AaronM Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 My car has salt on it like most do here in Michigan. I can't stand looking at it and thinking of what it is doing to my paint. I want to wash my car, but I am afraid that my locks and everything else will freeze up. I could take it through a car wash, but I don't want to get my car beat on. Any other ideas? Our garage might be above freezing. I need to make sure my car doesn't rust!!! 18 Year Old Male Black 1992 STS 4.9L 90,XXX Miles Flowmaster 80 series muffler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 I am pretty lucky there is a full hand wash car wash nearby and they do a great job. See if you can locate a hand wash they are getting popular.. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronM Posted February 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Thanks for saying that! One just opened up last year! I didn't even think about that place. It is called Power Shower, haha! THANKS! 18 Year Old Male Black 1992 STS 4.9L 90,XXX Miles Flowmaster 80 series muffler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Get the car washed at a hand wash but that won't take care of the salt that clinging to the undercarriage of your car. You'll either have to flush that yourself using a garden hose and warm water or you'll have to take it to a car wash that has the ability to do undercarriage, I think most of the newer ones do. The salt will do more harm to the undercarriage than to the body since no one I know waxes their undercarriage...LOL!! If the car has a good coat of wax on it, the salt won't harm the clearcoat but yes, it should be removed anyway. During the winter months I run my car through a car wash with undercarriage wash twice a month. Spring, summer and fall, I wash it myself by hand. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Glad I could jog your memory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yenko Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 I take my car to the pressure wash station and it's about a mile up the road! There is at least 6 different cycles to choose from! I usually do a rinse cycle, soap rinse, scrub brush, rinse and then spot free rinse! Then I carefully drive home to clean my wheels, floor mats and windows! Last week even wax it..... Here is a picture I took! IMPORT CRUSHER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Good job, Yenko! Nice Caddy. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillacjeff7777 Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Also being a resident of Michigan, I feel ya on this. I have never had my locks freeze up though. Worst that I have had was the rubber seal freezing shut. 2008 DTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillac_caddy_sts Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I just wash my car at a pressure washer! It's the easiest way to do it in the winter than drive the car until it's dry if you don't have a heated garage that is! Defending Northstar perf a qtr mile at a time!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
an01sts Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Wax? Other than destroy the paint, why on earth would you want to wax clear coat? I have never waxed my car and I never intend to wax it because I want my paint to last a long time. Anway, I wash my car in the garage. In fact, I just got done washing it a little while ago. Yeah, you get kind of wet flushing the undercarrage. (Even when the temperature drops in the single digits, 55 to 58 is the coldest it gets.) It's a little tight, but I cannot stand dust, let alone dirt on the car. It's a miserable job, but I learned how to cope with washing it in the garage a few years back during a drought when they banned washing cars at home. Hey! You could wash your car, as long as you went to a pay car wash. Oh, so you can waste water on washing cars, provided that someone is making money on it? It's not a case of me being cheap. No one washes the car except me because I cannot buy the quality car wash I do myself, the reason why my car looks as if it's "freshly waxed." Not waxing and letting the yahoos at car washes grind away at my finis is the reason it's flawless. Once in a while, during extreme emergencies, I will go to the coin operated car wash. However, I don't use the foam brush--yet another destroyer of paint--and I don't dry the car because it is still filthy. I high pressure soap and rinse, and I just have to deal with the water spots until I can wash/dry the car properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Wax? Other than destroy the paint, why on earth would you want to wax clear coat? I have never waxed my car and I never intend to wax it because I want my paint to last a long time. Clear coat is paint without color added. You should wax it to give it protection against UV, birds, tree sap. Plenty of reasons out there to protect it. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill K Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Marika, Last Fall I was having coffee w/"the boys" and one said that he didnt like one of the presidential candidates because he changes his opinions. I said that after dealing with Mrs. X, a well known local who doesnt let "facts" stand in the way of her opinion & is usually wrong but never in doubt, I liked people who change their mind. Mr. Idontwax has been around before and must be related to Mrs. X. I simply get my car washed when its dirty wherever I can and in the Spring I do a full detail useing Menzerna polishes followed by Zaino. While auto type washes are not the best for your finish they dont do damage that cant be corrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pats37 Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 an01sts, The only way I know of getting a "good" undercarriage cleaning is going to a "quality car wash that offers that service. This car wash is a "premium" facility. Their cheapest wash (exterior wash with undercarrige wash and rust inhibitor without wheel cleaning) is $8.95. Their most expensive wash is $21.95 which includes interior cleaning (vacuum and interior windows) Hot Blue Coral wax, Blue Coral Sealer, wheel cleaning, tire dressing, mats wash, and Rainex applied to all exterior windows and manual towel drying including door returns. They have special brushes that leave no fine swirl marks on the car. I have been using them for years and people comment that the paint job looks "showroom." When my mechanic has the car on the lift he always comments how clean and free of rust the undercarriage is. With the tax and tip it is about $27.00 for the full treatment. I have used them since the day I bought the car and have never seen a spec of evidence that this car has not been hand cared for. The big difference is they do not filter and recycle their water as many car washes do. Filters remove the dirt and grime (if the system is maintained) but not the salts. I realize that these costs are substantial for some but at my age and condition getting down on the driveway with a power washer is not for me. Choosing a carwash is almost as important as choosing a mechanic, but when you find a good one it is worth the price. JMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillac_caddy_sts Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 an 01 sts Why wouldn't you wax your car if anything it will make it last longer! Just make sure the wax says right on it clear coat safe and you should be fine. I would rather have a coat of wax on my car that protect's it from uv rays and all those other elements that can dull your paint job! Defending Northstar perf a qtr mile at a time!