Proper Storage/Washing/Cleaning

[InViolet70]

Hello! I am new here and a proud new owner of a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner. I wanted to pick your all's brain on how you clean your cars. To give you an idea of the environment mine will be in is a oil furnace heated garage that is sealed with spray foam. No humidity in the winter and a slight bit in the summer. My concern here is rust, the car is completely restored with only one spot where it had a reese hitch at one point, small. When cleaning your all's cars, do you use water, waterless bath, or simply just wipe it done with a microfiber rag frequently? Give me your opinion with detail if you could or even share the products you use. ALSO, do you ever put a cover over your car? What brand? Thank you!

Attached is not my car, but identical

 

[slepr1]

Welcome! I try and avoid washing my cars. I don't drive them in the rain and avoid water getting on the car.. Reason being is I want to keep as much water out of the doors, seams, ect., but also because I have to wash the car after it gets caught in the rain. I wash them maybe once a year if necessary. They are parked in my garage unless I drive them so I can control how dirty they get. I use a california duster to remove dust and it looks like new again. If a bird shits on it or I get a dirty spot I just clean that area with a waterless cleaner. Works great and no swirl marks.

Once rust starts it's impossible to stop it unless you oil spray that area.

 

[SlinktRR]

Wow I love those white vinyl tops! my 70 is coded for V1W and black interior which is odd so I go without the vinyl. I wouldn't be too concerned about washing the car if you keep it in a dry garage.

I'm not too crazy about washing because it's never been restored and has taken damage over the years, plus I drive it fairly often. But I want to maintain the original paint as much as I can. My car is OE style single stage paint so I need to keep sealer on it or it will start to oxidize. If I'm starting over (usually a couple times a year) I wash it with dawn to strip the wax and chamois/microfiber it dry because of our hard water, then clay bar it with meguiars spray detailer and lightly polish/buff if needed for any hazy oxidized spots. Then I use meguiars #7 glaze, put it on heavy and let it sit overnight in the garage. This really works nice for SS paint by getting oils back into the base, maybe not that useful for base/clear finishes. Buff that out the next day and then put two coats of meguiars ultimate wax for the final. That wax lasts a long time much more than carnauba (but carnauba looks better to my eye), I usually just do a light wash if it gets dirty using Mother's carnauba wash soap that doesn't strip the wax or just wipe down with quick detailer.

 

[Dennis H]

Need to see your car. Also, intended use.

 

[topside]

These 2 (at left) haven't seen water in 3 years (yellow) & 5 (blue) - but they live a sheltered life: they never see rain, dirt roads, or get parked under a tree. Never a night outdoors so far.
I washed each one when they first came home - Meguiar's car wash soap - but since then, an occasional car duster and/or detail spray with microfiber towels.
I wipe down their undersides from time to time, plus underhood.
I'm one of "those guys" who cleans the jambs on my daily driver
Car covers are the old Calif Car Cover light cotton covers, no elastic, and I wash & dry them every couple years.