Good morning forum members,
the first thing I did with my new xj40 is take it to the first car wash I could find, probably the first wash in over 5 years....Christ car wash, I thought it was a nice name!
Not very happy with the result: I was expecting a brighter bodywork instead I have several halos, and then washing the car I found many marks that I couldn't see before.
Still in love though :-)
Do you have any advice on how to wash the car in your experience? it's a 1994, and it's my first historic car
thanks
Q

 

I have nothing against a car wash, but it will never be the same as a soft cloth, soapy water and a hose (plus the various polishes and protectants of your choice).

 

thank you Jerry!

 

Lots to say bad about automated and coin-op car washes. First off, they use fairly harsh detergents to get off as much muck as possible with the least agitation possible. Realize there are a LOT dirtier cars than yours going through so they have to be pretty aggressive to get some hoopties clean. Those brushes can't evenly get every curve, every nook and cranny. They're pounding away at the high spots while barely tickling the low spots. Hot water and detergents can compensate in the low spots, but strip any wax or other protective or glossy coatings previously applied. And those spinning brushes can pick up grit from the 4x4 that came in hot off the trail two cars before you. Cars always wind up with swirls after going through those things. They do serve a purpose for the vast majority of SUVs because they just need to be "clean" and don't need to look real good. For your historic car, you're probably going to attend a car show or two or three eventually and want it to look its best as well as you don't want to ever feel the need to repaint it (too expensive).

Now that its been through the automated wash and you're not happy, you probably should consider taking it to a professional detailer, having some level of paint correction (that's the term they use nowadays, but it just means polishing) done and a good quality sealant/wax applied. I'd say you could do it yourself, but it takes patience, practice and a good eye to learn to DIY and having tried for decades to master, I'm convinced its worth what they charge. From then on, either wash it by hand yourself or pay the extra for a manual wash job. To best preserve the detailer's nice, glossy finish, you really need to hand wash, using the most gentle shampoo, wash mit and drying towel to preserve the paint finish and shine. We could get into the weeds about the two-bucket method, de-ionized water, foam cannons and all that. Some people are really that obsessed, and I'll leave it to you if you want to watch a bunch of youtube videos of OCD car wash experts and replicate their methods, but mainly I'd just implore you to "be gentle" with your paint finish and avoid the drive-thrus and coin-op pressure washes.

 

great advice and feedbacks, thanks Phil!

yes, plan now is to fix mechanical problems in the shop, then take care of body and finally keep it clean by hand

thanks

ruben