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I use Meguiar's and I am looking into Zaino. Having used Meguiar's for about 10 years now, I am a fan. When I perform the entire Meguiar's process including clay bar, the finish is like glass. But I especially like the information and knowledge provided at their web site. This information is from the Meguiar's web site: **************************************************************** Automotive paints are a mixture of ingredients including resins, binders, fillers, additives, and carrying agents (typically solvents, sometimes water). Clear coat paint is simply paint, or resin without pigment (as Marika stated). Non-clear coat paints (also called single-stage paint) is paint (or resin) with pigment added to give the paint color. Additives are specialized chemicals that are often used to provide a specific characteristic to the paint, depending on the application. An example would be a Flex Agent. Flex Agents are used in paints that are applied to flexible components, such as flexible urethane bumpers, to help the paint resist cracking when the urethane bumper flexes. UV inhibitors are another clear coat additive that helps prevent the sun's ultra violet rays from fading the color coat under the clear coat. Today, approximately 95% of all cars, trucks, and S.U.V.'s coming out of the factory have a clear coat finish. Clear coat finishes (also referred to as two-stage paint systems) are simply a layer of clear resin applied over the top of colored resin. Although a clear coat does protect the base coat, just like a single-stage finish, the clear coat needs to be regularly maintained to keep it in top shape. Contrary to what you may have heard clear coat finishes do need to be waxed periodically to maintain their appearance value. Don't buy into the false information that clear coat paints are paints that require no maintenance, this is simply not true. Simply look at any car with a clear coat finish that has been neglected and compare it to a car with a clear coat finish that has been recently detailed and your eyes, as well as your common sense, will tell you that clear coats look better when maintained, and accordingly will last longer when maintained Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillac_caddy_sts Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I use meguires gold class wax but I am going to start using there 3 step program to get a really good shine. Defending Northstar perf a qtr mile at a time!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I use meguires gold class wax but I am going to start using there 3 step program to get a really good shine. I use their three step process, 1) cleaner, 2) polish to feed the paint, and 3) caranuba wax... Its a great process, I love the results. However, you should only need to use the CLEANER once or twice a year, say in the spring and in the fall. The rest of the year Polish and Wax work fine for me. If you really want a treat, Meguires clay bar the car, that leaves a spotless finish, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I use their three step process, 1) cleaner, 2) polish to feed the paint, and 3) caranuba wax... Its a great process, I love the results. However, you should only need to use the CLEANER once or twice a year, say in the spring and in the fall. The rest of the year Polish and Wax work fine for me. If you really want a treat, Meguires clay bar the car, that leaves a spotless finish, Mike Do you do that by hand or do you use a machine like Porter Cable? Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillac_caddy_sts Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Yes I am thinking of using the 3 step process but wasn't sure if I would get any better results than what I am getting know. If it really works maybe I will get some and try it out. So do you use all three steps and the clay bar? Thats alot of wax! Defending Northstar perf a qtr mile at a time!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Yes I am thinking of using the 3 step process but wasn't sure if I would get any better results than what I am getting know. If it really works maybe I will get some and try it out. So do you use all three steps and the clay bar? Thats alot of wax! The clay bar is a surface cleaner. It picks up sap, tar and bird droppings. Use it after you wash the car.. Its not really a lot of wax, its a lot of work, that is why I don't use the CLEANER every time. The polish is not a wax it is feeding the paint and give the paint a deep feel and look, whereas the wax is a sealer and provides a reflective finish.. Yes its a lot of work, try it once and let me know what you think, I don't think you will be unhappy.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I use their three step process, 1) cleaner, 2) polish to feed the paint, and 3) caranuba wax... Its a great process, I love the results. However, you should only need to use the CLEANER once or twice a year, say in the spring and in the fall. The rest of the year Polish and Wax work fine for me. If you really want a treat, Meguires clay bar the car, that leaves a spotless finish, Mike Do you do that by hand or do you use a machine like Porter Cable? I do it by hand, and the movie Karate Kid comes to mind everytime I do it, you know WAX ON, WAX OFF... Its kind of therapeutic for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronM Posted February 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I use Zaino products. I love the spotless look of the pain after using the claybar. It removes everything! I love it! 18 Year Old Male Black 1992 STS 4.9L 90,XXX Miles Flowmaster 80 series muffler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yenko Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I polish and wax my car once a month! I have never used paint cleaner..... IMPORT CRUSHER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillac_caddy_sts Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 We just got a nice day yesturday and I washed and waxed my car! I was so happy that I finnaly got the chance! It looks so good! When you are driving around and almost every car has salt and dirt on them and I am in a nice freshly waxed car I get more looks than I usually do LOL! Defending Northstar perf a qtr mile at a time!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted March 4, 2005 Report Share Posted March 4, 2005 I use Zaino products. I love the spotless look of the pain after using the claybar. It removes everything! I love it! Aaron where do you buy Zaino products? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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