animeS2K

So I picked up a foam gun since everyone over on Autopia seems to love theirs so much.

Anyway, here's the basics:
http://www.autogeek.net/foam-gun.html

You mix up some soap and water in the canister, adjust the dilution ratio with a little brass bar on the top of the canister at the mixing point. It pulls up some soapy solution, mixes it with the water from the hose and aerates it as it sprays out of the gun, giving the car a nice thick coating of foam that, when left to dwell for a minute or two, helps to loosen and remove dirt and contaminants on the paint.

I start with a rinse with my fire hose nozzle, then foam up the car with the foam gun, let dwell, rinse and refoam and wash with my sheepskin mitts and the two-bucket method.

I tried this tonight on my dad's dark green TL Type-S, which was really quite dirty and not in the best shape in terms of wax/sealant protection. It was basically rinse, foam, foam some more, more foam (I was having fun), wash with single mitt, rinsing in a clean water bucket, then rinse and dry with WW MF.

The rinse water was nearly clean and the mitt showed almost no dirt. I'm convinced that the foaming soap really did carry away a good amount of dirt, pollen and other crap that a straight water rinsing wouldn't have touched and washing with a soapy mitt would have picked up and possibly caused marring. I foamed and rinsed the wife's WRX between the raindrops today and it took away most traces of dirt on the car. I was impressed - sort of touchless car wash clean, but better. There are still suds along the curb, 12 hours later.

I paid $39.99 -10% corvetteforum discount for the Gilmour foam gun (quart size) from Autogeek a week ago, but they appear to be charging $10 more this week because of custom-printed canisters. (boo!)

I also got two sets of brass quick disconnects and two brass shut off valves, both of which I'm very impressed with and very happy with their functioning - especially over the plastic quick disconnects that have been failing on me lately, usually spraying tons of water all over me and a freshly dried car.

I'm convinced of the abilities of the foam gun to preclean the paint and reduce the potential for marring in the wash regimen. One guy uses the foam gun, turned on and stuck into a chenille wash mitt, very lightly brushed over the paint to keep his Audi marring free.

I love this thing, well worth the $40.

Here's the link to the video clip (4MB QuickTime video) of the foam gun in action. I was pretty much out of soap at this point, otherwise it would have been much thicker...

duboseq

Hmmmm.....might have to check this out.

wanabe

good review...

man is my garage getting full with stuff!!

Clayman

Sounds like a solid invention. It makes sense that a dense, sticky layer of soap foam left to sit on a car for a bit would dissolve more dirt and grime than washing with soapy water alone. I just don't know how many more 'incredible' car care product inventions I can take before my brain explodes!

animeS2K

How about THIS foam gun?

Clayman

^^ That's the SUV/personal aircraft version.

darkfx

I just ordered the foam gun too, thanks

00CivicSi

madcowdk

That's the one I want!! I could wash all the cars in the driveway at once.

darkfx

Another small review..


I got my foam gun yesturday, haven't put it down since

I found out that if your car only has some dust and spots, you don't need a sponge to agitate the dirt. I spray on the foam, wait 3 min and rinse off with the supplied nozzle. I also used it to wash all my house windows, screens, garage door and patio furniture. I used meguairs nxt car wash with the foam gun. My uncle was so impressed with it he let me wash his M5 with it

Well worth the 45 dollars IMO