New owner from the PNW

[LuAnn Smith]

Hi Everyone!



Just wanted to say hello, introduce myself and ask a quick question. My name is LuAnn and I live in the Pacific NW. I got my new Sport Trac Adrenalin on August 3rd of this year. I absolutely love it, get lots of compliments on it. I still have my '96 Bronco that went into semi-retirement when the Adrenalin came home!

My question is....does anyone have any cool tricks, when your washing your ST, to stop the water that constantly comes out from underneath the tie downs along the bed? The truck is black and when it's sunny it leaves water trails if it dries. It seems like an endless battle to keep going back there and drying them off. I've taken to stuffing blue shop type paper towels into the tie downs and they seem to soak the water up instead of it running down the side of the truck.

Any thoughts?

 

[Adam H]

If it works for you, keep doing it! I have that problem with mine, but usually when I wash mine, I'm going over it with either a wax or at least a quick detail, so the lines go away.



Good idea with the shop towels, though! Pictures!!

 

[LuAnn Smith]

Yeah, I usually go over it with a quick detailer after I'm done washing it. Our water around here is so hard it spots almost immediately in the sun. I have to use a water filter on the hose to try and keep the water from spotting so bad! I have a black Cobra that I have the same issues with. It's a never ending battle! But...IMO...when black is clean, it's the best!



I posted some pics in my library. Can you go in there and see 'em?

 

[A K]

My question is....does anyone have any cool tricks, when your washing your ST, to stop the water that constantly comes out from underneath the tie downs along the bed?

Wash and dry in the shade.



As for water coming from places you would rather it not, two words: leaf blower. It'll clear out the mirror housings and mounts, door and tailgate handles, tiedowns, etc. Couple it with a Mr. Clean spotless spray nozzle, and you can almost ignore hand-drying. Wash, blow dry, and hit it with quick detailer. Seal, too.

 

[LuAnn Smith]

Yeah, I'm all over the leaf blower thing. I show my cobra and the blower lets me dry it off without any rag or towel marks on the finish.



Like you said, it usually gets all the water out from the cracks and crevices, from around the badges on the car. I have used the blower on the ST and literally stood there with it pointed at the tie downs blowing water out of them. Only to move on to another area, come back and find water drizzling down the side. We even removed one to see where all the water was coming from. we had a thought of running some silicon inside the area where they are bolted on so it seals them to the truck body. Just trying to think of some options!



One of the things on the list to do is to clay the truck, it needs it badly, and then the product line we use has a paint protector that we will put on it. That and a good coat of wax should see it thru the winter!

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Welcome to the site.

 

[EddieS'04]

Welcome to a great site. Good people and plenty of info.

Leaf blower or compresed air is the best and faster.

 

[Brendan Grant]

I notice that too. I take it up a nice dusty road in the Cascades and it all blends in.