Washing the GT


Jason, so do you recommend that technique for a car with a light coat of dust? Is a full dunking your preferred method for any cleaning?
Here is where it gets a little controversial and opinionated, but since you asked...

I always suggest re-washing any car after it has been driven anything over a few miles. By few, I really mean 3 or 4, on a dry sunny day. The reason I suggest this is to prevent clear coat scratches in the most effective way because wiping it down with a microfiber can result in lighter scratches that can build up over time. Just to define the term, these clear coat scratches are not thick white lines that are very noticeable in low light conditions but are rather light thin lines or circles that are visible in direct sunlight. The reason this is important is because if you have too many clear coat scratches, your color will be a faded and/or chalky example of what it used to be. Your car's finish will begin to look overexposed in direct sunlight if these scratches build up. It's better to be safe than sorry, and overkill is always an option. I suggest a re-wash or at least this next bit of info...

If you invested in a deionized water system ($300+) you can simply rinse the car with a wand attachment after each cruise to clear away any and all dust and light debris you would normally wipe across the surface if you decided not to do a full wash. Then, park it in your garage (If not already) and go inside the house for an hour or so. Come back out and wipe it down with a detail spray and you're good to go. None of that took long at all, a rinse, then come back out later for a wipe down. It would still be a good idea to wash it periodically so that road debris from the wheel wells, behind the wheel wells, and any bugs on the front end do not permanently etch themselves into your clear coat.

If you are worried about moisture causing any damage whatsoever from washing your car often, get the deionized system and let the water naturally evaporate from every crack and crevice. It usually takes 45 or so minutes for everything to air dry but you can always use an electric leaf blower to help in speeding that up (I do) or a quality waffle-weave microfiber drying towel.

These are clear coat scratches in direct light:

032.jpg


Clear coat scratches are something you can't really avoid in the long run. Anyone that has ridden a motorcycle without a windshield and an open face helmet knows that as you are riding you often get hit with minuscule pieces of sand or even small rocks (Or bricks if you're tpraceman) and these are things that will find your car. I've been riding plenty of times and can feel the sand on my face from a dump truck 12 cars ahead at 45 MPH. This tiny grit will eventually get to your car just from driving around, people driving across any medians ahead of you, etc.. so some clear coat restoration down the road is not avoidable if you still drive your car here and there.

Did I miss anything? :thumbsup
 
^^^^^ THANKS JASON!!! That's the clearest summation I've seen in a long time. Clear and concise. And you didn't take 3 pages to explain it (which is good for someone with the attention span of a 2 year old - like me :wink!! )

:thumbsup
 
Thx for the explanation
 
Don't wash it. :rofl



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If you use a Gilmore Foam gun, what do you set the gun mixture setting at, i.e., ounces of mixture per gallon of water?
 
If you use a Gilmore Foam gun, what do you set the gun mixture setting at, i.e., ounces of mixture per gallon of water?
It varies based on your water pressure, I have to adjust it house to house, but it's real easy. No harm in just pulling the trigger and adjusting on the fly. I prefer the second from the left. You'll notice that if you use it's wide open setting (Farthest on right) it'll go through soap faster and may not produce more foam than the lower setting next to it.
 
Tried second from the left and it worked great. Thanks. I notice on the Gilmour Foam Gun, it warns you about the brass areas because there is lead in it. I wonder why they had to use lead?

BTW - I found blue carpenters tape in 2 and 3 inch wide versions. It works great for plugging up all the vents. Below is the info to get the 3 inch wide tape on Amazon.com. Thanks



3M 2090 Scotch-Blue Painter's Tape for Multi-Surfaces, 3-Inch x 60-Yard, 1-Pack
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