Gilmour Foamaster II Foam Gun: Foam It Up!

If you can't live without the suds when you wash your car, you'll love a Gilmour Foamaster Foam Gun! At less than $40, it's a STEAL!

Over the past 2-3 years, an interesting trend has started with both professional detailers and car enthusiasts. Instead of rinsing the car and slopping soapy water on with a wash mitt, the enlightened use a foam gun to blanket the whole car in car wash foam.

There are two benefits to washing a car with a foam gun:

1. Blanketing the car with car wash foam allows cleaning to begin immediately, so less scrubbing is needed;
2. The heavy layer of foam increases lubrication, which decreases the possibility of scratching and wash induced swirl marks; and
3. It reduces wash time.

While there are a number of foam guns available, the name getting the most attention is Gilmour.  In fact, the Gilmour Foamaster Foam Gun has become so popular, that a few car detailing supply companies have branded it with their own name (see Autogeek Half Gallon Foam Gun).  The Gilmour model that seems to be the most popular with car enthusiasts is the 75QGF4 (see Gilmour 75QGF4 Foamaster Cleaning Gun), which has a fixed metering system (set to 4 oz. of wash solution per gallon of water). The Gilmour 75QGF4 Foamaster Cleaning Gun accurately mixes and sprays most foaming chemicals, and has a chemical resistant polyethylene bottle.

Gilmour also has an adjustable gun, called the Foamaster II (see Gilmour 95QGFMR Foamaster II Cleaning). The big differences between this model and the 75QGF4 are the use of brass (in the 75QGF4) and the adjustable multi-ratio dial. The foaming nozzle and pistol grip are the same.

If you're not sure what car wash soap to use with the Gilmour Foamaster Foam Gun, I recommend (Detailer's Pride) DP Xtreme Foam Formula Auto Shampoo. The formulation is perfect with the Gilmour Foamaster Foam Gun.

As mentioned above, one of the biggest benefits of using a Gilmour Foamaster Foam Gun is reducing wash induced swirl marks. Another must-have device for reducing swirl marks is the Grit Guard Bucket Insert (see Grit Guard Insert).

This clever little device sits in the bottom of a standard 5-gallon and keeps the dirt and grit you rinse out of your wash mitt and brushes at the bottom of the bucket, and away from your wash mitt. Normally $10, it's frequently available on Amazon for less than $9. If you have a dark car, in particular black, this isn't a nice-to-have, it's a necessity!

If you want the ultimate car wash bucket, have a look at at this Complete Grit Guard Wash System with Dolly. It features a heavy duty five caster dolly, a spin on lid, and a pad so you can use the bucket as a detailing creeper. Very handy!

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