Washing a 914, Pat's dry method? Options

[swm914]

This seems like a dumb question but how do you wash a 914?

Pat mentioned in the topic on waxing that he hasn't washed his car in 6 years. It raised the question in my mind. Is that best and normal for 914's?

Since I bought my 914 in December it hasn't been washed. Since I've learned more about them since then (stuff like "there is nothing like a rust free 914" etc.) I've been afraid to wash the thing. It'll be a "fun" car, (maybe a few "fun" shows along the way)and garaged all the time but even now, after a few nice spins, it needs washed.

So, I'll ask Pat to elaborate on his dry method. Also, any other practical tips from other long time 914 owners would be appreciated. Thanks

Steve

[Pat Garvey]

This seems like a dumb question but how do you wash a 914?

Pat mentioned in the topic on waxing that he hasn't washed his car in 6 years. It raised the question in my mind. Is that best and normal for 914's?

Since I bought my 914 in December it hasn't been washed. Since I've learned more about them since then (stuff like "there is nothing like a rust free 914" etc.) I've been afraid to wash the thing. It'll be a "fun" car, (maybe a few "fun" shows along the way)and garaged all the time but even now, after a few nice spins, it needs washed.

So, I'll ask Pat to elaborate on his dry method. Also, any other practical tips from other long time 914 owners would be appreciated. Thanks

Steve

Steve,

I wondered if anyone would ever question me on my method.

A few caviats:
1. I am a whacko about any form of condensation getting on my 914 - & I mean a WHACKO!
2. First 2 years I owned my 914, I drove it daily, regardless of weather. Put 48K miles on it. In the last 33 years, it's had less than 20K, and that included trips to New Orleans & several PCA Parades (only once towed).
3. In 1979, I saw the ravages of the first 2 years of driving it in salt, snow & rain. They could have been far worse, but I had it re-done & swore water would never touch again in quantity. I've kept my promise to it (Fritz is his name).

With that said - my 914 never gets dirty. It only gets dusty, andthat's when it's not under cover. That's the difference, and only a whacko like me would subscribe to my system. And, given the aforementioned caveats, this is my system. Simple.

Four/three buckets of distilled or softened water (yeah, I know, it already sounds like too much work). One bucket with nothing but clear water & a very few drops of your favorite car wash (I use Ivory Liquid). Second bucket of clear water - rinsing bucket Third bucket of the same rinsing water. Fourth bucket used only if dust is heavy, otherwise not needed.

CLEAN, no softened cotton terrycloth for all buckets - no chamois (chamois for glass only).

First bucket (w/cleanser) - wring out as much as possible (assuming a merly dusty car). Swipe it lightly accross the surface to be cleaned, turn it & swipe again - throw that cloth in the corner & get a new one. Dip, swipe, turn, toss - doing a quarter at a time. Stop!

Go to bucket 2. This is the first rinse. Use same method a first bucket, just no soaps,etc. Dip. swipe, turn, toss. Go to bucket 3 - repeat all steps. Use Bucket 4 if realy dusty, but repeat all steps. Remember - distilled or softened water. And, wring out all cloths tightly.

Also, remeber to use these steps a section at a time, because you'll need to dry it before moving on.

Dry? Never, ever use a chamois on your paint - sucks the oils out. Yes, it does - don't do it. Use another set of clean terry cloths, though the old style diapers are even better. Hospitals use something called 'blood rags" - get 'em if you can - they are the best.

There, simple as that - your 914 is clean, never got wet (no drops on the garage floor, or the cloths were too wet), & you're ready to go.

Look guys, I know this is.....whacko, but it's worked for me or many years. I also know it's extra work - can you replace the beauty you have? Keep floods of water away.

BTW- IMHO-YMMV (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[swm914]

Pat,
Thanks for sharing your method of washing Fritz. At first, it may seem whacky to some, but since I share your desire not to get my 914 (unnamed)soaking wet, I'll likely follow your method or something similar.
Steve

[jonferns]

so, dont hose it off???

[Pat Garvey]

so, dont hose it off???

Do what's convenient for you. All I know is, I stopped any body corrosion when I went with my method. Though, when I go to a PCA Parade, first thing I do is hose it off (beltline down). I aso spritz of the undercarriage, from the rear half forward. The rest, I wipe doen by hand.

Look guys/gals - this is MY method. I condone it, but onlt recommend it for the rest of the whackos out there. I'm 60, have had this car since I was 25, & plan on dying with it. I want it preserved as best as possible. I AM unique!

If you're going to use your 914 as a stepping stone to something else - do what you wish. But, if you're going to keep it long term, think about what you need to do to keep it from rusting.

