100% Touchless Car Wash

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don40vette

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I have a Black M3 and I think it get micro scratches on it from wind blowing across it. I buff the car 3-4 times a year and always clay (Nanoskin mitt now, no more clay).
First I started out by using the two bucket method with a good mitt and towels to dry.
Next I bought a 15 gallon tank with a 2.5 gpm pump attached to it. I buy one gallon distilled water filling the tank and spray car with it for final rinse. Dry car with towels.
Next, instead of drying car with towels I bought a Metro Vac 8HP Blower. That cut 50% of touching car. Overall rating of drying with blower maybe 95%. Using the blower lets you gauge how your wax or sealant is doing cause with fresh wax/sealant the water glides off the car.
Next, I purchased a foam cannon. I spray down the car with pressure washer, spray with foam cannon, final rinse with distilled water, and blow dry with blower.
Overall, I would give it an 85% when done. It's not perfect like washing with a mitt and drying with towels but it is not putting any scratches in the paint.
Actually, I have to admit its not always 100% touchless cause the rims of my wheels are powdercoated chrome and I use a spray detail wax and give them a wipe.
I have a white car and I give it a 99% overall since it doesnt show imperfections like black.
One last thing, I'm sure all my neighbors think I am nuts except one cause he has a new black BMW 435 and he is a car guy.
 
Put a decent coating on it and the micro marring will stop. Ask me how I know.
 
pdqgp said:
Put a decent coating on it and the micro marring will stop. Ask me how I know.
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Ok, help me out. Tell me.

Here are a few I have used lately that I think are at least decent:
Blackfire Wet Diamond
Blackfire Midnight Sun
Dodo Juice (cant remember which one)
Collinite #845
Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
Wolfgang Fuzion
 
My Audi is pure black, what they call "Brilliant Black" Great color and it does have a tough clear coat to cut through if scratched and swirled but when corrected it mars up very easily. I had trouble buffing it after applying just about any LSP and especially after washing and using a detail spray. If the MF Rag no matter how soft hit bare paint without fresh product, it would leave micro mar marks all over.

I originally had a coating on the car, 22PLe but had to remove it to get it "FULLY" corrected as when I bought it with 8k on the ODO it was about 90%. I've since gone back to a coating and have 2 solid coats of McKee's 37 on her. Love it. ZERO issues any more with micro marring. Even waterless washing is perfectly fine.

All the above you mentioned are great products. However, a coating will enhance the gloss more and prevent the micro marring you and I have seen on black German paints.
 
Ok, you have my attention. I have never used any McKees 37 products but I am always ready to use something that works.
I assume you are talking about McKee's 37 Paint Coating?
How did you prep the car? Clay, Mckees prep polish?

An Audi S4 with APR Stage 2+ nice.
I have an ESS 625 intercooled supercharger on M3
 
don40vette said:
Ok, you have my attention. I have never used any McKees 37 products but I am always ready to use something that works.
I assume you are talking about McKee's 37 Paint Coating?
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Yep.

How did you prep the car? Clay, Mckees prep polish?
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You can use their product for sure, HD Polish, etc or any pure polish that doesn't leave behind oils. If you do, just use eraser or IPA to wipe it clear of oils. I personally used CarPro Essence. Read a lot about it here from several and must say I love it as a base-coat. Just be sure to let it cure for a few hours after removal then apply the coating an enjoy. I do two coats of the coating when I apply it to insure even coverage.

An Audi S4 with APR Stage 2+ nice. I have an ESS 625 intercooled supercharger on M3
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Sounds awesome! I'd love to have an M3 or CTS-V and came close, but the reality of my daily driver heading into ice and snow, etc. warrants AWD being most practical. Especially with power mods as I usually do. An M3 would work but I couldn't push it or have as much fun in rain or snow like I can now. Looking forward to seeing pics of yours.

Here's mine in winter mode: Stock 19's with Blizzak LM-32's




Summer Mode with Michelin Pilot Super Sports:




You'll enjoy the coating. Provides a nice candy-like appearance to the paint. Especially noticeable in summer.




