Exterior Car Cleaning Tips
By Wayne Estrada, Copyright, 1999
Last Update 09/07/01
Cleaning, waxing, and detailing the outside of
any automobile is one of my favorite activities in life.
When it comes to cleaning and detailing British Cars,
and especially Jaguars, it is almost ecstasy.
From the time I was a kid, growing up around my
Dad's repair garage and gas station in San Francisco,
I loved to help clean and wax customers cars--especially
the many British varieties that were often in and out of
the shop. Working on cars, and British Cars in
particular, have been a passion of mine from the time
I was 5 years old working at my Dad's British Car
garage (all I could do was clean headlights--I eventually
worked my way up to tuning SUs).
What inspired me, as a boy of ten, was another older
(than me) Mexican man that worked for my Dad.
While only 19 years old, "Joe" bought a brand new,
stunning, 1964 fire engine red Chevrolet Impala two
door coupe. When he wasn't busy pumping gas or helping
my Dad with mechanical work, he'd be out on the
side of the garage lovingly washing and waxing that car.
I can still see the mirror-like reflection of Joe's
white uniform off that lovely body and the gleam of
silvery-bright chrome. It is something I never forgot.
In this article on detailing our beloved Jaguar
automobiles, you will see I have some fanatical views
on car care. First, I am going to start with the exterior
paint, wheels, and bright work. The other
articles on my "Wayne's Tips" page address detailing the
engine,
interior,
wet sanding paint to restore
luster to older paint, and under carriage detailing.
Please take this for what it is--a passionate love
for all things Jaguar from an ardent layman
detailer-fanatic. Not to brag, but my XJ-S and
Vanden Plas Sedan have won several 1st place finishes at shows.
I love detailing my Jaguars. There is nothing to compare
to a warm, sunny day, good music, a cold Corona beer or
hot cup of gourmet coffee, and messing around with the
Jags. Here are the steps to bring your Jaguar to
Concours display condition.
Index
Step 1--Wheels
Step 2--Bumpers & Rubber
Step 3--Paint/Washing
Step 4--Paint/Cleaning-Polishing & Waxing
Step 5--Glass
Step 1-- Wheels:
Only clean wheels when they are cool (like before driving
the car). Start with Dawn (brand) dishwashing
detergent. Thus stuff is really gentle on wheels--better
than those "spray" chemical cleaners (they say on
the bottle "leave on for 60 seconds and rinse"...presumably
greater than 60 seconds will cause damage?) Also, it
is very important to never put any cleaner on a hot
wheel. Ever taken a whiff of the acrid smell thus stuff
makes on hot wheels? (OK, so I don't follow directions, but
please learn from my mistakes!) Seems corrosive to me.
The small crevices in wheels--like the lattice wheels
on the XJ-S -- are no fun to clean, and they get dirty
very quickly. A moderately stiff wheel brush and
Dawn work great to clean off the brake dust. First, spray down
the wheel throughly with water to clean off surface dust and dirt,
lather up the wheel, rinse,
and repeat. Then wash the wheel again with Dawn soap and a good soft brush
and rinse again. A soft sponge may also help in cleaning what the brush does not get.
If you have a chrome plated wheel or wire
wheel, I highly recommended
British Auto USA Wire Wheel
Cleaner. It works major miracles on chrome wheels, but
do not use on aluminum or painted wheels (as per
the directions). Squirt it on and let it set for
60-90 seconds. Rewash with Dawn and rinse thoroughly.
Your wheels should be clean at this point. Again, a small sponge
is good for getting the last little bits off.
Again, never, ever clean hot wheels.
On my Vanden Plas, I upgraded my original oval hole
wheels to the factory 16" "Chrome "Turbine" style.
They are stunning. At least twice a
year, I use the product "Chrome-Magic" to deep clean the
surface of chrome wheels to guard against pitting and
corrosion. See their advert in Jaguar World or call the
American distributor,
British Auto USA (New Hampshire) at 800-452-4787.
Although it actually gathers dirt, a very thin wipe down
on any wheel with WD-40 (brand) puts a nice glean on
painted, lacquered, and natural metal surfaces. It's also easier to
clean next time around. Never put wax on the wheels.
