Just wondering how everybody dries there truck. I personally wash truck then take for truck for ride for about one mile. Then come back and dry truck with chamee thing. So how do you do it.

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• -1999 Ford F-150 Flareside ORP
• -4.6 Liter auto Tranny 3.55 LS rear
• -Painted to match Lund Moon Visor
• -Lund Interceptor Bug Guard (painted)
• -Manik Grille Guard
• -Soft Bed Cover
• -Deflecta-Shield Rain Guards (painted)
• -Delecta-Shield Slotted Tail Light Covers (painted)
• -Yellow Under Car Lights
• -Tinted Windows (5% illegal)
• -Pioneer 7200 CD head unit
• -Superwhite Bulbs
• -K&N Air Filter
• -In loving Memory Of Craig W. Menth Sr. Maltese Cross Fire Department Sticker
• steveo@f150fanatic.com
  
• steveo@f150fanatic.com

 

Well, I have just picked up my 2000, and have only had it since this saturday...haven't had a chance to wash it yet, in fact I am terrified of getting those little "swirly" scratches (its black) - I am soooo paranoid - but anyway, back to your question - I used to have a friend who would use a leaf blower to blow the big beads off of his truck and then get the rest with a chamois (I like those Super Absorber artificial ones because I think killing sheep is just plain baaaaaad...sheep are people too) - sorry, I digress - just be careful not to mess up and hit the paint with either the blower or any sand/rock/sticks or any other foreign debris...with that said, I am not advocating this method of drying, but it seemed to work well for him - ok I'll shut up now

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Finally Here!!!!!!
2000 F150 4x4 Lariat
5.4L V8, ORP, Tow Pkg, Lthr Captain Chairs
Plain Black w/o trim color
Plenty of Mods soon....

 

I too use the Super Absorber chamois, but I'm not too impressed with it.
I just don't know a better way to do it.
I also have a black truck and I don't think there is a way to avoid the scratches.


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'99 Black F-150 Sport
SuperCab
4.6 Romeo Triton
3.55 Rear-end,Tow Package,
MODS: Black low- profile bug deflector, K&N Air Filter

Wife's wheels: '91 Green Ranger XLT 3.0L

http://hometown.aol.com\riadan1

 

I use one of those Calafornia Water Blades. It gets most of the big areas and I use a super chamois to catch the smaller areas. I then drive it about a mile to shake the water out of the cracks. I then use a towel and Meguires quick shine to catch the water spots. (show room shine)

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1998 F150 XLT, extended cab 3 door,Pacific Green, towing package, 4.6L V8, 3.55 LS,Lund deflector, K&N Air Filter, Diamond Plate Toolbox, Diamond Blue(HID) simulator Fog Lights , Whistler Radar Dectector, Uniden Police Scanner, 29WX-ST Cobra CB Radio, with a Texas Star 100watt modulator and a Wilson 2000 Trucker antenna. A Clarion Security System with Keyless Entry,
Audio Mods
Kenwood KDC-6011 CD player/changer control head unit.
JL 10" sub-woofer
Fultron "Depth Charge" amp 200w max.
4, TR570-CX JL Audio Coaxial Speakers (factory location)

Go see my truck and my Grandfather's truck at <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/1992" TARGET=_blank>

Http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/1992


</A>

 

Well it's been awhile since I've had to worry about this but I'm two weeks into a new Red over Harvest Gold Two-Tone So I guess I better start. It's been my experience that repeated use of TerryCloth to dry will result in those fine swirl marks we all dread. Chamois can do the same if not kept perfectly clean and rinsed frequently during drying. It has seemed to me that I achieved the best results from Baby diapers or lint free high quality cotton towels (not terry, smooth like shop towels). I still expect the swirls to appear though so I can look forward to the periodic Safe-Cut/baby diaper polish day. This combo has never failed to remove the majority of the swirls but is fairly labor intesive. I carry a clean diaper and McGuires "Quick Detail" in the truck at all times for those highly acidic intestinal payloads our high flying, fine feathered friends see fit to bombard new trucks with.

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2000 F-150 Lariat S/C 4x4 ORP 5.4L Red/gold

 

Word of caution about the California Water Blades...do not use it unless the finish is absolutely clean. Friend of mine who has a 2000 F-150 sport, black finish, went to remove some water off of the hood with his water blade...and it left two nice scratches in the finish.

I use a chamois and very carefully wipe the finish dry.

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2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, Superchip, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55 rear, class III towing package with heavy duty cooling package, 4 wheel disk ABS, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, factory leather wrapped steering wheel, Pendaliner bedliner, K&N air filter, rubberized undercoating, cabin filtration system, Bugflector II, 5W-30 Mobil 1, engine build 10/4/99




[This message has been edited by Dustoff (edited 05-16-2000).]

 

Dry it are you nuts!?!?! I just let it drp dry, De-ionized water is the coolest thing on earth.

