autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum Autogeek on TV
car wax, car care and auto detailing forumAutogeekonline autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum HomeForumBlogAutogeek.net StoreDetailing Classes with Mike PhillipsGalleryDetailing How To's
 
Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Dislikes Dislikes:  0
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 30
  1. #1
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Posts
    580
    Post Thanks / Like

    Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    I made this a very long time ago and wanted to share this(as well as be eligible for the Rupes contest that's currently going on)


    Winter is coming.



    This is what it was like last winter in St. Louis. It had been snowing for maybe an hour in this photo and it was heinous. Knowing that, I knew my winter prep had to be better this year. I documented my process for preparing this year.



    First you need to get your car clean and the name of the game is going to be protection. That means starting with a clean surface. 2 bucket method with CarPro Reset and my Incredimitt. I like this soap because it rinses very clean and is a fairly tough cleaner. My car is not coated and I still use it.



    Washed and a high pressure rinse. It appears my protection is on its last leg because the water is sticking to the car.



    At this point you would want to check to see if you need to decontaminate your car and do so if desired... this will extend the life of whatever protection you put on. I did not need to, so I went to my next step, which was determining what protection I had left on my windows and wheels.


    Checked on my glass coating during my rinse. Looks good on everything but the windshield, where it has worn off because of wiper usage.



    I touched up all the windows with CarPro Reload. I'll be reapplying the coating to the windshield later in my process. If you don't have sealant or a coating on your windows, skip this and just apply one at the end of the process. It helps a lot with clearing off snow.


    My protection on my wheels was gone too. I reapplied CarPro HydrO2 at this point. The water was sheeting right off. You can use a traditional sealant here, but I use a spray one because my wheels are pain to get into. I spray my wheel wells with HydrO2 as well.



    Next go ahead and inspect your paint to see if you want to give it a light polish or use a chemical paint cleaner before focusing on the protection aspect. Here's what my paint looked like. I really, really hate my black Mazda paint. I'm careful with all my processes and it still finds a way to mar. Fortunately, it's very light and goes away with a light polish.



    I used HD Polish. I like this a lot because it is low dusting, you don't need a lot, and it has next to zero fillers. Extremely easy to remove as well. CarPro Reflect, Optimum Hyper Polish, and ol' M205 are other great polishes for this step. If you just want to deep clean your paint, go for something like Pinnacle Paint Cleansing lotion. After you've gone through the polishing stages, it's time to protect.





    Next come the three kings. These were my favorite protection products at the time. I've used other ones I enjoy very much since and you also have the various options of coatings now.





    I applied both the Blackfire with red LC pads. You need very little of each, and if you can see a large buildup on your paint you're probably using too much. The BFWD is the easiest product to remove I've ever used. I feel like you could blow on your paint and it would come off. I applied two coats of BFWD.


    Next I went around and touched up all my trim with a sealant. Plastic and door trim as well. This stuff lasts extremely long and provides a darkening effect as well. It's great. A little goes a long way and you can apply with a foam pad.



    Applied the glass coating with a foam pad.



    Don't forget about your interior! Give it a good vacuum and switch out your cloth mats for some all-weather rubber ones, then make sure every surface is protected. I use Ultima Interior Guard Plus. Matte appearance and makes surfaces feel soft and supple. I also treat my carpet with 303 Fabric guard and I never get salt staining after winter is over.


    303 Aerospace is another popular choice for hard surfaces.








    You should be protected throughout the winter. I try to run through self-serve or touchless washes whenever salt/grime buildup becomes too much but this has worked for me every season and looks like it will continue to do so.

    During winter here's how it beads:



    Here's my after winter cleanup process!






    Yuck.

    Time to bring my products back out.


    I pulled all my mats out and put them out. I use a heavy APC concentration to clean them. High pressure rinse, liberal spray, then scrub. They'll come out looking brand new.


    I hosed down all my wheels before working on them first. You can see how much cleaner it is compared to before just from being rinsed. I have them sealed with Hydro2. It's on its last leg, though.

    I have those treated with both Hydro2 and 303 Fabric Guard for the carpeting in the back. They rinse pretty clean after a while.







    After just a HP rinse...


    Roof still beading BFWD:


    Go ahead and perform a two bucket wash, rinsing your mitt and changing your water often. Now you are ready to check to see if you should clay by using the baggie test, and if you want to follow up with a polish, or skip right to your LSP. There's nothing special to cleaning your car up after winter really, just be a little more cautious since you'll have a lot more dirt on it.


    She still cleans up nicely! Not pictured: ice scraper induced swirls. Tires still undressed. However, you can see that winter appears to be removed from my car and hopefully your LSP holds up to whatever type of winter you get.



    I sure do miss my 6 but my TSX is what I prepped for winter last year. It's ready for round two.


  2. #2
    Regular Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    127
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    nice! you should see the snow up here. That snow is just a normal day here in Quebec. haha. Car looks great!
    PurdyDetail.com
    Shine | Reflection | Protection
    Servicing, Montreal, and North Shore.

  3. #3
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    662
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    Nice job!

  4. #4
    Super Member Marc08EX's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    4,108
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    Great article and write-up Heisenberg!
    2011 SEMA Meguiar's Car Crazy Showcase Team
    2016 Competition Ready Barn Find Porsche Team

  5. #5
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    662
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    I actually miss the snow...I went to college in Northern Arizona where we got quite a bit of snow...I miss those days.

  6. #6
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Posts
    580
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    I miss it a bit during the really hot and humid days of summer, but then it gets here and I can only enjoy it for so long before it just becomes inconvenient.

  7. #7
    Regular Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    127
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    Great article and pics!

    (And a wonderful reminder to me of why moved from STL to the Southwest!) Is that the Courtesy Diner on Laclede Station?

  8. #8
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Posts
    580
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    Quote Originally Posted by BM1024 View Post
    Great article and pics!

    (And a wonderful reminder to me of why moved from STL to the Southwest!) Is that the Courtesy Diner on Laclede Station?
    Thank you. That's the one! It used to be right across the street from me before I moved. It was nice because when it snowed I could always walk over there if I got sick of whatever I had around. Also had a QuikTrip within walking distance... probably lost 10 lbs once I moved.

  9. #9
    Super Member Paul A.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Tampa Florida
    Posts
    5,274
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    Great post, Heisie!

  10. #10
    Super Member Angus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    1,583
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Winter is around the corner! Here's how I prep.

    Great write man! You've got my vote as 1 of the 5 RUPES contest winners

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. How to prep your car for winter
    By Mike Phillips in forum How to articles
    Replies: 26
    Last Post: 12-15-2014, 09:42 PM
  2. winter prep help please
    By Supergus1 in forum Hot topics & Frequently Asked Questions
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 11-03-2014, 03:26 PM
  3. Winter prep
    By slickooz in forum Auto Detailing 101
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 11-05-2011, 05:57 PM
  4. Winter prep
    By embolism in forum Show N' Shine
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 10-30-2011, 03:37 PM
  5. Winter Prep
    By outlander in forum Auto Detailing 101
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 11-25-2008, 07:29 AM

Members who have read this thread: 0

There are no members to list at the moment.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

» March 2024

S M T W T F S
2526272829 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 123456