Okay I'll put my tips in and you can add to them, okay? hehe
- Use a Q-Tip to clean the door trim, the automatic shift indicator thingy, and the steering wheel grooves.
- Get a girl to loan you her makeup brush- preferably an unused one. Take the brush and wipe off the dust from your vents. A lot of dust collects there, and makes the car look old.
- Remove the dash pad and the speaker "vents". Either soak em in soapy water and rinse or go through em with a toothbrush and soap and scrub all that grime out of the grooves.
- Remove anything easilly removed but hard to reach (IE the cupholders on the doors) and wash and shine them.
- Remove your seats from the car and hit them until most of the dust is out. This will keep your car from getting dusty fast.
- Get some upholstry cleaner (assuming you dont have leather seats) and spray the seats while they're out. You notice the seats "change color" when you push the fabric either up or down? I think its from UV rays and light reflection- but anyway, I made mine look black again by pushing them UPwards. Let them dry in this position and it should stay for a bit, even after you sit on them. Plus you can get rid of that odor with some febreeze or something. I hate febreeze, it smells too strong.
- Clean out your wheel wells when you wash the car. Something I noticed makes the car look less dirty.
- My T-Tops look black when wet, but a little bit lighter when they're dry. I put toothpaste on them (when they were off the car) and swirled it around for a few minutes and wiped it off. They shine a whole lot more now than they did, and it took out some of the minor scratches. I have Lexan t-tops, but I heard it is supposed to work just as good for glass.
- Rain-X. Some people love it, some people hate it. Wash your windows, and windex them and stuff. Get every last bit of grime and grease and every last fingerprint off of the glass. Rain-X the outside only (or you'll get constant fogging- UNCOOL. My friend did it and it sucked). Make sure you buff the rain-X to an almost reflective shine. Try not to use your windshield wipers, because it will smear it and make the glass look funny when dry.
- Use a Q-Tip and get all of that dirt out of the side view mirrors.
- I'm not sure if this one is safe, but I do it anyway. I get wax buildup around my decals. So I used a toothpick to remove that white outline of wax. Looks great- but I don't know if its safe or not. Probably doesnt matter considering you wouldn't see any scratches that outlined the logo.
- Vaccuum until the cows come home- assuming you have cows that are lost.
- Get a toothbrush on the pedals (the stock ones fill with dirt around the honeycomb thing). Same with the doorframe trim thingy. I wouldn't recommend armor all on the pedals, for saftey purposes.

thats really all I can think of for now

------------------
1992 Pontiac Firebird
- 305ci V8 TBI / Automatic Trans / Loaded
- MODS: Edelbrock 14x3 Open Element Air Cleaner, Dual outlet exhaust
1985 Chevy Z28
- 350ci V8 TPI / Automatic Trans / Paid $200 for it
- In the process of restoration!

 

also, a window cleaning tip: instead of paper towel, use old newspaper to wipe them. you will get a streak free shine every time

 

here is my affordable trick of the trade.

my friends has a 2000 stange GT, he has some killer rims on it. he uses really expensive all rim cleaner "about 5-6 bucks a bottle", well one day he took it to a repair shop and the rims were dirty "he hadn't washed the car in a while" well when we went back to gte it the rims looked brand spanking new, he asked the person, what did you use on my rims? the guy said windex...WINDEX, ever since then he uses windex and it works like a charm, when i got my camaro 2 days ago the rims were chrome but very tarnished, so i said hey ill try it myself, i sprayed a generouse amount of windex on one of the rims and let it sit for about 30 seconds or so, then i cleaned them off and they look GREAT! very shiny, no tarnish and no smears. try it yourself

[This message has been edited by 87_Camaro (edited July 28, 2001).]

 

oohhh yeaaaaa

i always do that

 

Yeah, but your hands are black with ink when your done!

 

on chrome rims....clean them how you would do so regularly, THEN spray them down w/ WD-40 and wipe clean. this shines like a ***** and protects them from rusting as you know chrome likes to do

 

hmm... isn't this on the wrong board? I thought this board was for discussing tacky addon's and tasteless JCWhitney trash.

Only a couple things to add. Most discount stores and parts stores sell cheap vent brushes. They're worth it since they're virtually useless for anything else, so they'll never disappear. Also for anything plastic use a good plastic cleaner/polish. I used mothers in the past and currently use Zaino plastic polish. Works great for lexan t's, taillights, the clock lense on the factory radios, the guage cluster lense, moldings, etc... Take care not to rub any clear plastic surfaces *gear indicator, guage lenses, convertible rear windows, etc* with anything dirty or if they're dusty since they scratch extremely easily. On the topic of windows, a good automotive glass cleaner works a lot better than windex or glass plus. Both of which tend to fog up.

