Inzane
12-08-2003, 07:10 PM
I just had this crazy thought recently. I wanted to run it by you guys. (I also posted this question on showcargarage).
I recently picked up some QEW (Quick & Easy Wash) and some Meg`s #20, neither of which I`ve used yet. Living here in Alberta, Canada we are well into winter now. -20 Celcius and colder will likely be the norm before long, which means too cold to do any detailing at home in my garage (insulated, but not heated).
My daily driver is a dark metallic red 2001 Sentra SE (color Cajun Spice). The last "detail" I did was back on Oct. 11th (#9/#7/#26). The #26 was holding up well for at least 5 weeks, but now at 8 weeks its protection is probably almost totally diminished.
It occured to me that at my workplace here I am on rotation for parking passes and entitled to get a heated underground parking pass for the month of January.
Ah ha. Here goes the plan:
- take the car to a wand-wash car wash either first thing in the morning before work, or the night before. Spend a few bucks and spray and rinse the majority of the crap off the car (salt, sand, slush, etc.). Don`t bother drying, since drying a car after a touchless wash is a no-no anyway.
- drive to work and park downstairs.
- by the end of the workday (after 5pm), the car will be dry and relatively warm (almost room temperature)
- park the car as reasonably as possible equal-distance between two overhead fluorescent fixtures to maximize lighting (the one glaring weakness of a parkade - the lighting).
- break out the supplies. Mix a 1 gal solution of the QEW/water. (use two-bucket method with a second rinse bucket of just water) and carry the buckets down to the parkade -- filled from any number of sinks/bathrooms in our office.
- do a QEW of the whole car, then dry.
- apply #20 with hand foam applicator, and then buff.
- drive the car home, hopefully not coming home too late from work after doing this. LOL
Ta-Da! What`d ya think? Is this a good idea?
I have a couple of concerns.
- the lighting, but hopefully it`d be adequate. I`m doing a wash/dry/wax/buff. Not attempting any swirl or scratch removal at this time. Just have to hope I don`t do anything to ADD swirls or scratches.
- Not having used QEW yet, I`m uncertain as to its safety and effectiveness. I was thinking of using a 16x16 MF as my wash applicator, and was thinking of using my brand new Pakshak WW towel as the drying tool. I certainly don`t want to get a brand new WW terribly dirty (and in essence, wrecking it possibly), and also scratching the #%^@ out of the clearcoat so I`m hoping the QEW does a reasonably good job.
- How many coats of #20 should I apply, one or two? Also am I correct in assuming that there`d be no point really topping with #26, especially since the #20 needs ~ 24 cure time anyway, and by that time the car would likely need to be rewashed again after being driven in the elements. For applying #20, should I work one coat in and follow up right after with coat # 2 before buffing, and buff the final application all at once?
I`m hoping that doing this the way I described will be a nice way to squeeze in a mid-winter detail, to replenish or even improve on the protection on the daily-driver, and hope this application of #20 will be durable enough to last until ~ April.
Any advice or comments appreciated. Thanks in advance!
I recently picked up some QEW (Quick & Easy Wash) and some Meg`s #20, neither of which I`ve used yet. Living here in Alberta, Canada we are well into winter now. -20 Celcius and colder will likely be the norm before long, which means too cold to do any detailing at home in my garage (insulated, but not heated).
My daily driver is a dark metallic red 2001 Sentra SE (color Cajun Spice). The last "detail" I did was back on Oct. 11th (#9/#7/#26). The #26 was holding up well for at least 5 weeks, but now at 8 weeks its protection is probably almost totally diminished.
It occured to me that at my workplace here I am on rotation for parking passes and entitled to get a heated underground parking pass for the month of January.
Ah ha. Here goes the plan:
- take the car to a wand-wash car wash either first thing in the morning before work, or the night before. Spend a few bucks and spray and rinse the majority of the crap off the car (salt, sand, slush, etc.). Don`t bother drying, since drying a car after a touchless wash is a no-no anyway.
- drive to work and park downstairs.
- by the end of the workday (after 5pm), the car will be dry and relatively warm (almost room temperature)
- park the car as reasonably as possible equal-distance between two overhead fluorescent fixtures to maximize lighting (the one glaring weakness of a parkade - the lighting).
- break out the supplies. Mix a 1 gal solution of the QEW/water. (use two-bucket method with a second rinse bucket of just water) and carry the buckets down to the parkade -- filled from any number of sinks/bathrooms in our office.
- do a QEW of the whole car, then dry.
- apply #20 with hand foam applicator, and then buff.
- drive the car home, hopefully not coming home too late from work after doing this. LOL
Ta-Da! What`d ya think? Is this a good idea?
I have a couple of concerns.
- the lighting, but hopefully it`d be adequate. I`m doing a wash/dry/wax/buff. Not attempting any swirl or scratch removal at this time. Just have to hope I don`t do anything to ADD swirls or scratches.
- Not having used QEW yet, I`m uncertain as to its safety and effectiveness. I was thinking of using a 16x16 MF as my wash applicator, and was thinking of using my brand new Pakshak WW towel as the drying tool. I certainly don`t want to get a brand new WW terribly dirty (and in essence, wrecking it possibly), and also scratching the #%^@ out of the clearcoat so I`m hoping the QEW does a reasonably good job.
- How many coats of #20 should I apply, one or two? Also am I correct in assuming that there`d be no point really topping with #26, especially since the #20 needs ~ 24 cure time anyway, and by that time the car would likely need to be rewashed again after being driven in the elements. For applying #20, should I work one coat in and follow up right after with coat # 2 before buffing, and buff the final application all at once?
I`m hoping that doing this the way I described will be a nice way to squeeze in a mid-winter detail, to replenish or even improve on the protection on the daily-driver, and hope this application of #20 will be durable enough to last until ~ April.
Any advice or comments appreciated. Thanks in advance!