Wash it with a hose? OK, just blow out everything with air pressure when you're finished. Not a perfect method, but it'l lessen the long-term damage.

[orthobiz]

Nice ideas, Pat. I'm an orthopaedic surgeon for 20 years and I've never heard of "blood rags!" I am assuming you're talking about "lap sponges," a shortened version of "laparotomy sponges." Lapartomy is when they open the abdomen, and these are the sponges doctors leave inside people, I mean, what we use to wipe up blood during surgery.

John Paterek (technical concours Northern NJ Region) said the best thing for wiping off the car are the blankets they use to wrap a newborn baby. These are called "receiving blankets" and they are not really blankets at all, but a cotton cloth sheet. He liked them because the only way you get your hands on them is when they are being thrown out and they've been washed a million times. Can't beat them for softness but I've never been able to get a steady supply of them.

Just as an aside, the blue or green towels you might see in the operating room on TV, usually bordering the operating area, are now disposable! My hospital tells me that it costs more to gather, wash and sterilize regular cotton towels than it does to throw them away and buy a new ones. There's just something wrong there...

Paul

[Pat Garvey]

Nice ideas, Pat. I'm an orthopaedic surgeon for 20 years and I've never heard of "blood rags!" I am assuming you're talking about "lap sponges," a shortened version of "laparotomy sponges." Lapartomy is when they open the abdomen, and these are the sponges doctors leave inside people, I mean, what we use to wipe up blood during surgery.

John Paterek (technical concours Northern NJ Region) said the best thing for wiping off the car are the blankets they use to wrap a newborn baby. These are called "receiving blankets" and they are not really blankets at all, but a cotton cloth sheet. He liked them because the only way you get your hands on them is when they are being thrown out and they've been washed a million times. Can't beat them for softness but I've never been able to get a steady supply of them.

Just as an aside, the blue or green towels you might see in the operating room on TV, usually bordering the operating area, are now disposable! My hospital tells me that it costs more to gather, wash and sterilize regular cotton towels than it does to throw them away and buy a new ones. There's just something wrong there...

Paul

Paul,

Yep, they would be called lap sponges today. I got close to a hundred of them 25 years ago, used them, washed them, 4 left! They are the best & I don't know where to get any more (originals were courtesy of a surgical asst buddy 600 miles away). I haven't found anything better, but guess I will. I'm sure is DOES cost less to use the throw aways these days. Nonetheless, these are even better than old-school diapers. Just wish I could score another stash of "blood rags"!

I'm even getting desperate enough to use old cotton bath towels. They're OK, but too big to use on tight areas.
Pat

[smg914]

Although I only washed my car once since the 2003 Parade, I have always dried my Porsches with my TORO 850 electric leaf blower. Not only do I not touch the car with towels or chamois, it also assists in blowing trapped water out of all the nooks and cranies.

[jonferns]

that actually sounds like a good idea... is there any chance of messing up the paint??? if not, i will definetly try this today...but still, waht is the BEST method of washing??? is it having 2 or 3 buckets to rinse, or using the hose???? --JON

[TJB/914]

HI Guys,

Sure do learn a lot about you guys on this one.

I am little more normal, I use lots of water & wash in the shade (never in the sun).

I first rinse the car down throughly with the hose, Then I use a well used (soft) sponge using Mother's Car Wash Soap washing small area's of the car & rinse off each section imediately. After the entire car is completed I then rinse the entire car and wipe off the water with my soft sponge.
After this is done I use my air compressor, air hose to blow out nooks & cranies (like Steve) then wipe off any small water drops with a soft cotten towel (washed many times). In my opinion the the air hose blow job cleaning out nooks & cranies is a must do when washing your 914.

(normal) Tom
BTW: Forgot to say my car is covered with a soft car cover that I wash once a year to get rid of dust particules.

[dflesburg]

Y'all need to be drug tested....

Good Grief.

[Pat Garvey]

Y'all need to be drug tested....

Good Grief.

"Y'all"? from Centerville (& I've been there a bunch of times. It represents the epitome of middle America - & that's a really good thing)?

Drug tested? We've all been drug tested on this forum, though reults may vary.

You're point is ......?
Pat

[tod914]

When I dry mine, I always pull off the front and rear trunk seals and make sure the trunk gutters are throughly dried with a towel. I'll also take a paper towel and run the edges inside the window trim to absorb any water. water also gets trapped in the black plastic vent plugs in the door jams, be sure to try that area out as well.. the compressed air method sounds like a good way to go (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I also but a blanket in the engine bay so no water gets in there through the grills when i rinse it.

