How do you wash your Caterham
Discussion
Its not like a normal car or bike where you can give it a good jet-wash is it? I'm interested to know how you go about keeping your pride and joy clean.
My main concern is through the winter, I would still like to take it out on those nice crisp sunny days but obviously there might be salt on the road so I would want to clean it off straight away.
My main concern is through the winter, I would still like to take it out on those nice crisp sunny days but obviously there might be salt on the road so I would want to clean it off straight away.
Edited by Nerra on Tuesday 3rd November 18:01
Don't use a sponge! By it's very nature, it retains grit & such like that then scratches your paintwork as you move it over the painted surface. Just imagine washing your car with sandpaper and you'll never use a sponge again!
Better to use a proper car washing brush in conjunction with a hose set to 'fine spray' to wash clear any dirt washed off the car.
Better to use a proper car washing brush in conjunction with a hose set to 'fine spray' to wash clear any dirt washed off the car.
Nerra said:
Its not like a normal car or bike where you can give it a good jet-wash is it? I'm interested to know how you go about keeping your pride and joy clean.
My main concern is through the winter, I would still like to take it out on those nice crisp sunny days but obviously there might be salt on the road so I would want to clean it off straight away.
Once a year, as it gets washed on the trailer coming back from the track, only if its raining though My main concern is through the winter, I would still like to take it out on those nice crisp sunny days but obviously there might be salt on the road so I would want to clean it off straight away.
Edited by Nerra on Tuesday 3rd November 18:01
My first 7 was a polishers dream so never got used, when "washed" each panel was cleaned and leathered/dried separately. The car never really saw water proper.
My current car is an ex race car, looks scruffy goes well. Used alot.
The interior is bare ali with a foam seat, I put the hose on it two or three times a year, that's it.
I prefer the current way I clean the 7.
My current car is an ex race car, looks scruffy goes well. Used alot.
The interior is bare ali with a foam seat, I put the hose on it two or three times a year, that's it.
I prefer the current way I clean the 7.
Bad topic for me - must have washed the car at least 50 times and sometimes in the dark. Now have the joy of two Caterhams and Customers love the moors with all manner of goat poo
Power hose, Turtle way wash, blade and shamoix then autoglym polish then autoglym showroom finish. Flies are a nightmare in Summer - they Kamikaze the yellow car.
Going to see if my 9yr old son fancies a go at it next season to earn a few quid but at the moment he just keeps attacking his 7 year old brother with the power hose who runs the gauntlet on his bike/scooter - funny, but not great for washing
Power hose, Turtle way wash, blade and shamoix then autoglym polish then autoglym showroom finish. Flies are a nightmare in Summer - they Kamikaze the yellow car.
Going to see if my 9yr old son fancies a go at it next season to earn a few quid but at the moment he just keeps attacking his 7 year old brother with the power hose who runs the gauntlet on his bike/scooter - funny, but not great for washing
I clean the car every two / three weeks. I usually start by spraying some insect remover from Autoglym on the nose cone and the rear fenders. After a couple of minutes I just hose some water on it and the insects can be washed off easily.
I recently bought some poorboys wheel cleaner. Just spray something on the alloys. Let it on for a few minutes and you almost don't need to clean them with your hands. You'll simply rinse the breakdust off. Think the whole car will cost me less then 20 minutes now.
I recently bought some poorboys wheel cleaner. Just spray something on the alloys. Let it on for a few minutes and you almost don't need to clean them with your hands. You'll simply rinse the breakdust off. Think the whole car will cost me less then 20 minutes now.
Nerra said:
Thanks for the tips. What about the engine bay? I think that worries me the most with all the aluminum. I imagine the salt will make it look s**t pretty quickly?
Is it a polished aluminium car or painted? If polished alu then it's a lot of work to keep the alu shiny (I hear 
).I never clean inside the engine bay in general (unless I get oil leaks) but it is worth cleaning out the gaps between the footwells and sideskins as muck can accumulate there and exacerbate the alu-steel corrosion you get along the chassis rails.
That said, I've never been much of a polisher anyway and prefer my car to look well used (as befits the 100,000 miles or so on the clock).
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