Okay, so it is 11:55 PM as I write this and I just came in from the garage where I was... yes, washing my Crossfire. I took her on her first road trip from here in Charlotte to Atlanta, GA to visit a good friend for the weekend. Took about 3.5 hours on the way there. Mostly just cruised along at 80 - 85 ish. Cut it down to 2 hours and 45 minutes on the way back. Much more fun. But then, after I got home, had some food, got unpacked... I could hear the bug guts eating into my beautiful paint. So outside I went with bucket and assorted cleaning supplies at 11:30 PM. I didn't do a complete clean, but got all the bugs off and cleaned the brake dust off the wheels. Does this mean that I am crazy, I wonder? It's been a long time since I felt the need, yes NEED, to wash a car at any time of night. If it does, then I am very happy to be crazy.

 

Yes you're crazy alright, but I think we all share your symptoms. It takes one to know one. I just finished spraying mine down with detail spray, (which I do nightly before going to bed) and putting the cover on because I'll be traveling this week.

 

My neighbors think I'm nuts because I frequently wash both my Crossfire & my Grand Cherokee late at night. Sometimes at 1:00 am. I don't have a lot of choice in this because my driveway gets full to mostly full sun from morning until around 7:00 pm. In addition to working all the different shifts at work, sometimes for 12 to 16 hours. So I just wait until late evening 90% of the time.

 

We are such devoted love sick puppies. I got home at 10"30 last night from house in Cape Coral with the family driving the T & C mini van (with the dog of course). It had rained hard in Miami. My car was relatively clean, but had all this rain-water beading up on the hood, on the spoiler, the trunk lis and even on the sides of the car.

I unpacked the car and grabbed a micro towel and proceeded to dry of my rain-soaked little baby. I looked over at my other XF and low and behold my daughter was doing the same to the second Xfire. (OK, her Crossfire) That was a nice site to see. She hates a dirty Xfire. Its ok if the T/C is a little dirty and has a few love bugs or what is left of them on the front, but NOT the Crossfires. I think it is sacra-religious to have a dirty XF. Also because of water restrictions you don"t have to use tap water.

PS
After the rainwater was removed from the XF I opened the Lambo doors and it was amazing how much water was trapped on/in the bottom of the doors that flowed off when the doors were lifted. This goes back to one of Andrew's posts regarding rust under the weather strip. You all up north have a major potential problem because of salt on the roads. I do not think in Florida the problem is as critical, but still needs to be addressed. I sprayed WD 40 in the area just to be safer.

 

My wife has come to understand that the first thing done when we get home is a quick wipe down followed by weekly baths of the baby. She wishes I saw house dust as easy as I see dust on the car! HA HA.

 

RMADERMAN, speaking as an X employee of B.F.Goodrich, from what once was the "Rubber Capital" of the world. Rubber and oil don't mix, unless it's neoprene. WD 40 will eventually dissolve your rubber seals and turn them into a "gooey" mess. Use a silicone spray (if you don't want to make the now famous, "Drew Repair").
The rusty door problem is universal, it doesn't matter where you live. Water and exposed steel is going to oxidize, with or with out salt.
I do believe the problem was first brought to the forums attention when somebody from Arizona posted photos of their grey cars door rust. I can't think of a more arid place (in the U.S.) than Arizona.
The "untreated" cars that are going to start rusting first IMO are those that get washed more often, and or, the cars that have to sit out side in the rain.
Sorry for the thread hijack.

 

lol ... i like the sound of that...

 

Sorry, it was a silicone spray, not WD40. I grabbed it from the physical therapy department. They use it to clean the weight equipment.

 

Isn't it wonderful to be this crazy over a car? No, you're definitely not alone. I picked up my Crossfire in Orlando last Friday and drove it back to Atlanta. What a wonderful ride. Wish I had seen you in Atlanta over the weekend, but it was hot as hell down here. I spent most of Saturday detailing the car and felt like I was going to have a heat stroke.

Matthew

 

Detailing at night is the BEST!! No water spots to worry about because you won't have the SUN! I've been up till 3 am sometimes detailing. We all have problems.

 

Are there meds for this sickness? I need some. I spent a great part of last Sunday claying, polishing and waxing mine AGAIN. This time I used XMT products with my PC (4 steps). My wife think I need help.

 

I spent about six hours detailing mine yesterday. That makes three washes and waxes in two weeks of ownership. I even drove it up on ramps and washed and waxed (Menzerna FMJ) the insides of the wheels. Looked awesome when finished, but I've spent the morning driving in the rain...alas, I just can't stay out of it.

Matthew