Realistic Daily Driver Expectations

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dhjunkie

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I have two cars that are outside 24/7. No matter what I do the car will be covered with dew and who knows what else the next morning. Am I wasting my time? Would I better off going to the $5 touchless , letting the drive home dry it off, dress the tires, clean the windows and call it a day?
 
It really depends on your personal goals or what level of satisfaction you're trying to achieve.

A polished and waxed finish will always look better than a finish that's repeatedly run through a car wash....

Choose your destiny........ it's up to you to decide...
 
I had a black truck that I would run through the local car wash like you are talking about. The place I went to offered towels at the end so you could dry your vehicle, vacuums, and a floor mat washer. Even after using the towels to dry the truck, the truck would become hazy after a while.
 
Those touchless car washes blas water pretty hard, right? If so, it may weaken your wax or sealant. To what degreee - no sure.
 
Do you enjoy detailing your own cars? If yes, you are not waisting your time!!!
 
I used to try to keep my DD, located outside 24/7, in pristine condition. But that was when I had enough time on my hands. I just started running out of the time it took to be that anal about a car. If you have the time and enjoy detailing your cars go for it, evrybody likes seeing shiney cars.
 
When my DD was outside 24/7, I kept it presentable in the winter, clean and waxed all spring/summer/fall.

Darn right it takes time, you gotta set your priorities, lol.
 
I do not do anything crazy with mine. My car got a clay and light polish, CG Jet Seal and topped with Naviwax Ultimate in July. I washed it bi weekly sometimes more often sometimes not. A few times I used Opt Car Wax or DG AW.
My wifes van was treated to Wolf Chemicals Body Wrap in Aug and then washed weekly with DG car soap. The van will be polished this spring and protected with Opti Coat 2.0.
 
Nobody can answer that question for you. I drive a 99 Civic, and I clay, polish, seal it every year a couple times. I don't get very picky with it cause it's my daily driver. That being said, other people probably think that's being picky. I don't...and that's all that matters

A daily driver (in my opinion) should AT LEAST be polished and sealed. It shines it up, gives protection, and will give your paint a longer life. Whether that is worth it to you or not...is up to you. :dblthumb2:
 
dhjunkie said:
I have two cars that are outside 24/7. No matter what I do the car will be covered with dew and who knows what else the next morning. Am I wasting my time? Would I better off going to the $5 touchless , letting the drive home dry it off, dress the tires, clean the windows and call it a day?
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Touch-less washes are OK in a pinch but the soaps they use are very harsh. They are hard on your LSP's and rubber on the vehicle. The towels they offer are probably not the best and who knows how many times they have been dropped on the ground, washed (hopefully) and returned to scratch the paint of the unsuspecting user.

You are not going to able to keep a car that is outside 24/7 clean for long, but I find that ONR washing whenever you get time and a good 2 bucket wash every few weeks will help keep the vehicle looking good and will preserve your vehicle much better than the touch-less washes.

Bottom line: wash it whenever and however you feel like it. Its your car.
 
At a minimum use a waterless wash and spray wax afterwards.

Way better than strong chemicals from public washes.
 
My car too is outside 24/7 but I stay ontop of it, I know NO other way. When its too cold to use ONR I run it through the touch-free wash with a good, strong underbody wash. Before the cold weather hits, I have alot of layers of "Z" on the car and when coming out of the winter, when it warms up, the ONR comes out again. This past couple weeks the weather has been VERY warm, so I've been all over the car. Its like someone said, set your priorities! Unless your literally working/busy all day, there's ALWAYS time for your car and the dew will go away, the weather is warming up and besides, if there's dew, the sun usually dries it up anyways.
 
My '96 Ford sits outside 24/7. It's driven in the salt and slop in Pa. in the winter. With Klasse and Collinite 845 applied 3 to 4 times a year, it looks good and beads like crazy with very little effort. The toys in the garage get much more attention. Sealed and waxed, it helps shed the grime.
 
dhjunkie said:
I have two cars that are outside 24/7. No matter what I do the car will be covered with dew and who knows what else the next morning. Am I wasting my time? Would I better off going to the $5 touchless , letting the drive home dry it off, dress the tires, clean the windows and call it a day?
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You would be a perfect candidate for a coating of Opti Coat 2.0. Then just go through the touchless and call it a day.
 
bugeye said:
My '96 Ford sits outside 24/7. It's driven in the salt and slop in Pa. in the winter. With Klasse and Collinite 845 applied 3 to 4 times a year, it looks good and beads like crazy with very little effort. The toys in the garage get much more attention. Sealed and waxed, it helps shed the grime.
Click to expand...
Where you at in PA? If you don't mind me asking?
 
Thanks for the feedback. I'll start using the pressure washer @ the coin op instead of the touchless. Then ONR at home. How does that sound? Quick question. This morning there was some tree debris along with dew. Some came off during the drive to church. How can I safely remove the rest of the debris?
 
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dhjunkie said:
Thanks for the feedback. I'll start using the pressure washer @ the coin op instead of the touchless. Then ONR at home. How does that sound? Quick question. This morning there was some tree debris along with dew. Some came off during the drive to church. How can I safely remove the rest of the debris?
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Tree debris, as in petals off of the budding blooms? Dogwoods are a pita.

I use a leaf blower and ONR as a QD on my 2 outside 24/7 vehicles.

Happy detailing hand.
 
My Matrix is Navy Blue and is outside 24/7, so you could imagine how dirty it can look and how quickly. Sometime soon I want to give it a quick compound and polish to just get out swirls and scratches, but I need to accept that she will always have rock chips and will get dirty. Depending on how much time, I wax, not going more than 3 washes without a wax and just QD in between washes just to keep her presentable. I see her as a billboard for my part time detailing. It's all in your perspective.
 
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