06-21-2010, 01:45 PM
|
#1
|
Premier V.I.P. Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 1,452
|
Favorite Cleaning Products
Looking at the pictures from ASS inspired me to post this spread. How the heck do you get things that shiny under the hood? I think that I do a good job detailing my car but it just does not seem so based on the pictures that I see. It could be a matter that the camera makes the car look 5 years younger or something (lol : P ) but I am really interested in what people use and do to get things looking that spic and span?
Post away: techniques and tactics; products and where to find them; pictures and how-tos if needbe.
__________________
I am happy to say I have added more mods to my car than I have space to list.
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 04:27 PM
|
#2
|
Premier V.I.P. Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 1,452
|
I'm a fan of what is cheap...I only use turtle wax spray so I wonder if that is why it doesn't appear as shiny. As for the engine I only use engine brite but the engines in the pics looks super clean.
__________________
I am happy to say I have added more mods to my car than I have space to list.
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 04:38 PM
|
#3
|
i speed up for corners
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Dover,NH
Posts: 3,489
|
get some meguiars car wash and wax and u will notice a difference.
__________________
Alero is gone but not forgotten
1999 black gls coupe R.I.P 130k
1999 auburn mist metallic gls sedan R.I.P
2005 Subaru legacy 2.5i 190k. New rims and tires for summer.
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 04:44 PM
|
#4
|
636 whp
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: AZ
Posts: 11,876
|
- Mother's Clay Bar & Instant Detailer
- Turtle Wax
- Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish
- Armor All Cleaning Wipes
- Armor All Extreme Tire Shine
- Armor All Wash & Wax
- CD2 Engine Detailer
And lots of microfiber cloths.
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 04:45 PM
|
#5
|
Premier V.I.P. Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 1,452
|
any input on ways to clean the engine? Pressure wash or no? Cover certain things up?
__________________
I am happy to say I have added more mods to my car than I have space to list.
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 06:10 PM
|
#6
|
2Screwy
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 13,238
|
wash your car.....lol......who does that?
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 06:48 PM
|
#7
|
636 whp
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: AZ
Posts: 11,876
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by XanderWiFi
any input on ways to clean the engine? Pressure wash or no? Cover certain things up?
|
Hand wash, use cloths and sponges and stuff.
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 07:02 PM
|
#8
|
Owner
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Joliet, IL
Posts: 19,932
|
i wash mine at the car wash. i use engine gunk and then rinse the engine with no-spot rinse and don't pull the trigger over the critical areas.
__________________
72 442 "THE BEAST", 99 Alero - OSV Replica w/ original OSV parts, HURST Dual/Gate Shifter
Beware of the BackStabber
|
|
|
06-21-2010, 07:19 PM
|
#9
|
Gone
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Lockport Ny
Posts: 19,244
|
i use turtle wax paste wax. The spray on stuff doesn't last long. The liquid lasts about a week. a good paste wax will last a few months.
wheel protectant works well. give your wheels a good cleaning, and coat them with protectant and grim will just wipe off.
|
|
|
06-22-2010, 07:00 PM
|
#10
|
Premier V.I.P. Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 1,452
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldsman
i wash mine at the car wash. i use engine gunk and then rinse the engine with no-spot rinse and don't pull the trigger over the critical areas.
|
though it may seem redundant to ask. What would you consider to be the critical areas?
__________________
I am happy to say I have added more mods to my car than I have space to list.
|
|
|
06-22-2010, 07:31 PM
|
#11
|
GX Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Posts: 101
|
For the exterior I use Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 (Probably the easiest liquid wax I've ever worked with), NXT Generation Car Wash ,Hot Rims wheel cleaner and their Endurance Tire Gel. Love Meguiar's products. I'm probably going to try the paste next time instead of the liquid and see how I like that.
For the interior I use NAPA's BodyPro Fabric Cleaner and their Vinyl, Leather Plastic Protectant. Works really good. I've never been a fan of Armour All, nice shine but it's loaded with silicon which is hard on vinyl's and such. Dries them out.
I've only really lately thought about really detailing my engine... Don't really need to, nothing special under there other than the engine, no mods yet. Haha.
But that's just personal preference.
|
|
|
06-22-2010, 09:28 PM
|
#12
|
Owner
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Joliet, IL
Posts: 19,932
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by XanderWiFi
though it may seem redundant to ask. What would you consider to be the critical areas?
|
alternator, spark plug area, air filter, things like this
__________________
72 442 "THE BEAST", 99 Alero - OSV Replica w/ original OSV parts, HURST Dual/Gate Shifter
Beware of the BackStabber
|
|
|
06-22-2010, 10:07 PM
|
#13
|
GL Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 652
|
Windex...
It solves everything.. Consuela Agrees
__________________
*GONE* 2001 2.4L Alero Sedan... Cleared Corners and 17" Sportmax rims
*New Daily* 2009 Ford Mustang 4.0L Convertible - Vista Blue with Silver Striping
|
|
|
06-22-2010, 11:55 PM
|
#14
|
Aleromod part owner
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Far Northeast Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 18,199
|
Yeah teh car was h thing works very well. I don't pull the trigger on the wand and use the lower pressure setting. Just leave the engine running.
