Clean or Dirty...........

[EssexPorsche]

He's one to stir things up! - just for fun.
Clean car or Dirty car.......

All my life i have been advocate for immaculate, no chips, dinks, scratches and above all else, a weekly wash and detail lasting around 3-4 hours.

Wheels off every 8 weeks, wheel wells cleaned, door shuts - everything.
Thats how i roll.

My car has now entered the fouth week in the body shop just as a measure of how fussy i am!
But the other day a 991 passed me that was soooooo dirty it was hard to make out the lines and the tail light and rear number plate (license plate) were invisible. Something about that image has stuck with me. A car of that value, that exotic not being cleaned within an inch of it's life was a powerful image.

Which camp are you in..... detail or dirt

[coreseller]

Use to be a clean fanatic, the older I get the less I worry about it. Possibly will ruffle some feathers here but I see some guys who spend countless hours detailing their cars as simply maniacal, the each his own though.

Like I've told my boys......"It's a thing, a piece of metal which will likely be a steel girder, a beer can or plastic bottle before you are dead. Enjoy it but don't worship it."

Crap, I gotta go out and lay another coat of Polar Silver touch up paint on my newly chipped hood.

[EssexPorsche]

love it!

[coreseller]

LOL, I wasn't kidding....

[recycledsixtie]

I am in the middle on this one. I wash my car regularly especially in winter here because of the salt/mud/slush. However I have not waxed my Box in the almost two years I have owned it. Will do that this summer. I hate an unwashed car however I am not anal re stone chips, some dirt allowed in car etc. An unwashed car does not look good......

[EssexPorsche]

Fark! - that would be under a cover tonight and back in the body shop tomorrow if it were mine!

I love the different strokes for different folks.

Thats was was got me about the 991i saw, if it were mine, i'd be out there licking it clean every night but this one was minging, i mean sooo filthy that in a perverse way it looked awsome.

[coreseller]

Originally Posted by EssexPorsche

Fark! - that would be under a cover tonight and back in the body shop tomorrow if it were mine!

I love the different strokes for different folks.

Thats was was got me about the 991i saw, if it were mine, i'd be out there licking it clean every night but this one was minging, i mean sooo filthy that in a perverse way it looked awsome.

Agreed. It's a disposition that has to be admired IMO.

BTW...my car will eventually go back for a hood respray, just looking to hide it a little between now and then. Had it done less than a year ago.....

[BruceH]

I like it clean, but not maniacal, so I am middle of the road. A good wax goes a long way in keeping it clean.

[mountainman]

I subscribe to the belief that cars are ment to be driven and enjoyed. I am retired, have 3 porsches and log upwards of 30K miles a year of porsche fun. Mine get a reasonably thorough washing when it needs it and a good clay bar, polish once a year. They get the best maintenance I can provide and lots of driving. I am sure there are lots of people who have them for a showpiece and drive them 2 hours on sunday afternoon and that's fine; it keeps a good supply of very low milage used ones in the market. I just can't believe they are getting the enjoyment that I am from their Porsches.

[pothole]

Problem is, it's just not practical to be a detail whore and use the damn thing regularly. I certainly think it's a shame if a detailing fetish means you use the car less. These things are at their best being driven.

I like to keep mine clean and use sealing waxes etc. But if you use it, it gets marked.

I had my front bumper cover resprayed about a year ago or so. It's already got a load of little stone chips. It's done around 15k fun filled miles, it's going to get chipped. I suppose next time I get it resprayed I could get one of those clear protection films fitted...

[EssexPorsche]

Mountainman - that is some garage! Jeez!

[Perfectlap]

I have a garage full of every single detailing product that's ever been discussed.
In every category, leather, wheel cleaning, clay, canvas, tire dressing and that's before we get into the porter cable and that whole universe of products. Then I have my special mountain bike/road cleaning products which have its own cleaners and brushes. I have large bins of job-specific towels. I also recently starting using a foam gun as well.

All that being said... The best thing for your paint, is to touch it as little as possible.
That 991 that was dirty might look horrible but as long as the paint is waxed and sealed, is better off than being tinkered by someone who doesn't have the know how. The biggest culprit are using the wrong types of towels for buffing and drying. Those microfiber towels sold at auto stores are especially harmful. Those are basically re-labeled janitorial towels used to clean dirty floors. Using these on a well maintained car is like opting for a sledgehammer when rubber spatula will do the job.

This is the best thing to do: Use a foam gun (check autogeek.net ~$60) and spray in front of the chenille wash mitt so that anything you are touching is well lubricated and slick. Keep a few of those clean mitts, don't use one to clean the whole car because aferall those mitts are inexpensive. Dragging road sediments from a dirty mitt from one side of the car to the other is unecessarily harmful. Use a clean mitt for the left side, another clean one for the right side and a third for front and rear. For the lower portions use the least dirty mitt. Then for drying, spray down the car with a quick detailer to lubricate the drying process if you're using a waffle weave towel. One long pull of the towel across the surface. But the best thing is to simply drive the car to dry it or use a blower. If you're going to re-apply a spray wax booster use a long nap towel like the Griot's green or blue towels. NO PRICKLY microfiber for buffing. DON'T use a waterblade as it goes against the entire concept of increasing lubrication on touched surfaces. When applying waxes or polishing wax cleaners or sealants, spray the surface with a quick detailer spray (any brand will do) before the applicator sponge hits the surface and after the product hazes over spray the surface again. There should always be a thin film of lubricant when pressure is being applied to the paint. And limit these waxing sessions to as little as possible as it is very invasive to the paint, you're better off simply re-applying the spray wax booster of your choice more frequently. Right now after washing I'm using Griot's spray wax. A little while later after its dried I use Finish Kare #425 spray to seal it up, it has a very very slick teflon like finish which makes it easier to clean the next time around. I buy it by the gallon as it works on all metallic, glass and plastic surfaces.


As far interior and wheels, knock yourself out and clean as often as you like.

[EssexPorsche]

PL,
You are talking my language!

[Porsche Chick]

If I saw a 911 covered in gunk, I would just

I wash/wax my car when it looks even mildly dusty to me, but I hardly ever drive the thing. I've had it for over six months and I've put about 800 miles on it.

I got some kind of uber expensive paint guard on it when I bought it, because I hate to see faded paint and it does get very shiny when it's washed. It will be reapplied by the dealer once a year, and I'm looking forward to that.

[mountainman]

I have a very understanding wife

[mountainman]

Originally Posted by EssexPorsche

Mountainman - that is some garage! Jeez!

I have a very understanding wife

[stephen wilson]

I agree with Pothole, I would love to always have a spotless car, but in the summer I drive it several days a week. I just don't have the time to wash it every week, and I don't have to patience to spend hours polishing it. I have sort of a Monthly cycle, after washing it I'll only drive on dry days, but as it gets a bit dirty I'll drive it rain or shine. I'm very much a "drive it" type, not a "show car" type.

[MConte05]

Middle of the road here. I keep my interior very clean, exterior gets washed down when I get the chance, but it isn't a high priority. The boxster just isn't that special of a car to me to get fanatical about it.

[HAUSIDMT]

I try to keep her clean, not military inspection level clean. But she gets washed every two weeks and given a fresh coat of wax. Also with the occasional dusting in between. She lives in the garage and comes out at 1700 on Friday evenings for weekend duties.

[Barteur]

Yep in the middle also. I like having a clean car but prefer driving around instead of washing/waxing. I am still looking to be able to give dept in my paint though. I don't know if it's because I don't wax it enought or do it wrong... Some guys here have some paint finish (probably due to great paint maintenance) that looks very deep and it looks great!