Heat transfer from disk brakes turns the waxed finish
a yellowish green. I know this from the original
painted wheels on my Vanden Plas.
If the wheels are dirty, so are the tires--
you just can't see it. Give the tires
a good scrubbing too with a car washing bristle brush and
Dawn. Westley's (brand) tire and Wheel
Foamy Cleaner (in a white spray can) does the best
job for a quickie tire cleaner.
Re-apply it until you don't see any more brown foam. Rinse off
the dirty foam thouroughly.
For really deep cleaning, take the wheels off the car
(one at a time folks...) and wash the inside and outside of the tires
and with Dawn and a bristle brush. Use a softer brush on the wheels
themselves. A hard nylon (or other brush) may scratch them.
A good sponge is OK to get off the stubborn stuff. If your wheel
has holes or openings in it, you might consider using a bottle brush.
My latest revelation is then scrubbing the tires with Kiwi [brand]
"Saddle Soap". I was amazed at how much more grit it got out of the rubber
that even Dawn did not. Dip the bristles into the saddle soap and rub it
vigarously into the tires, especially in the same direction of any grooves or markings
to get all the tar, oil, and grime out. Once clean, you'll know it because
the soapy residue will be white/tan colored, not grimmy brown or black.
I also found this to really help moisturize the rubber in the tires too.
If your tires are really clean, all that miniature DOT required printing
on the sidewalls will be easy to read and sharp.
Once the tires are clean, they need to be moisturized
and finished to a luster. There is a product in
the States sold as "Snap [brand] Silicone Tire Spray" that is my favorite,
but it has been impossible to find anymore. I also recommend
a more available alternative, Stoner [brand] Tire Shine.
Spray either product it on a little at a time and rub it in well between
applications. Buff it well with a towel and watch the luster jump out.
Please don't gook it on--it will look nice but will jell and attract
even more dirt and grime.
Tire shine is a matter of personal preference.
Both the Snap or Stoner Silicon sprays do not
give the overtly glossy shine that the foammy cleaners give,
but rather a more refined satin type look. I suggest you go for the look you want.
I've also used tire black--a black tar like paint you apply with a brush.
The results are stunning, but it is very messy, dirties and fades easily,
and doesn't treat the rubber. This is the look the cars at
Pebble Beach go for. While beautiful, it isn't in my opinion practical
for cars outside of a museum. You might want to try iall of these
methods and figure out which one is best for you and your likes.
Well applied Silicone Tire Spray puts a perfect sheen on rubber and re-moisturizes
it as well. Armour-all and similar spray-on "creamy"
liquids and "foamy" products just shine the surface--they
don't maintain or treat rubber. They also do not last
as long. The upside to foamy tire treatments, like STP
[brand] Tire Care is that they have a high luster finish,
and last longer than milky Armour-All. As you can tell,
I am not a fan of Armour-All. In my opinion, it is the
cleaner for the masses that do not know any better and it is
certainly not for "Jaguar" people! Again, advertising, the opiate
of the masses, strikes again.
Once every 3 months, I recommend (as detailed above) that you take the
wheels off the car and clean the inside of each wheel.
You'll notice a big difference in the appearance on
any wheel that you can see through
(i.e. lattice, wire, or alloy wheels). Don't forget
to wash the inside of each tire and treat the rubber
just as I have detailed above. The inside of wheels can
be seen when looking low from either behind or in
front of a car.
It is not obvious to the casual observer, but it is
unconciously. This is a good example of of the little
details that will set your car off from the rest.
Step 2-- Bumpers and Rubber:
Silicone sprays are also fantastic on bumpers and
all external rubber, including the rubber seals
around the glass, the black plastic at the door handle,
the black plastic below the grill, etc. Best of all,
many of us have that whited-out look on the rubber
strips around the mirrors. I almost replaced my
mirror assemblies until using this trick--here's how.
