Detailing 26+-year-old paint, and I have no water source

I know we have obsessive detailers around here.

I have decided to sell my '90 Integra. I'm hoping to list it on Bring A Trailer, and the photos really need to pop. It has 100% original paint. The car had an easy life, mostly stored in a garage. Yet the paint is full of scratches and spiderwebs and etc, and really needs help.

Since I live in a condo and have no source of water, I'm hoping I can run it through a commercial car wash and then bring it home to detail. Is that even possible?

Please advise on the best possible path for making this car look good.

I thank you.

Honestly, your best bet is to pay a detailer to deal with it... I've done that before and ended up spending 30 or 40 at the car wash anyway.. Another 40 and it would have been ready for pickup by someone else, and done better.

You can't beat a pro if you're new to it or lacking the tools. I have all the tools/supplies and none of the patience. These days I'll pay a pro to come by and do several cars of mine in a day and it usually ends up working out to around 250 per car for a mild cut/buff/polish. I do the interiors usually and just leave them to the exteriors.

Detailers are a geographic thing. I could get a car detailed and hand-waxed at my home in LA for $32. In Austin it was more like $100. Here in PA I don't even know where to find a detailer.

If you want to do it yourself, find a hand-wash place. A hose-off or drive-through won't do.

Now, are you dealing with just spiderwebs and scratches, or is there oxidation? Removing oxidation by hand is a pain. It takes massive amounts of arm use to get it off. Scratches and spiderwebs can be cured with a few coats of good wax with a good soft towel to buff it off.

Is cleaning it up going to add enough value to the sale to justify the time and or money?

I've cleaned up a few cars for sale and in hindsight mostly just wasted time or money or both for a very minimal return if any. The only ones that have really been worth the effort were cars I purchased solely for the purpose of making money from.

The answer to all of you is... I don't know. I think the paint could look a whole lot better with not a lot of work - but without knowledge, I really can't say for sure.

The horizontal surfaces are the worst. I think I can get a good hand wash, polish up the hood, roof, and trunk, followed by an all-over wax and make it look lots nicer for photos. I guess the only thing to do is try...

Post a photo of it now?

In reply to codrus:

I would, but I'm not a good enough photographer to pick out what's really wrong with the paint. I can see it by eye, but probably not well enough with a lens.

http://www.chdetailing.com/winterwash/

This guy is a bona-fide magician when it comes to detailing cars. Cool guy too. He used to (and I bet he still does) wash his car every couple of days even in winter in Madison WI. In this link he shows how to give your car a great wash+buff sans hose.

And if you are wondering if it is worth it, I have seen him flip cars for THOUSANDS in profit just by giving it a good detail. (note: this is on 10-15k cars though)

There are plenty of options for waterless washes and no rinse washes. Check out AutoGeek and Autopia for some good ideas.

It's amazing what a good cut and buff can do for aged paint. I will try and post some before and after pictures of a few I've had done. If you're selling on BAT I think it would be a very good investment.

Turns out that none of this matters. BaT rejected my application. Have to think about what to do next

EBay will get you a national audience.
List it the first time for as an auction with the max number of days (I think it is 10).
Start with a low price but a high reserve on it and maybe even so high it won't sell. In these 10 days you might cultivate some conversation with potential buyers.

At the end, work that dialog and if you can't come to a price then relist and now make the highest offer your reserve price. It will likely sell on the next 10 day stint.

All the while, hype up the car around the internet like a posting you might see here where people post other popeles ads.