Much as I like a clean car, I have to admit I sometimes get a perverse satisfaction from seeing it covered in winter grime every so often. Also makes it satisfying when you finally go over it with the pressure washer after a few weeks of winter commuting.
GR86 What did you do with your GR86 today
- Thread starter Kiwi Greg
- Start date
It was grating on me on how filthy my car was. I went for it today, front and rear jacked up so I could get into the arches. My lovely CTEC got a scrub too.
Moved onto the body with BH auto foam followed with gtechniq ceramic gwash shampoo. The wife's Swift Sport got a coat of BH double speed wax last week to see it over winter, so she can't be jealous.
I then doused the whole car with iron and fallout remover and watched it work it's magic. This is the perfect time of year to wash a car, cool calm grey skies means everything can dwell for ages without the fear of it drying off.
Gleaming (and looking slightly 4x4ish) can't wait for this to be filthy again by the end of the week...
Moved onto the body with BH auto foam followed with gtechniq ceramic gwash shampoo. The wife's Swift Sport got a coat of BH double speed wax last week to see it over winter, so she can't be jealous.
I then doused the whole car with iron and fallout remover and watched it work it's magic. This is the perfect time of year to wash a car, cool calm grey skies means everything can dwell for ages without the fear of it drying off.
Gleaming (and looking slightly 4x4ish) can't wait for this to be filthy again by the end of the week...
Looks absolutely stunning, and great garage.Might get hammered for this but hey ho.
1st Service done.
CTEK attached.
Tyres pumped up.
Handbrake off.
Desiccants inside.
Roll on March.
View attachment 32214View attachment 32215
Cheers.
When we bought the house I had no idea the garage was so big. I worked in F1 for 25 years so it had to be set up nicely.
ShootinJack
Obsessed member
MorrisM
Obsessed member
- Feb 4, 2024
- 211
- 285
Any reason why you leave the trickle charge on? I have a car stored the same way (incase I need to move it quickly), but when I put the GR86 to sleep for 6 months earlier this year I took the battery off (another theft deterrent) and just let it run flat, then recharged the day before I woke the car up and have had no problems so far starting it up over the last 3 months. On another car which has been stored for 20 years and only used a couple of weeks each of those years, I remove the battery and just let the CTEK charge it every 3 months, and that battery (now 15 years old) starts the car first time every time, so I really don’t know what is the best thing to do for battery life/reliability…
It’s a conditioner for the battery too so I just leave it in the car.
That was by mistake! I got most of the way around the car before I realised I wanted to use the fallout remover. I wasn't too fussed as I thought if the panel was clean it would be more effective. Normally I would spritz it with the fallout remover first then wash the car. It seems to have had the same effect in restoring the coating, afterwards the water sheeted off to the point there was very little to dry.
This was the guidance I was given on how to maintain the ceramic coating:
Yeah, I tried it when it first came out, I liked the slickness of it and the way its hydrophobic once you wiped the panel (see the photo of the front bumper it literally drags itself off the paint) I don't think there is any extra benefit of it from a ceramic perspective tbh, it's an odd shampoo not like anything else I've tried. I have W1 which I use too because W3 is expensive!
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I tend to do snow-foam pre-wash and rinse followed by Tar Remover, Iron Fallout and the rest of the contact wash process. I don’t like wasting the expensive products on dirty panels, when comparatively cheap snow foam can get rid of that top layer of dirt first. Similarly, road tar tends to sit on top of the iron molecules, so wiping down the panels with tar remover beforehand can allow the fallout remover to work more efficiently.
Here’s a ‘Tip of the Day’ that I learned on another detailing course: to find out how clean the panel really is after washing, put a plastic bag over your hand (food freezer bag is ideal), spread your fingers and gently wipe your hand across a panel. The bag acts as a touch ‘amplifier’ for any contaminants on the paintwork that you can’t see or feel normally... It sounds daft but it works and gives you an idea where you may need to re-apply decontamination products to achieve a super slick finish…
Yeah, I know what you mean. I went with W1 as it was cheaper and I like shampoos which soap up a bit, but I wondered if there might be a benefit to using the W3 as a ceramic top up. But I also hear great things about CarPro Reset as a shampoo for ceramic coated cars, so I might give that a go as well.
