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What happens "after" you've cleaned your car with dry ice
After seeing the underside of that 38k-Mile 1994 Porsche 928 GTS 5-Speed on BAT, I'm very tempted to get the "dry ice" treatment for my car--once I've saved up the ~$3400.00 and find someone who can do the work locally. But a question comes to mind: What do you do with the car AFTER you've removed 30+ years of stuff from it's underside? I mean, can you drive it on the "real" roads--where it can get all nasty again? Should you reapply a fresh coat of Cosmoline to protect it again? And if you do reapply the Cosmoline--or some such product--what was the point of dry icing it in the first place?
So, should one just dry ice his/her car only when he/she is about to sell it?
After seeing the underside of that 38k-Mile 1994 Porsche 928 GTS 5-Speed on BAT, I'm very tempted to get the "dry ice" treatment for my car--once I've saved up the ~$3400.00 and find someone who can do the work locally. But a question comes to mind: What do you do with the car AFTER you've removed 30+ years of stuff from it's underside? I mean, can you drive it on the "real" roads--where it can get all nasty again? Should you reapply a fresh coat of Cosmoline to protect it again? And if you do reapply the Cosmoline--or some such product--what was the point of dry icing it in the first place.
So, should one just dry ice his/her car only when he/she is about to sell it?
Thoughts?
This is sort of a loaded question in that it depends on how you plan to drive it. Most new Porsches actually have no coatings at all so the answer is basically the same as a new car. I actually think its easier to keep a car clean without the cosmoline.
-Dry weather, sunday drives and cars shows- you basically won’t get it that dirty, just dusty. You can pressure wash, rinse with the hose or put it on the lift and use detailing sprays. You can’t do this with cosmoline on there as its too waxy / dirty to touch, so this is a major improvment. You won’t likely need dry ice cleaning again if its maintained.
-Rainy weather, lots of miles, get out and drive - Really its the same as above. Old porsches are really like new ones once the cosmoline is off. That’s the myth, that the car will rot away without wax on it. You may get a little color change of the aluminium parts, but that is no different than any new car.
-Daily drive, salty roads, is there anyone doing this with a perfect 928? - In this case, I would suggest you recoat it. We can use cosmoline, but there other clear products that look much better yet still protect. We use 3M cavity wax and we’ll be trying Dinitrol which is a coating that is not as sticky.
The other condition where a coating may be needed is if you live within a couple miles of salt water and have salty air. We see this here in SoCal for clients next to the beach. Again, clear coat. The downside of recoating is the car will get dirty again after about 10K miles and you can’t hand clean it. The advantage of cleaning and recoating is we will protect parts that have lost their coating and we can be more thorough than what the factory did. They must have had a guy with a cosmoline bazooka that sprayed it everywhere, but still missed spots.
Your last question was only dry ice when selling? I am a collector first and got into dry ice because I am OCD and want clean cars. For me keeping the bottom of the car as clean as the top is how I want to keep my cars and this is how I enjoy them. I do my own service, they will be up in the air on lifts, so I want to see them clean. If you don’t value that, then maybe its not needed, but I do think there is value in being able to see everything clean and if something is leaking or showing issues, you will find it faster on a clean vs dirty car. Greg knows my cars and you can ask him if he would rather work on a clean car or a dirty one…
If you are selling, and considering this as part of the process, here’s a few things to consider.
1. If the cosmoline is yellow or fairly clean on a low mile car, do not remove it. Leave it as is. We can also partially clean some cosmoline, so potientially we can freshen it up where its maybe too dark. The yellow cosmoline is a sign the car has low miles. If a Pcar is advertised as 10K miles or less and the cosmoline isn’t yellow, I’d be suspect of the real mileage.
2. Dry ice cleaning “can” add $5-10K to a car in the $50-$100K selling range. The GTS that recently sold was $50K higher than the exact same car (same color, mileage and condition, except dry ice, in the same city) available and sold the same week at a very reputable consignment dealer. A big part of that premium was the dry ice cleaning.
3. You need to use a someone who knows what they are doing. Automotive dry ice cleaning is different than industrial. The machines need to have particle control (size of particle) and the shop needs to show you they’ve done many cars and know all the ins and outs. There was an ‘80 Mocha car recenlty, under 20K miles that didn’t pull well. The dry ice cleaning on that car damaged some of the finishes. Not picking on anyone, just reality that somone like me who cleans these cars can see the damage. Any car can only be new / original once.