First, make sure this rubber is cleaned like the tires were
above. Dry throughly, then
apply the silicone spray on any (faded) rubberized
part, and let it sit 5 minutes. Then wipe it off
and spray it on again generously, but now let it sit
overnight. Next day, spray lightly, and wipe and rubdown
the rubber to a new gloss. This same trick works on
bumpers too. For convertible owners, you can also use it on
the third stop lamp plastic on the trunk/boot lid-- just use the same
technique for perfect results. It also does wonders on the rubber front
spoilers too--again, same technique for all. Repeat this at
least once every two weeks for optimal results, but be sure to wash
these parts to rid them of grime and dirt. Silcone can build up
because it never evaporates, so it needs to be rubbed or washed off
and reapplied from time to time..
Another good product is "Back to Black". It does a nice job of making
faded rubber look black again. I like it, but it does not seem
to last as long as a silicon treatment. Nevertheless, I do use
it before a Concours for that extra dark finish.
God is in the details--or so goes the saying.
Don't forget the small rubber strips at the base
of the driver's and passenger windows. Apply Snap spray
as described above. Use your finger wrapped around a
small terry cloth towel to both apply and shine.
You will be pleasantly surprised how attractive all
these rubber and trim pieces will shine up.
Step 3-- Paint/Washing:
I could write a book on this topic alone! However, the
bottom line in car cleaning solutions in
my opinion is Zymol [brand] car wash. I have also had
good luck with Westley's [brand] and others, but Zimol seems to do a better
job of leaving a slicker, cleaner surface with less
drying required.
Ideally, the car should be in the shade or indirect light.
The surface metal should not be hot.
NEVER use a sponge, rag, or mitt to wash a car!
Ever!! Despite what some other articles or experts on SpeedVision
say about this, anything besides a washing brush
will scratch your paint.
No matter how careful you are, small
bits of sand, dirt, or whatever will get on the cloth
and scratch into the surface. I am living proof.
Instead, get a good a car wash brush. I found mine
in the Herrington catalog (in the USA, about $25
1-800-903-2878). The gentle bristles of this car washing brush
lift the dirt off the surface and never make scratches.
I had my VDP painted 5 years ago and have washed numerous times
since using this method. To date, there
is not one scratch on the surface due to washing using this
technique, and the paint still looks brand new.
The water should be warm to moderately hot if you plan
on deep cleaning the car (i.e. stripping off old wax,
polishing, and putting on all new coats of wax).
In that case, I also use Dawn detergent. I have read some car
people say to never use (any old) dishwashing soap (true), but I
have used Dawn for years without problems. Dawn will really
attack the tar and other gunk that the car wash doesn't
quite get as well, but remember it does strip off the wax too.
Actually, that's the only reason why you would use Dawn anyway.
If you are maintaining the car on a week to week basis,
use cold water and Zymol. The water ideally should be free
from minerals, salts, etc. Sometimes tap and well water
have contaminants and, it is these contaminants that
create "water spots". Not all of
us have access to really clean water, but the cleaner the
water, the easier a job you will have. Rain water
is marvelous. Have you ever washed your car on a warm summer day
in the rain? Try it sometime. It's fun, and no
water spots.
My favorite time is just after sunrise on a warm
Saturday morning with a fresh cup
of gourmet coffee. Always start on the top of the vehicle
and work down. Only wet the portion of the car you
are going to immediately wash. Do not let soap "stand"
for more than a couple of minutes on the surface.
Dip the brush into the soap solution and brush in
gentle, circular motions. Sometimes I will wash with one
hand while holding the hose set to a fine mist to rinse off
the soap immediately in the other hand.
If the soapy water gets dirty,
empty it out, and replenish with fresh clean water and
Zymol. Stubborn tar spots,
tree droppings, bird droppings, or insects may be rubbed
out with a fingertip, or picked off with a fingernail.
The "orange" tar cleaners in the auto parts store
may be needed if your car has a lot of built up
gunk on the paint.
If it is really stubborn, you may have to resort to
a PERFECTLY clean soft sponge on that one spot only. Never
use a sponge that you have dropped on the ground.
Dry the car immediately with large, soft cotton
terry bath or beach
towels. Old worn out super fluffy towels are best.
I buy used ones at the Goodwill store for about $1 USD a piece. They
are well broken in and very soft. Use
one towel as a "squeegee" to get the big drops of water
to roll off the car, and follow immediately behind that area
with a drier towel. Two people are a big help here.
The trick is to get the car completely dry as quickly as
possible. Never let the car "air-dry" (or drive
it wet)--you'll create a zillion water
spots that will take you many more hours to remove by waxing.