On the wheels. I use a regular Meguairs Cleaner wax. IMHO it works just as well as the Mother's and other stuff, however it lasts longer and dirt comes off easier. The tires I use "Black Magic" tire gel. Easy to go on and lasts soooooooooooooooo long. Tires will shine for weeks.
After I wash the car. I use "Ice" wax from Turtle Wax. They make an interior cleaner now too. The Ice wax is awesome. You can apply it in the sun and it just wipes off easier than the regular wax
__________________
33% ALEROMOD OWNER!!
2000 Olds Alero 3400 SFI 14.53 @ 94.93
1985 Olds Delta 88 307 SBO 17.96 @ 76.99
2007 Volvo V50 T5 6M 15.782 @ 89.12
www.facebook.com/kb0177
|
|
|
06-23-2010, 10:15 AM
|
#15
|
GX Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Posts: 101
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redog
After I wash the car. I use "Ice" wax from Turtle Wax. They make an interior cleaner now too. The Ice wax is awesome. You can apply it in the sun and it just wipes off easier than the regular wax
|
I find the Meguiar's NXT Generation wax is the same way. Comes off easy whether it's in the sun or the shade. Great stuff.
And Windex... hate the stuff, find it streaks too much. Love 3M's glass cleaner, works wonders, no streaking.
|
|
|
06-23-2010, 10:46 AM
|
#16
|
GL Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 652
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccsmith87
And Windex... hate the stuff, find it streaks too much. Love 3M's glass cleaner, works wonders, no streaking.
|
But.. Consuela loves windex... no streaking, off brand leaves streaking... need windex.. you buy it... (dont mind me..)
__________________
*GONE* 2001 2.4L Alero Sedan... Cleared Corners and 17" Sportmax rims
*New Daily* 2009 Ford Mustang 4.0L Convertible - Vista Blue with Silver Striping
|
|
|
06-23-2010, 10:44 PM
|
#17
|
Premier V.I.P. Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 1,452
|
I just bought a whole slew of mcguiers products and gotta say I like them pretty well. Hand waxing the paste wax is a son of a bitch though lol
As for the engine...I use engine brite...but I use a garden hose and pretty much hose everything down...oops. No problems yet-knock on wood.
__________________
I am happy to say I have added more mods to my car than I have space to list.
|
|
|
06-24-2010, 12:32 PM
|
#18
|
GX Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Dodgeville, MI
Posts: 157
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by XanderWiFi
As for the engine...I use engine brite...but I use a garden hose and pretty much hose everything down...oops. No problems yet-knock on wood.
|
I hit any actually greasy spots with walmart supertech degreaser and let it sit for a few minutes while I scrub the worse spots with a toothbrush. Then I use a garden hose with a spray tip and blast it clean, avoiding directly spraying the pcm, alt and any other major electrical connectors. Repeat until the grease is gone. Get on the ground and hit the undercarriage too.
Then I hit the aluminum parts with steel wool followed by aluminum polish with a mothers power ball. A wire wheel and a drill or angle grinder make short work of the tough oxidation. If you are committed, pull aluminum parts off, polish to a mirror shine then have them clear powder coated or anodized.
Now wash the painted areas (firewall, fenders, underside of the hood) with normal car wash soap and a sponge, then rinse again with the hose. Now I close the hood and wash/wax the rest of the car and possibly start on my truck. After a few hours, things have dried out and I come back and hit the rubber and plastic with protectant and wax the painted areas.
As for glass, there is an ammonia free foaming glass cleaner in a white can that is the greatest stuff ever. You may have to go to a cleaning supply store to find it though, but its worth it.
Last edited by mbeals : 06-24-2010 at 12:36 PM.
|
|
|
06-24-2010, 03:37 PM
|
#19
|
Premier V.I.P. Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 1,452
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbeals
As for glass, there is an ammonia free foaming glass cleaner in a white can that is the greatest stuff ever. You may have to go to a cleaning supply store to find it though, but its worth it.
|
Brand name of the glass cleaning solution? I don't know why-it should seem like the easiest thing but washing windows is always one of the most difficult. The PCM is located on the right side of the engine correct? I just always figured that as wet as it was in Ohio or a torrential downpour-that electrical stuff isn't going to get any wetter from a garden hose.
__________________
I am happy to say I have added more mods to my car than I have space to list.
|
|
|
06-24-2010, 03:44 PM
|
#20
|
GX Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Dodgeville, MI
Posts: 157
|
I'll have to find it. Its a white metal can with a picture of a 1950's style lady on the side. If you saw it, you'd recognize it.
Everything under the hood is made to get wet, but not sustain a high pressure blast or be submerged. If you blast electrical connectors with water head on you run a risk of forcing water up inside where it can short or corrode the pins or get under the insulation and corrode the wires from the inside out. Just casual contact with water is fine though.
One other thing. You can wash a warm engine to help loosen up the grease, but don't wash a hot engine. Cold water + hot metal = warping and cracking. I also don't wash mine while running and I let it dry out completely before starting.
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:42 PM.
|