Detailing in Colorado… Winter!!!

Keeping ANY car clean in Colorado is a “challenge”. With the variation of weather, cars in Colorado and the front-range can look pretty filthy in a short period. A lot of cars have that “Grey” vertical washed look that makes even the newest car look old and dreary.

For those of us who love to keep their car looking good all year round, this can be a major challenge. Especially in the winter! Getting out with water, the water bucket and soap is probably the LAST thing you want to do, even on a good sunny day. Water is cold. Period. Even taking it to the local car wash has it’s challenges. You have to bundle up and wear gloves unless you like cold hands and the annoying over spray.

So, what choices do you have? Well, you could put in an indoor heated car wash in your garage, but I suspect not all of us have that kind of discretionary disposable income to invest in such luxury. You could wait for a sunny AND warm day that hovers above 40 and attempt to clean the car.

Alas, I’ve stumbled upon a product that is, well, AWESOME. No, I do not work for them, nor do I have any affiliation or am even selling for them on commission. I just love this product and the fact that it does what it says.

Optimum No Rinse car wash. This is the miracle chemical for those of us in colder climates. The gist of the product is, you can wash your car indoors, in the garage, with just a gallon of water and a good rag. My intent is to just introduce the product, not give a blow-by-blow detailed guide on HOW to use it. That I’ll save for another time. However, suffice it to say, this product does everything it promises and in a weird sadistic way, is actually FUN to use. I even keep a spray bottle of it on a shelf for those quick details. It’s cheaper than the over-the-counter quick detail products and easier to use.

I really don’t know what’s in this stuff, but it has some cool property that attracts dirt and makes it easier to clean up a car as well as offering a slight shine at the end. Of course that depends on what kind of wax you use and how often you protect your car. Dull finished cars will still look, well, dull. It’s great, but not a miracle working agent.

I now like to keep all of my cars and trucks clean and nice looking even on those nasty snow blowing cold days. All it takes is about 15 minutes, a little water and Optimum No Rinse.

Love My Lotus…

No matter what happens, I swear, I seem to keep on loving the little car. Recently, I had a situation where the shifter broke during a “test” drive. Since winter isn’t the best time to drive around Colorado, you have to take in the nice days when they come. So, after a nice day I decided to take the Lotus for a spin down into Denver. A few friends were getting together for Pizza and a beer. I figured a good stretch of legs for the Lotus was perfect way to end the day.

On the way to LODO, the shifter broke. Imagine my surprise when the shift stick went limp in my hands and I was in neutral. Not much to do but coast and see how far I could get. Turns out, I was near an exit close to a Lowes. Purchased a screw driver and took off the center cover only to discover that the actual metal shaft had actually broke in two.

Fortunately, I could now access the base of the shifter and limp it home. The funny thing was, instead of getting annoyed and upset, which you would normally do after spending so much for an impractical roadster. Instead, I just looked at it as a challenge and an opportunity. The little car is just too much fun to get mad at it.

Long story, short, the shifter was replaced under warranty and now I’m back in the saddle without any problems. Just a little blip on the map of Lotus ownership. But, no matter what happens to this little car, I just keep on loving it like that special person in your life, faults and all.