Interested in anyone’s experience of dry ice cleaning their car, I know I have to protect the underneath of my L322 before this winter and therefore it will need some cleaning before the protection is added.

Seen a few videos where it’s been done to some expensive-ish cars that are being restored, guessing it’s not a cheap process but the results seem transformative from a visual stand point.

Are there any negatives to it?

Thanks in advance.


Kit 2009 pre-facelift 3.6 TDV8.

Take a look at the latest Mat Armstrong video. He has just used dry ice to clean his latest project. No mention of cost though

Hey Kit

I actually did a lot of research on this as I wanted to set this up as a business where I am due to the fact that no one else was doing it nearby. My issue was in Ireland there is only one dry ice supplier and they have two companies. One making the ice from imported carbon and the second is a service company using the product. What this meant is they can charge people like me a fortune. It was roughly €500 for 100kg of ice, in the UK I think the guys there can get it for about £150. the kit to do the job cost anywhere between €8k to €40k,

So depending on what you are looking for dry ice may or may not do what you need. Its great as removing engine dirt, like grease and factory films and also surface rust. Whats its not good at is heavy soiling and heavy rust. The reason I wanted to look at it was the fact that you are not introducing moisture into any electrical connectors or behind panels or seems. Then if you use an under body film protector you could give the car an annual bath basically!

What I ended up doing with the disco was a power washing underneath, let dry for 2 days, then a hand scrub with wire brushes, then wire wheel, then 2 coats of Rust bullet primer and a topo coat of rust bullet. The underneath of the disco is like new.

As for cost of the dry ice, in the states come charge around $300 an hour so depending what you want done it could be fairly expensive. I've watched a hundred hours or so of dry ice cleaning and it is extremely satisfying to watch the dirt basically be frozen and blasted off with air. If you can get it done at a reasonable price its definitely worth a look once you know its limitations. A good firm would give you a guide of what they can and cannot do with your car. Current yokes
2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster
2006 Disco 3
Scoobie GT wagon
Mx5 G Ltd
TT S Line
Pajero JDM Exceed

Thanks.

Yes I was reminded to ask you all after watching that Matt Armstrong video (hasn’t he done well).

I am based on the Herts/Essex border so will call around and see what prices I get, fully expecting 4 figures or very close all done.

Ultimately it’s not about it being super clean, more being super protected, but perhaps to do that it needs to be super clean first! 2009 pre-facelift 3.6 TDV8.

Just remember, 99% of the ones you see are from an area where salt has never hit the road...

IMHO the most important areas on any fatty are all the box sections underneath and dry ice would not clean the inside of them, the only thing to do is flood the cavities with your favourite rust proofer.

From personal experience I can count out Waxoyl, it was good 50 years ago but they have not changed the stuff since then and it does harden and flake off from inside box sections, if you want a recommendation then I would suggest Dinitrol. I see Armstrongs 6 series BMW full rebuild is using Dinitrol throughout.

 Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thanks. I need to ring around and see who does that nearby too. 2009 pre-facelift 3.6 TDV8.

KitTheRam wrote:

Interested in anyone’s experience of dry ice cleaning their car, I know I have to protect the underneath of my L322 before this winter and therefore it will need some cleaning before the protection is added.

Seen a few videos where it’s been done to some expensive-ish cars that are being restored, guessing it’s not a cheap process but the results seem transformative from a visual stand point.

Are there any negatives to it?

Thanks in advance.


Kit

Good to know thanks.

It’s about what I imagined it would cost. 2009 pre-facelift 3.6 TDV8.