My Neighbor Thinks I`m Nuts!

[Debelli]

Rained here in sunny SOFLA big time today. So, having learned a few things, I knew that I just had to get out there and get that car taken care of pronto. My neighbor comes out and says "Don`t tell me your drying your car off!" Little did he know, if he had come out a few minutes earlier, he`d of seen me washing the car, not only drying it! :-p He tells me he`ll remind me of this in 6 months :rolleyes: Mind you, the threat of rain is still here - so he`s not totally wrong - I must be nuts - what am I going to do when it rains yet again! :bigscream I mean, I have places to go:lol

BUT, if anything I have to say, I did learn something so simple yet so helpful. I`ve always sprayed my car - learning to let the water run down made a huge difference.

I actually used one of my purchases today - THE ABSORBER. What I liked about it besides the obvious of it picking the water up quickly is that it is so thin and absorbent that I could run the edge of it in the side view mirrors and along the back window hatch to absorb the water so it wouldn`t trickle down. Now, if I could only figure out where the darn water keeps coming from under the area of the side view mirrors, that would be great! As soon as you dry it, another dribble comes down - time and time again!


I`ve caught OCD! :bigscream Obnoxious Car Detailing syndrome!:lol or maybe it should be OVERZELOUS CAR DETAILING syndrome!:lol

Debbie

[JaredPointer]

Well, you`re well on your way at least. It has been raining all day for the past couple of days here, so I feel your pain. At least you have people on here that understand you. :)

[lucky6025]

Hi Debelli, glad you joined the few of us NUTS out there, concerned with your finish.Quick question do you also vacumn the interior with shop vac?if so and it has exhaust port also, after washing and drying use this with hose and one of the tubes with cheesecloth or nylon attached (duct taped)to end and blow out all the cracks and crevises and this will illiminate all your dribbles, other than blowing all these out no way to prevent this from happening.Doesn`t make you a NUT to want to preserve a finish that will cost alot to replace and come time to resell will get alot more money back.Next time wash and dry in a Thong will bet neighbor will never call you a NUT again, might even get help doing it ROFLMAO.

[05SilverTRD]

My nieghbors have all theatened to call the insane asylum on me. Just wait until the watch you clean your car all day Saturday and then bright and early Sunday morning you are at it again.

[Debelli]

Is this me, or what??? FROM THE CALIF. WATER BLADE DESC:

Faster than a speeding chamois!

Floridians know better than anyone that when it rains…it pours. In under a minute a storm can come and pass, pounding your car with rain. You want to run out there with all your towels and chamois to ensure water spots won’t occur, but it’s a workday, and you don’t have that much time to spare.
***********
Guys, I think all the posts about getting rain off your car has instilled a fear in me!:eek

Seriously, what do you all do when you have rainy days and you aren`t at home or are unable to tackle the situation? I`m mean, gosh, now I`m worried about going on vaction! :bigscream Who`s going to take care of the baby?:lol It could be loaded with BS by the time I get home and have water spots etched in all over the place. Can`t ask the neighbors - they`d for sure think I needed to be committed!! No chance of garaging it, no overhangs, no cover (cats would only scratch it up anyhow). Really - do I have to worry sick over this;)

JARED, so what do YOU do when it rains?

LUCKY, oh my gawd, you would be LYAOROTFDOLCYE (figure it out) if I were to ever be caught in a thong! Honey, that`s for young pretty gals that have a body to die for, not an old fart with, oh well, you get the drift;) My neighbors just don`t understand - they have a garage for their cars - though I have had thoughts about ripping my family room out of there and making it a garage once again - gotta get back to reality here. Actually don`t have a Shopvac, but you gave me a good idea - I do have a RAINBOW which does blow air out - thanks for the tip!

GREY, maybe we can get a 2-4-1 deal at the looney bin;)

Debbie

[CharlesW]

I just politely ignore them.
When my vehicles look better after 10 years than theirs do after 10 months, I figure it was worth it.
It does make a world of difference when you are ready to sell a vehicle, too.
I once sold a Chevy converible to a friend without him even coming to look at it. I told him my price, he said he would take it. I suggested he look at it and drive it before buying and he said, "If it`s good enough for you, it will be good enough for me". I usually sell them off the street in a week when I am ready for a different one.

