Detailing tips for the city dwellers?

[iDriveS]

Like everyone else in here, I am a detailing fanatic. Back in the day (when I lived in MI) I had a garage with ample storage, electrical outlets, hoses all over the place, etc.

My R56 will be coming in this week (hopefully) so I'm trying to figure out how I can maintain it without all the amenities of a garage/house. The car will be parked on the street. I don't drive to work, so it will only be used on the weekends or at night for getting around and entertainment. I have an outdoor faucet I can use. I have a first floor apartment so with an extension cord through my bedroom I should be able to reach my car. The street is semi-shaded with trees so it won't be in the sun all day, I haven't noticed any problem with sap dripping on cars either.

I'm thinking I'll pick up a hand-held vac but probably won't bother with a power buffer for now. Since hydro seems to be the most popular product on here, I'll be ordering a bottle of that. I read that hydro "cures in 24 hours," will there be any issues with the car having hydro applied and then sitting completely exposed outside afterwards? Any fellow city dwellers find any tips/tricks for those of us with limited space?

Thanks.

[mcdbrendan]

It should be fine sitting outside.

I would highly suggest Prima Slick as well for your QD'ing and "bird" emergencies.

[rooandren]

I just wanted to chime in that I'm in a similar situation and would really appreciate the input as well! To make it worth your effort

[iDriveS]

Great, thanks. I'll throw in a bottle of that to the order as well.

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by mcdbrendan

It should be fine sitting outside.

I would highly suggest Prima Slick as well for your QD'ing and "bird" emergencies.

What worries me even more than "bird" emergencies are "punk a-hole kid" emergencies. I sold my mr2 shortly after moving to the apartment, so I haven't had to worry about it, but my housemates have all had some form of vandalism ranging from dog crap thrown at the car to a rear view mirror being knocked off.

I have access to off-street parking, but it is shared by the house and is a first-come-first-served thing. Since my car will sit most of the time, I should be able to get it in the driveway for at least half the time. The rest of the time I will be parking it down a slightly quieter and less trafficed street nearby.

[Mark C.]

I lived in Boston myself for a number of years and parked outside, albeit in an off-street space in an alley. My advice would be to get a good coat of polymer on the car - something like Klasse, Prima Epic, etc. which will defend against the elements. I'd also advise doing anything you can to avoid parking on the street...and when it snows, DO NOT park on the street.

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by iDriveS

Like everyone else in here, I am a detailing fanatic.

The car will be parked on the street. The street is semi-shaded with trees so it won't be in the sun all day, I haven't noticed any problem with sap dripping on cars either.

hummmm, car guys like me gets a garage first. and never parallel
park in a street, and never under a tree for long durations. sap might
not be a problem but leaves, bird crap, kids smashing into your car
on their bikes, getting keyed, getting bumped by other cars, and some
trees with acorn will (squirels).. jk

i think some light polishing would be called to order on occasion but
otherwise just a normal wash and some hydro sounds good.
on a car parked outdoors i wouldn't spend too much time on it per
shot, rather do light and easy work more frequently so you dont drain
yourself out.

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by kenchan

hummmm, car guys like me gets a garage first.

If only I could. Thats why I'll be moving out of Boston and back to the midwest in a few years. Unfortunately, the day I can afford a place in Boston with a garage will be a day that I'm not driving a $30k car. Actually hoping/planning on relocating to the Chicago area. I grew up in west michigan and have family in Chicago (the city) and some aunts/uncles in the chicago suburbs. Still an expensive place to live, but space is not quite at the premium that it is out here.

[kenchan]

Idrives- yah I see what you mean. There is a give and take to housing and hobby. we just do the best we can.

[bee1000n]

I'm a city dweller whose car is parked outside. I have no tips for you except to say that your car will never look clean for more than a day or two. Put a good coat of wax on it a couple times a year and hope for the best.

Hopefully you chose a light color. The PW part of my PW/B MCS always looks a lot better than the B part!

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by bee1000n

Hopefully you chose a light color. The PW part of my PW/B MCS always looks a lot better than the B part!

Too late! By this weekend (fingers crossed) I'll be driving an AB/AB R56. The only thing remotely light will be the red lounge leather seats. I even went with the anthracite headliner and piano black interior. I'm a sucker for black cars.

