A little spring cleaning!

[SilverEcstasy]

Finally got a chance to wash the car today. It was 48 degrees and decided, this is as warm as its going to get. Tonight it's supposed to rain, and i'm going to be out of town all next week so I figured i'd get it done.

It's the first time i've washed my car since I had taken it off the lot (January 29) so it's been aggrivating and pure torture seeing the truck like this. I took a few comparison shots to show how bad it was. The pictures don't do it any justice, I actually had to wash it twice thats how much salt was on there. And it was awkward requiring a step-stool to wash the top of the truck hehe. Never washed an SUV before. I can definitely say that a clay-bar session is a must! Very very soon.

Cleaning included:
Wash top to bottom
Polish exhaust tip
Shine up tires and wheels
Rain-X all windows and moonroof
Full interior shampoo and vacuum
Detail dash and interior panels


Dirty?
http://members.aol.com/mikent256/TBSS/dirtywheel.jpg

Cleaaaannn!
http://members.aol.com/mikent256/TBSS/cleanwheel.jpg

Dirty?
http://members.aol.com/mikent256/TBSS/dirtyside.jpg

Cleaaaan!
http://members.aol.com/mikent256/TBSS/cleanside.jpg

http://members.aol.com/mikent256/TBSS/cleangarage.jpg

http://members.aol.com/mikent256/TBSS/cleanfront.jpg

http://members.aol.com/mikent256/TBSS/cleanrear.jpg

Not exactly my best photography, but I tried, considering my hands were damn near frozen. It was still slightly windy, with freezing cold water heh.

[Exodus]

Its amazing what a little H2O and elbow grease can accomplish.

[Molson]

Your snow is almost gone. :( We still have 3-4 feet

[SilverEcstasy]

Yeah that's what the nice weather like this will do! Just a couple days ago we were shoveling like crazy, now it's all melted.

Anyhow, I love it!

*EDIT* - I got owned..it rained like a mofo on my way home. Atleast I had a little piece of enjoyment, with plenty of those days to come as well. I'm tryin my hardest not to sweat it, but I can't help but be super pissed.

[crazypontiac03]

One Word- Touchless Car Washes.. are ur friend in the winter.

U haven't seen dirty yet. My truck hasnt been washed since i took it off the dealers lot in Jan.

[SilverEcstasy]

I hadn't washed mine since January either! Only rinsed off with one of those spray-down car washes. It hardly didn't anything.

I re-evaluated the dirt today and it's actually not bad, but I think I'm just going to wash it again. It's too damn nice out to be ridin dirty hehe.

[BlackAttackGA]

Looks very clean!

[Bryan]

o0o shiiny. Very nice.

[BlackAttackGA]

I just realized I should do a little spring cleaning myself with my GA. Hopefully when I get on break next week the weather will be nice enough at home to fully clean my car.

[notsoaveragej0e]

what do you use to shampoo and clean the interior?

[Senser81]

Beautiful truck!! I am looking into getting rid of the GAGT and get my wife the exact truck, but in AWD

[2002GT]

Mike, thanks to you I am going to the dealer Monday after classes to see if I can get the right numbers to trade in my Grand Cherokee for a TBSS. ;)

[SilverEcstasy]

WOW Nick woulda never realized you'd get rid of the GC! I love your truck! They're runnin great lease/deals in general so I'd keep your eyes open and definely work the dealers against themselves. Hell, even make up a number that works for you and walk in with cash, they will meet or beat their price if they want that sale.

I use 3M Cloth Interior/Carpet formula, then scrub it in and vacuum up. Has a nice "new car smell" to it.

I washed it again today since I got shat on last night in the rain, and my hose sprung a leak!! I've never had to wash my truck so fast in my life lol.

[blake]

anytime you don't want rain, just wash and preferably, detail your car...that's a guaranteed sign it'll rain

always happens to me, that's for damn sure.

looking good Mike, any more immediate plans or you just gonna chill with it for a while?

[Ajaxus]

We still have 3-4 feet

don't you have that all the time? ;crap

(ours should be 100% gone by tomorrow, if it isn't already)


looks good mike..she needs a round with a PC to get that clear coat to a mirror finish..

[blake]

lol, it was 75 here today! i cleaned up 3 cars,made $260 and got some sun

screw snow!

[SilverEcstasy]

anytime you don't want rain, just wash and preferably, detail your car...that's a guaranteed sign it'll rain

always happens to me, that's for damn sure.

looking good Mike, any more immediate plans or you just gonna chill with it for a while?

Yeah I got my chance to redeem the beauty, washed it again today.

No plans other than tint, Alpine Blackbird PMD-200 handheld unit + IVA-W205 in dash DVD/CD/ipod, and that's that. All things I can transfer to another vehicle (minus the tint) if I decide not to keep it. If I decide within the lease time frame, that i'll be buying at the end of the lease, then i'm doing exhaust, CAI, tune, IAT sensor relocate, headers, exhaust (dual possibly) and probably a really really bad ass set of snow tires (stockers did fine, wouldn't mind the extra guarantee for traction). There's just so much you can do with the LS2, i'll have to be careful for sure. Plus gas isn't the greatest, gotta keep my daily driving priority in mind first and foremost.

Ultimately, with every car, you have to decide what/where you wanna go with the car in terms of mods. I'm not looking for crazy fast, but enough to get the actual Wheel HP up in the 400's. Most TBSS and GTO LS2's dyno at 320-340 at the WHP. Tune, headers, exhaust, CAI will easily get me 40/50 hp i'm hoping. Maybe i'm wrong, but then again the guys on the ls2gto and trailvoy/tbss.com websites will vouch. It's already so damn fast as it is, so i'm not really too eager to go faster. Mostly, i'd like a throatier exhaust note, but stock is loud and impressive already. You watched that sound clip I posted a while back right?
don't you have that all the time? ;crap

(ours should be 100% gone by tomorrow, if it isn't already)


looks good mike..she needs a round with a PC to get that clear coat to a mirror finish..

PC? I'm assuming polishing cloth? I dunno, either way, full claybar and wax is in line. Not sure if I'm going to attempt Zaino or some sort of polish for the first time, however i received my first, healthy stone chip and it wasn't pretty. So now the debate of wax vs. polishing hehe.

[blake]

PC = porter cable i think

and mods that transfer to another car, FTW! i want a double DIN for my Xterra SOOOO bad. damn

[Ajaxus]

blake is correct, pc is detailer lingo for porter cable..something my tax return may be getting me..

if you have the time, polish it and wax it. paint chips are a b*tch, i know the pain..*sigh*

[ryanbgb22]

blake is correct, pc is detailer lingo for porter cable..something my tax return may be getting me..

if you have the time, polish it and wax it. paint chips are a b*tch, i know the pain..*sigh*

its been said before, but a pc is the by far the best investment you can make when it comes to cars.

[ryanbgb22]

Also, how is that thing with burnouts? When i drove the 4wd model i was very disappointed to find out that it couldnt be taken out of 4wd, and therefore couldnt really smoke the tires. I guessing with the 2wd you can really light em up.

[SilverEcstasy]

I honestly couldn't tell you if it does good burnouts or not, I haven't tried! I know that I haven't even gotten the opportunity to floor it yet, because if I even try, the tires just start spinnin on the dry/salty roads.

And yes, transferrable mods are definitely a huge plus. I didn't spend any money on mods on the GTO, however if I would have, I could have transferred them if I wanted.