Reflection of open garage door in my roof:




Gotta love 1.6-1.7 60ft times at the track on street tires too :)

 
Your car looks great.
I spend some time on M3 Post and I am wondering why I have not seen any posts raving about how good Mckees 37 is
 
don40vette said:
Your car looks great.
I spend some time on M3 Post and I am wondering why I have not seen any posts raving about how good Mckees 37 is
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likely because it's a house-brand of Autogeek and like many other simliar markets they get overlooked. There are some threads about it here. Are there better products and coatings...sure, but I'm biased on them because at the end of the day on a daily driver, coatings still scratch, swirl and will need re-done eventually. So why put a coating that costs 2-3-4-5 times the price on a car if it's eventually going to get removed and reapplied. One can argue back and forth, but I let the cars I'm doing stand for themselves, mine included. I've had ZERO customers complain or even mention anything other than pure joy about the results. From a marketing standpoint Cquartz and others are more well known to the end customer. Lots of folks enjoy paying for it and perhaps enjoying a few minor differences between them.

I look at it like tunes available for cars too. On the S4 there are inexpensive $400 DIY tunes anyone can flash on the car and then there are companies like APR and GIAC which charge 2-3 times the price to achieve the same gains. Tunes are a bit more complicated granted, but in the end it boils down to a lot of marketing and recognition. I had two small snails on my 09 ZO6 putting down 850hp with only 6lbs of boost and a home grown very safe tune.
 
don40vette said:
I have a Black M3 and I think it get micro scratches on it from wind blowing across it. I buff the car 3-4 times a year and always clay (Nanoskin mitt now, no more clay).
First I started out by using the two bucket method with a good mitt and towels to dry.
Next I bought a 15 gallon tank with a 2.5 gpm pump attached to it. I buy one gallon distilled water filling the tank and spray car with it for final rinse. Dry car with towels.
Next, instead of drying car with towels I bought a Metro Vac 8HP Blower. That cut 50% of touching car. Overall rating of drying with blower maybe 95%. Using the blower lets you gauge how your wax or sealant is doing cause with fresh wax/sealant the water glides off the car.
Next, I purchased a foam cannon. I spray down the car with pressure washer, spray with foam cannon, final rinse with distilled water, and blow dry with blower.
Overall, I would give it an 85% when done. It's not perfect like washing with a mitt and drying with towels but it is not putting any scratches in the paint.
Actually, I have to admit its not always 100% touchless cause the rims of my wheels are powdercoated chrome and I use a spray detail wax and give them a wipe.
I have a white car and I give it a 99% overall since it doesnt show imperfections like black.
One last thing, I'm sure all my neighbors think I am nuts except one cause he has a new black BMW 435 and he is a car guy.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with going touchless as much as you can through winter. While it's not 100% clean, it's more than sufficient when the weather sucks IMP. I also couldn't imagine having to maintain a vehicle that gets driven in snow constantly. Luckily for me I only have to clean off snow debris after a trip to Tahoe.

@pdqgp - how long have you had the McKees on your vehicles? I have used then DP coating (still have 3 bottles) and I put on a couple friends vehicles and neither one got over a year.
Also, do you have any pics of your Z06? The closer I get to 40 the more I want a 4 digit HP monster.
 
fly07sti said:
Niiice! I'm not a Vette guy persay, but the 2 c6 Z06's that I've driven just felt so good.
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A 427 cammed and supercharged. I can break my 335 rear tires at 80 MPH. It's a beast that looks like a mirror
 
don40vette said:
View attachment 54656View attachment 54657View attachment 54658View attachment 54659

My Z06 is cammed and supercharged. Im 667 at RW. I ran 205 at Texas Mile
I have an R1 that is tweaked slightly. I ran 202 at Texas Mile.
Wish I could have done both same day. That has never been done
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No one has run 200 mph in two vehicles? Or 200 mph in car and motorcycle?
I would love to break 200 mph some day.

I enjoy watching those Texas mile videos. Wonder if the new Ford GT with the turbo six can break the V8's record. I seriously doubt it.
 
LEDetailing said:
No one has run 200 mph in two vehicles? Or 200 mph in car and motorcycle?
I would love to break 200 mph some day.

I enjoy watching those Texas mile videos. Wonder if the new Ford GT with the turbo six can break the V8's record. I seriously doubt it.
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When I broke 200 in Z06 it was not the same year when I broke 200 on bike.
You are correct no one has done car and bike in same year.
When I did 205 in my car I had my bike to be the first to do both in same year but the wind was blowing way too hard. I could only do 180 and it was wicked scarey.
 
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