Suggestions for rural detailing

[strat81]

I’ve been lurking for a while and thought I would finally surface. I live in rural Nebraska and keeping my car clean is an even greater challenge compared to when I lived in NYC. Here’s my situation:

-Vehicle color is solid black (non-metallic), but relatively new: MY2004 Saab

-Garage kept at night only

-Occasional driving on gravel roads, daily parking in gravel lot

-Hard water. Not just hard, but rock hard. As in, my black car looks white if I don’t dry it.

-I live and work less than 6 blocks from railroad tracks

-There’s quite a bit of air pollution. Sources include pesticides, an ethanol plant, cow farts, and misc. manufacturing. I’m sure this is resulting in less than pure rain.

-Bugs. A one hour drive at highway speeds results in disaster to the front bumper, hood, and windshield.





Here’s what I’m currently doing to maintain it:

-Wash with NXT Tech Wash. I use the two-bucket system and a chenille wash mitt. I’ll use a sponge on the wheel wells.

-Drying solely with a WW took too long and resulted in tons of water spots so I switched to a Water Blade along with a WW. This reduces spotting, but does not eliminate it.

-Clean wheels with Meg’s Hot Rims and dress tires with Meg’s Hot Shine. Wipe tires with clean paper towel to reduce gloss and fling.

-Dress trim w/ Mother’s Back to Black. A temporary solution, but my car is covered in the textured gray plastic that LOVES to turn white from wax and polish.

-Polish with M09 Swirl Remover 2.0 using PC 7424

-Glaze with M07 Showcar Glaze using PC 7424

-Wax with Meg’s NXT Liquid or Turtle Wax Ultra Gloss using PC 7424. FWIW, I’m quite unhappy with the NXT. The TW UG seems more reflective to me, hides swirls better, and also seems to last longer.

-Touch up with Meg’s QD



I only dress the tires and trim as needed. Polish/glaze/wax also as needed. I don’t have the time, the money, or the crazy to wax every week.





I try to get the interior at least once a month:

-Wash rubber floor mats

-Vacuum carpeting and seats

-Clean/condition leather seats with Megs GC Leather Cleaner/Conditioner

-Wipe down dusty surfaces with a water-damp MF

-Clean plastic and vinyl with a Plexus-damp MF

-Clean window tint with Plexus

-Clean windshield with Armor All Auto Glass Cleaner





Here are the problems/questions:

-Bugs. I can’t avoid them, and using bug remover will also remove any wax. How can I reduce their adhesion to the paint (specific wax or sealant)? I usually soak them with water and use the wash mitt but try not to scrub too hard.

-Hard water. Short of getting another person to help me dry the car, is a filter my only other choice? I try to wash the car out of direct sunlight, but the car still get hot even in shady areas. Washing inside the garage is not an option. I’ve seen inline filters for $30-$40 plus the cost of a rechargeable filter. I can’t afford big $$$ for a RO system or something similar. Removing the hard water spots is difficult, but the PC and M09 really help. I also purchased a bottle of DP Glass Cleaner that works well too.

-Interior windshield. Soapy water, Windex, and Armor All Auto Glass Cleaner all leave a streaky film on the glass. I apply with a MF and remove with another, clean MF. Any thoughts on this? I’m thinking of trying Stoner’s Invisible Glass.

-Exterior trim. What can I use on the textured gray plastic that’s more permanent than Back to Black? I’d like to avoid anything greasy or slimy (like Armor All). Back to Black is greasy enough, even if I buff it. Why do car manufacturers insist on using this stuff? Yeah, and that line on the back of the NXT bottle that says it doesn’t stain is not true.





Possible plan of attack:

-Clay the paint (it’s never been done). The vertical surfaces feel ok, but the roof and rear bumper have a noticeably grainy feel.

-Klasse AIO and SG. I’ve never seen them used in person, but the pictures always look great. Plus everyone seems to rave about their effectiveness.

