Hey everyone..

I bought my xB on November 21 and i have not washed it yet !!!!

My secret??? hmmm shall i say?? ok...........
I DO WANT all xB's on the street to be clean. If i see any on the street that are dirty or grungy i will have a fit. :x

My xB gets messed up from that damn humidity at night. The morning comes and its all wet.
I work at 6am and i always wake up late so i can't wipe it down.

So this is what I do:.....

After work I wipe it down with a California Car Duster to remove all loose dust.
I went to Pep Boys and found some cloths called "zWipes Micro Fiber".
It comes with 3 cloths in different colors (yellow, green, blue) for $5.99

I use the green one to lightly wipe all the water spots and streaking off the paint.
Then i use the yellow to wipe all the windows.
Next i use the blue to wipe the hubcaps.

The company claims to be scratchless and washable.
http://www.3lind.com/autouse.htm

I been very happy and may never wash my car again :D

Just remember don't wipe hard, just lightly.

I recommend washing very well and put a coat of wax before you do all this.\

**Note- Inazuma does not take any responsibility for any damage for not following directions :lol:

i dont think it works in raining season...
i dont want to wipe off the paint... :twisted:

i dont think it works in raining season...
i dont want to wipe off the paint... :twisted:

It does work on the raining season..

as of today....I have not washed it yet....

I am persistant to clean every day.....Maintenance is the "key"

Wait a few months buddy... lol.

Wait a few months buddy... lol.

My baby will never know what a carwash is.. :mrgreen:

You *will* eventually have to wash it. Mark my words!! Remember that dirt gets into small little cracks that a cloth will not be able to get to. You can try to keep up with the schedule of wiping it down every day but you will have some days where you wont have time to wipe it down. I've had my xB for a little over 6 months now and I'm at the point where I clean it off once a week, either a wipe down (quick detailer) or if it got really dirty during the week, I'll wash it.

You will also probably want to wax your car once and awhile too. I'm too anal to attempt to put wax on a wiped-down only car as there is still alot of dirt on the paint that you necessarily can't see or wipe off unless you wash it.

I wash my car at least twice a week, and I am sorry wiping off the table with a cloth will not take off that stain or in our case BIRD CRAP. :D I would rather use water and soap just like my four fathers. I am always complimented on how clean my car is. :D

wiping down a car everyday gets annoying. i would rather let it get dirty and then wash it once a week.

I dont know about you guys, but out here in NJ, they are advertising a new product by the makers of Mr.Clean. It wont be out on the open market till the spring, but it is supposed to be a damn good car wash, and has a Purilator water filter in it to take out all the minerals in your tap water. I might give it a try, well see.

Here is the site....

www.mrcleanautodry.com

It almost seems like doing this is more work than just washing your car every once in a while.

Not that i think washing your car is a labor or love but there's gotta be another way to have your car looking nice while being lazy and not doing much to keep it clean

After talking to Drew, yesterday, about needing an anti-static product for my black paint job, I decided to do a google search on anti-static car wax. Found out there are quite a few different items on the market, and they claim that cleaning is just as easy as Inazuma says above.

Has anyone found a particular anti-static product to be the best at repelling fine dust? With all the wildfires we had here in San Diego, the constant coatings of soot and dust are unbelievable. Does anyone have any experience with acrylic sealants versus teflon coatings? Since my paint is new and has never been waxed or teflon coated, I might try out the acrylic... unless ya'all tell me Ima sucker, lol.

"Winner's Choice" came out first on the google search.
http://www.winnerschoiceproducts.com/index2.html

"5 Star Shine" also sounds good and they claim you don't need to wax.
http://www.5starshine.com/howitworks.html
http://www.5starshine.com/order.html
Also marketed as "Toughguard"?
http://www.toughguard.com/new/index.html

There is a similar acrylic sealant called Klasse", from Germany, but they say to use their carnuba wax on top.
http://www.premiumautocare.com/coloshstkit.html

