Cars We Drive!

[GreenFrog]

How often do you guys detail your cars?

I've yet to fully detail my car since I bought it 5 months ago and it's pretty filthy.

Problem is, I have community parking and all the traffic in the lot inevitably causes dust and dirt to cake up on the paint merely DAYS after it's cleaned.

It almost feels pointless to wash it because it gets dirty so quickly, and given my travel schedule, all it does is accumulate for days on end.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I wish I had a garage .

 

[David23]

Wash every week. 4-5 times a year I do a full detail.

 

[epb]



How often do you guys detail your cars?

I've yet to fully detail my car since I bought it 5 months ago and it's pretty filthy.

I pay for a full detail every spring, once we're pretty sure it will stop snowing here in Chicago; I wash my car once a week if it's not raining all weekend (literally 10 minutes and $3 in a spray bay - people spend more time and money on a trip to Starbucks if it's busy) and wax it every 2 months. For December, January, and February, I use a local hand-wash place that's about $8 + tip.

 

[whiteslashasian]

I'm going to get a random orbital dual action polisher and some detailing pads for my car. Wash, clay, cut compound, polish, then synthetic long wearing wax.
this sealant/polish stuff called Nu Finish that was recommended by a friend who has some NICE cars and details them often.

After the first go just wash regularly.

A few times a year do the clay bar, polish if necessary (probably not), and the Nu Finish again.

 

[jet]

nu finish? umm...

 

[JayJay]

My car is detailed usually at least once per week. Unfortunately I don't have time to do it myself.

 

[idfnl]



My car is detailed usually at least once per week. Unfortunately I don't have time to do it myself.

How can a car get dirty enough in a week to warrant a detail? Wouldn't a wash suffice?

 

[whiteslashasian]



nu finish? umm...

That's what I said but my friend swears by it. He uses it on his 997.2 GT3 and his RS4...

 

[HRoi]

We could bump that old thread we used to have on car detailing for a more on-topic discussion but....the common wisdom on nu finish was that it contained abrasives and too much solvents. I don't know if they changed that formulation recently. Also, it had great durability (perfect for someone who only wants to touch it once a year) but its performance was **** compared to the more high end brands.

Among the more durable products I've only ever used Klasse on my cars and helped friends use Zaino on theirs. I'd steer you towards those instead of nu finish.

The other reason not to use nu finish is that auto detailing enthusiasts are also sort of self-flaggellants with this hobby and once a year isn't enough for their masochism fix

 

[whiteslashasian]



We could bump that old thread we used to have on car detailing for a more on-topic discussion but....the common wisdom on nu finish was that it contained abrasives and too much solvents. I don't know if they changed that formulation recently. Also, it had great durability (perfect for someone who only wants to touch it once a year) but its performance was **** compared to the more high end brands.

Among the more durable products I've only ever used Klasse on my cars and helped friends use Zaino on theirs. I'd steer you towards those instead of nu finish.

The other reason not to use nu finish is that auto detailing enthusiasts are also sort of self-flaggellants with this hobby and once a year isn't enough for their masochism fix

I've been picking up that vibe from reading some of their forums... They go INSANE over things like bird crap and pollen.

Yeah, my friend likes the once a year sealant approach unless he's tracking his GT3 hard for a few weeks. In that case he'll strip and do it again.

His cars aren't garage queens. They get pushed.

The thing is my car won't be garaged, at least not much, and will need to withstand some elements. I'll look into some higher quality products and save the Nu Finish for my parents cars.

 

[Beckwith]

There are some really good sealent/coatings these days that the average hobbyist can apply. Check out Cquartz, 22APL, GTechniq and CarPro. For greenfrog, pay someone to coat it once, then all you would need on a weekly basis is a good quick detailer or waterless wash, which wouldn't add much marring on the surface.

 

[razl]



How can a car get dirty enough in a week to warrant a detail? Wouldn't a wash suffice?

You have obviously not yet been bitten.

I once had a car I loved, my 04 CTS-V. I detailed that thing every week and within a day or two even a light dust on the car would bug me. Once you get it totally clean and spiffy, you get to where anything less is dirty. Even if the average joe looks at it and thinks it's clean - to you, it's not.

That said, I had to part ways with my beloved and am in an Explorer that I don't care about cleanliness of. It's been like getting a bonus not spending all the time, effort, money relentlessly trying to keep my vehicle showroom clean. There's a lot to be said for driving car you don't care much about other than as functional transportation (dirt, dings, scratches, defensive parking, road debris, etc.).

edit: hadn't looked at her in a while so dug back to page 22 to find my pic when she was on the auction block (sniff):

 

[epb]



You have obviously not yet been bitten.

I'm more inclined to think the other poster was using the term detailed as a synonym for washed. A full detail involves the car exterior being clayed, buffed, sealed then waxed. A properly detailed car has been covered with protectants that should last months under normal conditions. Once my paint has a coat of sealant cured onto it and a coat of wax, pretty much everything just falls off it the next time I rinse it - I had a friend try to lean on a fender once and slide to the ground. No way should a car need all that - unless the guys at Perillo BMW get their hands on it.

 

[razl]



I'm more inclined to think the other poster was using the term detailed as a synonym for washed.

Ahh, I think you're right. And, my weekly "detailing" wasn't up to the level you described either; I was throwing it around like a rookie myself.

 

[JayJay]



Ahh, I think you're right. And, my weekly "detailing" wasn't up to the level you described either; I was throwing it around like a rookie myself.

Same here. Mine gets a very good wash and interior vacuum at least once a week.