Taking Care of a Car, Long Term

[Apples555]

Long time lurker here, great site.

I've often heard, from people and manuals alike, that the best way to maintain the cosmetic and structural integrity of a car, especially an older one that has been maintained well, is to hand wash, polish and wax the car, with additional washings in between when the car is dirty to prevent corrosion.

However, I was watching a Jay Leno's Garage video in which Leno advocated using a detailing spray instead of traditional washing, because water 'promotes rust' at 7:50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ierOoMQC0Ek

Surely he knows what he's talking about, as evidenced by this nice looking unrestored 1918 Cadillac.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XnfX9tTc8c

I was under the impression that detailing sprays do more damage than good, because dust on the finish isn't rinsed off as it is in a traditional wash.

What is ultimately better for the car in the long term? I couldn't find a sticky on this topic, at least on the lists I saw.

I'm not sure why my videos won't embed, I seem to be following all the instructions.

[shagnat]

What harm does detailing spray do? I'm kinda' new at this and haven't heard that before.....

[Setec Astronomy]

Apples, you're wading into a bunch of different subjects, really, with your initial post. While it's true that keeping certain areas of the car clean (door jambs, under hood, around trunk) will help to prevent corrosion in those areas, there are many other hidden areas where water can be a detriment.

Additionally, there are different "types" of corrosion to be concerned about, there's cosmetic (say, rusting of a paint chip on the hood) vs. structural (say...an engine or suspension attach point corroding away). Not to mention that you can have "cosmetic" rust that has come from the inside which is a lot bigger problem than if it starts on the outside.

I'm also unclear if you are talking about maintaining your modern daily driver so it lasts for 100 years, or if you're talking about washing an antique or classic car. Certainly keeping the paint clean helps keep the paint in good shape, but to be afraid of washing a daily driver which is going to get wet in the rain is a little silly.

However, if you have a classic car that never sees rain, then most people don't like to spray a hose on it. Mike Phillips may chime in on how he "washes" the show cars in his garage.

[Paul A.]

Along the same lines of what Setec already said, i can understand not wanting to promote any rust or corrosion on a 1918 Caddie. Heck, that thing's already 97 years old and you might want to keep it another 97. I don't think i'd be QD'ing it clean but i would probably be using a rinseless wash first.

Using detail spray on a car that is not washed first promotes scratches due to dirt and stuff being rubbed on to the paint.

[Apples555]

Apples, you're wading into a bunch of different subjects, really, with your initial post.

Yes, I thought that might be the case shortly after I posted. :laughing:


I'm also unclear if you are talking about maintaining your modern daily driver so it lasts for 100 years, or if you're talking about washing an antique or classic car. Certainly keeping the paint clean helps keep the paint in good shape, but to be afraid of washing a daily driver which is going to get wet in the rain is a little silly.My question isn't in reference to a specific vehicle. What would be the difference?

I was just wondering if washing can promote rust on a vehicle as stated in the video. If yes, what should owners do instead?

On the other hand, (most) cars see rain, so I fail to see how this can be true. If it is true, exposure to water should be minimized even further due to rain.


Using detail spray on a car that is not washed first promotes scratches due to dirt and stuff being rubbed on to the paint. This is what I thought which is why I was surprised when Leno said he prefers using QD over washing on a relatively modern car ('89 Bentley).

[FUNX650]

Most detail sprays contain a percentage
of: ~85-98% (or more) of water.

Some will even contain a small % of
"cleaners" and/or "gloss enhancers".


Bob