I probably read this section on Detailing more than most 'cause I am a clean freak! I am also a Zaino believer and I thought I kept my car in good condition and CLEAN. I just read a Post in the Technical section and I had to Post it here because this guy is the "King".

I only wish I had the time!!!

Ethan
Member

Registered: Feb 2002
Location: east coast
Posts: 99
I use car wash soap for the wheel wells, also sometimes P21 all purpose citric cleaner. When clean I use a cheap wax like Turtle Wax on the plastic wheel well liners. I take the wheels off and wash with car wash soap and wax with Turtle Wax the lower control arms and any other metal suspension parts that are reachable. The brake calipers I clean with brake cleaner and a tooth brush and finsih off with a little metal cleaner, mostly just clean around the brake pad thickness hole and a little on the side of the caliper. I also wipe some 303 Protectant on the brake lines.
I don't like pressure washers, but do hose down the underside. I use a sponge and car wash soap on rear trunk underside floor, I also take out the spare tire and clean and wax the inner-side trunk floor to eliminate any moisture.
Sonax does make an engine spray protectant called Engine Plast (Sp?) not sure if still available at www.carcareonline.com - basicly to be used on new aluminum and alloy engine parts to keep fresh.
When the car is on ramps I wash the underside with car wash soap, flex disc and wires get a swipe of 303 Proetectant. Any bare metal gets a coat of was; heat shield, half shafts.
I also hose from the inside toward the grill the radiator to clean out bugs and debris.
I also clean the inside of the wheels then wax and coat with petroleum jelly, www.carcareonline sells a special tar removal solvent that rids the months of brake dust from the inner wheel- I need to look up the name.

The spraying of the underside with the hose and radiator cleaning are done with each weekly wash, The washing of wheel wells gets done monthly, and the cleaning with soap and protectant of the underside and inner wheels is a once a year job, usually done piecemeal over a few months in the spring.

This makes the car easier to inspect and cleaner to work on

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1988 560SL
Black Pearl/Palamino

Wow a bit OT but to each their own. :p

The one thing thou is that he is waxing bare metal parts like the heat shield, etc. Wax is very susceptiable to heat and thus not a very good idea. That is why they coat parts in grease and petro jelly IMO.

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W210 M104.995 Color 339/205
Say What You Mean, Do What You Say

Must be someone from out of this world.

BTW - I was informed that everytime the wheels are taken out of the car, it will definitely be out of balance. Any truth to this?

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... Kerry

126 tailed by a 203, 129 leading the pack.

Man, and people think I'm crazy for driving around puddles...

Doesn't make sense. The wheels are balanced with the tires on (ie this is how Tire Rack and any other wheel shop can sell wheels without seeing your car). The wheels are balanced with the weights on the outer lip or those taped on the inside of the rim. Unless you are distorting the rims or lossing weights when you remove the wheels this can't be true.

Anyone else? Am I wrong?

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W210 M104.995 Color 339/205
Say What You Mean, Do What You Say