Car wash advice


Shawn

GT Owner
Nov 27, 2018
83
PA
I have never washed my 06 GT and don't think it has ever been done before. I purchased with about 400 miles and now has around 700.

Any advise or tips? I use high quality wash products, microfiber and a blower for drying.

Thanks
 

FlagstaffGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Open the back engine cover, in the place where it’s being washed and cover vent exposed engine with large towel. Close cover. I use a foam gun, cuts dirt nicely, with lower pressure electric pressure washer, kept at a distance from the car. Never power wash windshield if you have clearplex, destroys a UV filter film applied on the outside of the clearplex. Keep it wet and dry if off in the garage, after removing towel. Never in hard sun. Drive it. And then drive it some more.
Barry
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
Blow dry the car with a leaf blower, electric or gas, instead of any kind of cloth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simon

KennethClay

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 15, 2012
860
New York
Blow dry the car with a leaf blower, electric or gas, instead of any kind of cloth.

You can use a microfiber cloth as long as it's clean (and you've removed tags, etc.). If you're going to blow the car dry, I'd use something like the MetroVac MasterBlaster, which is designed to be a dryer and has better filtration than a leaf blower.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nafod

GT@50

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 14, 2019
852
Issaquah
I wash with a deionizer like this.
I made mine with two prefilters and a large nuclear media filter(that's what my buddy calls it). It all fits in a milk crate. It take my tap water from 60PPM TDS to zero. No water spots. He used this type of system for washing house windows. The media has to be changed every month doing windows so he went to larger system. He said mine will probably last years washing cars.
I bought a TDS meter too, they're cheap. TDS total dissolved solids
 

Art138

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 4, 2011
624
Weston,FL
I have never washed my car with water. I use waterless spay and wax...many brands available. Coupled with a microfiber towel proves to be very effective. With our cars aging screws/bolts are prone to rust. Also make sure water does not seep into the front boot area. Maybe I am just too particular,but mine after all these years is in show room condition because I avoid water when possible.
 
Last edited:

FlagstaffGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
. Maybe I am just too particular,but mine after all these years is in show room condition because I avoid water when possible.
But mine is nothing like showroom condition. Chicks dig scars........
 

jr66

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 22, 2017
272
scottsdale
Detail spray and a microfiber cloth is all you need for most instances.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
First, mine had a front facing surfaces clear bra. I washed mine with Turtle Wax soap and water. Rinsed, dried with two very old terry cloth towels and microfiber towels. Followed up with Turtle Wax spray detailer. No matter what you're going to want a pro detail/polish every 5 years or so because no matter what you're going to get some microscratches.

I used this same process on my twin black Shelby GTs and my British Racing Green Cobra - all dark colors that are impossible to keep clean and show scratches from a mile away and look dirty 1/2 hour after cleaning. For them I also did a clay bar cleaning and a Turtle Wax Ice "wax" (really, a paste "polish", two coats) followed by the liquid polish and a second pass of liquid polish at half way during the season. The GT being a lighter color and being mostly covered with the clear bra material never needed the wax job

Avoid California Dusters like the plague!!! They pick up stuff but then you just drag it around. Especially if you have a black or blue car.
 
Last edited:

mmlcobra

GT Owner
May 25, 2013
1,215
No touch technique is best.
Probably, won't work on your wife or girlfriend!
Mark
 

GTdrummer

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 13, 2010
2,104
Richmond Virginia
You can use a microfiber cloth as long as it's clean (and you've removed tags, etc.). If you're going to blow the car dry, I'd use something like the MetroVac MasterBlaster, which is designed to be a dryer and has better filtration than a leaf blower.

agree . It’s also warm air.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KennethClay

Nafod

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Earlier days of Rally's when we had a semi dedicated detailer that would show up(don't recall his name- other probably will), I asked him about micro fiber towels and how long they where good for and how to treat/clean them. He would clean his towels only in Woolite. His test to see if the towel was still good for detailing, was to use a new media CD( from those old computer storage days) and place the towel between his fingers and CD and pull it center to edge. If it scratched the plastic Cd, the towel was used for oil changes. YMMV. At 15 dollar a bundle from costco, i don't reuse towels very much. Deionized water and the Metro Vac are a great combo.
I find ambient humidity seem to have a larger impact at surface rust than car washing..
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
It seems like touch-less has just got to be better than any rag no matter how clean, fine and soft? 🤔
 

HighHP

GT Owner
Jun 3, 2019
434
Spokane, WA
"Quality" micro fiber is great. Take a look at GriotsGarage "Microfiber Plush Edgeless Towels, Set of 6". Very plush and soft.

I prefer cotton, dries the car better than synthetics. My wife checked out all the cotton towels as she went to the stores. Here is a very soft plush cotton towel sold at JCPenney. Washing further softens them up.
 

Attachments

  • 20200608_101743.jpg
    20200608_101743.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 1
Last edited:

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
I prefer cotton, dries the car better than synthetics. My wife checked out all the cotton towels as she went to the stores. Here is a very soft plush cotton towel sold at JCPenney.

My best car towels are quite literally some 40+ year old bath towels that have been washed over and over and over again. They started off as some home made seat covers when we lived in Arizona in the late 70s (because we didn't make enough money to buy real ones so my wife sewed these up from bath towels), and after we sold the T-bird I kept them in the garage and used them for car washing. 10x more absorbant than the fake chamois. They are soft as a baby's bottom :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GT@50 and HighHP

GTinTN

GT Owner
Jan 17, 2019
222
Brentwood, TN
Consider using Optima No Rinse or other such product to avoid having to spray water everywhere. I use it and am very happy with the results.
 

The Grey Ghost

GT Owner
Mar 13, 2009
685
Kansas City
Consider using Optima No Rinse or other such product to avoid having to spray water everywhere. I use it and am very happy with the results.

If you are referring to Optimum No Rinse, we use this as well.
Happy with the results, especially with the ceramic coating, but good on cars without it as well.
 

GTinTN

GT Owner
Jan 17, 2019
222
Brentwood, TN
Yes, I was - thanks for the clarification!
 

PL510*Jeff

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Nov 3, 2005
4,876
Renton, Washington
The softest cotton I know of are the old fashioned baby diapers. Have been using them on my cars for many years.
 

HighHP

GT Owner
Jun 3, 2019
434
Spokane, WA
Interesting you mention old cotton diapers. I have used those forever for removing car wax. I have recently switched to using the awesome plush microfiber that I noted above. My diapers are a bit worn out.