When I am on the road my front wheels WILL look like that, and there is not much I can do but stop at a car wash and try to get them washed off... who knows, maybe this person was on the road???

I know here in the south.... all the humidity will make that break dust stick like glue, so short of wiping the rims every time you get in the car ...it is next to IMPOSSIBLE to keep the front rims clean. Welcome to South Ya'll!!!

 

It is all about personal respect and respect for the things that you work hard for. I worked hard to get my XF and to make her look the way she does today - therefore, I take excellent care of her. I am almost embarrassed to drive a dirty car. This is because when I was working hard to get these nice things, I would see some d-bag drive past me in a porsche with wheels that had not been cleaned in months and think "Man, he does not deserve that car".....

 

Put a good coating of wax on your wheels, and the brake dust will not stick as much, and is sooo much easier to clean off. I live in GA also, and took an 800 mile road trip to drive mine home from IL. I can honestly say that my wheels have never come close to looking like that.

 

True that. Some people have daily drivers other than their crossfires and most of the time they don't take as good of care of those as they do their crossfire...

...so maybe the ferrari is in the shop and this is her DD... hahaha.

 

Also, to everyone that is bitching about keeping wheels clean, try cleaning these 20" chrome wheels for a week on a daily driver with stock pads (only for the next 2 days, then better pads because I am going nuts with the dust). In case you are wondering, there are 20 spokes with 40 hex head bolts PER RIM.



And ALMOST all the time - they have a mirror clean finish.....

 

~ the poor quality cell phone pics don't reflect the paints finish (or lack of) ... the car appeared to have its last bath maybe 6 months ago.

i guess we all have different priorities. perhaps i should have given her a free car wash ticket.

 

Just be careful washing those wheels in a car wash. You can distort your rotors if you have been doing a lot of braking and hit them with cold water. It is much better to clean them off at home after the car has been sitting for some time. I usually take mine to the car wash before I wash it just to get the chunks off the paint. But I never spray the wheels.

 

~ to all with brake dust issues/concerns - go out and purchase the 'rotex gold' front dust free brake pads now - don't wait - less than $80.

 

LMFAO!!!!!

 

Forget about rags and all that. Get a long-handled, soft-bristled brush. Takes just a few seconds to dust the things off - without water - and you're on your way.

 

Good looking wheels. Do you plan to drop the suspension any. That would really set them off.

 

its a car it gets dirty.... as for the dent well maybe it wasnt her fault and maybe it just happend....

i dunno why people get all hot and bothers over the car now they are worth like 10K now... i mean if you saw a minivan dirty would you be upset? its price tag is greater thant he crossfire tho...

 

Sorry Dwight, I have tried EVERYTHING and with the intricate details on the wheels, there is only one way to do it right - rags, deatil spray, and a toothbrush. On factyory wheels, that may work fine, but until you have some mirror finish 20" rims with a 4 inch lip, I do not think you can appreciate what it really takes, and to think "a few seconds and you're on your way" is over-simplifying at best

Thank you very much, I have been trying to lower the suspension, but with 20" at all 4 corners, all the kits they make drop me too far, so the only option I have is one of the kits and shims or cutting my factory springs. This is why it has not been lowered, and it is killing me, but I do not want to spend a much of money and time to find out I am rubbing and have to put it back to OEM, and I do not want to destroy my OEM springs either....

 

I hate brake dust also, I found that Eagle One Wheel Keep Clean really works. I can make it to my weekly carwash without much build up. When the brakes go I will use some low dust pads.

 

Actually, I do own a minivan as my daily driver (05 Honda Odyssey), and my SRT is worth a hellofalot more than 10K. But, regardless of the value of the car, I will still assert that the way we maintain our cars speaks volumes about our personal standards. And, no...... I do not allow my minivan to get that dirty.... and I do form opinions of other minivan (or any other type of car) owners that have no respect for their vehicle. Do you assert that it is ok to wear a dirty wrinkled shirt just because it is only worth $10. Or, do you assert that it is ok to maintain your work area like the ***-end of a manure truck just because it is your daily place to park your rear end. Maybe it is ok to wear worn tattered underwear with holes in them.... after all, it is just underwear.

Just the fact that you would try to defend the horrid condition of this vehicle and state that the amount of care given to a vehicle should in some way be directly related to the value of the car does speak volumes about your personal standards.

P.S. I notice that you have an SRT also. Care to sell it for 10K? I will be happy to take it off your hands, and I promise to keep her good and clean.

 

^^^ Hit the nail on the head, I used to have a daily driver ford taurus (many years ago, it was under $5K) and it was clean, not like the XF, but always presentable...

 

Now-now I love my holey underwear...they fit just right.

 

Those wheels look absolutely criminal. I have to agree with others that some folks just don't care. There is another roadster in my neighborhood and I swear that they never wash it or take care of it.

 

Well, now that I think of it.... That was probably not a good analogy! I guess holey underwear is just a guy thing that is (or should be) exempt from the personal standards clause.

Also, I find it interesting that this thread has a thumbs down on it. For a forum that facilitates knowledge/opinion sharing amongst Crossfire afficionados, I am amazed by some members lack of angst when it comes to how these cars are treated by those that feel that it is just a low cost daily driver that does not deserve to be treated in any special manner.

 

This is about personal value systems. Some clearly place a high value on a clean, well maintained car, and some do not.

I don't think it's a meaningful measure of a soul, just a measure of a value system. I happen to value greatly having a clean well maintained car. But that doesn't go anywhere near who I am as a person. If anything it makes me materialistic and in some value systems, that's a ticket to eternal nothingness...

As far as brake dust, I think it's evidence of braking habits as much as cleaning habits. I drive 60 round-trip miles a day and use the brakes very lightly perhaps 5 or 6 times. I can usually go a week without brake dust build up, and on Saturdays it wipes off with a shaggy mitt and some Simple Green. I hit the inside of the rim with a toothbrush and call it good.




The dent - oh well. I suspect the car still works just fine. Sure, it's a blight on the condition but __it happens. I consider my obsessive attention to parking to avoid door dings to be a sign of early onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I should just get it over with and stop worrying but I can't.




Number plates... My wife's new MINI Cooper had the temporary tags attached with wire ties because the dealer cross-threaded the stinking holes (pin-head). It took me a week to get around to fixing it. Good thing nobody "caught" me and shamed me on the MINI Cooper Forum!




Instead of whipping on the lady, looks to me like an opportunity for someone to be her car wash / detail boy... I know my wife is always very appreciative when I take care of her cars every week...