Pix of the 126 and cleaning questions

[Userj8670]

Everyone likes pics so here are some of the 126. Had a question - what's the best way to clean the grime off her ? I think she will clean up nice with some collinite wax and some polish but gotta remove all the grime first. What everyone using these days?

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[zippy1]

Good looking 126
I use my pressure washer with soap to get the first layer off. Then I spray on either Simple Green or Orange, whatever sent you prefer. Let it soak and repeat as needed.
I am a little less aggressive in some areas than others, but haven't had any ill effects from this technique.

[ACecil]

Congrats on your nice 126!

[Maxwelhse]

Originally Posted by zippy1

Good looking 126
I use my pressure washer with soap to get the first layer off. Then I spray on either Simple Green or Orange, whatever sent you prefer. Let it soak and repeat as needed.
I am a little less aggressive in some areas than others, but haven't had any ill effects from this technique.

Exactly what he said except I use the simple green first and a moderate grade utility brush on the nasty spots until the first pressure washing. I cut my Simple Green about 1 part to 3 with water, FWIW.

Po-ta-to vs. Po-TA-to, both would work fine.

When I say pressure washing I mean car wash bay, btw. I've never taken a real power washer to one and never had a need to. Simple Green is awesome (orange? probably is too).

[olds45512]

Originally Posted by Maxwelhse

Exactly what he said except I use the simple green first and a moderate grade utility brush on the nasty spots until the first pressure washing. I cut my Simple Green about 1 part to 3 with water, FWIW.

Po-ta-to vs. Po-TA-to, both would work fine.

When I say pressure washing I mean car wash bay, btw. I've never taken a real power washer to one and never had a need to. Simple Green is awesome (orange? probably is too).

gotta watch taking them to the car wash, theres a few around here that have cameras and if they catch you washing anything other than cars/trucks theyll call the cops and have you fined for trespassing.

[Maxwelhse]

Originally Posted by olds45512

gotta watch taking them to the car wash, theres a few around here that have cameras and if they catch you washing anything other than cars/trucks theyll call the cops and have you fined for trespassing.

My Dad owns the car wash mine goes too and I have a key on my ring... We DO both own pressure washers though and I still haven't needed one for a cub. I've cleaned a few automotive engines the car wash just WASN'T going to handle. Bring your cubs down to Fort Wayne. We won't turn you away.

[off topic]
I can't imagine what beef a car wash owner would have with equipment being washed though? Equipment washing brings in BIG money. It takes forever. In over 30 years in business I had to (and Dad would have if he were there) throw *1* customer out of the place because he was driving his steel tracked vehicle off of the trailer to wash it and destroying the asphalt (this is a car AND truck wash, we have 2 bays large enough for class 8 vehicle including school buses and dump trucks so there is NO need to unload anything that could literally turn into the parking lot). He had been doing it for weeks and I finally caught him. He was an Amish guy on top of that which made it an extra strange experience for me... NOT so humble people when you eject them from your property! All other customers have been welcomed no matter how filthy or what it was. Of course, you do get straight up vandalism.
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[olds45512]

Originally Posted by Maxwelhse

My Dad owns the car wash mine goes too and I have a key on my ring... We DO both own pressure washers though and I still haven't needed one for a cub. I've cleaned a few automotive engines the car wash just WASN'T going to handle.

[off topic]
I can't imagine what beef a car wash owner would have with equipment being washed though? Equipment washing brings in BIG money. It takes forever. In over 30 years in business I had to (and Dad would have if he were there) throw *1* customer out of the place because he was driving his steel tracked vehicle off of the trailer to wash it and destroying the asphalt (this is a car AND truck wash, we have 2 bays large enough for class 8 vehicle including school buses and dump trucks). He had been doing it for weeks and I finally caught him. He was an Amish guy on top of that which made it an extra strange experience for me... NOT so humble people when you eject them from your property! All other customers have been welcomed no matter how filthy or what it was. Of course, you do get straight up vandalism.
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they dont allow real muddy gas well trucks either, i think there just lazy and dont wanna deal with any mess being left behind.

