A Frustrating Situation

BostonDirtDog · 08-14-06, 01:29

As the title says...

I have recently moved to the city (Hoboken, NJ) and I have no place to detail my car. I have been detailing cars for almost 20 years off and on, and even had a side business at one time. I presently have an '04 Grand Cherokee (black) and a 2001 Accord Coupe (silver) and they are a mess. I just can't bring myself to let anyone else detail my cars. I am looking for anyone else in a similar situation who may have a solution to this dilema. I have all of my own equipment, products etc, just no facility to work in or the faith in someone doing the same job that I would.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

PS. I figured that this ought to be my first post since I've been lurking on this site for some time

EMazda3S · 08-14-06, 02:31

Welcome to Autopia.
Frustrating it is. There are ways. I would think your biggest dilemma would be washing.
You can sucessfully and safely wash in any parking space. Mar free, swirl free witout making any mess whatsoever. Look here for the many, many threads/posts about ONR-Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine and also QEW-Quick and Easy wash by Protect All. These are rinseless wash products that require no hose, only a couple of gallons of water and a couple of buckets. A Godsend for condo and apartment dwellers and people with water/hose restrictions.
Add some microfiber products, some stronger QD's such as Poorboy's Spray and Wipe or FK1's 146 and you can get your car totally clean and ready for polishing/waxing, etc. Everything should be able to be done in your parking spot or if you need/want to be discreet, even a parking lot under the lights or at a DIY carwash in the evening or early morning hours or better yet at a friends house.
I did this in a condo for a couple of years and many here live in apartments and certainly in cities.
Where there's a will, there's a way and we are here to help.

BostonDirtDog · 08-15-06, 07:20

I am familiar with the rinseless products, however I have never used them. How do they work when the car is really dirty such as with road salt in the winter? Washing on the main street where I live isn't an option so I'd definately have to sneak off into a parking lot. What about polishing, waxing etc? Both cars need a good polish, sealant/wax, and some minor scratch removal..Any suggestions on this. I'd even consider paying someone to use their garage for a day.

EMazda3S · 08-15-06, 02:41

The rinsless products can be used on a really dirty car with lots of care. We have tons of salt here in PA along with sand. It's just sick.
The use of a DIY wand first in the winter is an option as well as buying a garden sprayer to pre-wet the panels with the solution. The difficulty outside on the winter is of course, freezing. Below 32F, maybe you can find a friend with a garage or possibly rent one. That's a tough situation but really only in the winter months.
As far a polishing, waxing, claying, etc. This you can do in any parking spot but if using a machine to polish, electricity must be available. Possibly do a full polish at a friends house, 2 or 3 times a year and keep a good LSP with careful wash technique so you don't need to repolish frequently except for spot polishing. I would search for other Autopians in your area, I'll bet will they will be most helpful.