From Car Accessories Magazine:
"The best car wax must penetrate into the pores of the painted surface. However the traditional wax does not do that. Moreover it has very low resistance to outdoor conditions and repeated car washes. It is also affected by infrared rays, acid rains, dust and pollution agents present in the air. It is also easily attacked by detergents and chemicals. "
"Silicones generally penetrate the pores of the painted surface and endure many times longer than the traditional. They are easy to apply and result in a much more shiny look. However, silicone products also penetrate the primer and the metal making it difficult to apply any new paint."
"If you are prepared to spend more money to use the best car wax, you may want to consider higher end products. They are 4 to 5 times the cost of a traditional wax but they offer a much longer lasting protection (two years and more). One such product is a polish system that uses high quality, durable acrylic elements. The formula is a very expensive and high quality. It is designed to fill the pores of the paint with a unique resin (plasticizer). This forms a barrier which prevents penetration of any other elements. It also contains an acrylic which when fully cured, is a hard durable, anti-static,transparent, protective layer and gloss enhancer."

Any opinions... thoughts? I have til the end of January or mid-Feb before I can put any products on my fresh paint job.

i would get the '5 Star Shine' if the guy who does the professional application, Charles Moquin, lived out here.....they show a pic of Charles Moquin's beautiful 85 Cougar and that car looks new! that product looks like it works quite well....

i am just not able to do something like that myself......

Yanges, the 5 Star Shine is as easy to do as washing and waxing your car... am I missing something?
http://www.5starshine.com/qna.html

Any reccomendations for the North East area?

SCI FIRE said:After talking to Drew, yesterday, about needing an anti-static product for my black paint job, I decided to do a google search on anti-static car wax
Since my paint is new and has never been waxed or teflon coated, I might try out the acrylic... unless ya'all tell me Ima sucker, lol.

SCI FIRE you hit the nail right on the head!! I completely forgot about the anti static coating. I have had some exhaust customers roll through with some interesting products, but the anti static WORKS. They are used by professional auto shows and repel the dirt around you. now I would still do some research, obviously the dirt will stick on if you run through a dirt pile. But the anti static does work! I am going to look into it again, SCI FIRE thanks for reminding me! :D

Any reccomendations for the North East area?

Hand wash your car on the warmer days ... I use turtlewax car wash. It leaves a nice shine on the finish. to dry I use a cali. water blade and then finish up with a chamois. For windows I use windex powerized in the winter and invisible glass in the summer.

I'd stay away from touchless car washes because they don't really clean your car, just get the dust off . DIY car wahes with that spray hose usually don't run clean water so you just end up with crusty lookin water spots afterwards.

Nothing beats gettin out and wahing your car by hand. It'll look better and you'll be happier; not to mention cheaper in the long run.

my $0.02

I recently brought back a liquic wax named "Shake" from Japan. It is perhaps the best one I've ever used so far. It is better than Zaino brothers polish. Unfortunately, it is not available in US, but it is made in US!!! It is basically a blend of carnauba and dupont zymol. If anyone finds a liquid wax contains carnauba and dupont zymol, then that could well be the one I got in Japan. Anyone has used carnauba and dupont zymol??

Yanges, the 5 Star Shine is as easy to do as washing and waxing your car... am I missing something?
http://www.5starshine.com/qna.html

hey SCI FIRE

i am unable to wash nor wax my car due to the Rheumatoid arthritis i have had for many years.....

i have someone detail my car for me monthly and i can at least spray it down at the self-serve car wash every week or so to keep it lookin' good....and the one i have has a good spot free rinse too....

btw, your xA is lookin' Really Sweet! the flames and little dragon on the hood look good....the drop with the TRD springs looks nice too!

i never really use soap on my car. only if its really bad do i use a small amont of soap and cap full of a good liquid wax (mothers, beys auto detail liquid wax)) with carnuba in the soap.

to maintain it, its got to have a few good coats of wax already on it. thats key! i simply use a bucket of water and a cap of liquid wax with carnuba...and, by sections, just go over it section at a time, wiping each section off with a dry towel as you go. that's it! maybe hit it with a good "quick detail" spray for some additional shine.

there is a difference between dust and dirt. if you maintain your car regularly, the only build up your going to have is dust. below the dust is a good coat of wax. all you need to do is get rid of the dust because underneath it is a clean car. using soap washes away that coat or build up of wax on your paint.

this simple technique is used by my brother, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) independent car detailer in the Los Angeles area.
:D

i never really use soap on my car. only if its really bad do i use a small amont of soap and cap full of a good liquid wax (mothers, beys auto detail liquid wax)) with carnuba in the soap.