4. Your dry ice shop should fully document the job. We take about 50-70 high res photos, video the process and can hand the owner the before, during and after beauty shots to ensure the provenance of the car is preserved. (Note I generate about 200GB of data for each cleaning). I see folks that say dry ice is hiding something, but if you show your work, its the opposite, its fully transparent, you can see everything about the car when done, and if you properly document, you can show what it looked like previously.
Originally Posted by husker boxster
Good questions. I would add are you opening yourself up to leaks? Knocking off 30+ yrs of grease could open up wounds that then start to leak.
I hear this a lot, but we don’t freeze parts, we only freeze the stuff that is on them. Yes they get colder, but not like leaving the car out in -30 degree whether where the cold saturates all the metals or components. If grease is the only thing keeping a car from leaking, then you aren’t driving it. A real drive will cause that part to leak. Again, a clean car is going to help you find these things.
Hopefully this helps. We know the process isn’t for everyone, but my goal is always to ensure everyone has the right information to determine if Dry Ice Cleaning is right for them.
Good questions. I would add are you opening yourself up to leaks? Knocking off 30+ yrs of grease could open up wounds that then start to leak.
Since the dry ice cleaning method is supposed to be "low impact"--using cold temperature, pressure, and thermal expansion to do all work to remove the oily muck and build up--I don't think it would expose any leaks that weren't already leaking. Instead, it would allow you to see the source of those leaks better so you can remediate them.
After seeing the underside of that 38k-Mile 1994 Porsche 928 GTS 5-Speed on BAT, I'm very tempted to get the "dry ice" treatment for my car--once I've saved up the ~$3400.00 and find someone who can do the work locally. But a question comes to mind: What do you do with the car AFTER you've removed 30+ years of stuff from it's underside? I mean, can you drive it on the "real" roads--where it can get all nasty again? Should you reapply a fresh coat of Cosmoline to protect it again? And if you do reapply the Cosmoline--or some such product--what was the point of dry icing it in the first place.
So, should one just dry ice his/her car only when he/she is about to sell it?
Thoughts?
This is sort of a loaded question in that it depends on how you plan to drive it. Most new Porsches actually have no coatings at all so the answer is basically the same as a new car. I actually think its easier to keep a car clean without the cosmoline.
-Dry weather, sunday drives and cars shows- you basically won’t get it that dirty, just dusty. You can pressure wash, rinse with the hose or put it on the lift and use detailing sprays. You can’t do this with cosmoline on there as its too waxy / dirty to touch, so this is a major improvment. You won’t likely need dry ice cleaning again if its maintained.
-Rainy weather, lots of miles, get out and drive - Really its the same as above. Old porsches are really like new ones once the cosmoline is off. That’s the myth, that the car will rot away without wax on it. You may get a little color change of the aluminium parts, but that is no different than any new car.
-Daily drive, salty roads, is there anyone doing this with a perfect 928? - In this case, I would suggest you recoat it. We can use cosmoline, but there other clear products that look much better yet still protect. We use 3M cavity wax and we’ll be trying Dinitrol which is a coating that is not as sticky.
The other condition where a coating may be needed is if you live within a couple miles of salt water and have salty air. We see this here in SoCal for clients next to the beach. Again, clear coat. The downside of recoating is the car will get dirty again after about 10K miles and you can’t hand clean it. The advantage of cleaning and recoating is we will protect parts that have lost their coating and we can be more thorough than what the factory did. They must have had a guy with a cosmoline bazooka that sprayed it everywhere, but still missed spots.
Your last question was only dry ice when selling? I am a collector first and got into dry ice because I am OCD and want clean cars. For me keeping the bottom of the car as clean as the top is how I want to keep my cars and this is how I enjoy them. I do my own service, they will be up in the air on lifts, so I want to see them clean. If you don’t value that, then maybe its not needed, but I do think there is value in being able to see everything clean and if something is leaking or showing issues, you will find it faster on a clean vs dirty car. Greg knows my cars and you can ask him if he would rather work on a clean car or a dirty one…
If you are selling, and considering this as part of the process, here’s a few things to consider.
1. If the cosmoline is yellow or fairly clean on a low mile car, do not remove it. Leave it as is. We can also partially clean some cosmoline, so potientially we can freshen it up where its maybe too dark. The yellow cosmoline is a sign the car has low miles. If a Pcar is advertised as 10K miles or less and the cosmoline isn’t yellow, I’d be suspect of the real mileage.
2. Dry ice cleaning “can” add $5-10K to a car in the $50-$100K selling range. The GTS that recently sold was $50K higher than the exact same car (same color, mileage and condition, except dry ice, in the same city) available and sold the same week at a very reputable consignment dealer. A big part of that premium was the dry ice cleaning.
