Winter Detailing

S

smither

New member
I was thinking about detailing my car over Thanks Giving week but an issue for me is that its already rather cold in my area. I believe it should be between 40 - 20 during that week of Thanks Giving so my hose is already turned off. I was going to go to the self serve washes and do a standard two-bucket wash there. But my dilemma is should I clay the car there using the soap and then when I arrive to my house then use Griot's Garage Waterless wash to get the grim off that might have gotten on from driving home so I can then compound or polish? Or I was thinking of drying the car after the wash and then after getting home. Use Griot's Garage Speed Shine with MF towel to do quick wipe down then finally clay the car and then finally polish using either the Rupes or Griots Garage with 6 or 5 inch Meguiar Microfiber cutting pad with Chemical Guys V36 and then Uber green foam pad with V38. Then finally top it with Ammo Skin and Ammo creme. Does anyone else have better recommendations or help me find the best way to get the car washed?
 
wash with their stuff

clay there using your choice of QUALITY clay lub

Rinse there w water

Go home & rinseless wash
 
Ronkh said:
wash with their stuff

clay there using your choice of QUALITY clay lub

Rinse there w water

Go home & rinseless wash
Click to expand...

smither said:
What do you mean wash with their stuff?
Click to expand...

Wash with their pressure hose and your 2 buckets and soap, clay with a good clay lube, rinse with their pressure rinse, dry with leaf blower and quality waffle weave towel, drive home, wipe down with WW and then finish up.
 
Yeah that is what I was thinking but just wasn't sure about the clay baring part where I should do it. Also what temperature do you think would be the minimum before I can't do it? I worried that if I was the whole car then rinse parts would freeze or dry off. Im also doing large cars (Range Rover, LR3) so it will take me longer.
 
smither- I wouldn't clay in cold conditions unless you have a way to keep the clay warm/soft/pliable. Rubbing cold/hard clay against the paint could cause some significant marring. I'd even skip the clay entirely (yeah, yeah...I know, Autopian Heresy, huh?) unless you can keep it soft. At least wrap it in aluminum foil and stick it in your pocket, tear it into a few pieces and wrap them individually so you can swap 'em out as needed.
 
Accumulator said:
smither- I wouldn't clay in cold conditions unless you have a way to keep the clay warm/soft/pliable. Rubbing cold/hard clay against the paint could cause some significant marring. I'd even skip the clay entirely (yeah, yeah...I know, Autopian Heresy, huh?) unless you can keep it soft. At least wrap it in aluminum foil and stick it in your pocket, tear it into a few pieces and wrap them individually so you can swap 'em out as needed.
Click to expand...

Good point. Didn't think of that.
 
Wash it, bring it home wipe it down with QD or a Waterless wash then slap some spray sealant on it (X2) and you should be good for the winter. Wait till spring to clay, compound and polish.
 
If you really want to clay, use the Nanoskin wash mitt instead of clay, don't have to worry about soft, hard or pliable.

If you are going to wash and spray sealant, I would go hydro2 or Sonax PNS.


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