Spraying dry ice at McLaren F1 is like watching art being created
Among supercars, the McLaren F1 stands out. So when you need to clean one of its legendary machines, you can't just use regular soap and water. You have to use dry ice blasting.
In this Hagerty video, professional detailer Tim McNair shows how to clean an F1 using dry ice. While he considers dry ice just "another weapon in the arsenal" in the fight against dirt, the process is a step further than the way many owners clean their cars and is more dramatic for the viewer.
McNair explains that the F1 is a good car for demonstrating dry ice cleaning because, unlike many collector cars, the owner tends to actually drive the car. Sure enough, when you remove the wheels and some of the underbody, you can see a lot of dirt on this machine, which has a high-downforce kit symbolized by the large rear wing.
These dirty areas are sprayed with dry ice pellets that remove the dirt upon impact. Dry ice is especially effective on narrow, intricate areas such as wheel wells and brake assemblies because it removes dirt more accurately with less water than other cleaning techniques.
Once the dirt is blown away, the next step is detailing, which in F1 requires multiple types of cleaning agents and techniques due to the variety of materials used. For the brakes alone, McNair meticulously applies brake cleaner using cotton swabs and bamboo skewers, switching to a mascara brush and fine steel wool for the anodized parts to prevent damage. Then wipe everything down with a spray-on metal detailer.
In the process, McNair highlights interesting details of the F1. For example, electric fans in the wheel wells blow air into the enclosure to prevent fogging of the headlights.
McNair also outlines the steering wheel. What looks like paddle shifters are actually horn and high-beam controls. The wheel also has a racing-style quick-release mechanism, and because direct wiring to the steering column is not possible, these functions are activated by an infrared beam. These are the kinds of things you notice when you spend hours detailing a car.
