Best way to dry your car after a wash?

***SMWS6TA*** · 05-14-2015, 01:15 PM

**Firebirdjones** · 05-14-2015, 02:48 PM

Yeah sorta, lol. I'm bringing my old highschool ride out of retirement, a 56 nomad. Some original paint left, some of it in primer. Drove it like that for many years back then, going to drive it again the same way. 69 RS Z in the same boat, and my wife wants to drive that one the way it is and ditch the 4th gen. Got enough cars that are painted and scared to death to take anywhere. I'm getting to old to worry that much. Even these cars in partial primer and paint grab too much attention as it is.

What got me thinking this route lately, is that I bought a 89 5.0 mustang for cheap early last year, ran perfect but looked like hell. Arizona sun burnt paint down to the primer. Only paint left were down low on the sides. Door dents galore, wrecked in the driver side door and quarter. I started daily driving it last year just like that, and remembered how care free I could be, parking it, dirt roads, weather, I didn't care. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders. Then I made the mistake, and painted the damn thing, fixed it all up and now looks like a million bucks, with plans to eventually give to my son. Still daily driving it but now it's a pain in the ass. Can't park it anywhere, gotta watch how close to you get to trucks on the highway, keeping it clean etc etc... Then I realized, I gotta get back to driving cars that aren't painted

Almost can't wait to give it to my son so he can start worrying about it instead.

**chuckie669** · 05-14-2015, 04:13 PM

Too true fbj.

My g8 i spent something like 16 hours getting every swirl the previous owner washed into it back out. A week later someone sideswiped me at the back of target parking lot and left while i was shopping.

I now only get my nice stuff out in good weather and dd a buick that gets 30mpg. Is freeing to park wherever the hell you want. Someone dinged my door with a shopping cart, Oh well.

**xssv** · 05-17-2015, 02:30 PM

you guys apparently dont have black cars! all this talk about chamosis, duster's, etc. ugh....

**Firebirdjones** · 05-17-2015, 03:29 PM

Yup, black car here. I just painted my sons 89 5.0 black. Have to be careful with the chamois and the california duster. Keeping wax on it is key, and not pressing to hard with the other things. It's either that or wash the car every 3 days to keep the dust off it. I don't have the time. It's work for sure here in AZ, the dust capital of the country.

**Firebirdjones** · 05-17-2015, 03:34 PM

Here you go. Drive it daily, pain in the rump but..... The duster keeps me from needing to wash it too often, as long as I touch it up daily. Can't go around the block here in AZ without the thing getting coated in dust.

**theorangeguy** · 05-17-2015, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by xssv

you guys apparently dont have black cars! all this talk about chamosis, duster's, etc. ugh....

California duster is pretty much designed for black cars. Just don't press it into the paint and it does great. The trick is to keep the base about 2-3 inches off the surface and just let the little strings touch the paint.

**Firebirdjones** · 05-17-2015, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by theorangeguy

California duster is pretty much designed for black cars. Just don't press it into the paint and it does great. The trick is to keep the base about 2-3 inches of the surface and just let the little strings touch the paint.

Exactly how I use it and it works fine. That's what I meant above when I said not pressing hard. Use it like that and it doesn't scratch paint at all. I use it to get the majority of the dust up, then finish with a soft microfiber towel and detailer, wetting the towel. With the majority of the dust gone using the duster first, you aren't pushing dust into the paint with the microfiber towel. Pushing the dust in the paint is where the scratches come from.

My only complaint is the duster uses parafin wax and leaves that behind on the car as well, which in turn collects more dust even faster. Going back over the car with the detailer and microfiber towel takes care of that.

**Mr. Luos** · 05-17-2015, 09:38 PM

Waffle weave towels.
Do your best to get as much water off the car as possible by sheeting it, then go over with the waffle weave. Sonus is the brand I use. Incredible product.

**xssv** · 05-19-2015, 06:40 AM

Duster would never touch mine.....but that's me.

If mine were ever actually dusty enough to "wash", I typically hose it down....sometimes I can get away with a simply air compressor and blow the dust off. If rinsed, I then roll it in the garage, hit the nooks and crannies with compressed air, two bucket wash with Optimum No Rinse using a couple of Detail Images Thickoliscious towels and follow up with DodoJuice. Who comes up with the names for this shit, lol....

**0rion** · 05-19-2015, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by xssv

Duster would never touch mine.....but that's me.

If mine were ever actually dusty enough to "wash", I typically hose it down....sometimes I can get away with a simply air compressor and blow the dust off. If rinsed, I then roll it in the garage, hit the nooks and crannies with compressed air, two bucket wash with Optimum No Rinse using a couple of Detail Images Thickoliscious towels and follow up with DodoJuice. Who comes up with the names for this shit, lol....

so instead of a california duster you prefer a sand blaster?

**Firebirdjones** · 05-19-2015, 05:45 PM

Lol, You have dust in Michigan?

I've tried air with light pressure, doesn't work all that well out here. Won't remove it all. At full steam and 180 psi coming out of the hose you stand a good chance of blowing the paint right off along with the dust

I just don't do it on a painted car.

The only time I'll use compressed air on one is when I'm painting one, and while in primer after all the blocking is done, and the car has been washed, I'll use compressed air to go around all the nooks and crannies to make sure all the cracks and crevices aren't hiding anything that the paint gun will blow out into the paint.

**theorangeguy** · 05-19-2015, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

Originally Posted by xssv

Duster would never touch mine.....but that's me.

If mine were ever actually dusty enough to "wash", I typically hose it down....sometimes I can get away with a simply air compressor and blow the dust off. If rinsed, I then roll it in the garage, hit the nooks and crannies with compressed air, two bucket wash with Optimum No Rinse using a couple of Detail Images Thickoliscious towels and follow up with DodoJuice. Who comes up with the names for this shit, lol....

so instead of a california duster you prefer a sand blaster?

No kidding...nothing will scratch paint like fast moving dirt...

**wraith23** · 05-21-2015, 07:50 AM

I always use microfiber clothes personally. I have tried the go fast method in the past lol. But that has left spots. That might be because my car is black though

**Capt Pie** · 05-21-2015, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by theorangeguy

And you need a California duster...it'll save you from washing your car all of the time.

I have a couple of them! I use it every day after I drive the car. The only reason I need to wash it is the bugs on the front bumper, and even then I'll try to do just the front.

**Capt Pie** · 05-21-2015, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

I've used a good ole' fassion shammy all my life, keep one in every car just in case a wash is required during a road trip.

Works just fine for me. On the darker color cars, especially black, I might go back over it when it's dry with a little spray detailer and a micro fiber towel. But I find as long as I keep a good coat of wax on it, the shammy dries it just fine and the micro fiber/detailer step isn't always necessary.

After 2-3 washes, I need to apply wax again. I also find (in dusty Arizona) that using the California dusters are daily routine to keep from having to wash the car too often. The problem with the California dusters is that they leave parafin wax behind on the paint (that's how the duster picks up dust) but unfortunately this parafin wax left behind simply attracts more dust on the car even faster. So generally after a session with the duster to get the majority of the dust off, I go back over the car with a spray detailer and micro fiber towel to remove the parafin wax. The car stays dust free much longer this way.

Unfortunately it's simply a ton of work to keep a nice paint job on a car that's driven at all.

I noticed the little wax marks left on the car. Funny thing is when I come out to my car after work, I have little green stripes over the entire car from the crap in the air. Now I know they go together. Explains it!