Keep rotating the towels.
When the first towel gets saturated,
toss it aside, move the second towel up to act as
the squeegee towel, and use another dry towel to do the
clean-up. You can save yourself a lot more trouble
by throughly drying the glass and chrome now.
They will be much easier to clean later if they don't have spots
all over them.
Another alternative that I just recently came upon (3/01)
is the "California Water Blade" (a gift from my XJ-S buddy,
Bradley Smith). It is similar to
a large window washer blade with a handle, but
is made out of high quality surgical
soft rubberized plastic. So far, I have not created
any scratches using this device. It removes the large sheets
of water and drops to an almost dry condition after just one pass.
I am careful to have a clean terry cloth that I use to wipe
the blade off frequently in case a little spec of dirt or
sand might scratch the surface. Once I clear off an area
(like the roof, hood, or trunk--which takes just a minute), I have
a large fluffy cotton towel on hand
to wipe away and dry up any remaining
water droplets as I go. So far, so good. I like it better than
the two towel method above and it does a better job. Again,
be careful to keep the blade dry and clean 'just in case'.
Step 4--Paint/Cleaning-Polishing & Waxing:
When it comes to wax and polishes
I am really sold on
Meguiars . Almost
every Concours car owner in the world uses it. It is
pricey, but worth it. (BTW, visit their web site...
its very cool with all kinds of custom tips for your
car for the climate where you live). [Not to slight
fans of Zymol or others--go with what you prefer,
but I have no complaints and am very happy with Meguiars.]
There are three basic levels of treatment you have to do here
--Cleaning the paint, Polishing, and Waxing/Moisturizing.
The following describes how to get
your Jaguar's paint to show condition:
Level 1/Cleansing: Start with Meguiars
"Cleaner/Wax" (in the maroon bottle). This product
removes all the
imperfections that washing can never get alone.
It also prepares the surface for polishing
and the application
of wax. Apply this by putting the product onto a terry
wax pad that you can buy at your local auto supply store.
(By the way, always apply any wax or polish to
the applicator, NOT to the surface). Go over the car
in wash cloth sized areas. Be sure to remove every tiny spec, dead
bug, tar, etc. Be picky and look really close
at the surface for any imperfection or fleck of dirt
(us over 40 types might have to put on those ugly
reading glasses!).
If there is a spot that does not come clean of feel
really slick, repeat this again with another
application of the cleaner wax and start over.
Don't rub too hard. Use gentle circular motions and
go a little at a time. Wipe off each little
section before going onto the next
(wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off).
Do the *whole* car once.
If you haven't done a really good treatment on the
paint in a while, do the whole car again--same
method. When you start, most surfaces will feel
resistant to your motions. You'll know that you have
done a good job when the surface starts to feel slick.
Another alternative to cleaner wax are clay bars. People
that use them, sware by them. I was not so certain--until
I tried one, and I was sold. It's a lot less work then the strict
"cleaner-wax" method mentioned above, and it prepares the surface to
a glass smooth finish. However, it is not something you have to do
all the time. In my
experience, good washings and periodic application of cleaner wax
will keep the paint up. If your paint is in need of deep cleaning &
restoration, outside of a respray, please visIt my
wet sanding tips. While
more work than a clay bar, it will provide more dramatic
results.
Level 3/Polish: Arghh! If you are going to
do this step, go back and rewash the car with hot water
and Dawn!! Why? To get the cleaner wax off and/or any residue left
by the clay bar. That was
an intermediate step to get the surface as clean as possible
and locate and correct problem spots. At this point,
we are ready to use Meguiars "Hi-Tech Finish" polish.
Polish is just that. It's what makes the paint sparkle.
Wax adds some luster. moisturizes, and protects,
but the brilliant
paint jobs are polished first, then carefully waxed
(see the next step for those details)
Use the same method as before--go
over small areas, this time use a foam applicator (always use
different applicators for each type of wax).
Polish will NOT go on smoothly unless the surface is
perfectly prepared, or it will "blotch" on the finish
and your rag. If this happens, it means you haven't adequately
cleaned the surface of all dirt, old wax, etc.