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1999 4.6 Extra Cab-Short Bed
Silver Clear Coat Metalic
K&N Airfilter
17 Inch 2000 Chrome 4X4 Wheels Wrapped in 275/60/17 ZR Yokahama AVS
White-Faced Luminescent Gauges
Flowmaster 3 inch Cat Back 40 Series Exhaust
3.5 Inch Polished Thermal Research Exhaust Tip
Clear Corner Lenses
Super White Headlight and Turn Signals
Trends Billet Antenna
Stull Billet Grill
e-mail SILVERFORDF150@AOL.COM

 

I spent the $20 for the California Water Blade, tried it and took it back. What a pain in the rump, especially on a flareside. You have to go over it again with the absorber anyway, I just go top to botom with it (the Absorber), it's faster than having to switch tools and is less to carry in the bucket.

DI water is great stuff, finding a place that processes it correctly is tough. Sometimes Superwash has good DI sometimes not, I don't think anything can beat the good old bucket, sponge, garden hose, and an overcast afternoon method.

Just my opinions though.

 

Hey steveo,
I use a large white 100%
cotton towel....
"Fieldcrest". Reason
being white and the name brand is because colored towels tend to have dies in them, leading to your swirl marks. I use 100% cotton towels made in the U.S.A. to ensure they're 100% true cotton. Some out of country towels say 100% cotton, but may have 15 to 20 percent polyester in them. That's what will also give you swirl marks.

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2000 F-150 Lariat 4x2 Supercab, Styleside,SB,Amazon Green/Clearcoat Metallic,5.4 Liter V8, Class III Tow-Package,3.55 Limited Slip Rear,Bug Deflector, Duraliner Bedliner,Superchip,K&N Filter, Fumoto Oil Drain Valve.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I am glad that I didn't buy that water blade thing. What is this DI water stuff, I never heard of it. Where can I get it, and do you use it just like regular tap water. Again thanks, I guess I am doing it just fine then.

------------------

• -1999 Ford F-150 Flareside ORP
• -4.6 Liter auto Tranny 3.55 LS rear
• -Painted to match Lund Moon Visor
• -Lund Interceptor Bug Guard (painted)
• -Manik Grille Guard
• -Soft Bed Cover
• -Deflecta-Shield Rain Guards (painted)
• -Delecta-Shield Slotted Tail Light Covers (painted)
• -Yellow Under Car Lights
• -Tinted Windows (5% illegal)
• -Pioneer 7200 CD head unit
• -Superwhite Bulbs
• -K&N Air Filter
• -In loving Memory Of Craig W. Menth Sr. Maltese Cross Fire Department Sticker
• steveo@f150fanatic.com
  
• steveo@f150fanatic.com

 

My truck is black and if I wash it during the day, I get about a five-minute window to dry the entire side that is facing the sun. I use an 8” squeegee on all the windows and dry the rest with a clean 100% cotton terry towel. The towel works faster than the chamois especially if the metal is warm. I then use Meguiars’s Quick Detailer to clean up anything I missed. It’s a great workout during the summer. I wish I had a garage.

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99 4X4 XLT S/C with ORP
5.4L 3.73LS
Flow Master Dual Exhaust
K&N Filter w/ Intake Mod
Flex-a-Lite Black Magic 150 Electric Cooling Fan
Jason "Hugger" Truck Lid

 

Hey I like that leaf blower thing, especially since I don't use mine as a vacuum to pick up stones and such. I use one of those super chamois that you keep wet in the tube and it works great, especially on the flat surfaces (hood). Our water is not especially hard or soft, but leaves nice whitish water spots if left on the hood. I notice that if I take it for a DRIVE to blow off the large drops, or even raise the hood to let them slide off, the water spotting is much less if I don't use the chamois. The blower thing appeals to me to do first since the water that accumulates under the bed rail caps and other places keeps dripping for awhile and it seems no matter how I try, there is always that one or two trails that the next day you notice coming from a tail light or bed cap that you have to detail. Also because I have the electric blower hanging ready on the wall!
I don't know if we have DI water around here or not, but don't take mine to even the 'touchless' washes, mainly because of the bed cap being kinda high.


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2000 Lariat, 5.4, 3:55 L.S., 4wd, ext cab, Tow pkg, Chestnut/Gold, Century mid-hi cap, Ford short bug deflector, contoured Ford running boards and bedmat.

 

The "California Blade" with the "Super Absorber" chamois.

 

Anytime you touch your paint or chrome with "anything that is dry" you are scratching the surface. Only one way to avoid this and that is the leaf blower. I have been using the blower on my harley for years and the black and chrome looks perfect. The more wax you have on the truck the better the blower works. One reason that drying with towels scratches is because no matter how careful you are there will always be a piece of dirt or sand either laying on the surface or enbedded in the towel to scratch the paint. Don't learn this lesson the hard way. I had a post concerning this several months ago.

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2000 F-150, XLT, SC, 5.4, 4X4, 355 LS, ORP, Black/Silver, class III, single CD, sliding glass, med. gray, keyless, elect. shift, engine date 8-18-99, Superchip. '93 Harley Fatboy Black & tons of chrome

 

I use SteveO's method for drying, but after the first mile, I keep on going.