[Maxwelhse]

Stupid is what they are. Mud is MONEY.. Those guys NEVER use soap (it all costs the same at the meter... not so in the equipment room) and spend about 45 minutes getting all that mud off. It takes about 10 minutes with a shovel and some water to completely clean the bay when they leave.

That's fine. Dad will take the money as business has been rocky in this "recovery". The largest risk you pose of bringing a cub into Dad's place is having your ear talked off... Probably worse should I be there.

[cubby102]

Originally Posted by Maxwelhse

Stupid is what they are. Mud is MONEY.. Those guys NEVER use soap (it all costs the same at the meter... not so in the equipment room) and spend about 45 minutes getting all that mud off. It takes about 10 minutes with a shovel and some water to completely clean the bay when they leave.

That's fine. Dad will take the money as business has been rocky in this "recovery". The largest risk you pose of bringing a cub into Dad's place is having your ear talked off... Probably worse should I be there.

Man I wish you guys ran the washes around here. I got banned from one back in my teen years for washing my truck after a few mud roads and I even cleaned up the mess!
Of course a different truck and a bit more facial hair and they just wave me in now but still

[Maxwelhse]

Well, it sounds like the car wash bay advice may have been poor since I seem to be affiliated with the only decent car wash owner East of the Mississippi. I had no idea other operators were literally throwing money away refusing what is our standard business.

Pressure Washer = Fine.. Just don't get excited about the amount of pressure or distance and start blowing paint off.

[off topic... sorry this is getting so bad]
Obviously you want the "better" business (I did mention School Buses), but you don't turn away paying customers over a few minutes of work. That's just stupid. Especially at a business that starts its cost of services at $0.75 (the vacuums, which, btw are not wet/dry vacs at ANY car wash... stupid design, but they're not. You will be asked to stop sucking the water out of your boat and your money refunded if caught, but not bounced... most people simply don't know because it IS such a stupid thing for an outdoors vacuum).

Most of our better customers clean up after themselves or at least will pull their pick up forward in the bay (we used to have to ask, it seems most people are trained now... if we ask and they do it we give them another minute or so for the time it took them to do so) before they blow mud all over the parking lot... That is a pain to clean up but we don't throw people out over it. We rinse it as best we can and let the rain do its thing... One awesome customer in the place you would least expect it is an asphalt guy. He comes in EVERY DAY in the summer, washes ALL of his equipment for 2 hours, and 100% cleans up after himself. You'd think a dusty Camry was in the bay when his asphalt stuff left. He spends about $40 a day washing that stuff.. I've never even heard of that kind of maintenance before. You also meet all sorts of cool people. LOADS of hot rodders. One guy is big time into Studes and shows up with crazy stuff. It can be lots of fun if you treat people right.

I keep saying "our" and "we" as habit.. I haven't really worked there since high school and occasionally fill in when Mom and Dad go on trips. It's Dad's business and that's how he runs it. That's how I would do it too. Now... some of his equipment could use more maintenance and that I WOULD change. He's almost 70 and growing tired of it so I can't blame him. Those of you who have heard my rants about 10-12 hour days mowing (well, and transporting) when I was a kid, google the address and look at the land... It's the entire corner and both houses (not the house to the west, property line is about 50 feet west of the car wash). PLUS string trimming, PLUS going home and mowing/trimming... My 149 and I have seen some hours together. It's outlived *5* string trimmers since the late 80s when Grandpa brought it home. That's why its "semi-retired" now just doing my 1 hour of mowing at my house.

Ok.. There's all you ever wanted to know about the car wash business from the opposite side of your experiences! 5430 E. Dupont Rd. All are welcome if tracks stay off the ground! I'll shut up now since I've been proven to be completely clueless about the poor habits of other businesses. I CAN tell epic horror stories if you want (some literally defy belief)... Send a PM.

Sorry for the massive derail, but wow, I just had no idea. We would have starved as kids with those business practices. The first $.25 the place ever earned was a class 8 vehicle (School Bus) and the next day saw a herd of dump trucks from the local concrete and stone outfit. It's been messes since day 2 for sure if not 1.

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