Back to Two Bucket - need to restock

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cptzippy

New member
Since I've been here I've almost exclusively Used ONR or now a waterless wash but now that I'm going to put some serious work into my XJS I'm wanting the least marring technique I can do on a regular basis. I'm planning on going back to the old tried and true two bucket method but I'll need to restock a bit. So if you could help me with my shopping list I'd appreciate it...



1. Shampoo - used to use Prima Mystique but I gave away what I had a while back. Now I need a good shampoo.

2. Wash Media - my old sheepskin was looking pretty sorry when I switched to ONR and I went to some microfiber pad things I got in 2007 (good size with lots of MF fingers). Back to sheep skin? BHB? or is the MF ok?

3. Got plenty of MF for drying.



Any tips for good two bucket and keeping finish as good as possible? I'm a little rusty on the procedure except for the basics.



TIA,

Tony
 
cptzippy said:
Since I've been here I've almost exclusively Used ONR or now a waterless wash but now that I'm going to put some serious work into my XJS I'm wanting the least marring technique I can do on a regular basis. I'm planning on going back to the old tried and true two bucket method but I'll need to restock a bit. So if you could help me with my shopping list I'd appreciate it...



1. Shampoo - used to use Prima Mystique but I gave away what I had a while back. Now I need a good shampoo.

2. Wash Media - my old sheepskin was looking pretty sorry when I switched to ONR and I went to some microfiber pad things I got in 2007 (good size with lots of MF fingers). Back to sheep skin? BHB? or is the MF ok?

3. Got plenty of MF for drying.



Any tips for good two bucket and keeping finish as good as possible? I'm a little rusty on the procedure except for the basics.



TIA,

Tony
Click to expand...



Of the dozen or so shampoos I have used, [Wolfgang Auto Bathe, P21S Shampoo and Conditioner, Megs Gold Class, Megs Shampoo Plus and Optimum Car Wash, etc]. I prefer OCW to all of the others. It foams the best by far, cleans well, smells great, and rinses clean. And it is comparably priced to other top shampoos [however Megs Gold Class is $11.49 a gallon at Costco, so I did pick up a gallon of that].



I am using an Adam's wash mitt, but it has significantly deteriorated within a couple of weeks. It still works well but it is not as soft as it was when it was new. I would go to Sheep Skin next.
 
Leadfootluke said:
He's been typing up his step by step method since you started this thread, give it a couple more days ;)
Click to expand...



More like "give it a couple more *years* :o



It'd take *less* time to write it up properly than I spend doing quickie versions of it!



When this thread came out yesterday I was washing the Tahoe...nice five-hour job that.



Anyhoo...



captzippy- I use Griot's Car Wash exclusively, but the Optimum Shampoo and DuraGloss are supposedly right up there, so I'd choose between those three.



Yeah, I'd get the foamgun. I use it no so much for presoaking as for providing a constant stream of sudsy lubrication/flushing. I spray the output (note I'm not saying "foam", I dont' *want* thick foam) at the point of wash medium-to-paint contact.



I mix up a gallon of concentrate- six ounces shampoo, remainder water. Fill the foamgun from that and adjust the strength as needed at the gun's mixture setting. I still use the two buckets too (no grit guards, but that's just me).



First passes with the foamgun and BHB, to get the "big stuff off". The BHB rinses clean so it's easy to "dislodge and flush" the big particles (that are most responsible for marring) off the paint.



Then I go over it with the foamgun/sheepskin mitt. With the big stuff off, you can rub a *little* harder with the mitt and get the "road film" stuff off. But still be gentle; I fill the mitt with shampoo mix and hold it shut at the cuff, whisking it across the panel (while spraying with the foamgun). When all the shampoo has seeped out of the mitt, I rinse/refill it.



Note I'd rather do a few *very gentle* passes as opposed to fewer more aggressive ones.



Use short interrupted motions with your wash media. No long sweeping motions which can leave long, obvious scratches as opposed to little, less obvious ones. The "interruptions" allow the foamgun's output to do a little "flush the BHB/mitt clean" action during those pauses.
 
So to my shopping list I need to add a BHB and a foam gun. Recommendations on both? Is there a good foam gun that works on just hose pressure (I don't have a power washer).
 
Captzippy- Yeah, get the Gilmour. I'd remove the pistol grip on it and replace that with a shutoff valve (they're easy to operate with your thumb) and hook the whole thing to your hose with quick disconnects.



Currently, the only BHB I'm recommending is the "Montana" from AutoGeek (it's so gentle you'll really need that follow up with the mitt). The last time I tested some, that was the only BHB without deal-breaker issues. Do a SEARCH and you'll find my comparision- look for thread that Accumulator started (there aren't all that many of 'em) and you should find it. It's easy to buy the *wrong* BHB these days!
 
cptzippy said:
Are the Foammaster Foam guns at Autogeek gilmour one's or do I need to do a separate order?
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Those are the correct ones. I like the smaller-bottle version as it's too easy to bump the car with the big ones (when using it as I described, up close to the paint/medium).
 
So here is what I have to order so far:



Shampoo: griots garage car wash + Dodo Juice Born to be Mild

Sheep Skin: Dodo Juice Wookie Mitt or the plain no name sheep skiing wash mitt

BHB: Montana Boar Hair Wash Brush Plus

Foammaster Foam Gun

Two grit Guards
 
Leadfootluke said:
Of the dozen or so shampoos I have used, [Wolfgang Auto Bathe, P21S Shampoo and Conditioner, Megs Gold Class, Megs Shampoo Plus and Optimum Car Wash, etc]. I prefer OCW to all of the others. It foams the best by far, cleans well, smells great, and rinses clean. And it is comparably priced to other top shampoos [however Megs Gold Class is $11.49 a gallon at Costco, so I did pick up a gallon of that].



I am using an Adam's wash mitt, but it has significantly deteriorated within a couple of weeks. It still works well but it is not as soft as it was when it was new. I would go to Sheep Skin next.
Click to expand...



I like Optimum as well. When washing wheels, Optimum still does a good job of sustaining suds. Many soaps go flat when washing nasty wheels. It also works well in the Griots foam gun.



For mitts, I have been using Race Glaze mitts most of the time.
 
As I started to count up the cost of doing this I began to wonder about this versus the ONR that I've been doing. Is it really going to make that big a difference in marring? If it does I'll gladly spend the money, if it doesn't I can definitely find another place to spend it ;)
 
cptzippy said:
As I started to count up the cost of doing this I began to wonder about this versus the ONR that I've been doing. Is it really going to make that big a difference in marring?
Click to expand...



Hard to say as different people have different experiences. Some people do great with ONR. I'm not among those people, though sure, I can use ONR on some vehicles, some times, without problems. But not for my regular washes.



*I* simply can't wash dirty vehicles acceptably marring-free with ONR. And yeah, I've considered all the variables and I've given it a fair shot, and no, I'm not somehow "missing something" :grinno: Heh heh, I'm posting all those defensive statements as I get a bit tired of people suggesting that my IQ drops by 50% when the topic is ONRing ;)



I *can* wash acceptably marring-free with my method. As in, black dog-hauler SUV used year-round in nasty weather and staying *NICE* for years without any polishing. I basically just don't have to polish out marring any more, hardly ever do it except when some dummy touches my paint. Wash-induced marring is no longer one of my concerns.



Hard to say which side of the fence *you* will end up on :nixweiss
 
Thanks for the response Accumulator. Do you happen to know where the Jag Paint from that era falls? I'm guessing soft but that's a very uneducated guess.
 
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