Heh guys

How often do you wash your Jag?

how much is too much?

What products do you use/recommend and what are your processes? (eg. wash once a week, polish once a month...etc)

Cheers

 

I clean it with Supercheap's homebrand carwash about every 2-3 weeks,then chamois it dry. And I use Nufinish once a year polish(also from Supercheap) about twice a year on all the cars. I give them a quick spray with the hose and dry with chamois at least once a week .As I park 2 of the cars on the street,just to keep them looking clean. Under the bonnet I spray the complete engine bay with 2 cans of export degreaser(from Supercheap too) and hose off about once a month just to keep on top of things(every second wash),I don't like dirty engine bays.
On the interior/exterior I use a Brisbane made product called Rhinocoat , I use it on the leather,vinyl,plastic on the interior and on the roof racks,door handles,bumpers, and trim on the outside. I have been using this product on my Jeep since 1997,all trim is in perfect condition,including leather that is still soft like new .
I don't think the expensive car care products necessarily do a better job,it is the time and attention to detail that makes the difference. But everyone has their own opinion on that.
I use all budget range products except for the Rhinocoat and a good quality chamios. And a soft cloth to finish off the chrome work after it is dry,and use IPA or white spirits to get water marks off the chrome.
More time than anything else. You will get a stock of all these products for less than $30 at Supercheap Auto(but they also stock the higher end products as well),except the Rhinocoat. Something like Armour All will do that job though.
The picture of the Jeep was taken at Bribie Is last year(18 years old)

 

that's a good looking jeep.

 

thanks buddy

i found that very useful

 

I use Groit's Garage waterless wash on all my cars. Can clean an exceptionally dirty car in 30 minutes. Does not erode wax. Really dirty places I clean with soap and water and dry immediately. Due to the waterless wash I have no rust on anything in 10 yrs.

 

I usually just dust it once a week. LOL... It only gets driven in good weather and really never gets dirty.

 

I've washed my Jag once since I bought her in October 2013 but once finished, she'll be treated like my C30...

- weekly wash (by hand) in the summer months
- winter time will get a good waxing for the standing time
- spring revival will be a thorough polish, wax, sealing at the same time

Products I normally use vary from Swizöl to Liqui Moly Metallic Polish, Autoglm polished and resins, and co. Depending on time, effort, season and co

Best for shine so far is Swizöl!

 

As I posted in another place recently, I neither wash nor wax my car, and won't ever except under extremely unusual circumstances.

There are so many rubber leaks I would be afraid to turn the hose on her, although when we first saw the car there were water spots on the hood/bonnet where the PO had neglected to draw a chamois across when he washed her up for our visit (not to mention water stains on the headliner around the "sun roof"). The water spots are almost not visible by now, 11 months later, but I learned from that.

I don't take her out in the rain or on wet roads; she's kept in the garage unless I'm behind the wheel so she only gets dusty. I tried a California Car Duster to clean her when she first came here but I won't do that ever again!! It scratched the clear coat!

In an automotive department I found Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer, "The missing link between wash and wax" and some Really Soft microfiber clean/polishing cloths (I learned the hard way to cut off the colored stitching on the cloth edges, it left scratches like a nylon scrubbie!). It will remove remove tree sap, bug juice, bird poop, road dust and grime. I've even used it to remove road tar!!

Nix gets a bath with Meguiar's about twice a week. I use a generic glass cleaner on the windshield, headlights, front bumper and grill to remove heavy spatters of bugs.
(';')

 

thanks for sharing guys.

i have been told a few times now that Meguiar's is the go.

Any special precautions for washing the engine bay save for having all the caps closed? (For those that wash the engine etc)

 

Forget everything they just told you.. u want to keep this car clean get yourself some Xenon or wipe new ..when you do inbox me and ill let u know how to apply. one bottle of either is enough.. will last 5 months if done right and preserved. acetone cannot remove this let alone nature and its tears.

 

Color, color,color!!!

It all depends on the color.

My Jags are all British Racing Green (=almost black) and it takes a lot of care to keep them swirl free. I have a Porter Cable 7424 XP and that keeps the finish swirl free....well the XJS and the E type are the ones that get all the work. My daily driver X-type just gets her swirls covered up with wax.

For my XJS and E, I use the zymol HD wash and then Wolfgang Swirl Remover 3.0 and the Wolfgang 3.0 finishing glaze on the white and orange pads respectively on the Porter Cable machine, followed by Zymol Carbon wax applied by hand. I always use new microfiber towels and am very gentle when touching the finish as any heavy touch means swirls. The interiors get Lexol and ocassional leatherique oil. I do it as often as I desire. Sometimes once every 2 months.

My daily driver X type I use Surfcity Black Edge wax which covers up any imperfections nicely and armor all leather wipes. As often as needed.

 

Wipe new???? There's some absolute crap in a can. Use penitrol instead of that crap for plastics, available at hardware stores as a paint brush stroke remover/ additive. It actually renews plastics and gives a nice rejuvenated shine that will last for months . I use eagle one spray nano wax on all my cars, lasts for months, non abrasive and takes 15 minuets to do. I used nothin but this on my new 99 Explorer with pearl paint which was in the Florida sun for 15 years ( non garaged) and 189k, no checking and when sold last year the paint and clear coat looked good as new....great wax.