[tigwantstoplay]

If it's going to sit outside undriven for the better part of most weeks, why not invest in a nice car cover? That way, when you do get the chance to detail your car, you don't feel as if your efforts have been wasted 10 mins after you're done, exhausted, and admiring it?

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by tigwantstoplay

If it's going to sit outside undriven for the better part of most weeks, why not invest in a nice car cover? That way, when you do get the chance to detail your car, you don't feel as if your efforts have been wasted 10 mins after you're done, exhausted, and admiring it?

This is something that I was thinking about doing. Here is my reasoning for choosing against it, let me know if I'm overthinking it though:

With my current work schedule I will only have time to clean it on the weekends. This means that it will probably be cleaned on Saturdays or Friday nights so that I have the most time possible to drive around in it and enjoy the freshly cleaned car. I probably wouldn't clean it on Sunday night just so that I could put the cover on it, and I'd probably have trouble sleeping if I wasn't sure that the car was clean before putting the cover on. It gets pretty windy out here and I'd hate for dirt underneath the cover to scratch the paint. Also, I usually run a random errand or two during the week (and will probably find more excuses to get into the car during the week once it gets here) so even if I did clean it up Sunday night the cover would probably only be on for a day or two at the most. I don't drive a lot (200-300 miles a month) but will hopefully be getting out for quick little drives on weekday nights. I'm also going to start finding excuses to drive all over the state for the next month so that I can get the car broken in ASAP. There is no way I can wait 4-6 months to hit 1200 miles.

The cover is still something that I'm definitely going to consider though. If I find that the car is sitting for 3-4 days a week I may invest in a good cover for it. My lease is up on 8/31 in my current place and I'm going to be working hard to find a place with a good parking situation. I'll just have to battle it out with the missus who has a different #1 priority (washer/dryer). Anyone know of a good place for reasonable rent within walking distance of the T that has off street parking, w/d, and preferably 1+ bedrooms?...

[tigwantstoplay]

Originally Posted by iDriveS

This is something that I was thinking about doing. Here is my reasoning for choosing against it, let me know if I'm overthinking it though:

With my current work schedule I will only have time to clean it on the weekends. This means that it will probably be cleaned on Saturdays or Friday nights so that I have the most time possible to drive around in it and enjoy the freshly cleaned car. I probably wouldn't clean it on Sunday night just so that I could put the cover on it, and I'd probably have trouble sleeping if I wasn't sure that the car was clean before putting the cover on. It gets pretty windy out here and I'd hate for dirt underneath the cover to scratch the paint. Also, I usually run a random errand or two during the week (and will probably find more excuses to get into the car during the week once it gets here) so even if I did clean it up Sunday night the cover would probably only be on for a day or two at the most.

It's still something that I'm definitely going to consider though. If I find that the car is sitting for 3-4 days a week I may invest in a good cover for it. My lease is up on 8/31 in my current place and I'm going to be working hard to find a place with a good parking situation. I'll just have to battle it out with the missus who has different #1 priority (washer/dryer). Anyone know of a good place for reasonable rent within walking distance of the T that has off street parking and w/d?...

No problem. Clean it on Friday nights/Saturdays. Enjoy it throughout the weekend - you're paying ALOT of money to drive your MINI 2 days a week - don't just enjoy it; enjoy the hell out it!! Then use a CaliforniaDuster on it Sunday night, along with a quick spray of any number of products (see a beeeelion posts on quick detailing sprays), and put the car cover on it for the week. Problem solved.

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by tigwantstoplay

No problem. Clean it on Friday nights/Saturdays. Enjoy it throughout the weekend - you're paying ALOT of money to drive your MINI 2 days a week - don't just enjoy it; enjoy the hell out it!! Then use a CaliforniaDuster on it Sunday night, along with a quick spray of any number of products (see a beeeelion posts on quick detailing sprays), and put the car cover on it for the week. Problem solved.

You're slowly convincing me... Are there any reccomended car covers or should I just let the dealer twist the knife a little further and buy a cover from them?

[tigwantstoplay]

Welllllllllllllllll....you caught me in a good mood. Or perhaps I just sympathize with your situation. I happen to have an OEM MINI car cover sitting in storage not doing a damn thing.