3. You need to use a someone who knows what they are doing. Automotive dry ice cleaning is different than industrial. The machines need to have particle control (size of particle) and the shop needs to show you they’ve done many cars and know all the ins and outs. There was an ‘80 Mocha car recenlty, under 20K miles that didn’t pull well. The dry ice cleaning on that car damaged some of the finishes. Not picking on anyone, just reality that somone like me who cleans these cars can see the damage. Any car can only be new / original once.
4. Your dry ice shop should fully document the job. We take about 50-70 high res photos, video the process and can hand the owner the before, during and after beauty shots to ensure the provenance of the car is preserved. (Note I generate about 200GB of data for each cleaning). I see folks that say dry ice is hiding something, but if you show your work, its the opposite, its fully transparent, you can see everything about the car when done, and if you properly document, you can show what it looked like previously.
Originally Posted by husker boxster
Good questions. I would add are you opening yourself up to leaks? Knocking off 30+ yrs of grease could open up wounds that then start to leak.
I hear this a lot, but we don’t freeze parts, we only freeze the stuff that is on them. Yes they get colder, but not like leaving the car out in -30 degree whether where the cold saturates all the metals or components. If grease is the only thing keeping a car from leaking, then you aren’t driving it. A real drive will cause that part to leak. Again, a clean car is going to help you find these things.
Hopefully this helps. We know the process isn’t for everyone, but my goal is always to ensure everyone has the right information to determine if Dry Ice Cleaning is right for them.
Funny that this topic comes up today as my wife was asking about it and what the after effects would be this morning. (I am fortunate to be married to a true car gurl).
We discussed the originality of cosmoline and its benefits in showing the history of the car from the factory. We discussed how gorgeous it looked on the BAT car. We discussed how to protect the underside after dry ice cleaning, but did not have any good answers. We discussed only doing it on show cars and not drivers. It was a good discussion and now I have reported back to her with at least some of the answers.
I had my 79 done and it looks great, then I basically just continued to use the car as I normally would. I am currently on a 4 day Anniversary getaway and we have driven it wherever and even some forest service roads to some trailheads. I just find it nicer to work on clean and it is MUCH easier to keep clean without 40 years of dirt, grime, cosmoline, etc. Would I drive it on salted roads however? NO, but I wouldn't have before the dry-iced it either....
If having it done will make it so you are now afraid to drive it, don't do it.
From what I've read, cosmoline was blasted on Porsches in the past, both under and on top surfaces, before being loaded on boats for their trip to the USA. It was then a dealer function to remove and clean the cosmoline off before placing them out for sale. Most of the underside cosmoline was left alone.
Another product which I've personally used is Boeshield which is a much lighter protective coating and dries to the touch if applied per the instructions. Does not have much of a color, but can be seen. As the name suggests ("Boeshield" - "Boeing") it was developed as a surface protective coating for airplanes.
After struggling with rusty fasteners and seeing the type of surface corrosion on unprotected aluminum and other metal surfaces under 928s, would suggest some form of protectant if the 928 will be used as a daily or even weekend driver.
I had my 79 done and it looks great, then I basically just continued to use the car as I normally would. I am currently on a 4 day Anniversary getaway and we have driven it wherever and even some forest service roads to some trailheads. I just find it nicer to work on clean and it is MUCH easier to keep clean without 40 years of dirt, grime, cosmoline, etc. Would I drive it on salted roads however? NO, but I wouldn't have before the dry-iced it either....
If having it done will make it so you are now afraid to drive it, don't do it.
This is sort of a loaded question in that it depends on how you plan to drive it. Most new Porsches actually have no coatings at all so the answer is basically the same as a new car. I actually think its easier to keep a car clean without the cosmoline.
-Dry weather, sunday drives and cars shows- you basically won’t get it that dirty, just dusty. You can pressure wash, rinse with the hose or put it on the lift and use detailing sprays. You can’t do this with cosmoline on there as its too waxy / dirty to touch, so this is a major improvment. You won’t likely need dry ice cleaning again if its maintained.
-Rainy weather, lots of miles, get out and drive - Really its the same as above. Old porsches are really like new ones once the cosmoline is off. That’s the myth, that the car will rot away without wax on it. You may get a little color change of the aluminium parts, but that is no different than any new car.
-Daily drive, salty roads, is there anyone doing this with a perfect 928? - In this case, I would suggest you recoat it. We can use cosmoline, but there other clear products that look much better yet still protect. We use 3M cavity wax and we’ll be trying Dinitrol which is a coating that is not as sticky.
