Best car care for your Cayman?

[Matt_Chaps]

Evening,

 

So now that I’ve got my baby, wondering what to use to wash her. Having recently bought a meteor grey 3.4 S, I’d like to keep it looking sharp. My questions to you all are:

 

- Jet washers, yes or no? I’ve always avoided

- Hand car washes, yes or no?

- For at home, what are the products and pieces of kit you’d recommend to start a beginner off? 
 

Cheers,

Matt

Edited June 14, 2021 by Matt_Chaps

[Julian987]

- Jet washers, yes or no? I’ve always avoided

 

Jet Washer. I use the Karcher k2 compact

 

https://www.kaercher.com/uk/home-garden/pressure-washers/k-2-compact-16735010.html

 

with the Vario lance, which allows me to dial it down

https://www.kaercher.com/uk/accessory/full-control-vario-power-jet-for-k2-k3-vp120-26427240.html

 

and the 180/360 vario lance head which allows me to angle it into the wheel arches.

https://www.kaercher.com/int/accessory/vp-180-s-vario-power-jet-short-360-for-k-2-k-7-26432540.html

 

- Hand car washes, yes or no?

 

god no. Like seriously no! 

 

- For at home, what are the products and pieces of kit you’d recommend to start a beginner off? 

 

My process, copied over from a previous thread, I should stress I have no affiliation with these Brands. Also these products are based on my R being ceramic coated, which I would stress should be your first point of call (a good detail, paint correction and ceramic coating) . It'll make the subsequent cleaning all the easier and safer. 

1.Auto Finesse Avalanche Snow Foam on dry car

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/snow-foam
Jet wash off.
Rinse Foam Lance

Fill up with...

2. ....Auto Finesse Lavish via Lance.

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/lavish-1-litre

Allow to sit for only a minute (this aids lubrication/glide for step 3
Jet wash off
Rinse Foam Lance

Fill up with...

3. ...Auto Finesse Caramics Shampoo via Lance, applying to a panel area at a time.

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/ceramic-car-shampoo-1

If it spreads to other areas, makes no odds.
Use a lambs wool mitt ...

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/ultra-soft-wash-mitt

 

...per panel and flip the mitt mid way. If needed rinse/blast the wool mitt under the jetwash...just don't hold hand too close to the nozzle!
Put the used lambs wool mitt in a bag until back indoors (then wash them accordingly). 

Repeat step 3 with a new lambs wool mitt for each panel area. For my Cayman R I find the need for 6 wash mitts (12 sides). So repeat a dozen times in my case, rinse/blast it off occasionally and accordingly to how dirty each panel is, no need to dunk. 

 

That said, since my original post, Beanoir™ rightly said I could use just one bucket for rinsing....but where all my method is going is that there is no need for two buckets if you apply the shampoo via the lance. 

 

Two bucket method myth busted ...

 

 

 

Then fill up with...

4. ....Auto Finesse Lavish via Lance. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
Jet wash off

5. Dry what hasn't beaded off with microfibre towels, normal process here.

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/car-drying-towel

 

6. Some areas I may go over after its dry with

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/ceramic-infused-gloss-enhancer-1

and

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/primo-plush-microfibre-cloth

or

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/ultra-plush-microfibre-cloth

 

7. Tyres I use 

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/satin-tyre-dressing

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/tyre-and-trim-applicator

 

8. Wheels I use

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/imperial-1-litre

 

9. For bird poop I use 

https://www.autofinesse.com/en/citrus-power-1-litre

Apply it, then place a micro fibre towel over it, and pour warm water on top of the microfibre and leave for a minute. Then it'll melt the poop away into the towel, perhaps with a wipe or two needed.

 

I am considering a car air dryer

https://ibigboi.com/

or 

deionised water ...

https://www.raceglaze.co.uk/car-care-exterior/rinsing-water-filters/

 

....as what is happening in this video

 

 

 

Hope that helps!

But, whatever you do, with regards to "So that I have my baby, wondering what to use to wash her"

....do not use cheap hand car washes!

