Tips to best clean this dirt off....

[911 heathen]

Hi All

It is winter down here well and truely and after a club run to the mountains over the weekend, my car came home far dirtier than it has ever been (see encl. pix...I hope they upload OK)

Any tips for the best way to clean this mud/dirt off?

Is a pressure washer after soaking with heaps of water a good way to go?

I use a wool wash glove but pre-soaking the car with water and shampoo I think might be the way to go.....

Cheers
James

[MattAlpha]

Awesome pic of the trip!

I would normally stay away from a pressure washer, but in this case you might not have any other choice.

I think that soaking it is a great idea as long as the water doesn't have time to dry. Are you able to soak it indoors? If so that is certaintly the best option. After you soak it for a while the dirt should start to come off fairly easily.

Best of luck,
Matt

[randywebb]

pre-soak

NEVER use a pressure washer on the paint on the viewable surface of the car. It is like doing hydraulic mining in miniature -- small sand grains in the dirt will be blasted along the paint surface scratching it.

[911 heathen]

Thanks Chaps

I thought the same re the pressure washer but a "How to clean" section in a new'ish 911 publication suggested, and had photos of the guy, using a pressure washer..... But like you say Randy, the dirt grains will be blasted into the paint before it is washed off....

Will soak with water before sunrise so it doesn't have a chance to dry!!

J

[Won]

Do you have a larger version of the last photo? It's simply breathtaking!

There's something very refreshing about seeing a dirty 911 like that. Good thing it's not salt

[randywebb]

car washing detergent & water on the finished area

you can pressure wash the underside, etc.

if 2-3 washes don't do it, then use a chemical cleaner followed by a clay bar

Good Luck!

If you have Meguiars down there, that is one good brand from a large company.

[911 heathen]

Yep Randy, big fan of Meguiars....

i_got_an_SC; PM me and I'll email back a higher res. shot.

[KillerDynoSoar]

MAN I was right there in January this year. Thats an awesome road to drive but it will be amazing in a 911.

I had a cruddy 85 corolla hire car for my drive round the south island. I would have given anything to be in my 911 on any of those roads.

REMEMBER dont feed the kia

I would soak that paint for a long while before you even think about cleaning it off.

[911 heathen]

KillerDynoSoar, we just had a snow dump 2 weeks ago that was the heaviest in 30 years...hence the roads were a real mess but heaps of fun was had with tail-out o/steer on those slower uphill corners!!

An '85 Corolla? Yes that is Pete Tong.

[ZOA NOM]

As an afterthought, I would reccommend a couple of thick coats of wax before going on a winter run. It will protect the paint from the inevitable scratches when you wash it afterwards.

[911 heathen]

Sure thing Zoanas; it had a good coverage of the Meguiars Tech Wax so I'll see if it does what it says on the box!!

[Miguel Antonett]

soak it good and use one those "good" car shampoo

[Netspeed]

The 4X4 guys up here use some sort of spray on wax that's made to keep mud from damaging the paint when they go mudding. You might look into that before your next run.