Quick wash after 6 months without cleaning..

D

DSMu4ia

New member
This is my GF's car. She got it at least 6-7 months ago, never washed it. It's got about 6k miles on it and was FILTHY. Keep in mind most of the dirt you see is not really dirt, but some crazy tar-like crap that I had to scrub off.



It was a spur of the moment thing (I had enough of looking and riding in such a pigsty), so my time was very limited. The car realy needed a clay job, a quick run through of the PC with some light polishing compound, and a coating of NXT or the like. It would have REALLY looked nice.



Just wanted to show some of you guys that even a simple wash (thorough however) can really make a car stand out.



Steps:

1. Simple Green the whole car. Yes, this is how bad it was.

2. Wash 2x with Meguires Gold Class.

3. Windows with NXT with a MF towel.

4. Tires were done with the leftovers of 2 products, Armor-All and Black Magic Tire wet. Dumped them into a empty butter container and used the sponge on it.

5. Engine was hosed off, simple green'd, and then CD2 engine detailer spray was used 2x on it. Wiped off and dried.



Onto the pics:



Before!



before1.jpg




before2.jpg




before4.jpg


Yes, this was mostly TAR.



before3.jpg




After!



after1.jpg




after4.jpg




after5.jpg




after6.jpg






I'm happy with how it turned out. I just wish I had time to at least put on a coat of NXT or something for a little protection. Ohio has been unseasonably warm, so hopefully soon.
 
Looks a whole lot better. That looks more like dried dirt though, not tar. If you leave dirt on the paint for 6 months, it will not just wipe off easily, especially with no wax on the car.
 
Looking good...



Nice to see some people from the Lot that detail their own cars, most dont' even wash them lol. This is SilvrLex from TLS
 
PerfectFinish1 said:
Looking good...



Nice to see some people from the Lot that detail their own cars, most dont' even wash them lol. This is SilvrLex from TLS
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Ya I hear ya, I'd rather have a clean car than a beater with 50 extra horsepower any day!



Thanks guys, if the weather holds out, maybe I'll get the chance to prep the paint like I would have wanted.
 
"Simple Green the whole car. Yes, this is how bad it was"

This is something I would NEVER even think about doing.
 
DSMu4ia said:
Steps:

1. Simple Green the whole car. Yes, this is how bad it was.

2. Wash 2x with Meguires Gold Class.

3. Windows with NXT with a MF towel.

4. Tires were done with the leftovers of 2 products, Armor-All and Black Magic Tire wet. Dumped them into a empty butter container and used the sponge on it.

5. Engine was hosed off, simple green'd, and then CD2 engine detailer spray was used 2x on it. Wiped off and dried.
Click to expand...



Looks good in the pics. What did your GF think?



NXT on the windows? How does that work out? Longevity?



So, besides washing the paint, you didn't put on anything? That's the raw clear coat?



Nice job. Congrats! :up
 
Danase said:
"Simple Green the whole car. Yes, this is how bad it was"

This is something I would NEVER even think about doing.
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Better than the equivilent of having to scrub at the paint to get the dirt/muck/tar off, which defniately would have caused micromarring and scratches.



I've used simple green in tons of applications without any adverse affects. It does have a bad rap on here, but I'm not sure why. It's by far my favorite wheel cleaner, I usually use it around 10:1.
 
Arved said:
Looks good in the pics. What did your GF think?



NXT on the windows? How does that work out? Longevity?



So, besides washing the paint, you didn't put on anything? That's the raw clear coat?



Nice job. Congrats! :up
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GF loved it. And it rained the next day, woohoo.



NXT on the windows is just their glass cleaner. One of my favorites, I still haven't found a perfect glass cleaner.



No other products were used on the paint, just a good thorough wash, being careful with the amount of dirt that was on it. Because there were no products used I can only imagine how nice it'll look once I finish it. Paint was surprisingly smooth however after the wash.
 
Looks great! I wouldn't have ever thought to use Simple Green on paint either. I used it on a really dirty dashboard once and almost had Autopians picket my house.



I appreciate that Pontiac numbered the spark plugs. Either they are helping out the DIY'ers, or they have very little faith in their mechanics. Either way, it's a nice touch.
 
DSMu4ia said:
GF loved it. And it rained the next day, woohoo.
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Let's hope she's seen the error of her ways. :nomore:



NXT on the windows is just their glass cleaner. One of my favorites, I still haven't found a perfect glass cleaner.
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Doh! I keep forgetting they have a glass cleaner under the NXT label. Have you tried Stoners? I like it, but it seems you need two different products to eliminate streaking. Any one won't do it all. :wall



Good Job! :xyxthumbs
 
Arved said:
Let's hope she's seen the error of her ways. :nomore:







Doh! I keep forgetting they have a glass cleaner under the NXT label. Have you tried Stoners? I like it, but it seems you need two different products to eliminate streaking. Any one won't do it all. :wall



Good Job! :xyxthumbs
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We used to use nothing but Stoners before they even had ads in in the magazines. I'll be doing many more details this summer with alot more time than I had last summer, so I'll be able to try out more products.



What sucks is all glass looks streak free until you get some headlights coming your way at night and you notice how much you suck. :(



One of my favorites has been a product cal "Del Vechio's Glass Cleaner." But that was way before I had microfibers at my disposal. I'll be trying some shortly and report back.
 
I actually used SG on the paint under the hood of a car I'm reselling. While that's pretty different from the entire exterior of a car, I did not notice any problems, and it worked great at getting the really tough grime off.
 
mrecktid said:
Did you use full solution SG or what was your dilution?
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I use the same ratio of SG regardless of what I do.



Roughly 10:1.



I have two bottles of it full in the garage at all times, I work on alot of cars (mechanical wise) and I like to keep clean. Makes a good "quick detailer" for your greasy hands in the garage as well.



I haven't found anything that works nearly as well on wheels, and I've used it enough on cars to know it doesn't harm anything.



My USUAL setup is only to use it in the engine bay, wheelwells, and wheels.
 
Its amazing how far a little work can go. Hopefully your GF will up keep your work. ( I have the same problems w/my GFs car, just not as bad.)
 
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