Hi all,

I am about to take delivery of my new baby next week. I've always had crappy cars in the past that I didn't care about detailing.

I live in an apartment complex... so for all of you without garages, what do you do?

 

just make sure you use a very good wax and keep the paint protected. at my townhouse we have assigned parking so I don't have to worry about anyone parking next to me besides my GF. In general the only thing you can do is be careful to park in an end spot whenever possible and leave as much space between you and the cars on both sides if you have to park between others. you could get a car cover, but I'm not sure how much protection that will actually give you.

 

We have a garage, but our MINI's stay outside except in extreme weather.

Just wax it nicely and be careful with parking and it should be just fine.

 

Don't panic! Many MINIs live outdoors and are perfectly happy, including mine. In addition to keeping the exterior waxed, I recommend using 303 Aerospace Protectant on the interior. It is a UV protector ("SPF 40 for your stuff" as the bottle says). You can find in all the online detailing stores, and also at places like REI where they sell it as a protectant for fiberglass kayaks, etc. Apply it once a month, and all the interior plastic should stay in good shape.

If you have a place to wash by hand, go for it. I just drive through the car wash at a gas station, dry with a waffle-weave microfiber towel and then use quick detailer to finish the job. I used to go to a fancier car wash, but they used the same gross terrycloth towels as all the other car washes. I figure I'm better off doing the drying myself, especially since I end up QDing it once I get home anyway.