I've just spent a ridiculous amount of time reading the posts here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...he-non-oc.html

My brain exploded

I just want to clean my Roadster so it looks nice. I don't want to spend several hours and a paycheck doing so. Can anyone recommend some straightforward products and a routine to accomplish this?

Cheers!
David

 

I line-up my wheels with the guide and hand the guy $8.

 

To avoid swirls applied by the tender carresses of some guy who doesn't give a rip about your baby, had washing is the only way to go.
There are several good products on the market. My preference is Griot's. Octaneguy uses Primo. At the auto parts shop Meguiars and Mother's are popular. Top quality use specific micro fiber cloths are a must. Expensive at first but they last a long time if cared for and will not harm your finish.
The very first thing to do after washing is clay bar. Sounds demanding but easy as pie, only takes a few minutes and makes a world of difference. You only need to do that after the initial going over just once every year or so and then mainly on the front.
After that apply a couple of coats of wax and buff. Use only microfiber cloths sold by whoever's goods you use. Avoid those cheap dime store ones 6 for a dollar. A good drying towell should dry that whole thing without having to wring it out. With Griot's, I use the spray on wax while drying between quarterly carnuba wax dates. Their detailing sprays and other products are very easy to use and will keep you car looking showroom. Once you get started, I'll bet you do become a Saturday afternoon OCD detailer.

 

I just hand wash it at least one a week (the wheels more often -- brake dust) using Hydro products from http://www.primacarcare.com/

 

Thanks Fly'n and MiniRy!

 

Croftgate USA. Awesome stuff.

 

oh dear god i could never do that to my MINI, and plus at my ride height i probably wouldn't clear the guide.

here is a great guide on car detailing http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/
on that site is also where i buy 99% of my car washing supplies. a waffle weave micro fiber cloth is one of my must haves for drying, it can soak up so much water and its super soft.

as far as my routine:
for my wash i have 2 5 gallon home depot buckets, one with soap and water and a lot of suds, the other is for rinsing them off and getting all the dirt off (grit guards work great here). i use like 3 microfibers (got them at costco, the yellow ones!!) for the wash and i switch often, especially when i hit a super dirty area.
first i fill the rinse bucket and then pour some soap in the other, but dont fill it, i wait til the very last moment so i can build up the suds. i work around the car in this order, top, rear, driver back half, driver front half, passenger front half, passenger back half. working in small sections ensures you get everything and you concentrate all your fresh suds a section instead of wasting them. after its all clean, i give the mini a rinse and give it a once over, somehow i always seem to miss one spot. after that i water dry it (for those who don't know http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtoWk9thSEI), the cleaner you keep your car the more effective water drying will be. i then attack my mini with the leaf blower, getting all the water out from the cracks so they don't drip down on me later. i get the rest of the lingering water with my waffle weave micro fiber, clean the windows with stoner spray window cleaner (because it has no ammonia in it, it is safe to use on tinted windows). the last thing i clean are the wheels, just wait for them to dry and use an old micro fiber and voila the basic wash is complete.

 

An after thought: Don't claybar the stripes. If you ever decide to polish (with a random orbital only!) be sure to mask off the stripes. They do like a good coat of wax though. You might also look into the clear bra aftermarket. Now is the time before the nose gets a road rash. Wish I hadda.

 

Great info all! Thanks much.