Go back to steps 1 and/or 2.
For a really ultimate polishing results, hand apply the
polish and remove most (but not all) of the residue,
then use a terry hood on a non orbital buffer to
really shine the surface. According to
Meguiars, you can polish as much as you like. When
done correctly, you will need sun glasses to look at
the car. Honest.
Level 3/Wax: Now is the time to apply
Meguiars "Yellow Wax"
over the same small sections at a time over the whole
car. Only use cotton terry towels to wipe off and be sure to
turn towels frequently.
Here again at this level, a foam applicator works best (terry applicators are
OK, but I feel that foam pads are a bit better for wax--but use a new
one--don't re-use the one you just
used with the cleaner wax or polish). Also, don't use
offset orbital polishing machines to apply wax. Every great
finish I've ever been around is a hand job (don't go
there...!) If you want to
learn from the real paint finish masters, go to an American
Hot Rod Show. These guys are the best and know all
the tricks. The Meguiars Yellow Wax moisturizes the
paint and will make it darker & richer looking.
Remember grasshopper, "Wax On. Wax Off. Aih!"
Another new tip to richen your paint color is to use
a colored wax. I recently used a black Turtle (brand)
wax with touch-up
crayon (they called it a "chip-stick"--cute huh??)
to fill in paint chips. It did a great job of
filling in those annoying stone chips and made the paint look
richer. They come in strong colors of red, blue, green, and black,
and are also made by other companies too. I did this first, than
a thin Yellow Wax (see above), and I was happier with the
results. My paint looks a little newer/darker now.
If you are really fanatical it won't hurt to
add a finishing coat of Meguiars's Gold Wax. They
claim "its the most reflective wax we've ever made"
and I think they are right. At this point, your surface is
so clean after the clay bar/cleaning wax, that it should
go on so easy that you can wax the entire car in about
20 minutes. It is not a good long lasting or protective
wax, but it sure adds that last extra twinkle to your
finish. At this point, I use my non-orbital buffer
with the lambs wool hood, after initially wiping the
wax off by hand, to smooth out the "shell" of the wax.
A good two-speed non-orbital buffer is over $60 USD and
is a time saver for that last extra luster that would take
a long time to achive by hand. I bought mine at Sears for around $69 USD.
Here is another tip I learned in 2000 from
my friend Jim Morton, past JCNA President and national Jaguar expert.
Believe it or not, spray on Lemon Pledge (brand) furniture polish
is a great final "topper" once you have applied
all the waxes. It adds another extra shine to the paint that
is worth the effort. I don't use this the same as Meguire's
"Final Finish" to casually clean the car (like when I am at a car show),
but only after washing and waxing above. Even my lady Diane in
a little "test" could see that the Pledge side was a little better
looking. Slight warning, it smears a bit and requires some elbow grease
to get perfectly smooth. The lambswool non-orbital buffer is also
recommended for this step to help get out all the smears you
might not get out by hand for ultimate results.
Opps, sorry guys, but here is a final "only if you are a car
detailing maniac" tip that can take your car's appearance where
it never has been before. Go buy a "plastic polish" at the auto
parts store. They are designed to be used on soft convertible
windows and tail lights to clean and remove scratches. You
will see a difference. I've even removed my lenses
to clean the (usually fake plastic) chrome on the inside around
the bulds and the insides of the lenses--which do get dirty and
sometimes hold water condensation. This is yet another
"Wayne Tip" that makes that ever so suttle difference bwetween
why your car looks even just more so beautiful.
Step 4--Chrome and Bright-work:
The chrome on our Jaguars is not the best. In my opinion, it's
a little thin compared to some other cars. If your chrome
is thinning, you will eventually have to re-plate it.
In the meantime, we can do some things to protect
and polish it.
I mentioned
Chrome-Magic (again from
British Auto USA (800-452-4787) earlier as
is the best stuff on the planet. However,
I found a metal polish at a California Hot Rod SHow
that is far better than any metal polish I have eer tried by far.
O
It is Master Formula Metal Gloss Their web site
is MasterFomulations.com or
call 714-238-1129.
Like any other metal polish, apply
it with a diaper or other soft cotton cloth
in circular motions and
wipe it off to obtain a high luster. Repeat for better results
--you'll know when you can do no better.
