Scooter McGoo

Great tips, thanks.  I just picked up some H20 G&G so I think this might be the route I take.  My truck is white and I start early, so washing/drying is hit or miss, but by the time I want to wax it's too hot/sunny.  However, being a daily driver that stays outside, I think I'll only go with H20 G&G instead of waxing for more protection.  Should arrive by Saturday, just in time for another wash. 

H2o guard and gloss is great when it comes to drying your car quickly. It literally takes one wipe with a damp towel to dry in the sun. Without it, i have to use two towels, one to remove excess water and the other to finish drying

No shade here either, I'm a fan of early morning before it gets too hot. I have good results with pooling rinse and detail spray. My black truck seems to get too hot for good results with the H2O
Adam's products are the best I've used for working in direct sun.

I never have shade, never did. ... thanks to the Adams stuff though, it makes it workable. 
Very early on is good, and the post 3PM hours too. Ive yet to have any issues but i DID use a big Canopy once while doing a 2 day correction on my previous 2010 SS during a FREAK heatwave. that was fun...   grrrrr
 
For drying, I still do the old school "pooling rinse"... after rinsing the car with the normal hose "gun", i take it off and just "pool" the hose water down the entire car, ... creating the big pools of water that roll off, and make drying MUCH easier. I also recommend getting the BEST drying towel, and believe me... the NEW Adams towel (super plush, not waffle) is a God Send. Griot's makes similar and even that one is a beast. (Most likely the same material and density - they are powerhouses). It really makes a world of difference.
 

Washing at night seems to be popular here on the forums!

I'm in the same situation..
Gonna pick up a canopy and do it in the streets of nyc..
Gotta work with what you got I guess.

One of those larger pop up canopies could help if you can find one that's not way out of line in price and it's big enough.  Nobody has a garage you can use for a day?  How about a parking garage?  Once your ride is washed,  you could always head there and detail it. My son in law is in the same situation, only he has a 250 and it's black.  No shade.  I have to agree with Roger and say start as early as you can, and get as much done as you can early, even if it takes more than one day.
Of course............you could always move!

Don't apply any water to the car until absolutely necessary. Here's a basic outline of the process of recommend:
 
1) Clean wheels, tires, wheel wells and exhaust tips first, spraying only those areas
2) Foam Gun/Canon (if you have one...and if not, get one!) the entire car with Adam's (pH neutral) CS or W&W. If it dries on the car, no worries. The soap will NOT harm your car.
3) Wash car with Adam's sponge/pad/mitt, only using the soap and water that's in the cleaning tool
4) Now, hose rinse the car, and start the clock to get it dry
5) Dry with DS as a drying aid, using either of the drying towels; HGG is another awesome option to dry, seal up and add shine!

Get started before sunrise. Dry it off before the sun gets high.
 
Sometimes you have to sacrifice for the shine.

Welcome Scott

And a dolphin jumping out of the back, too!

Just getting into detailing and I've used the Adams basics twice now (interior/exterior).  I'm still learning, but loving it so far.  I'm thinking this "detailing thing" might be a rabbit hole

Dr. Seuss designed my neighborhood

Some more thoughts, if I may...
 
I asked this very question about dropping the clay at the recent clinic. With the new Visco clay, Adam said it's not necessarily true (anymore) to toss it if it falls. Check it, and use common sense, was basically his answer.
 
Also, it's time to replace it when it gets tacky or swollen with DS and contamination. Remember, all that gunk is getting absorbed in the bar, so it will "grow" over time.
 
Always store it in the jar, and it'll last you quite a while.

​Welcome Scott!
 
​Nice looking Ford!
 
 

Nice truck Scott!

Welcome to the forum. Nice truck

Thank you all for the great info. I'll be adding a clay bar kit to my next order

Hi guys,
I'm new to detailing and have found myself diving head first into all the toys from Adams.  I've only washed/detailed my truck 2x thus far and I can tell I have a new hobby.
 
Anyway, I'm looking into taking the next step and I'm about to get Adams clay bar kit.  First, being new to detailing, I've never clayed a vehicle before, and I was wondering how long the clay lasts?  I know it depends on how dirty and how big your vehicle is, but I'm just looking for a general idea.
 
Secondly, if the clay is meant to pull all the grime out of the paint/windows, wouldn't reusing it down the road potentially scratch the paint/windows?
 
Lastly, how often do you clay?  I'm learning that there are a number of products that are not meant to be used every time you wash your vehicle.
 
Thanks in advance.

Just getting into detailing and I've used the Adams basics twice now (interior/exterior).  I'm still learning, but loving it so far.  I'm thinking this "detailing thing" might be a rabbit hole