"Washing your e9"

BarneyT said:
After reading this I need to go look under the car cover and see if my coupe is Still there, or rusted away. At least once A month are so I wash my coupe with water…and drive it to dry it off. We use the Griot’s speed shine in between washing.

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You may want to consider blowing with a compressor, especially in the engine bay around the wiper motor area, etc. The rocker covers and other prone areas. A leaf blower works great too, but driving doesn't get to all these areas, I do both. Start with the compressor at higher pressure, then the leaf blower. You will be amazed at the water that comes out of all the nooks and krannies. I'll spend the extra time doing all that, doesn't take long and you know you got 97% of it. Driving it alone won't blow all the water out, inner fenders, etc. The electric leaf blowers also store nicely in trunk if at a show and you wash it at local show after a long drive, etc. Of course the Griot's speed shine, etc. work great too but I don't like using if any debris on the paint. Just my personal experience. Didn't have to worry as much with the Bavaria, but we all know the coupe's have totally different rust prone spots.
 
For interior cleaning, I’m absolutely sold on the Ridgid HD300 vacuum with the optional car-cleaning accessories. The built-in sweep dustpan feature turned out to be an unexpected favorite—just park the vacuum next to your work area and it inhales every speck of dust. I recently removed some tile with my multi-tool and didn’t have to chase debris around—everything went straight in.


I also love its compact design. You can store things on top of it, and the hose plus accessories tuck neatly away—no more pieces falling off or disappearing when you need them.
 

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BrewKaiser said:
What is everyone's approach to washing their e9? I have yet to wash mine but I am thinking I may need to consciously avoid the normal pressure washer and soapy water route in order to mitigate any potential for water ingress and future rust. So thinking a product like Griots spray wash and a terrycloth towel to get surface debris and dust is the way to go.

Am I overthinking and being overly concerned about not subjecting my vehicle to any water?
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my ‘73, owned since new, was bare metal restored in’90. Since then it has been rarely washed , and Im almost certain that the wipers haven’t even been turned on. It’s hand washed and mostly dried using my leaf blower, the finished using a clean micro fibre cloth. I can’t remember the last time it was driven in the rain.Frankly,I had no idea that there were so many wacko E9 owners.
 
Mine lives outdoors in rainy Britain so it gets washed a lot. That rain is also full of dust from Africa so it leaves a deposit. I use car shampoo and water then use a squeegee and a chamois leather. If I run out of car shampoo or cannot find it, I use dishwashing soap. I guess I am just not that precious about it and will need to sort some rust from time to time but I use it al lot in all kinds of weather all year round. I do have a cover and even use it from time to time but not usually.
 
Mine lives in a UK garage, but gets washed occasionally as required, especially the wheels. I try to put it away dry and if it’s got wet, rain or wash, I leave all the doors, windows, bonnet/ hood, boot/trunk etc open. I try to wash it when the weather is dry, so that everything dries more easily.
My everyday car only gets washed when it’s raining, it’s far easier.
 
You've got to give her a World of credit for what she is doing. There may not be one person on this Board that could do all the processes in the time she did it. No hesitation when it came to "Jumping" into the project. My guess is that an unsuspecting new owner will end up with this nonstandard color E39 and may have a few problems. I, for one, admire the energy level she puts out.
Drew thanks for the post.
Regards, Jon
 
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