-A layer of M16 paste wax or S100. I know #16 is unavailable domestically, but I’m hoping that a fellow Autopian might have a can or two they would be willing to part with. I found a place online based in the UK that might be able to get me some. I’ve seen #16 on an old black Corvette (early 70s) that, to my knowledge, didn’t have clear coat paint. It was a garage queen, but it looked amazing. I’ve only seen S100 on motorcycles.



If you’ve read this far, thank you. Any input would be much appreciated.

[jpx7777]

I read the first 6 bullet points you had without reading the first 2 lines. I was thinking, I bet this guy lives in Nebraska. And there it was in all of its glory. I used to travel between GI and Hastings daily. So many bugs, not to mention random agricultural matter flying off trucks. Luckily I was driving a rental, becuase I remember the terrible conditions.



Good luck!

[velobard]

Yup, you have a real challenge on your hands. First of all, yes I`d do a good claying. Then I`d look hard into the paint decontamination system from Finish Kare. You need a good long-lasting LSP, so instead of NXT (it`s durability doesn`t exactly impress me either) I`d look into Colinite 845 or Finish Kare 1000P. No, I haven`t used either of those products (other than some 845 on my chrome wheels), I`m mostly going by what I`ve read here on the forum. Either of those products should be able to layer well to help add protection from the bugs and other contaminants you`re up against. As far as your issues with drying, I wash my car most of time with QEW (Protect All Quick and Easy Wash). I`m spelling out these products better than I usually would since you`re a new user and likely haven`t read enough here to have them all figured out yet. With QEW you wash one section at a time and immediately dry with a WW, then move on to the next section. No rinsing is necessary. On the glass, I just bought a bottle of NXT Glass Cleaner after hearing good things about it. On the outside of the glass I usually go over the glass along with the rest of the car when I`m using Finish Kare 425. This stuff isn`t all that durable as it`s just a quick detailer, but it is offers a little more protection and is awfully slick, even more so after it`s set for a day or two, and it actually might help avoid just a few of the bugs. I`d say it`s well worthwhile after a wash. For the regular dust you encounter, I carry a California Car Duster to give it a quick once over lightly when there`s just a light layer of loose dust. For the rest of your questions, I`ll pass to those more knowledgeable than myself.

[holland_patrick]

Well i have some different ideas... but here you go..



I belive wax will make the dust stick to your car/truck so I would use a sealant (poorboys EX, Zanio,Upp,wolfgang)



Poorboys bug squash for bug removal.



and Poorboys trim restorer..



wash

clay

polish

sealant



after that

wash

Dry with PB spray and wipe

reseal or use a spray sealent to extent the life of your sealant.

[velobard]

Well i have some different ideas... but here you go..



I belive wax will make the dust stick to your car/truck so I would use a sealant (poorboys EX, Zanio,Upp,wolfgang)

I`m not about to knock any of these products, but that`s one of the advantages of the Finish Kare line, it`s anti-static properties. Yeah, plenty of dust can still settle on the car, but it doesn`t attract it like some other LSPs will do. Even 425 alone helps, as my TV screen will attest.

[VWdriver]

Do you have a target by you? They have this product line called Vroom and they have this microfiber bug cloth that will not scratch and works great. I live in wisconsin and my car doesn`t have a grill, I used to have a hard time before I used this towel. Just don`t let the bugs bake on there for more than a week and soak your MF in your normal car wash bucket and wipe the paint after you have already taken the dirt off.

[tguil]

I too live in rural Nebraska (Garland, a town outside of Lincoln). Take a look at my signature to see what I deal with. Put simply the only time your car will look great is right after you have washed it or detailed it. I never use tire dressing because it is a dust magnet. I stick pretty much with Meguiar`s products and am growing quite fond on ColorX. I like NXT too.



I have a big black Dodge Hemi and two black Harley Davidsons. From a distance they always look pretty good. Up close they almost always have a light layer of dust (or worse).



Here is a quote from Meguiar`s Mike Phillips, "Find something you like and use it often." He borrowed it from Jack Anderson,Paint Instructor for the PPG paint company. I concur. I wash and wax often and call it good enough.



Tom