Charles

[JaredPointer]

Debbie -

I just let the rain do it`s thing. I usually have a good bit of protection on the finish (usually in the form of UPP x multiple coats), so I don`t sweat it that bad. I usually don`t go much more than a few weeks before adding more sealant or topping with wax. I have noticed that with a fair amount of sealant/wax applied regularly that I don`t have a water spotting problem. Maybe it`s just my imagination....who knows.

I will suggest one thing...After a rain, I don`t rush to get the water off, but I will usually follow with something like Poorboy`s S&W, S&G, or Adam`s Detail Spray within a few hours (if at all possible). If rain is still puddled on the car, be sure to rinse it off just in case you`ve picked up some dirt/grime. My finish usually stays pretty clean and I hardly ever go more than a couple of days without using one of the afore mentioned products. Maybe you could try doing something like that instead of chasing water off your car`s finish all the time. Just a simple suggestion from a simple guy. :)

[lucky6025]

Hi again, yup put the Thong away, would get locked up for sure LOL.Question? what car/truck/suv do you have and color, next do you detail it, meaning with machine or just wash and wax it.Like to know the products used. Next can use hair dryer to get water out of cracks, not as good as shop vac but works, just remember to use no heat(cool setting).If your just washing and waxing which is fine,this is only for those just washing and waxing by hand.
then find this product:
Liquid Glass® Polish/Finish
Liquid Glass. The Ultimate Polish/Finish.
The Car Collector`s and Customer`s Choice.
16 oz. Liquid Glass Polish
(Suggested Retail Price $21.95)
This amazing special formula makes it possible to coat your vehicle with a clear, hard, smooth, and mirror-like finish with a minimum of effort. The finish will not crack, chip, peel, or turn yellow. Liquid Glass is safe for use on today`s clearcoats, gelcoats, acrylics, metalflakes, candy apples, pearls, plastic paints, epoxies, urethanes, etc. Also does an excellent job on chrome, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, etc.
http://www.liquidglass.com/index.htm
you put this on clean/waxed car, easy to apply by hand and very easy to buff off and repeat after 1 day to give second coat, you will be amazed at how nice this works, after rain storm and you have chance, just wash and take nozzle off and rinse and dry and you will not have water spots on car, do liquid glass 2 times a year.What are you going to do when Hurricane season comes? Not really funny but couldn`t resist.
Hey as far as Thong have heard those old guys get just as worked up as the young ones do, just a thought LOL.

[Debelli]

CHARLES, sounds like your friends REALLY trust you and your judgement. Says a lot about a man:)

JARED, UPP? I still have a LOT to learn - just wish I had more time and a faster page-loading computer (old dial-up) I know what wax is, but knowing what it is isn`t really helpful, it`s learning all the different types - and then polish - I always thought wax and polish were one of the same.:huh Now you throw in sealant? I`m gonna just let things happen and do my best whenever I can - just can`t let these little things drive me nuts. I had my last car for 7 years and it got washed very seldom, never waxed. Granted it was a white car, but it looked good, well, at least the parts that hadn`t been hit. Now, don`t hyperventilate & :bigscream but I always washed my car with dish liquid, an old sponge and the finish looked ummm - good - okay, from a laymans eyes, probably would :bigscream if I saw it under a light that would reflect it`s true nature. The only bad thing was on the roof - never washed that unless it went in a car wash and I know it had some green mold on it. I will undoubtedly be taking care of this car differently :)

LUCKY, just bought a 2005 HYUNDAI SANTE FE 3 weeks ago today. It`s called MOONLIT BLUE, but it`s so dark it should of been called MIDNIGHT BLUE. With that being said, and reading the above I wrote to JARED, I think you can answer your other questions about detailing;) You sound like you may have stock in Liquid Glass:lol Never heard of it, but then again, I haven`t heard about most of these products. :dunno What will I do when hurricane season come, prepare and PRAY! I`ve lived here all my life and I think the older you get the more it bothers you. I went through Andrew 13 years ago - it`s still fresh in my memory. Seriously, what I`d probably do is put my car up next to the garage and then my OH car next to it, that way, if anything comes flying, it`s bound to hit his first! Old guys can get worked up over a prostate exam!:lol

Thanks for the input guys! I`m learning - may take me longer than a yungin:lol but I still have some brain cells that can retain moister:confused:

Debbie

[lucky6025]

