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Gelcoat and waterless car wash?
Unfortunately driving season ended and winter arrived quicker than I thought this year and didn’t get to wash bugs and dirt off before putting the car away. I’m still in gelcoat, are there substances in waterless car wash that I don’t want getting into the body before bodywork and paint?
I bought one and when I got home noticed it was wash and wax. Said it had carnuba wax in it. I figured better not to be putting that into crevices in the seams.
Did some research and the interweb says some have silicone which I know not to go near.
What’s safe to use to wash in my garage? Thankfully heated.
2017 FFR MK4 9026, 3 Link, 15" FFR halibrands, cooper cobra tires, '88 302/5.0, GT40 Y303 heads, Performer RPM intake Manifold, Holley 650 DP Carb, Pertronix distributor, T5Z spec built transmission, 3.73 rear end. Ordered Nov 2016, picked up at FFR Feb 2017, first start July 2017, Legal on the road May 2018, still in Gelcoat.
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I guess dishwashing soap would be ok. It’ll break down and oils and such on the Gelcoat.
FFR 5136 Started as a donor...donor guages, engine, trans,etc. Now...TFS street intake,stage 1 cam, GT40p's,24# injectors and 80mm MAF,70mm TB,Z-spec t-5, and PSE Halibrand wrapped with Nitto 555 G2’s. My ever evolving dream car!!
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25th Anniversary #9772
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Tool Baron
For years I cleaned my gelcoat FFR with a synthetic chamois. I would wet it first and after cleaning a panel or two would re-wet and wring it out, then continuing to the next set of panels. Your body and paint guy is going to prep the body and wash it down to remove any grease and wax before body working so I don't know if it really matters.
Frank
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Seasoned Citizen
When I flew search & rescue we got a lot of bugs smashed on the aircraft flying low in the summer. We used Pledge to clean bugs off the aircraft and to leave a protective layer to help prevent them from sticking. Yep, the furniture polish (not sure why they call it polish -- it's more like a wax). It never hurt the paint or plastic and dissolved the bugs.
Like frankeeski said, you have to clean all the dirt, oils, and wax from the body before you paint (before you sand) so not sure you need to be super careful about waxes getting on the gelcoat.
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Use a glass cleaner such as Windex.
Olli
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Senior Member
Originally Posted by
Olli
Use a glass cleaner such as Windex.
Olli
Yep, windex works good for getting rid of bug splats
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Thanks all. I got’r cleaned up.
To any of the bodywork pros, would you suggest/not suggest using any of the waterless car wash products on a bare gelcoat body?
Jeffs?
2017 FFR MK4 9026, 3 Link, 15" FFR halibrands, cooper cobra tires, '88 302/5.0, GT40 Y303 heads, Performer RPM intake Manifold, Holley 650 DP Carb, Pertronix distributor, T5Z spec built transmission, 3.73 rear end. Ordered Nov 2016, picked up at FFR Feb 2017, first start July 2017, Legal on the road May 2018, still in Gelcoat.
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Not a waxer
I don't know what they are made of. Stick with something simple and benign; a couple drops of dish soap in a 5 gallon bucket of hot water, Simple Green, Windex, cheap Vodka.
Jeff
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Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
Just remember that anything you apply to the fiberglass body must be removed when you get ready for body work and paint.
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Thanks guys. I’ll keep it simple.
2017 FFR MK4 9026, 3 Link, 15" FFR halibrands, cooper cobra tires, '88 302/5.0, GT40 Y303 heads, Performer RPM intake Manifold, Holley 650 DP Carb, Pertronix distributor, T5Z spec built transmission, 3.73 rear end. Ordered Nov 2016, picked up at FFR Feb 2017, first start July 2017, Legal on the road May 2018, still in Gelcoat.
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BTW Jeff,
Resident of Ontario, Canada. No such thing as cheap vodka, or cheap anything really....
2017 FFR MK4 9026, 3 Link, 15" FFR halibrands, cooper cobra tires, '88 302/5.0, GT40 Y303 heads, Performer RPM intake Manifold, Holley 650 DP Carb, Pertronix distributor, T5Z spec built transmission, 3.73 rear end. Ordered Nov 2016, picked up at FFR Feb 2017, first start July 2017, Legal on the road May 2018, still in Gelcoat.
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Just don’t use Tito’s! Can ya say it? Tito’s Tito’s Tito’s !!!
FFR 5136 Started as a donor...donor guages, engine, trans,etc. Now...TFS street intake,stage 1 cam, GT40p's,24# injectors and 80mm MAF,70mm TB,Z-spec t-5, and PSE Halibrand wrapped with Nitto 555 G2’s. My ever evolving dream car!!