[Kohrs93]

Tomorrow I finally have a day off. I never got a chance to re polish my car and wax it... so for the last 3 weeks it's had a half asses polish job and no wax. I'm gonna re wash tomorrow morning, ipa wipedown, repolish, seal, and hopefully I get the sealing done in time to be able to wax tomorrow night. If I don't have enough time, the sealing is getting skipped. My work schedule has been super hectic as of late and I just don't have time to do anything I want, but I want to get something on to protect it.

Now here are my questions:

I never really cared much about protecting my cars paint until this summer when i started reading this forum, so I'm not exactly sure how you take care of a car during winter. This is what I've come up with so far.

-Get a good couple coats of wax on before snow starts to fall
-Wash a few times a week to keep salt off
-Apply a new coat of wax once a month after washing (Do I need to wash with ZEP or IPA wipedown before applying another coat of wax?)


How do you go about washing it? By the time I get off work it's gonna be dark and too cold to just whip out a bucket and wash it by hand. I've always tried to take it through the touchless automatic car wash at least 3-4 times a week (using the cheapest option, basically just an underside rinse, soap, and rinse.)

Any other tips are helpful... thanks

[dannyboy281]

A winter must have product that I use is Optimum No Rinse Check out the video on how to use it on the video detailing library I put together its in the stickies. I use it with 2 buckets one with 2oz of ONR (a little more than suggested but hey I rather be safe than sorry especially with black paint) in 2 1/2 gallons of hot water with a grit guard with a grout sponge and a sheep skin mitt. The second bucket with 5 gallons of hot water and a grit guard for rinsing. I also do a pre rinse with a pressurized sprayer using ONR a the quick detailer dilution with hot water to loosen up the grit prior to washing also adding lubricant to the surface to aid agains scratches and swirls. I still wash my wheels, wheel wells, tires and exhaust first the regular way but just with hot water from inside my home, to get that out of the way first then I go to washing the rest of the vehicle with ONR.

And no you dont need to strip off the wax with an APC like Zep or do an IPA wipe down if your going to be adding another coat. I do suggest say after the second time you apply a coat going to the third time meaning your third month in make sure you strip off the old protection from the first and second coats, I also suggest claying this way you start over agin with a fresh contaminate free surface.

Check out this video its basically how I do it but I use the 2 bucket method still, I also wait to use a quick detailer after I am done washing and drying the entire mustang, I find its much easier my way LOL. I got my gallon from Phil but he also sells it in quarts which will last you the entire winter. see the link below

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Optim...ULA_p_154.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL5A29qIjnc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL5A29qIjnc

[Zatrekaz]

Originally Posted by Kohrs93 ... and hopefully I get the sealing done in time to be able to wax tomorrow night. If I don't have enough time, the sealing is getting skipped.

Don't skip the sealant. If nothing else, skip the wax. Sealant will be much more durable during the harsh winter months than the wax. Wax you will need to re-apply each month, if not sooner due to the harshness. Sealant during a winter will last you 1-2 months depending how bad winter is in your area.

[sikedsyko]

Zats right. If the main goal is protecting, don't skip the sealant. It will protect better and last longer than the wax.

Pressure washers are also a must for winter washing, if you have one. Before I had one, I would go to a self serve car wash and rinse the car off occasionally.

[dannyboy281]

Depends on what wax he is going to use say he uses collinite 845, 915, or FK 1000. All of those will last as long as a sealant

[Kohrs93]

Originally Posted by dannyboy281 Depends on what wax he is going to use say he uses collinite 845, 915, or FK 1000. All of those will last as long as a sealant

I'll be using Mothers Synwax. But it looks like it's not getting done today... woke up it was colder than hell outside and I've got too much to do. Hopefully I can get two warmish days in a row and I'll have to get it done during the dark after work...

Man this is impossible to get done with my dam work schedule and it's really starting to make me mad. I've spent a good $600-700 on detailing stuff and can't even get the time to get a solid detail in.

[Zatrekaz]

If your using Synwax, then use the paste version since its a higher content by definition. Use at least 2 coats... three if you have time.

[brokenweasel]

Originally Posted by Kohrs93 But it looks like it's not getting done today... woke up it was colder than hell outside and I've got too much to do. Hopefully I can get two warmish days in a row and I'll have to get it done during the dark after work... Man this is impossible to get done with my dam work schedule and it's really starting to make me mad. I've spent a good $600-700 on detailing stuff and can't even get the time to get a solid detail in.

Haha, I was just about to start taking bets on if this was actually happen or not


I kid, I kid. The same thing almost happened to me, except my solution was to keep the car in the garage (I have two cars, and so do you ) and do a little work on it each day I had a chance. It made for more set up and clean-up time, but the car got polished over the span of a week and then sealed before I drove it around and messed it up again.

[Kohrs93]

Originally Posted by brokenweasel Haha, I was just about to start taking bets on if this was actually happen or not I kid, I kid. The same thing almost happened to me, except my solution was to keep the car in the garage (I have two cars, and so do you ) and do a little work on it each day I had a chance. It made for more set up and clean-up time, but the car got polished over the span of a week and then sealed before I drove it around and messed it up again.

Here's my problem with that, with my grandmother just passing away we're finally getting the chance to remodel our house. So my parents have a ton of shit shoved in the garage right now while new flooring is being put in. It's a on car garage with not enough room on each side for me to feel comfortable polishing it in there. So I have no choice but to get it done during a day. Also, the jeep is having an issue right now... thinking it's a U-joint going to shit, but I'm not driving it till I can fix it. I'll figure it out eventually... two more weekends in a row of work, then i go back to every other weekend off and wednesdays off every week, instead of only wednesdays off. Hopefully snow hasn't fallen and I can get it all done.. it's really starting to disappoint me that I can't friggen get this done. I've tried dedicating every day off to getting it done, but I always have so much other stuff to take care of on those days that it just doesn't happen.

[brokenweasel]

Originally Posted by Kohrs93 Here's my problem with that, with my grandmother just passing away we're finally getting the chance to remodel our house. So my parents have a ton of shit shoved in the garage right now while new flooring is being put in. It's a on car garage with not enough room on each side for me to feel comfortable polishing it in there. So I have no choice but to get it done during a day. Also, the jeep is having an issue right now... thinking it's a U-joint going to shit, but I'm not driving it till I can fix it. I'll figure it out eventually... two more weekends in a row of work, then i go back to every other weekend off and wednesdays off every week, instead of only wednesdays off. Hopefully snow hasn't fallen and I can get it all done.. it's really starting to disappoint me that I can't friggen get this done. I've tried dedicating every day off to getting it done, but I always have so much other stuff to take care of on those days that it just doesn't happen.

Your family has been living with your grandmother, right? I'm really sorry to hear that Having a small garage filled with crap sucks. Even worse is having a roommate filling a small garage with shitty old car parts and never working on anything and leaving his broken car in there all the time. (I moved out lol)

Take the rear drive shaft off the jeep and run it in 4x4. FWD FTW! (if its a rear drive shaft U-joint going bad)

I think you're like 7 hours or so from me, otherwise I could give you hand

[Zatrekaz]

I know how you feel man. Sometimes you get so busy you just can't do what you want because your catching up on what you have to.

Don't worry, you got time to get it done. Things work out because they have to.