Detailing/valeting without water

Detailing/valeting without water

Author
Discussion

benjj

Original Poster:

6,787 posts

165 months

Tuesday 19th February 2013
quotequote all
Hello shiny wax men smile

Quick question...

One of my classics is going on display at a big car show at the weekend. I do not have a transporter so will be driving the car down (150 miles) on Thursday.

I am in the process of selling the car and am hoping to pick up a few possible buyers at the show and want it looking spanking.

Can anyone give any advice on what I should take with me in order to spruce it up once it is on the stand? I will have a good few hours available but will not have access to water etc, plus need to keep the surrounding stand etc tidy.

It will be washed, waxed, polished etc before I leave but will inevitably pick up some road muck on the long motorway trip down. If it's wet it does like to kick up a load of crap due to the cutaway rear rally wings etc.

So, any clues as to what I can pack to give it a going over once I get there?

Thanks,

Ben

The car:


daveenty

2,359 posts

212 months

Tuesday 19th February 2013
quotequote all
I love that DS. smile

I know that there are products advertised which will do what you want, (or say that they will) but would it not be possible to take a five gallon drum of water with you in the boot or support vehicle?

I always have visions of scratches appearing with these non wet cleaning methods...

benjj

Original Poster:

6,787 posts

165 months

Tuesday 19th February 2013
quotequote all
Sadly no real way to get a decent quantity of water there. That being said I wonder if there may be a tap available somewhere. It is a showground after all.

trashbat

6,006 posts

155 months

Tuesday 19th February 2013
quotequote all
I'm not a pro but I've done similar before. Assuming it's just a bit of dust, rather than 150 miles in the rain, I would go with rapid detailer and a lot of cloths. That and buy some 5 litre bottles of water from a supermarket if required.

Colin RedGriff

2,530 posts

259 months

Tuesday 19th February 2013
quotequote all
It his is what I would do.

Give it a good clean and wax before the trip and then find a jet wash or similar place near the show ground and give it a wash and dry there to clear the muck from the trip. Then at the show ground have a portable bucket and 5l of water and some quick detailed to give it a final spruce up.

benjj

Original Poster:

6,787 posts

165 months

Wednesday 20th February 2013
quotequote all
Thanks for all the tips, chaps.

Typically after 3 days of blue skies I've woken up to drizzle. Bugger.

Just going to storage now to get car, will see what I can do. I think the idea of finding a local jet wash is going to prevail, car will be a state after 150 miles of this...

Thanks,

Ben

JackP1

1,270 posts

164 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
quotequote all
I'd say the same as trashbat, i've done 100miles to a show before got there and gone over with a detailing spray ( with a fair amount of microfibres also ) and it came up fantastic thumbup