Welcome to the L A Raceway in Missouri! As you can see in the YouTube video, the LA Raceway Facility comprises a 3/8 mile clay track with slightly banked track sides. Additionally, we have seating for 3000 people. If you’re interested in the L A Raceway, then we look forward to seeing you soon!
We wish to express our deepest gratitude to The Lock Pro for their steadfast support and generosity. Learn about their residential locksmith services by visiting their website.
How to Properly Wash the Exterior of a Car
Spending the time to wash your car by hand and having it come out looking disappointing can be frustrating and we’ve all had it happen to us. There are some pretty easy steps that even the pros use to make sure it comes out looking amazing every single time, which you’ll find as you continue to read on. We all care about our cars and it really does make a huge difference when it’s spotless and gleaming under the sun.
While many of these techniques are not groundbreaking, it’ll help you make sure your car looks like it did when it was brand new. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is to never use automatic car washes of any kind, especially the ones with the big brushes that slap your car. The sound is terrible when the swirly thing slaps your car and it leaves lasting swirls on the car that are extremely hard to remove, and sometimes impossible to remove.
Techniques & Tips
One thing I had never considered before I started paying attention to proper washing techniques was washing your car in the shade. The reason why is because the soap can actually dry from the direct sunlight and result in heat against your car, which makes it way harder to rinse off.
Try to wash your car on a day with little to no breeze. Even a slight breeze can blow dust particles around that get stuck in even the best car soaps. If this happens, when you’re drying the car off it can cause bits of dirt and debris to act like sandpaper and leave micro-scratches on the paint.
Keep the wash area small! Don’t spend a bunch of time spreading soap across the entire side of the car because the soap will probably have dried and lost its effectiveness by the time you get back to rinsing it off.
When you’re washing, don’t do circles or spirals with your wash mitt or sponge. Try to use overlapping lines that go parallel to each other to make sure that one direction gets the bulk of the dirt off and then the second swipe gets the remaining, loosed dirt off completely.
Soap
High quality car wash shampoos vary massively from things like dish soap, so definitely don’t use anything except actual car soaps. Using something like dish soap can break down plastics, crack rubber seals, and peel off clear coats, just like how it gets grease and grime off of plates and cookware.
What really makes a good car soap is things like gentleness, concentration, foaming ability, and pH balance. The car soaps you’ll find at places like a national auto parts store or big box store will lack most all of those qualities and do a sub-par job at actually cleaning your car and making it look amazing.
There are varying opinions of products that have soap and wax in the same bottle, kind of like how there are 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioners for us humans but if you talk to a real hair stylist, they’ll discourage you from using those products. Similarly, our opinion is that you should take the time to get two different products to make sure your car is properly cleaned with proper car wash soap, and then take the time to wax it with a product that is specifically designed for that.
We spent a considerable amount of time detailing and reviewing the best car wash soap, so be sure to check that out to see the top brands and get a link to purchase the item if you want.
Wash Mitt vs Sponges vs Brushes
In our opinion, wash mitts are the best way to ensure you adequately cover all the surface of the car and don’t accidently miss spots like you might with a big brush or a sponge. In addition to that, wash mitts are often considerably softer and won’t leave scratches that a rougher sponge or bristles of a big brush might.
If your vehicle is really large like an RV or a boat and you don’t necessarily care about a pristine result, a brush is probably the best way to go. Hell, I even use a brush on my truck sometimes because it isn’t my “show” car. If you want to keep the car’s paint as close to perfect as you can, though, don’t compromise for anything other than a clean wash mitt. I’d rather you wait until you’re ready to do the job right, rather than take the easy way and not have it come out as perfect.
Make sure to soak your wash mitt in your clean soapy bucket for about 5 minutes before you get started to make sure the mitt is soft, absorbent, and there aren’t any dry spots on the mitt that could leave scuffs and scratches.
While brands and quality are different, we built a list and came up with the best car wash mitt that we’d recommend and even use ourselves.
Double Bucket
For a long time, I was guilty of not using this method even though I knew it made sense and actually makes a big difference. Have two buckets with you so that one is dedicated to clean, soapy water and the other is for dirty water, rinsing the wash mitt or brush in only that bucket. A five gallon bucket is usually the perfect size and they’re usually pretty inexpensive.
At the bottom of the dirty water bucket, you should get a grit guard insert. This is a little plastic device that will allow you to scrape your wash mitt against it at the bottom of the bucket so the dirt and grime fall to the bottom of the bucket. Then, when you stick your mitt in the clean bucket, you’ve minimized the chance of any dirt or grime falling into the clean bucket.
If you want to be really perfectionist, it makes sense to go ahead and put one in the clean bucket too. I know I personally use one in both buckets since they’re cheap and make sure I don’t accidently forget and mix the dirty wash mitt in clean water. These little guys are cheap and definitely give me a bit of piece of mind when I’m trying to be a perfectionist.
Drying
It’s frustrating when you’ve spent time to properly wash your car and you come back an hour later to find water spots on all kinds of surfaces you didn’t even consider. Those little spots leave me feeling thwarted and like I wasted my time so I was determined to make sure that didn’t happen anymore.
