Using an ETS EC 150/5 for Car Paint Detailing - Could Use Some Advice Please

[Cheese]

That was a never ending task for us since most owners, unlike Packard, would never do it on their own to their 3 Series Convertibles . We had to do that instead. Classic owner back then was an older woman who lived in a Condo in Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast. The 3 series never saw winter. They sat unloved and, uncharged, all Winter, until they needed to be run in the Spring. By then, mice or rats could have eaten some wiring in the engine compartment, the battery was flat and refused to take a charge, paint was covered in dust and the gas in the tank needed to be changed. Simple...
So , we revived the vehicle as needed each Spring, only to have it go through the same stored cycle in the bowels of these huge apartment buildings that were built WAY before taking care of a stored car was much of a thought.

Whoa...that never occurred to me when dealing with an automobile...it sounds more like something that happens when you take your boat out of storage. Maybe they should take a tip from the boating folks and wrap their vehicle in plastic over the winter?

 

[Packard]

An amusing sidebar. The Alfa came with a poorly translated owners manual. So when it mentioned fastening the “VELCRO” tabs on the soft top, I assumed that “Velcro” was an Italian word, a misconception the persisted for all the time I had the cars.

Also, it said that the car should be “shampooed” at least once a week. I used Breck Concentrate. A funny thing though, back then there was no dedicated car wash soap, and most people used Spic and Span, a strong detergent that not only cleaned, but also stripped away any wax.

The shampoo, and the car soaps to follow left the wax intact. So I continued using Breck for several years after the Alfas were history.

Also, the Alfa was a fairly aerodynamic car for that era. Enough so, that if I got caught in a rain storm with top dropped back, the cabin would remain dry as long as I maintained at least 40 mph.

On a sunny day I was driving on the interstate at probably 70 mph, when the sky suddenly turned day to night and a great deluge of water came down. I silently prayed that I could keep up the speed above 40 mph, but I was not sure my wipers could keep up or if the traffic would allow it.

I was able to keep the speed up and I kept dry, but the other drivers thought I was nuts. (And each time I tell this story, I end up with Joplin’s, Me and Bobby Magee song stuck in my head for the rest of the day. So if I’m going to have it stuck in my head, I will bless the rest of you with the same.

Excerpt from Me and Bobby Magee (Written by Kris Kristofferson, but made famous by Joplin.)

Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train
When I's feelin' near as faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained
And rode us all the way into New Orleans

I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
I's playin' soft while Bobby sang the blues
Windshield wipers slappin' time, I's holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
We sang every song that driver knew

 

[MacBoy]

Excerpt from Me and Bobby Magee

I listened to the song, and it did not strike a remembrance. Bummer!

In the early 70’s as a child, I’m guessing my dad was not a fan of Janis nor Joan. However, he did listen to Helen, Linda and Olivia. Thusly that’s my exposure to those great ladies.