THis stuff is the absolute best product for
car care I've tried ever. I can not sing its praises enough.
It works on all metals; Alumium, Chrome, Brass, Nickel--even Copper, Gold, and Silver.
For initial deep cleaning & polishing, I still like the Mothers product, but for
anything beyond the initial pass at a poor metal surface, go straight to
this stuff.
Use this product on the nickel bright work
around the windows
of the Jaguar sedans, the door handles, and the strips
around the front and rear glass as well as the grill,
headlight surrounds, and side molding. Don't forget the
inside of the window surrounds too. Be careful to not rub
the polish onto the paint. It is slightly abrasive, so
you might try putting it on the tip of a rag and
use your finger to run along narrow surfaces. Never use a
cleanser like Ajax or Comet (pot and pan) cleaners on
metal work (my choice as a 15 year old!!!!)
You may choose to put a little wax
on the chrome. This helps add a twinkle to it.
Surprisingly, glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol also works fairly well too.
Step 5--Glass:
This is the part I really dislike. Glass is hard to
clean! It is a lot more elbow grease than even
cleaner/wax.
The trick with glass is to go over it
several times. I have had good luck with several foamy
glass cleaners from the local auto parts store. Don't use
Windex (brand) or other liquid glass cleaners.
Products like Windex are supposed to be the
"leading brand" in the USA, but it streaks!
That's how marketing and advertising hypnotizes the masses.
Again, clean towels are a must. Do not use paper towels
or newspapers--they "clean" bettter and faster but
they can scratch glass. You may have to go
over a section of glass three times to get it squeaky-
clean. Another tip is clean the windows in the early morning
or at sunset with the car facing the light shining through the
front/rear glass. You'll see every
single spot you missed much more clearly.
For really deep class cleaning, I'd strongly recommend using "Rain-X [brand]
window cleaner and window treatment". The window cleaner is
like a soft white liquid soap, and is slightly gritty and
abrasive. It's a pain to put on, and
you'll need to either hose it off with plenty of fresh water and
most likely also go over it again with glass cleaner to
get it completely off. I've even used my non-orbital buffer (using the
blue cover) to help smooth out the glass of minor
imperfections/sand streaks. It's not as effective as a
glass polishing kit, but I've so far been satisfied with
the results.
My latest discovery is Stoner's [brand] "Invisible Glass
Cleaner." Some good and bad news here. The bad news, it's
still no less work to get the glass clean using this product
as any other cleaner. The good news is, like it says on the
can, the glass won't even look like it is there. This
stuff does a great job.
Actually, you might instead want to do the deep cleaning using
Rain-X cleaner first
before you wash the
car (see above) because the directions say to rinse off
with plenty of water. Once the car is finished, dried, and the
windows cleaned with glass cleaner, you'll be
ready to put on the Rain-X. I'm
not sure if this is the best product on the market,
but here in the USA, I have been very satisfied with it. It
will repel water so well that in even a heavy rain,
you can get drive without wipers. Amazing.
Two additional tricks to cleaning glass.
First, clean the outside
then inside of the section you are doing, and flip-
flop between in and out. You can't really see
what you have missed unless you alternately clean
and wipe down each
side. Second, as crazy as this sounds, once the
windows are clean, use Meguiars Yellow Wax on the side and
back windows (but not the windshield). Not only does it
repel water well, but it makes the glass shine so bright,
Saddam Hussein will think your Jaguar is some
sort of new Star Wars reflector beam. Anotehr tip--try cleaning the
glass facing into a bright light like sunrise/sunset. This really
aids in seeing anything you may have missed.
Well, congratulations-- you made it this far. Before you
re-read this article and fanatisize how
beautiful your car is,
I've got news for you. This is a lot
of hard work! But we Jaguar owners are a dedicated, noble,
and slightly odd bunch of chaps, aren't we?
You have to really love any car to go through this much
time and effort. But then again, it IS a Jaguar.
Nothing tops off the end of a Saturday
afternoon like turning
around and seeing your chariot shining like a
god in the afternoon sun in all of its glory.
If I look carefully at
my cars, I can see a ten-year-old
boy in the reflection. Maybe you can too.
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