Steve how's your GT comming along? Have you had a chance to post any pictures of the restoration yet?

[orthobiz]

When I dry mine, I always pull off the front and rear trunk seals and make sure the trunk gutters are throughly dried with a towel.

I've heard of this but my front trunk rubber is glued in place (factory style, I'm sure). Should I pull it up and un-glue it?

Paul

[Pat Garvey]

When I dry mine, I always pull off the front and rear trunk seals and make sure the trunk gutters are throughly dried with a towel.

I've heard of this but my front trunk rubber is glued in place (factory style, I'm sure). Should I pull it up and un-glue it?

Paul

NO! Don't pull it loose from the glue. You'll only make matters worse.

If you MUST flood your 914 with water:
Front trunk - water drains from the top to the bottom corners. Carefully lift the rubber near the headlight areas (just enough to NOT break the glue bond). Cram in the "corner of a shop towel" (not regular paper towels, as they aren't as absorbent). Let the towel absorb the excess water for a couple of hours, until nothing else seems to be being absorbed. Pull it out & put another in - you'll be surprised at what else comes out. These channels are an expensive bitch to replace - protect them.
Rear trunk - pull the seal off, it's not held on with glue. But, there is a channel inside the seal & it has metal binding embedded in it. Run towels inside the seal edges to get any water out, else it will eventually get to the metal inside the seal & ruin it. Blowing it out with air pressure is a good idea too, though you can't get all of it out.

Sorry if I seem to be harping here, but (except in extreme circumstances) you do not need to flood your 914 with water to clean it. It takes about 20 minutes to "dry wash" a 914, and walk away.
Pat

[tod914]

Im not crazy about the idea of the front trunk seal being glued in. I used 3M adhesive cleaner to get the glue off the paint. The seal itself retains moisture. The water may eventually work its way in there. Only takes a couple minutes to pop it in and out and wipe it dry. Personal preference I suppose, but that is a typical area where 914's rust.

[jonferns]

Im not crazy about the idea of the front trunk seal being glued in. I used 3M adhesive cleaner to get the glue off the paint. The seal itself retains moisture. The water may eventually work its way in there. Only takes a couple minutes to pop it in and out and wipe it dry. Personal preference I suppose, but that is a typical area where 914's rust.

so, your front trunk seal isnt glued in? sounds like a good idea. I have noticed that when my car was delivered, I lifted the seal, and had a bunch of wet leaves/stuff in the corners...havent even been able to clean it ALL out...I gotta get on that... -JON

[Johny Blackstain]

This is where the rust exists on my six (right side). It is expensive & it's a bitch (especially w/ flares already on the car). I think it happened because the car got so many half-assed paint jobs & they never removed the gasket inbetween all the paint jobs. It came glued from the factory on top of the final coat, probably for a reason.
Build up coats, or dirt for that matter, around it & it retains more water than normal. I pulled it out, was the original, cleaned out the channel & picked out all the rust, covered it w/ POR for the moment, shoved some black rubber goo in the hole & put a new gasket on top. I did not glue it because all I did was stop it from getting any worse for now. Once I fix it properly I'll glue the gasket back on.


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[stevesc_us]

I have owned my original six for 15 years. Over this time the car has only been washed twice, and both times I made sure to use an air compressor with a soft rubber tip to blow out any water left in cracks or other hard to reach areas.

For all other cleanings over the years I take a very simple approach. Since the car only gets driven approx. 1,000 miles a year and only gets a light layer of dust in my garage, I swear by the parafin wax dusters. I know its hard to believe, but they really do work and they don't scratch the paint. Anything other than dust that happens to get on the paint is handled with McGuire's Quick Detailer. Obviously this approach only works for "garage queens", but if I had to wash my car with water I would be sure to use the air compressor every time to make sure no water collects anywhere!

[Pat Garvey]

I have owned my original six for 15 years. Over this time the car has only been washed twice, and both times I made sure to use an air compressor with a soft rubber tip to blow out any water left in cracks or other hard to reach areas.

For all other cleanings over the years I take a very simple approach. Since the car only gets driven approx. 1,000 miles a year and only gets a light layer of dust in my garage, I swear by the parafin wax dusters. I know its hard to believe, but they really do work and they don't scratch the paint. Anything other than dust that happens to get on the paint is handled with McGuire's Quick Detailer. Obviously this approach only works for "garage queens", but if I had to wash my car with water I would be sure to use the air compressor every time to make sure no water collects anywhere!

I'm with you on the Quick Detailer - good stuff! Haven't tried the wax dusters, because my technique works for me.

We whackos seem to have our own techniques, don't we?
Pat