best way to dry
 

dad got a new Z whats the best way to dry it other then a leaf blower.. to avoid swirls also best soap and wax?

Air dry or leaf blower has always worked for me. With that being said my newest Z is silver!

What works best for me is making sure the less I contact the car with any material the better. That being said, make sure there is a good layer of wax on the car so that 95% of the water will sheet off. The best way to rinse your car is to let water freely flow out of the hose so that it will sheet off versus spray rinsing where the water will seperate into smaller beeds making it harder for the water to sheet off the car, leaving more water on your surfaces. Then since that I dont have a blower of any kind I use a 100% cotton towel to dab, NOT WIPE, the rest of the standing water on ther car.

Works great for me! I hope it helps you!

Shane

+1

If you are going to dry the car by hand using a towel, the first thing you must do is use a quality drying towel. Not that crappy stuff you buy over the counter that is made in China, a quality drying towel similar to the one sold here. Also, you need to use the pooling or sheeting rinse technique in order to dry most of the car with WATER.

Remember, the less you touch the paint, the better it is for the paint. That's why I use a leaf blower.

Master Blaster is best choice, but it takes a lot of energy. I can only use one of the blower motors on mine if I don't want to pop a circuit breaker. I think it uses 20-25amps. 2 blowers and a heater.
Amazon.com: Car Dryer - Air Force Master Blaster: Automotive

next is leaf blower

then california water blade and microfiber towel. I use the one Junkman recommends. I also only wipe in one direction with the towel, not circular.

155 mph down the highway

Naughty, naughty! :icon17:

:bowrofl: Seriously, I've found the best way is by hand and a good quality micro-fibre towel.

Ok it's the funnest way to dry the Z

if u have good highways lol

I'm in the desert. The highways are open and in straight lines. You could land aircraft on them

mine are full off potholes

I used to buff of my previous car with a high quality leather. They dry hard so wet it to soften the material, then ring out as much of the water as you can and you're left with a super-absorbent cloth that's softer then baby skin and doesn't leave smears or shed any dust whatsoever. They can be a little pricey though for a cloth.

Sounds like you're talking about a "shammy" or Chamois. There is one major problem with those however, and that is not all Chamois are authentic. Everything that you will find in the big box and auto stores are usually made in China crap consisting of goat or pig skin, instead of being made from the actual Chamois, a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus.

Now I didn't remember that off the top of my head, I had to look that up!

Anywho, if you think that what you are getting in a auto store cost a lot, those prices are nothing compared to the cost of real Chamois which is often used in the glove making industry. For example, a 40x60cm piece of real Chamois will run you around $50 US. But man, they make some of the best driving and golf gloves that you will ever put your hands into. I paid $60 for my Chamois golf gloves.

That China made junk is garbage and will scratch up your paint. I used enough of it in the 80's to know first hand.

interesting fact this leather is also the only leather gloves that are allowed to touch the tringle (bead wire) of any Michelin tire during assembly.

That is an interesting fact. :tiphat:

Back to you OP You asked about the "best wax and polish" too. That is like asking a hundred men who the best looking celebrity is. You'll not only get a hundred different answers but in this day and age, some of those answers will be men!

There are countless threads on this forum that show what different products can do. You have to look through them and decide on what's best for you taking in factors like durability, price, time required to apply or use and accessibility. Only you can decide what's best for you once these considerations are factored in. Two of the professional products used on this forum are Adam's and Zaino. There are other similar professional lines out there but this will at least narrow it down to two lines that are well represented here. Check out the threads as you will get a million different answers. :tup:

ty

I use the spot free rinse from the Mr. Clean autodry. Im not sure if i trust the soap, so i use megiures. The autodry uses deionized water to prevent water spots. It works pretty good.

Amazon.com: Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Wash System Starter Kit: Automotive

As with anything in paint care, the less you touch your finish the better off you are.

Junkman's sheeting rinse video is a great example of how to minimize the amount of water you have to contend with when you're drying.

Then using forced air to knock the rest off is idea. You can use an air compressor, leaf blower, or if you're really anal about it the Blaster Sidekick or Master Blaster which not only deliver a lot of air, but its heated to 60* above ambient and filtered. Not necessarily requirements, but nice features none the less.

Then once you get done air drying using a detail spray and quality towel to take care of any remaining water should be enough to leave you with a spot free/swirl free finish. A detail spray is key to provide some level of surface lubrication (another layer of protection) as well as encapsulate and make any residual dirt either from a missed spot or trapped in water that runs from door handles, badges, etc to make it safe for towel removal.

My Blaster Sidekick is coming Friday! Ordered from Adam's. :rock:

Thanks for your order! I absolutely love mine... plus it doesn't take up much room either which is nice when you're trying to keep a garage organized.

i use my shopvac in blower mode and blot dry using waffleweave drying towels.

for my dd's i dont care as much so use QD or spray-wax and use that as lube while drying and adding some protection. (no blot dry).

hmm