 2 hours then tho jack up the car, to clean arches, underbody wheels and engine bay.



thne of course addd some glass clening an interior thats why i spend 6 hours at leat a weekend on the car!!!! and thats not even before i consider i may have a show coming up!!!!!! :eek:
 
:bow @ Rich :)



Btw mate - Ive been thinking of jacking up my car to sort the wheels out properly but ive been warned against doing this as you remove a v thin layer of metal everytime you use the jack :nixweiss Thus, I'm too scared to do it... :(
 
Painted my jacking points with some thick black underseal!!! Cos on my old gti i wore away the apint and then like you say the metal!
 
YoSteve- As a big fan of your MF towels, I wanted to chime in. Like you, (with most cars) I prefer to get the car "prepped" in a big long, production and then just drive and wash it for as long as I can.



I too try to keep the paint smooth. I think that regularly smoothed paint stays cleaner longer. If the wash solution doesn't do it, I clay. I've found that if I clay VERY GENTLY AND CAREFULLY during the wash step, using LOTS of high-lubricity wash solution, I can keep the paint smooth without removing an appreciable amount of sealant/wax/etc. (which I think of as a "sacrificial layer" anyhow). I know that many don't agree with this regular claying regimen, but it works for me. With my Klassed-only car, for instance, after 4 months plus it's still doing fine and that's with winter use.



NickATRvtec- I share your concerns, as I often have a "wax the frame"-level car and I don't want to chip the paint anyhow, even on "beaters". You might try a rubber jack pad and/or a thick sponge. They deform enough that the car's still secure.
 
I think the least I should do is spend £30 on a proper trolley jack



I real trolley will also keep you alive longer, a car jack is only for an emergency.



As for slickness, I would say it is my defination of clean paintwork. The road conditions where I live are very poor, so I use tar remover and clay every 8 weeks (not on the entire car).



Steven
 
I find the tiny bits of tar to be my main foe



Autoglym Tar Remover is very good, I think Wack sell some not forgetting clay to clean all the bits up afterwards.



Steven
 
Wack do some???



Might have to get some of that, if not I'll try the Autoglym stuff. The turtle wax stuff I have is pretty poor :nono
 
Usually it's still smooth, but I don't really check as often as I should. The exception to this was sometime in the fall when after I washed it I discovered there were specks of something all over the horizontal surfaces, which required me to lightly clay it off. I couldn't see them, but I felt them. It must have been sap or something because it's been relatively good recently. :nixweiss



EDIT: now that I think of it, I may have only noticed the specks after trying to QD the hood and noticing the towel was grabbing onto them.
 
Brian that's the stuff that I was referring too.



If find little stuck on specks usually on the lower panel and make sure I remove them at each wash. Paint stays smooth all the time and makes for easier clean prep when it's time to wax.
 
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