I am ashamed - ok, take this offer quick...you've forced me to confess and my mood is deteriorating quickly.

I'll send it to you for $50. It's been used a whopping 3x - because I'm *cough* too lazy. The plan was that I would cover my car everyday as it sits in the parking lot at work. I prefer to look out the window of my office and see her sitting there in her clean and shiny glory.

Take iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

[Qksquirt]

Here's the best way I've ever found to take care of punk kids, other than a shotgun. Take your video camera and video reccord everything that moves in the area especially the jerkyest group of them. When (not if) they ask why tell them that there have been problems with vehicles being vandalized in the area and you want a visual record of anyone that comes through the neighborhood for the police to check out. If nothing happens to the car they would have nothing to worry about. If you present it just like that, it works better than hiring an armed guard. I used to live next to a high school and had problems with fights and stuff disappearing from the garages. Once we started a program like taping and taking pictures, our neighborhood was queiter that a graveyard at midnight on Halloween.

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by tigwantstoplay

Welllllllllllllllll....you caught me in a good mood. Or perhaps I just sympathize with your situation. I happen to have an OEM MINI car cover sitting in storage not doing a damn thing.

I am ashamed - ok, take this offer quick...you've forced me to confess and my mood is deteriorating quickly.

I'll send it to you for $50. It's been used a whopping 3x - because I'm *cough* too lazy. The plan was that I would cover my car everyday as it sits in the parking lot at work. I prefer to look out the window of my office and see her sitting there in her clean and shiny glory.

Take iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Will it fit an R56? If so, it sounds like you've got yourself a deal.

[tigwantstoplay]

Originally Posted by iDriveS

Will it fit an R56? If so, it sounds like you've got yourself a deal.

I don't know anything about the R56 other than what I've read on NAM. Can a knowledgeable R56'er answer this question for us please?

Thanks in advance.

What I do know is that the cover fits my 06 MCSc with factory aero kit.

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by tigwantstoplay

I don't know anything about the R56 other than what I've read on NAM. Can a knowledgeable R56'er answer this question for us please?

Thanks in advance.

What I do know is that the cover fits my 06 MCSc with factory aero kit.

I've been told it won't fit properly because of the R56's redesign. Thanks again for the offer though.


I'm thinking that I will start with the following:

-the DP starter bundle
-a bottle of hydro
-the necessary leather cleaning/conditioners (probably lexol since I've had good experiences with that product in the past)
-some soft sponges for the wheels
-a bottle of plain old car washing shampoo for the wheels
-a california duster
-leaf blower? (I'm really tempted to get one after hearing others on the board raving about how well they work)

Since the car is brand new and won't be driven much, I'm hoping/assuming that I won't need to worry about scratches, swirls, etc for a while so I'm thinking I'll just dump all of my existing detailing items and start over with the aforementioned (I'm always looking for an excuse to get new toys). I'll keep the basics (buckets, hose attachments, tire dressing, extra mits for the wheels).

Any must have items that I'm going to be missing?

[gokartride]

There was a time when the lightweight OEM car covers were scratching paint. Hopefully this isn't still the case but best to check.

[jwardell]

I had the same problem in my last apartment, a non-working spigot outside. At first I wanted to hook a hose up to the sink (almost no pressure), then I realized that the washer/dryer hookups are the same as a hose.

I washed my car every week in the summer, and that involved disconnecting the washing machine, connecting a hose, running it across the kitchen and living room, out the window, down three stories, and across the yard...every week!

So I really do appreciate the fact that I now have my own house and my own garage now (and around boston..it IS possible!)

[rooandren]

iDrives, I just moved from Chicago to Boston and while I'm happy being closer to family, the cities just don't compare (especially food-wise). Chicago is my fav, you couldn't be disappointed. But keep in mind those midwest roads are a lot less interesting!

[kenchan]

detailing cart or bag?

[iDriveS]

Originally Posted by kenchan

detailing cart or bag?

Good point. I should look into a good bag for all my stuff. I'm actually thinking that maybe getting a soft sided clothing/storage container might be a good way to go. I saw one at the pharmacy the other day when I was picking up a prescription. It would have enough form/rigidity to hold everything, but could collapse, and I could throw it in the back of the car to transport.

This probably isn't ideal though, any suggestions for a good bag? Maybe just picking up a new gym bag?