The other condition where a coating may be needed is if you live within a couple miles of salt water and have salty air. We see this here in SoCal for clients next to the beach. Again, clear coat. The downside of recoating is the car will get dirty again after about 10K miles and you can’t hand clean it. The advantage of cleaning and recoating is we will protect parts that have lost their coating and we can be more thorough than what the factory did. They must have had a guy with a cosmoline bazooka that sprayed it everywhere, but still missed spots.
Your last question was only dry ice when selling? I am a collector first and got into dry ice because I am OCD and want clean cars. For me keeping the bottom of the car as clean as the top is how I want to keep my cars and this is how I enjoy them. I do my own service, they will be up in the air on lifts, so I want to see them clean. If you don’t value that, then maybe its not needed, but I do think there is value in being able to see everything clean and if something is leaking or showing issues, you will find it faster on a clean vs dirty car. Greg knows my cars and you can ask him if he would rather work on a clean car or a dirty one…
If you are selling, and considering this as part of the process, here’s a few things to consider.
1. If the cosmoline is yellow or fairly clean on a low mile car, do not remove it. Leave it as is. We can also partially clean some cosmoline, so potientially we can freshen it up where its maybe too dark. The yellow cosmoline is a sign the car has low miles. If a Pcar is advertised as 10K miles or less and the cosmoline isn’t yellow, I’d be suspect of the real mileage.
2. Dry ice cleaning “can” add $5-10K to a car in the $50-$100K selling range. The GTS that recently sold was $50K higher than the exact same car (same color, mileage and condition, except dry ice, in the same city) available and sold the same week at a very reputable consignment dealer. A big part of that premium was the dry ice cleaning.
3. You need to use a someone who knows what they are doing. Automotive dry ice cleaning is different than industrial. The machines need to have particle control (size of particle) and the shop needs to show you they’ve done many cars and know all the ins and outs. There was an ‘80 Mocha car recenlty, under 20K miles that didn’t pull well. The dry ice cleaning on that car damaged some of the finishes. Not picking on anyone, just reality that somone like me who cleans these cars can see the damage. Any car can only be new / original once.
4. Your dry ice shop should fully document the job. We take about 50-70 high res photos, video the process and can hand the owner the before, during and after beauty shots to ensure the provenance of the car is preserved. (Note I generate about 200GB of data for each cleaning). I see folks that say dry ice is hiding something, but if you show your work, its the opposite, its fully transparent, you can see everything about the car when done, and if you properly document, you can show what it looked like previously.
I hear this a lot, but we don’t freeze parts, we only freeze the stuff that is on them. Yes they get colder, but not like leaving the car out in -30 degree whether where the cold saturates all the metals or components. If grease is the only thing keeping a car from leaking, then you aren’t driving it. A real drive will cause that part to leak. Again, a clean car is going to help you find these things.
Hopefully this helps. We know the process isn’t for everyone, but my goal is always to ensure everyone has the right information to determine if Dry Ice Cleaning is right for them.
I'd like to find an experienced automotive dry ice service in Southern New England. (CT RI MA) A whole gang of my car buddies are interested in the service, but don't want someone to learn on our cars.
You should contact Shaun at Enticed Garage in MA. (www.enticedgarage.com) He's Dryce Certified and is a member of Dryce Nation which is a global community of dry ice cleaners. We share techniques, information and ensure all members have the right equipment to do the jobs correctly. Unfortunately this is a very new process, so most shops are fairly new, but Dryce shops are miles ahead of the industrial cleaners and others who don't have our resources.
For those outside MA, go to www.drycenation.com to find a cleaner in your area.
As a "reformed" concours competitor many years ago, dry ice wasn't around. Had to clean the old fashioned way! Elbow grease and squeezing my arm into any spot I could reach!!!!
However I would get dry ice cleaning today no doubt!
As a "reformed" concours competitor many years ago, dry ice wasn't around. Had to clean the old fashioned way! Elbow grease and squeezing my arm into any spot I could reach!!!!
However I would get dry ice cleaning today no doubt!
#Respect for doing it the hard way!
So for the OP, would you say a cleaned car (doesn't matter if its elbow grease or dry ice) is easier to maintain once clean?
@Matt-R20 Thanks for all the knowledge and experiencing sharing. My read from your post is that for most situations (except salt) you would not recommend putting any kind of coating after the dry ice treatment. Did I get that right? The BAT GTS had a 3M clear coat (I think) sprayed on afterwards. Guessing you would have left it uncoated and just keep it clean with a hose and detailing sprays.
Would you have the same recommendation for an engine that gets the dry ice treatment? Thanks
08-08-2022, 09:05 PM
What happens "after" you've cleaned your car with dry ice
