02tbird,
I will keep Windex, Meguire's Quick Detailer, Meguire's Quick Wax, Meguire's Carnuba Paste Wax, a good carwash soap or cheap mild liquid dish washing soap, a high quality natural sponge, a natural chamois and/or artificial chamois, terry cloth/ cotton bath towels that match the car color, Westly's Bleach White, SOS pads and cold beer close at hand whenever I wash the outside of any of my cars. On one of the other threads it was mentioned about using compressed air for cleaning/drying all of the nooks and crannys. I find that it works great for keeping dirt and such from collecting around the taillights, bumpers, etc. I haven't tried the 303 product for
UV protection on rubber/plastic
parts yet, but will be trying it out soon. Currently I use a product called Clear Guard and have had no problems with it. For the
softtop (I have two other cars with fabric softtops) I use a vacume first then cold water and let it dry while up. (drying is not a problem in Texas) Do not scrub the
fabric top. There are
fabric top cleaners available, if it needs more than vacumed and rinsed. Make sure your
softtop is clean before it is put away for any length of time. Dirt is an abrasive!!
There are several excellent waxes and soaps on the market, but the main trick to keeping a car shiny is to use soft fabric for drying and keep
water spots off. Don't wipe the car with swirling motions, use long straight motions front to rear and back. Keep good wax on the car and try to wax it at least twice a year. I try to wax twice a year with liberal uses of quick detailer and quick wax in between. I do one or the other everytime I wash the car.
anyway, this is probably more than you really wanted to know, but I felt like typing a lot. The brand of cleaning product isn't as important as how you use it and how often.
When traveling I will sometimes just use the Windex and quick wax to give the car a quick perk up.
Have fun,,,,,
George