 

i am time-poor in the weekend, with young kids.
so..
1) wash car with bucket of diluted Car Shampoo by Autoglym
2) rinse off

if time..

3) dry with towel,
4)Meguiars quik Wax

whole deal in about 25-30 mins, quicker if I can con my son to rinse with hose as I wash..

and it looks fantastic after all this, for 1995 paint

 

cheers guys

and those that wash the engine bay...any special notes there?

 

Someone asked if there was a to many times waxed? Depends on the wife!

 

that is because he has done everything in his power to make it look like a p38




I haven't washed mine in nearly a year now. I used to wash it about twice a month and detail it once a month, back then it was under a car cover.

There is no water to wash with where I live now, and it is out in the sun all day long. The trunk paint has gotten really bad and the stitching on my back seats has dried out. I am not proud of this, but I am a student with little money and don't want to use a commercial car wash. I am hoping I can recover the paint and fix some other things whenever I move again. I hate having it dirty all the time, but she is still a looker.

I also remember that the car is nearly 30 years old, so any cosmetic issues are not without merit.

 

Not home to check on the exact wash/wax products we use, but two tips. 1) buy real cloth baby diapers to dust/clean/apply wax and products. They are pure white - and can be kept that way in the wash - and have no scratchy bits to mar the paint. Plus they last forever. 2) go to your local tack/horse shop and buy one of the quality products made to clean and preserve leather goods. I had a horse, and I've got a boatload of leather cleaners and conditioners, and they are fabulous on 24 year old leather :-). Oh, and use super high quality beeswax on the wood ski slope.

 

Don't wash the engine bay!!!! No, oh no, nada, zip.......oh by the way did I say NO! All by hand my friend, do not soap, soak or spray water in there, too many bullet and unsealed electrical connectors under there too risk that. Lots of de greaser, simple green, rags, brushes, steel wool and time/elbow grease.

 

Hi Paul

I used to be very fussy how I Washed my XJS but after a while the novelty of keeping her clean wears off.

So nowadays I just take her to the nearest Car Wash.

All you really have to do, is to make sure the roof is secure and the windows are wound up and make sure to put the Aerial down, otherwise those rollers are going to rip it off!

I'm Joking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I get 16 Vestal Virgins to bathe her in asses milk, then rinse her off using bottled water, after which they dry her with their hair!

But when they are not available or the asses have run out of milk.

I very seldom if ever let her get dirty in the first place.

As She is always garaged and covered and never washed in the hot Sunshine, which is not hard to avoid in the UK.

Four times a year, I give her a really good wash with water and add a bit of a squeeze of Washing Up liquid.

Then rinse off again with Cold Water, then while She's still wet, I polish her with 'Mer' then when the 'Mer' goes misty as it starts drying out, I polish off the White Residue, with a 'Tea Towel!'

As you need a rough cloth to get the Stuff off.

Then when She's really, really dry, I go over her again but this time with a soft cloth.

'Mer' is just amazing! as every time you wash her after that, the water hardly sticks and just rolls off.

Any any that doesn't can be mopped up with a Chammy Leather.

I never use a Car Polisher as this can leave the paintwork covered in swirls.

After the 'Mer' all She needs is a wash with cold/warm water and a drop of washing up liquid and that's about it.

I just wash her a couple of times a week, whenever she needs it, or when we come back from a trip.

But if I want to go OCD then I give her the 'Clay Bar' treatment.

MER | Auto Shine Technologie

 

I have learned over the years that the XJS is prone to rust in certain areas of the car. Some of the areas are around the windshield under the moldings (very common under the lower windshield moldings. I also understand that on the coupes the rear glass moldings are known to develop rust under the lower moldings, the front fenders and the rockers and lower qtr. panels. The above list does not even take into account the underside of car and suspension etc.

All XJS' can rust-even the facelift metal treated cars. If you do not believe me go check out the restoration cars on KWEJAGUAR.com. So I share this because when you think about it one of the worst things you can do to a car that is prone to rust is soak it with soap and water-dry out the external parts of the car you can get at and then park the car back in the garage for all the moisture left under the moldings etc. to sit and fester.

So after learning that the XJS can rust I developed a strategy to keep it clean and rust free as much as possible. I keep my cars in the garage out of the elements and when I take one of the XJS' out I use a semi damp soft cloth to wipe the exterior surfaces of the car off and go right back over that with a clean dry soft cloth etc. to dry off any moisture from the surface. This takes off any dust left on the car from sitting and leaves the car looking like it was just washed without getting all the moisture behind the moldings etc. If you have bugs etc. best to do this right after you drive the car so they do not get baked on the surface.

Now every area of the world is different to some degree when it comes to conditions you will face but always keep in mind the less amount of moisture you introduce to these cars the better. If the car really needs a good wash then by all means clean it as needed but take it out for a good drive if possible before parking to help get the moisture under the moldings etc. dried out as best as possible. What you cannot see on these cars should be of more concern then what you are seeing on the surface.