Best regards

Julian

 

 

[Lennym1984]

At the other end of the spectrum... It's just a car. Wash it with a decent shampoo and wax it every now and again. If you're feeling energetic, you can machine polish it once a year. The key thing is to drive it rather than obsess about how to keep it clean

[Aaron]

Find a good detailer.  Drive car, pay detailer to maintain paintwork.  Done.

[Julian987]

1 hour ago, Aaron said:

Find a good detailer.  Drive car, pay detailer to maintain paintwork.  Done.

 

True, but it can be enjoyable cleaning ones own car. If money was no object, fair enough, but I doubt money is no object considering this isn't a supercar forum. Personally i find cleaning my R quite therapeutic and rewarding. 

 

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Julian987

[zcacogp]

5 hours ago, Lennym1984 said:

At the other end of the spectrum... It's just a car. Wash it with a decent shampoo and wax it every now and again. If you're feeling energetic, you can machine polish it once a year. The key thing is to drive it rather than obsess about how to keep it clean

As Lenny said. Ferry Porsche (snr) was a big advocate of making cars that are good to drive and being proud of dirt, scrapes, battle scars and everything else. Apparently he would only wash a car if the dirt got in the way of it being driven - i.e blocked lights or the windscreen or similar. 

[andygo]

1 hour ago, zcacogp said:

As Lenny said. Ferry Porsche (snr) was a big advocate of making cars that are good to drive and being proud of dirt, scrapes, battle scars and everything else. Apparently he would only wash a car if the dirt got in the way of it being driven - i.e blocked lights or the windscreen or similar. 

Thats because he couldn't afford all the hyped up snake oil to clean it with.

 

Personally, i just use the sponge side of a scourer for most of the car and the green side for bird poo, flies etc.

 

 

Only joking....

Edited June 15, 2021 by andygo

[Stutopia]

If you want to get into it, there's a whole world out there, but a simple two bucket wash (plus a dedicated bucket and brush for doing the wheels), with a mitt and one of the myriad shampoos on offer, will do the job nicely. You don't need to spend a fortune to get boutique stuff, I use a lot of Envy https://www.envycarcare.co.uk kit as it's well priced, comes in sensible quantities and I know a couple of talented professionals who use it (which is good enough for me). A big bag of microfibres is essential. If you want to add some shine and protection, try a small pot of wax and see if you enjoy applying it (by hand is quite satisfying for some). If that feels like a chore, try a spray detailer, for something easy and quick. Beware of anything that promises miracles.

 

If you give it a shot and it feels like a drag, find a detailer and let them take care of your pride and joy for you. Whatever you do, stay away from the £5 hand job places in former petrol stations and drive in washers.

 

Some people get the bug, pop in some headphones, and actually enjoy the process, find it relaxing and a nice change of pace from other things going on around you. It can be satisfying transforming something filthy in a few hours. Some people think you're mad, but don't worry about that, you've only got to amuse yourself. Having a clean car isn't a sign of being a bit of a soft lad and keeping sills, channels, vents, arches and drains clean is proactive maintenance - not vanity.

[Aaron]

12 hours ago, Julian987 said:

 

True, but it can be enjoyable cleaning ones own car. If money was no object, fair enough, but I doubt money is no object considering this isn't a supercar forum. Personally i find cleaning my R quite therapeutic and rewarding. 

 

 

 

It's not as expensive as you'd think.  I don't drive the car through winter so it doesn't get washed for 5-6 months of the year.

 

The other months, I have it cleaned (inside and out) and the coating maintained (glass, wheels, and paintwork) for £75 every 1-2 months.  Guy cleans the car a thousand times better than I ever could - no swirls, no damage; drop it off, pick it up.  Effortless.  I snow foam and rinse it in between but that's it.

 

Personally, I hate cleaning cars.  If you don't then our opinions will obviously differ here.  I have, however, done the foam, wash, double buckets, and coating craziness long before I could afford a Porsche.  Cleaning a car would be my idea of a laborious, boring Sunday afternoon.

 

On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy the mechanical side of things and would never pay a garage to work on that aspect of the car, obvious exclusions pertaining.