to maintain it, its got to have a few good coats of wax already on it. thats key! i simply use a bucket of water and a cap of liquid wax with carnuba...and, by sections, just go over it section at a time, wiping each section off with a dry towel as you go. that's it! maybe hit it with a good "quick detail" spray for some additional shine.

there is a difference between dust and dirt. if you maintain your car regularly, the only build up your going to have is dust. below the dust is a good coat of wax. all you need to do is get rid of the dust because underneath it is a clean car. using soap washes away that coat or build up of wax on your paint.

this simple technique is used by my brother, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) independent car detailer in the Los Angeles area.
:D

hey Na'im

can i get the info on your brother and his detailing service?

i may be interested in checking out a new detail guy.....thanks...

yanges,

thanx for asking! if you pm me i can give you his numbers. FYI-if your looking for someone to come to you, he has a "4 car minimum" policy...meaning you have to have at least 4 cars before he'll make a "house-call"...then again, in LA, people have at least 4 car's all day long :D and i don't believe you can get to him unless youre on one of these studio lots...

his studio work is ridiculous, and i think, is his concentration right now. he has some long standing clients that he serves with a mobile service, hence the 4 car min.

honestly the reason i dig his method is that i'm a lazy bas*ard, but his way is so easy. i have two cars i maintain like this (xB and my AMG)...i send wifey's to the car wash :wink:

Hey, Yanges,

Sorry to hear about the arthritis - that is a tough cross to bear. I bet one of the detail guys in town would put the 5 Star Shine on for you, once they see how easy it is. Maybe they would just charge the same as a hand wash and wax job... I think it would be good to have them go over the paint with the clay bar treatment first, though.
(Thx for the compliments on my XA. It's a kick to drive.)

I am not allowed to wash or work on my vehicle in any way at my home, which is in a condo association with very strict rules. When I wipe the dew off of my car in the morning, I always wonder if today is the day I will get a nasty letter, as if what I am doing is such a terrible thing. So I was interested in the acrylic finish because they made it sound like so much less work than constantly washing and waxing with carnuba, and the anti-static feature is attractive.

However, I wonder how long the finish stays "anti-static"... maybe that wears off and I need to look for an anti-static detail finish spray, like the one on the site for Winner's Choice.

I am also a little cynical... what kind of claims have been made over the teflon finishes out there, and yet we all have to keep our teflon coated cars waxed, right? Has someone out there actually tried out an acrylic finish product?

XB ey, dirt can become imbedded in your wax, so the only thing that worries me about not actually washing the car is scratching up the paint... besides, isn't it a good thing to strip the old wax and apply fresh every now and then?

Hey, Yanges,

Sorry to hear about the arthritis - that is a tough cross to bear. I bet one of the detail guys in town would put the 5 Star Shine on for you, once they see how easy it is. Maybe they would just charge the same as a hand wash and wax job... I think it would be good to have them go over the paint with the clay bar treatment first, though.
(Thx for the compliments on my XA. It's a kick to drive.)



i talked to the guy i have used for years doing my cars and he was not into doing it himself....probably cause i would not need him to wax my xB so often!

but i really trust him with my car and i would find it difficult to go to someone new and let them work on my xB.....especially applying something that is supposed to last for so long....

i think using something like Meguire's products for your xA and getting a few good coats of good wax on there would be good for a base... i know they make some special stuff for dark cars also....

Yeah, maybe I better stick to the Winner's Choice line... with the ghost flames and all, if I had a car accident and had to repair, an acrylic coating might not be a good thing to have on there, eh?

XB ey, dirt can become imbedded in your wax, so the only thing that worries me about not actually washing the car is scratching up the paint... besides, isn't it a good thing to strip the old wax and apply fresh every now and then?

sci fire...great question...like i said, there is a difference between dust and dirt. for example, due to the rain up here in NorCal, my box is DIRTY...therefore i will be using some soap to get it clean again...then immediately wax it. how i can tell my car has a nice coat of wax on it is i havent wiped it since the rain started, but i get that nice "ball-up" of water all over the car (know what i mean???). then when the rain goes away (sooner than later although we do need the water), i'll do what i mentioned above. i guess the point is, when clean, to build coats of wax on the surface which will make it easier to clean regularly, and give you some good protection from the elements when it gets dirty.

its just another way of doing things... :)

*nod*