How do you wash your Taco??

Maybe if you treated it like a Ferrari you could trade it in for more so you wouldn't have to keep worrying about it?

 

i live in NH and dont even consider washing my truck in the winter. occasionally it gets sprayed down at a DIY car wash to take off a layer of mud sand and salt. i make sure it gets 2 really good wash, clay, buff, seal and wax a year. with a black vehicle ill never use a car wash brush or anything that can scratch my paint. sounds screwy since ive taken it off roading and into brush many times but ive worked at car washes as a kid and vowed to never go through one. and the touchless car washes use extremely corrosive chemicals and dont do a good job anyways. only like 3 more months till i bring her back to beautiful!

 

I am in alberta they use a ton of salt on our roads it might get a rinse 2 times during the winter. all i use is pre wash then i let it sit a few mins then hit it with the rinse. I havn't even waxed my truck yet since i got it new. i may wax it this spring. Also agreed never ever ever use car wash brushes or a touchless car wash bad idea. micro fibre does a nice job when washing.Also make sure theres no hard water cause that leaves water spots like no tomorrow.

 

Really, cause I'm pretty sure Alberta doesn't use much salt, they do use a health amount of sand but compared to other places they don't use much salt on the roads. That is unless things have changed in the past couple of years.

 

My bad i guess i shoulda said calgary! They say they don't use that much salt but a company i work for buys salt from westcan and the giant salt bins they have where almost empty by jan they've probably put down over a 100 tons of salt. when i say its salty my truck is supposed to be inferno but its been pretty white on the sides and growing salt fuzz

 

Yeah Calgary loves salt, not sure if it's better or worse than the 1/4" crushed gravel that Edmonton calls sand.

 

I hear you. Right now I just hose the mud off with the warm water bib I have in the garage.

 

It's easy to get carried away with having to have the best products and take meticulous care. Trucks, when used as trucks (most of ours on here), WILL get scratched, and handwashing, no matter how carefully, WILL cause light swirling over time. The trick is to minimize this as cost effectively as possible. Say no to automatic washes. First power rinse to remove any loose material from the paint. Then I use a clean microfiber mitt with a gentle auto shampoo weekly or as needed, or when weather permits. I dry with a super absorber shammy thing from walmart. About every other time I'll follow up with a quick wax to help continue water beading. Then, twice a year I wash with Dawn to strip all the wax, clay bar, address any chips or scratches, then apply liquid wax/sealer. This system isn't perfect, but it's cost effective. I value my time and money too much to worry about keeping the paint in immaculate condition. When and if swirl marks become noticeable, I'll pay someone to professionally polish.

 

In for a demonstration video from @lotuscupcar








Aside from that, I use optimum no rinse (just the one bucket method) or run it through the touchless wash at the nearby gas station.

 

i get mine detailed and buffed twice a year. in between i do touchless car washes. mines black so i get scratches just from looking at it

 

Ditto on this, and mine's black also if anyone cares.

 

Mexicans wash my Taco while I watch...

 

Kinky as fuck. Stats?

 

I wash mine right after I wash and detail the wife's car. I find I get luckier that way...

 

rain

 

I treat my truck like a Ferrari, this one in particular:

 

What is this "wash" you speak of?

 

Once every two months I spend about six hours detailing the interior and exterior. I wash it once or twice between. Had the truck 27 months and it's only been through an automatic touch free wash once because of caked mud.

https://youtu.be/jdlOnNdXpdM

 

I went to the self serve hand bays at the local car wash today and used the soap then rinse the soap off.. pull across the street to the city parking lot and use Eagle One Wax As U-Dry and a Chinchilla buffing cloth to dry Betty off with. She looks so black & shiny sitting out there in the projects parking lot amongst the rest of the neglected heaps.

 

This morning was one of those in between washes. I get that some people say "It's a truck" and don't care. If that's how you enjoy yours then more power to ya. I like taking pride in what I drive and protecting the 30k+ investment.