First Detail - Adamized the Raptor

[TheWolf]

After 6 weeks of bitter cold and then very wet weather, the Raptor was a dirty pig. I am pretty sure the deicer that they use around here is mixed with glue, as the nasty road spray is hard to get off, even with layers of fresh protection. I took advantage of a 38 degree, overcast day to get some shiny before it gets cold again.



I started with a good rinse with the pressure washer and warm water to remove the loose crud. Then a prewash soak with the foam cannon with 2oz Car Wash Shampoo and 4oz Rinseless Wash. I let this sit while I worked on the wheels and tires so that it would work to soften up the stuck-on dirt.



While I always use the two-bucket method on the wheels/tires, when it is this dirty I will do all four wheels first, and then go back and scrub the tires and wells. This keeps the water cleaner for the wheels to prevent scratches. Since I have Liquid Paint Sealant and Quick Sealant on the fronts and backs of the wheels, I only used Car Wash Shampoo for cleaning as I don't want to strip the protection off the barrels as they can only be sealed properly when off the truck.



A handy item I found for scrubbing the brushes clean while washing is this washboard/grit guard combo called the "Dirt Dropper."



Once I finished with the wheels/tires/wells, I pressure-rinsed the truck with warm water. Even after a pre-rinse, a sudsy soak, and another rinse, there was still a good amount of nastiness.



I then foamed it with 3oz Car Wash Shampoo and 2oz Rinseless Wash. Using the wool wash pad, I did each section, rinsing the pad good between sections in a bucket of warm suds. Since this truck is big, I can't get it all washed before the foam falls off, so I do the top half, then foam again, then do the middle portion, then foam again to do the lower portions and bumpers. I then switched to the DI water for the final rinse, again using warm water.





Dried by blasting most of the water off with the Sidekick, then moved it into the warm garage and finished drying with the Great White Drying Towel and Detail Spray.

Dressed the running boards with Super VRT, then treated the wheels to two coats of Quick Sealant, and finished with Tire Shine.

Final result was a swirl-free, super-clean, jaw-dropping level of shine.

 

[Bulletnjm]

Damn, that black cleans up so nice. Wish i could keep it clean

 

[Wilson]

I wish you lived closer so I could watch you and learn a few tricks.

 

[TheWolf]

I wish you lived closer so I could watch you and learn a few tricks.

You can always watch the videos on AdamsPolishes.com, that's where I learned how to get the truck so shiny.

 

[Wilson]

I'd still like to see a machine polisher in action, I'm hetsitnt

 

[RAPTORSV]

38 degrees, I guess I shouldn't complain about 60 degrees being to cold to wash my truck.

 

[Nick@Apollo-Optics]

I need to just bite the bullet and get a pressure washer and foam cannon. I'm waiting on a pressure washer to go on sale.

 

[Wilson]

Me to the place I go to i town is shut down in the winter when you need it most.

 

[TheWolf]

I need to just bite the bullet and get a pressure washer and foam cannon. I'm waiting on a pressure washer to go on sale.

I think the pressure washer and foam cannon are a very important part to washing without getting swirls or scratches. They help get as much dirt and crud off of the paint before you actually touch it with the wash pad. The foam from the cannon then creates plenty of suds to keep the remaining dirty from doing any harm. It is almost impossible to get that much sudsy action just using a bucket since the wash pad only holds so much and a lot of it falls off before you even get to the truck.

 

[RAPTORSV]

I like to use about a 30% mixture of shampoo to 70% water in the foam cannon. You get about a half inch of foam on your truck and it stays on the truck longer as you use the wash mitt.