------------------
Drew
predatorman@hotmail.com
83 Camaro 5.0L *1995-98*
87 Iroc 5.7L
91 Formula 5.7L 14.3@98mph
91 RS Convertible 5.0L
91 Firebird 3.1L
92 S10 2.8L For Sale!
98 Grand Am GT 3.1L

 

BWAAAAHAAAAAAA!! Oh man I almost busted a gut when I read this. And from a moderator no less!

BTW, where can I get a Hyundai Tiburon body kit for my car? Those things are smooth and hot and my car just has to look like it!

Seriously, Resolve carpet cleaner works awesome to clean carpet stains. It says to spray and wait a few minutes but I spray it on heavy and start scrubbing right away. It took out all the light stains and did a really good job on the heavier stains. Didn't completely remove them but made them a whole lot less noticeable.

Another tip I heard of for removing wax buildup around emblems is cutting a paintbrushes bristles about halfway down and using it to clean out the tight areas.

[This message has been edited by Third (edited July 30, 2001).]

 

I thought this was the "OOOOOooo look at my car board" LOL That's too funny comming from a moderator. Gotta love it.

------------------
1986 SC Camaro
Mods: Threw 2.8 in garbage, put in rebuilt
350 .060 over, XE268H Comp cam, Edlebrock
Performer Intake and Edlebrock 600 CFM Carb,
Pete Jackson noisy GearDrive (which sounded
cool for about 5 minutes, now I'm sick of it)
Rebuilt TH350, 3.42 Rear Gears. LCA RLB's.
B&M Mega Shifter.

 

if i had a car worth worrying about the windows shining, id rather have shiny windows and wash my hands. and no you dont get anymore ink on your hands then you would flipping through the auto tradr books

 

Clean the wheel wells with some Castrol Super clean a nylon toilet brush.. After they dry of for a bit grab the cheapest can of that tire foamy spray and spray the crap outta the wheel wells

Also pop off yer rims and clean the back side of them and it will make cleaning the wheel well that much easier.

Then yer car will look 10x better just by doing those 2 things.

Kat

 

Don't use Castrol Super Clean on anything aluminum especially wheels. It eats away at aluminum in moments.

------------------
82 Camaro:
350
Erson cam, ported heads,Comp Cams 1.6:1 rocker arms
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, Holley 600
Crane Hi-6 ignition, Accel supercoil
TH350 tranny with 2500 stall.
Eibach Pro Kit
SLP 1 3/4" headers

 

super clean has hydrochloric acid?

 

I use simple green insetad of super clean (too harsh for my liking) for my wheels/tires. I spray it on heavily and scrub the rims with a metal bristle toothbrush and scrub the tires with a nylon tire brush. I couldn't believe it, after being dirty all through winter and spring I had white letters again

 

Okay "One Eyed Jack", You have hit on a good topic here. Watch the post count climb on this one, sorta like my Vanity Plate post.

Tires: Since I have RWL I use Wesly's Bleach white to clean them and the tires. Then Pro Black Magic(got a friend that sells car wash stuff). Just set mysprayer on mist and let it sit. Shines for a week.

Wheels: Megulars Chrome cleaner, sometimes Windex. If they start to pitt I used a SOS pad with soap(works great) then clear water and wipe to dry and then 1/2 hour later wipe with dry cotton towel for a super shine.

Windows: Windex or any glass cleaner on the outside but on the inside where I have tint I never use the glass cleaners with amonia because they turn your tint PURPLE. Clear water and newspaper on the inside.

The dash pad: Back to the Black Magic I used on my tires. Armour All just does not seem to last.

Console: Just painted it black with emamel spray so it looks new but hit it with the small detail(tooth) brush in the cracks to get rid of the crud that forms there. Paint the ash tray with black spay paint and it looks new.

Seats: lots of vacumning. Cloth seats clean with OKY clean and hot water. Just hand scrub. For tough stains rent a steam carpet cleaner from your local hardware or grocery store and watch your seats and carpet look new. Get the kind where you can see the dirt thru the hose so you can see how nasty your booty was. This will truly amaze you! Add Oxy Clean to the cleaner you get with the steam cleaner for perfect results.

Body: I wash every Tues. at the brushless (Delta Sonic)automatic and every Friday by hand. This may seem extreme but my car is black and they suck when dirty or even when dusty. Through wash with power hose is also a option, especially in winter or heavy mud situations. Never do I use the automatics with the brushes. That's like taking a shower with someone beating you with wet towels. Not good! Hand wash if at all possible. Chamois or clean cotton towel to dry. Let your kids wipe the chrome since they are right there, they are bugging you and they want to get involved. My Dad did this and it is how I learned to love the muscle car. I still remember wiping that red '67 GTO. If I only had that car now!

Wax: I have a pro wax that my friend at the dealership got me. Don't know the name but it is a cream type. I hate the paste and my buffer hates the paste. Don't have a problem with wax build up on decals and the like because I used a Orbital buffer. I wax once a month in summer and fall. Never in the winter or spring. