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.
-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.