Really it’s a simple fix: you can use a combination of microfiber towels and an air blower. Not like a yard sized leaf blower, but one designed with the size and weight as well as the air pressure to actually blow the water off your car, kind of like the ones at a car wash.
Although they aren’t cheap, this is a really critical step to making sure your car comes out looking amazing. It definitely is an investment, but it also means you won’t have to have a clean, giant stack of microfiber towels. You can just have a few extra towels laying around to dry the hard to reach spots.
Tuscaloosa Car Detailing
Today, we have an article for our friends in Tuscaloosa – Tuscaloosa Car Detailing! If you enjoy the article, then don’t hesitate to give them a call when you are in T-Town.
At Tucsaloosa Car Detailing we will always put the customer first. We aim for superior customer/provider interaction. If you want to know how something was done or what we use please ask. We demand only the most honest, quality, and pleasurable experience we can possibly give to each and every customer who chooses us.
Tucsaloosa Car Detailing is committed to accommodating each customer with professional service at their convenience each and every time; treating each vehicle as if it were our own. Regardless of your location (your residence, place of employment, or other convenient whereabouts) our mobile services are available in Tuscaloosa. Our cutting edge mobile unit and advanced mobile capabilities ensure each client is thoroughly satisfied with the final outcome. Diverse package offerings and exclusive individualized customer focus ensure each customer’s request transcends their expectations. Our perfection in our work is a direct reflection of our pricing. Advanced technology, innovative equipment, and premium materials distinguish us from our competition. While a majority of detail shops choose quantity over quality, our choice is quality over quantity. Additionally, we are the only company to offer mobile car detailing in Tuscaloosa. Safeguarding your investment is our passion; giving each vehicle we detail the care it deserves.
All jobs big and small, are treated alike and will be completed as satisfactory to our client. We encourage our customers to have a look at their vehicle. Before we leave, we ask our customers to perform a thorough inspection of their car. If for any reason our customer finds something they are not happy with or felt something else could have been done, it will be addressed on the spot to ensure a job well done has been executed. Smiling customers are the only customers we want to see at Tucsaloosa Car Detailing.
If you are looking for fellow car enthusiasts with the passion, skills, and experience to enhance, protect and then maintain your pride and joy to the very highest quality and standard, then you have found the right company. From full paint correction services, paintless dent removal, re-spray work, alloy wheel refurbishment, or just a comprehensive hand car wash, we can do it all! If you’re interested in our services, then give us a call to discuss your individual needs.
How to do an Oil Change
We wish to once again express our continued gratitude to Lubbock Locksmith for their dedication to auto locksmith and for making a difference in their community by supporting grassroots initiatives.
Changing your own oil can be a quick and easy way to make sure that you get the quality oil that you want and to make sure that the job is done right. It only takes a few basic tools, a drain pain and a pair of gloves. It’s recommended that you change your oil every three months or every 3,000 miles. I’ve saved about $150 a year by doing it myself. So, let’s get started.
The first thing in any project is safety, so always park on a level surface and make sure that the parking brake is engaged. In this case, I’ve jacked the car up and I put it on jack stands so that you can just get a better look at what I’m doing, but if you have a vehicle like an SUV with a higher ground clearance, this probably won’t be necessary. Now, I like to wear latex gloves when I’m working on my vehicle. It just helps keep my hands clean. Before draining the old oil I’m going to remove the filler cap. It just helps it flow better. The old drain plug is located right here. Just put your wrench on the plug and turn it left. Remember, righty-tighty, lefty-loosy, be sure to use the wrench that fits. Using pliers or a wrench that doesn’t fit can damage the plug and it can cause a real pain down the road. Now, let’s let the oil drain for about 15 minutes.
Now, put the plug back in the pan and tighten it so that it’s snug, but don’t over tighten. Now, you’re ready to change the oil filter. In most vehicles it’s located near the oil pan, but in the newer vehicles sometimes it’s right under the hood. To make the job easier you may want to use a tool called an oil filter wrench. Though they make a lot of different kinds, this one’s the one I prefer because it attaches right to my ratchet and it’s specific for my oil filter. To remove it just slide the wrench over the filter and turn and watch out for the dripping oil. Before you put the new filter on there are a couple of things I’d like to recommend.
With a little oil on your finger, rub it around the gasket of the filter. Not only does this make for a better seal and help to prevent leaks, but it’ll make it a little easier to remove the filter at your next oil change. Next, I’d like to pour some of the fresh oil into the filter. It helps keep it from being dry the next time you start the engine. When putting the filter back on be careful not to cross thread or to over tighten. You really don’t need the wrench when putting it back on. Just use your hand and screw it on til it’s snug and then go another half turn. Now we’re ready to add the fresh oil, but before you go shopping make sure to check your owner’s manual for the weight of the oil your vehicle requires and the quantity that you need. Once you’ve added all the oil, remove the dipstick to check the level. Now, we’ll start the car and let it run for a few minutes to get the new oil up into the engine.
One final step you’ll want to take is to go by Advance Auto Parts and pick up one of these free stickers. On it you can record the next service date three months from now as well as the next service mileage and then you can place it on the windshield of your car to remind you of when your next oil change is due. Don’t forget. Bring your used oil back to Advance Auto Parts and we’ll recycle it for free.