Winter is here and it is time for fanatics like myself to go outside in the freezing cold and wash the car. Wimps will take their cars to the car wash, but for 350Z owners that will not suffice. Here are a couple of hints to make the chore more comfortable.


1. Heavy rubber gloves. You can buy a pair of acid gloves at Home Depot for about $7. Keeps your hands dry and comfortable.


2. Get the water off the car and keep your hands out of the bucket. A leaf blower will remove much of the water from the car. Great for hard to dry areas like the front grill and wheels.

3. Warm water from inside the house. Freezing cold water from the hose and soap mix poorly. Warm water is best at cutting dirt and grime.

Any other helpful hints appreciated.

 

4. Move to southern California where it hit the mid-80's today and I had to run my AC.

The leaf blower rocks as it gets the water out from inside the mirror, under the chrome logos, the door handles and the locks.

 

If it gets too cold though the water freezes to the car. And also if your driveway is a hill, it is no fun washing your car. I had a bad experience with that a couple years ago.

 

Warm water is probably the best bet, and wont freeze your hands. Thats how i washed the Z last winter, even in sub 30 temps sometimes.

 

I need to get a stronger leaf blower drying by hand is a pain.

 

I haven't tried the stuff Freak mentions, but I have had good success with Optimum No Rinse. If you take good precautions you can use this without introducing swirling/marring to the paint. If the car gets real dirty or covered in road salt I'll probably drive through a touchless wash to get the majority off before using ONR though. I gotta say that I'm a bigger fan of this stuff than I thought I would be. I can bring the warm water bucket from the house and never have to leave the shelter of the garage to get a good wash done.

 

Good idea on the leafblower

 

yeah...my leaf blower either sucks or im doing it wrong because when im airing out my rims the water jsut keeps going around the dish. very frustrating

 

That sounds a bit like an amusement park. Funny when you are in convoy going slowly and someone has water in their rim dish and you can see it moving.

Glad it's almost summer here, don't have to worry about getting cold whilst zed cleaning.

 

http://www.gillmarine.com/section_he...ub_cat_code=11




Is what I use. I already own one for competitive sailing. It helps alot. I don't even get wet or cold at all.

 

I probably do look ridiculous wearing it in my driveway washing my car when it is freezing outside.

 

Its only ridiculous if you yell Prepare to come about.

 

Now that's what I call dedication. Sir, I salute you!

 

I strongly recommend Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine. http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html

My expensive foam gun hasn't seen any use since I switched to ONR 4 months ago after listening to Autopia pros heave nonstop praise over it and I immediately noticed why. Dust and light dirt melt away and the surface looks incredibly shiny and slick. And all that is accomplished in 30 min. with a 2 gallon bucket. In cold weather more so than at any other time, time is of the essence.

 

My Z doesn't even come out of the garage in the winter. Heck, I barely go out when I don't have to. Gets mighty cold down here.

 

 

Bah. I wash my car one day just for it to get snowed on another.

 

I have a heated garage and work at a car dealership so the cold weather isn't a problem.

 

+1 on the gloves.