Nope no stock in any products, just solutions to problems.I detail between 20-30 vehicles a year and sometimes more.(detailing 8-10hrs per vehicle) get good money from this.Some of my customers have vehicle done 3 or 4 times a year others 1-2 and then some 1. for the ones doing it 2 or less times a year I use liquid glass as it stand up to alot more and will protect the finish alot better than most products, this is after complete detail but will work fine just after regular wash and wax. All depends on what you are willing to do and how much time willing to spend and money you are willing to part with.Like the saying goes have to work to get results and have to spend money to get Better results.I have no idea how old you are or how much work you are willing to spend on this or money wiling to spend. Thus came the wash it good and wax it and then liquidglass it.All can be done by hand and all easy jobs to do and will not take all day to do and give you good looking vehicle. All these sites are for the person getting into alot more and spending alot of money to get as close to perfection as possible, not to say you will not learn alot from reading in here, you get alot of great suggestions and product lines and take out of it what works for you. Great people in here as well as other sites and great info along with great products.You have to decide how much time and money want to put into it. Oh NICE VEHICLE. well only my two cents

[JaredPointer]

JARED, UPP?

Just in case you haven`t figured it out yet.....:) UPP = 4 Star`s Ultimate Paint Protection. It`s a sealant (not a carnauba based wax) that goes on easy and comes off easier. Looks great, lasts as long as I need it to, and is SUPER slick.

[Debelli]

Thanks! Nope, hadn`t figured it out - need time to get to the page with all the "detailing lingo" There`s a few more I haven`t quite figured out yet, so it would definitely help! I`ll have to look in to that - I want something that looks ultra slick, like glass.

Any thoughts of the few I`ve read about below:

Pinnacle Liquid Souveran
Protect All Polish, Wax & Treatment with UV Blocker
FMJ - Menzerna`s new super wax
Perfect-It Show Car Paste Wax

Also, anything besides Scotchguard to protect the cloth-like seating? I`ve read about 303 AEROSPACE, that they have some stuff that will protect it - wonder if it`s worth it to spend the additional $$$ or just use the cheaper SG.

Thanks Jared! :D

[JaredPointer]

Out of that list you just placed, the only one I have had te opportunity to use is Liquid Souveran. Looks great, but it seems to not last very long. Also, attracted a lot of dust for me. I have read many good things about the FMJ, and would really like to try it. If you are interested in maybe getting like a 2-3 ounce sample of the LS, PM me. I might can help you out there, as well as a few other things if you`re really interested.

As far as slickness goes, you`d be hard pressed to find something slicker than UPP. Pinnacle`s Paste Glaz (wax) is almost as slick, but is now discontinued. You`d have to pick it up from a fellow member or something.

I have used the spray Scotchguard also, and I guess it does what it claims. I didn`t have any stains that set to where I couldn`t get them out in my last vehicle.

[Debelli]

JARED, thanks for the offer, but if that stuff attracts dust I`ll pass - you should see my car and the dust on it, it`s horrifying:bigscream I can`t believe it`s that dusty and I just washed the car on Friday and hardly drove it much since then. That was actually a question I was going to ask about - if there`s anything that will repel dust easily, and if not, what to do to make it less noticeable til I can wash "her" again. I`ve read just a little about people using THE CALI DUSTER, but also read that it has parrafin wax which may come off on your car - so not sure if it`s a good thing to use.

If this Pinnacle`s Paste Glaz is so good -why did they discontinue it??

UPP sounds good - but what is CROSS-LINK? Is this easy to use? Will it hold up in our strong hot FL sun, rain and humidity? How does it do on a dark colored car?

THANKS!!!:D

Debbie

[JaredPointer]

Don`t discount Liquid Souveran just on my opinion. A lot of people use it (and swear by it) on dark colored vehicles. That was not my intention at all. LS is a very good wax for looks.

I am not sure why Paste Glaz was discontinued exactly. It was more or less replaced by another Pinnacle wax, so I`m not up to date on the whole story.

As far as the California Duster goes, I think CharlesW uses one of those (sorry if I`m wrong!), so he might be a good person to ask about it. His opinions/advice make a lot of sense.

UPP is VERY easy to use. I`m not overly scientific with the cross-linking stuff, but to my knowledge, it`s the chemical reaction in the sealant that causes it to form a strong bond to the surface of your paint. I would say that it will hold up to the FL sun & humidity - it does very well here in AL with the sun & humidity. It beads for me at least for a month or two (that`s as long as I can leave my vehicle alone for). Looks good on any color IMHO.

Hope I`m helping more than I`m hurting. :)

EDIT: The best answer I can give you for the dust problem is Poorboy`s Spray & Wipe & a good MF towel.