# Cleaning on arrival at a Car Show?



## itfben (Oct 3, 2010)

Ok so getting into the swig on this detailing business, but one thing that is bugging me is i clean my car, drive 20minutes up the road to my local car meet and i have light splatters of mud/muck from the road up the lower sides of my car (near the wheels obviously)

Is this where quick detailers come in? to spray and wipe of dirt on arrival at the meet? if so what would you recommend product wise?

Ok on a larger scale, Im going to a few events this year one in particular is "The Fast Show" @ Santa Pod on the 27th March. Now My car will be thoroughly cleaned, polished and waxed before hand and clean ready to go the night before.

...The club I am going with will be having a club stand there so I am determined to have my car gleaming. BUT we are leaving at 4am and plan to be there 7ish so a good 3 hour drive. How am i going to get my car gleaming after 3hours of road grime going back up my car? i will have about 1-2 hours to tidy it up before we let the stand be. So what should my routine be when I arrive? I cant start pressure washing is down and getting out the suds purely because I'm not going to have 1) the water 2) the time 3) I don't think i will be up or all that after a 3hour drive.

Can you please recommend a process and the products you would recommend i am going to take with me. 

Thank you


----------



## Celica steve (Jun 25, 2010)

I also do the show circuit, although not quite in concours territory. I have been using this spray and wipe cleaner. It does the job for me, like you say, after a 3 hour drive, you don't want to be spending another few hours cleaning. It even works on real dusty bodywork, just make sure you have a good supply of microfibre cloths. It works very similar to detailing spray.


----------



## itfben (Oct 3, 2010)

Haha i love it Caravan One Drywash 

Thanks for your advice bud, any further advice from anyone would be apreciated too.


----------



## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

Get something like this or similar from other manufacturers

http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/product_p/ecog.htm

dilute it put it in a spray bottle and use same as a qd :thumb:

hth


----------



## itfben (Oct 3, 2010)

Great thanks rob, thats looks good, cant say im convinced about the marketing of the product to replace my tradional washing method with this, it does scream "swirl marks" i think to do a whole car i would need a lot of MF cloths as once i wiped an area i dont think id be touching it down elsewhere.


----------



## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

well i have another solution done this myself for car meets and a lot of mates and other members of my car club do it...

get yourself some cling film, after youve got it all waxed ect and before leaving. cover the front end with cling film (apart from vents ect) and use good masking tape that wont leave marks on the paint. can do the sides and rear aswell...

might look stupid getting there... but once there off with the cling film and quick detailer on the car will look freshly waxed.. no swirls! bit of window cleaner on the windows and squeegee them then wipe up excess water.. :thumb:
plus at 4am no ones gonna see it lol
aslong as you dont cover vents, gaps(do bonnet seperate from wings ect) or lights and your fine mate (oh and windows [lol] [lol])


----------



## GS300 (Dec 16, 2007)

↑ beaten to it 

I got this tip off here cover most of the clean parts that will be effected with cling film, I did it going to a show last year and it did work. Just incase theres no washing facilities buy 2 r 3 cheap 5ltr bottles of drinking water and bucket


----------



## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

itfben said:


> Great thanks rob, thats looks good, cant say im convinced about the marketing of the product to replace my tradional washing method with this, it does scream "swirl marks" i think to do a whole car i would need a lot of MF cloths as once i wiped an area i dont think id be touching it down elsewhere.


Yes wouldnt replace the washing of a car with it when particularly dirty but have used it with great success for exactly what your looking for.


----------



## itfben (Oct 3, 2010)

Seen this method done before, usually when the Germans come over ti shows they will do sonething similar.


----------



## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

CraigQQ said:


> well i have another solution done this myself for car meets and a lot of mates and other members of my car club do it...
> 
> get yourself some cling film, after youve got it all waxed ect and before leaving. cover the front end with cling film (apart from vents ect) and use good masking tape that wont leave marks on the paint. can do the sides and rear aswell...
> 
> ...


Decent idea but isnt that the same as just using a waterless detailer if you have to qd the car after taking of the protection of the cling film thus crating an extra step as the waterless detailer is used on the whole car windows trim etc .


----------



## itfben (Oct 3, 2010)

That kind of what i was thinking, and for local meets its alot of effort to wrap the car up.

Good idea still to give you your due.


----------



## Evil Monkey (Mar 15, 2010)

How about taking a plastic jerry can full of water with you + a bucket and sponge + a bottle of ONR?


----------



## itfben (Oct 3, 2010)

Onr ?


----------



## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

robinho said:


> Decent idea but isnt that the same as just using a waterless detailer if you have to qd the car after taking of the protection of the cling film thus crating an extra step as the waterless detailer is used on the whole car windows trim etc .


its not really necessary to go for a QD after taking the cling film off, i just prefer to as it adds a bit of extra shine..

and the reason imo it has one up on the waterless wash, is simply less chance of swirl marks and not lots of dirty microfibres afterwards.. 
so only need a couple microfibres and a QD.

if you want to be lazy you dont need to QD it..

when you wrap the car you tape the cling film down underneath the bonnet. then each layer over lay it a bit so your taping onto the other cling film not the car, and the wings you tape onto arches.
the doors you tape onto sills and window trim, 
the rear you tape inside boot and along window bottom
rear bumper inside boot and under bumper..

im not knocking the waterless wash method i just think this has better results.

sure it might be a little bit longer to prepare..before the show with wrapping and when you get there but from me i would rather spend an extra 10-15 mintues un wrapping my car than doing a waterless wash after ive drove 200 miles!

everyone i know does this now as its much safer, if you really want to show off a perfect car i'd go as far as saying its a must! :thumb:


----------



## itfben (Oct 3, 2010)

OK cheers bud, we if I'm taking my current car its not perfect paint anyway, just want it clean for the show. but if i get a new car with nice fresh paint then I will be more likely to give this method a shot. 

Thanks all, any more suggestions or if you just want to ay your preferred method please post and let me know.


----------



## Alfa GTV (Apr 18, 2007)

Cling film, just dont go too crazy with it!

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42579000/jpg/_42579353_cellophane416.jpg

Or post it notes :lol:

http://lolpranks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/haha-post-it-notes-car-prank-idea.jpg


----------



## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

thats hilarous especially the post it notes!!

the first car.. someones tried the cling film method to go to a car show... practice makes perfect as they say [lol] [lol]


----------



## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

CraigQQ said:


> its not really necessary to go for a QD after taking the cling film off, i just prefer to as it adds a bit of extra shine..
> 
> and the reason imo it has one up on the waterless wash, is simply less chance of swirl marks and not lots of dirty microfibres afterwards..
> so only need a couple microfibres and a QD.
> ...


No t knocking your idea mate but i think youve misinterprated how i would use waterless in this instance.the car would be show ready the night before and then prepped in this way on arrival thus making the whole process the equivalent of qd ing the car,not doing it to a filthy car so not really any more chance of inducing mass swirling than qding the parts of you car that arent clingfilmed
as waterless has more lubricant than qd as a rule and will impart the same level of shine.

when done i would say id use 4-6 mf clths,only a couple more than qding.

Each to there own i suppose mate ,ill stick with mine and you vice versa.:thumb:


----------



## beginner101 (Jan 19, 2010)

once said on CSI "car condom"


----------

