Auto detailing and age

[Malo83]

I'm 70 and still like to get out there in the garage, I've lost a step or two, maybe more , I'm no Pro but like to keep my vehicles looking good, still use paste wax but not as often, hard to get the lower body panels and wheels but those garden foam kneeling pads really help out. Neighbor kid has done a couple full details for me, does good work.

 

[Oillover]

If you're anything like me, you do all of your own detailing because you're picky about your vehicles. However, I'm turning 65 this month, and I no longer have the stamina I once had, even though I exercise on a regular basis. Detailing my CX-9 is about a 10-12 hour job for me, if I want to get it all done in one day. I start by washing the vehicle, then I do the interior, windows inside and out, tire dressing, wax, and then I use a restoration product on the black plastic around the bottom of the vehicle. I'm thinking about spreading this process out over a two day period so I'm not killing myself. How do you older gents deal with this issue?

Maybe it's time to buy a smaller vehicle?
Less area to clean/detail etc.

 

[atikovi]

Detailing my CX-9 is about a 10-12 hour job for me, if I want to get it all done in one day. I start by washing the vehicle, then I do the interior, windows inside and out, tire dressing, wax, and then I use a restoration product on the black plastic around the bottom of the vehicle.

What about an iron decon, claying, polishing, headlight restoration, upholstery and carpet vac and clean, then dressing. And no mention about the trunk or cargo area and engine bay cleaning either. It can take me a good three days or more for all that, but of course it on new to me car. You don't do all those things every time.

 

[grampi]

From the age of 17 to 25 my cars always used to be immaculate. Even when I was droving 500+ miles a week, my car would be cleaned in and out every week without fail.

Then kids happened. They're 3 and 5 now. Between not having any time to do any kind of maintenance on the cars because of the kids and the kids making extra mess in our cars, it really does upset me at times. I'm lucky if I can clean my car every 6 to 8 weeks and even then it's either the inside or outside.

The good thing about being 65 is that I'm retired, so I've got all day every day to do whatever I want. The bad thing is I have less energy to do it with...

 

[grampi]

What about an iron decon, claying, polishing, headlight restoration, upholstery and carpet vac and clean, then dressing. And no mention about the trunk or cargo area and engine bay cleaning either. It can take me a good three days or more for all that, but of course it on new to me car. You don't do all those things every time.

I clayed before this vehicle's first wax job, and it didn't need polishing, the headlight lenses don't need polishing yet, upholstery and carpets I do every time, the trunk/cargo area is completely covered with a Weather Tech mat and it gets washed along with the front ones every time, and I've cleaned the engine bay once, and has since stayed fairly clean...

 

[grampi]

Maybe it's time to buy a smaller vehicle?
Less area to clean/detail etc.

The CX-9 was a downsizing. The vehicle it replaced was a Toyota Sienna...don't wanna go any smaller...

 

[The Critic]

Maybe it's time to buy a smaller vehicle?
Less area to clean/detail etc.

I mean, he does drive a CX-9 with the time-bomb 2.5T....it is only a matter of time before he has to revisit that matter when the cylinder head cracks.

But in all seriousness, it may not be a bad idea to hire someone to do certain things if you are in a position to do so.

 

[chris719]

Skip the waxing step and foam the car with Gyeon Bathe+ every time after your normal wash. It's not as good as a good wax or sealant, but it is almost zero effort and provides instant beading.

 

[Jdeere562]

I keep my car cleaned up all year, but not perfect.

Every fall, I have it professionally cleaned and detailed.

 

[RamFan]

I have found that even when using the best of the best products, the results are only marginally better than using lesser products.

I tend to agree with this which is why I go with the “premium” side of off the shelf products. Meguiar’s and Mothers tend to work quite nicely 99% of the time. Lately, Turtle Wax has really stepped it up too.

If you’re looking for a show room finish, there are boutique brands that do make a superior product. But for the daily driver and/or Cars and Coffee crowd, they tend to be overkill.

 

[WylieCoyote]

There's a lot more stuff I'd like to have including a lift, but a foam canon helps with the washing process as there's no repeated trips back and forth to the bucket. A dual action polisher is absolutely essential. I look back on the days when I hand compounded, hand polished, and hand waxed cars with complete disbelief that the joints in my hands and arms survived it. "Cheater" chemicals like ceramic trim sealer (Cerakote) and spray sealer (Beadmaker) are Godsends, because I don't have to treat the black plastic trim on the Canyon every third or fourth wash, nor do I have to wax it once a year anymore. Doing little things to make life easier, such as sheeting the water off the car with a slow running garden hose, and using a blower to blow all the water out of the cracks and seams will shorten the amount of time it takes to dry the vehicle. I'm 53, every little bit helps.

 

[MrStamper]

10 min job for me. I clean it every week so it’s just maintenance. Dunno how you spend hours.

 

[Oillover]

The CX-9 was a downsizing. The vehicle it replaced was a Toyota Sienna...don't wanna go any smaller...

Ease of entry/egress, safety etc are good reasons to stay with that size.

 

[buster]

I tend to agree with this which is why I go with the “premium” side of off the shelf products. Meguiar’s and Mothers tend to work quite nicely 99% of the time. Lately, Turtle Wax has really stepped it up too.

If you’re looking for a show room finish, there are boutique brands that do make a superior product. But for the daily driver and/or Cars and Coffee crowd, they tend to be overkill.

The one product over the last 3 years that really impressed me was Can Coat. Stuff is excellent.

 

[MSCH]

The CX-9 was a downsizing. The vehicle it replaced was a Toyota Sienna...don't wanna go any smaller...

yeah, I never downsized with retirement. I'm driving a Ram 3500 CCDRW 4x4. most difficult thing to wax on it is the roof. Iwash the vehicle with a car wash brush on a pole.

 

[grampi]

I mean, he does drive a CX-9 with the time-bomb 2.5T....it is only a matter of time before he has to revisit that matter when the cylinder head cracks.

But in all seriousness, it may not be a bad idea to hire someone to do certain things if you are in a position to do so.

Time bomb? Hardly. The 2.5T is a great engine...

 

[grampi]

10 min job for me. I clean it every week so it’s just maintenance. Dunno how you spend hours.

10 min. job = a shabby detailing job. No way it can be done in that little amount of time and done correctly no matter how often it's done...

 

[PimTac]

10 min. job = a shabby detailing job. Now way it can be done in that little amount of time and done correctly no matter how often it's done...

It takes me that long to gather the supplies and fill the buckets with water.

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

Speaking of gathering the supplies, one thing I've noticed is as I age I'm getting much better at figuring out what tools I'll need and getting them together before I start any maintenance job. 20 up and downs while working under the car takes me a day to recover now. That's if i can do it at all.

 

[Malo83]

Tried the Minute Wax and Slick Shine on my vehicles and was impressed with the ease of application and buff, great shine, makes keeping the paint looking new and easy to work with on these Old Bones of mine, 8 bones a pop at Wally World.