Itcaptainslow
Obsessed member
- Sep 4, 2023
- 379
- 425
Automotive batteries don't seem to like being run flat - I did read it's something along the lines of sulphation of the cells which causes them to lose ability to take a charge, but I'd be delighted if someone with a much better understanding of chemistry would correct me!
I’m not big on this practicality but all I know is the CTEK keeps the battery in a good state. Never had a problem in the 20 years I’ve been using them. Never had to replace a battery either.Automotive batteries don't seem to like being run flat - I did read it's something along the lines of sulphation of the cells which causes them to lose ability to take a charge, but I'd be delighted if someone with a much better understanding of chemistry would correct me!
Exactly that
Longer explanation Here for those of an engineering bent.
My GR86 is always attached to a Noco Genius 10 conditioner and I use a Ctek MXS5 for our electric fence batteries.
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RumbleandSway
Totally Hooked
Enjoyed a lovely moment last night as I spun d’86 through some wiggly bits and roundabouts.
Watching lights in the rear view [permanently dipped at night] noticed two fast movers appear but not gaining.
With dual carriageway ahead eased off, held at 70 to see what was struggling to keep up - after all it might have been his majesty’s finest.
A mile later [and inevitably] M135i screamed by at 110+. Mmmm I thought, daft bugger.
With the second set of lights 1/2 mile behind and gaining fast one of my favourite roundabouts loomed ahead.
The ‘inner chimp” did the maths and suggested a little late braking with a hint of slide would offer some drama free fun. Out of curiosity I wondered at what point the other car would pass; in the braking zone , on the roundabout, at the exit?
The 86 did what it does, flowed through the roundabout, to the extent that there was loads of margin for me to watch the antics of the other car.
They’d clearly had something similar in mind but didn’t have the stopping distance and while I was enjoying the moment they obviously weren’t. I hadn’t ventured out of lane, they’d used the full width of the entry and exit. It must have been exciting but for all the wrong reasons.
500 yards further on the Model Y hissed by [100+]. No doubt the driver felt they’d shown me who was the boss.
Couple of miles later, back on the twisties, passed the BMW…. they managed a valiant effort for a mile or so but couldn’t keep up.
May have been a lack of talent on their part but I suspect it had more to do with the 86’s balance and breadth of ability.
Watching lights in the rear view [permanently dipped at night] noticed two fast movers appear but not gaining.
With dual carriageway ahead eased off, held at 70 to see what was struggling to keep up - after all it might have been his majesty’s finest.
A mile later [and inevitably] M135i screamed by at 110+. Mmmm I thought, daft bugger.
With the second set of lights 1/2 mile behind and gaining fast one of my favourite roundabouts loomed ahead.
The ‘inner chimp” did the maths and suggested a little late braking with a hint of slide would offer some drama free fun. Out of curiosity I wondered at what point the other car would pass; in the braking zone , on the roundabout, at the exit?
The 86 did what it does, flowed through the roundabout, to the extent that there was loads of margin for me to watch the antics of the other car.
They’d clearly had something similar in mind but didn’t have the stopping distance and while I was enjoying the moment they obviously weren’t. I hadn’t ventured out of lane, they’d used the full width of the entry and exit. It must have been exciting but for all the wrong reasons.
500 yards further on the Model Y hissed by [100+]. No doubt the driver felt they’d shown me who was the boss.
Couple of miles later, back on the twisties, passed the BMW…. they managed a valiant effort for a mile or so but couldn’t keep up.
May have been a lack of talent on their part but I suspect it had more to do with the 86’s balance and breadth of ability.
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KobayashiMaru86
Totally Hooked
The 86 really does hold it's own when it's twisty and below 60mph and it's got away from quite a bit. But then I've found lots of drivers today don't know how to drive slow cars fast anymore (I'm not saying the 86 is slow but it's relative). It's a skill all my friends of my age group had growing up on Gower and having Mid Wales roads to play on. If I come back to Swansea from Aberystwyth and it's clear, my times are up there with my best I've set, even in faster cars I've owned. Isn't because of the power or the braking ability but the ability to keep the flow and momentum up.
RumbleandSway
Totally Hooked
Kindred spirit. All my early miles covered in a VW Beetle 1200 - you learnt not to use the brakes - entry and exit speed was everything
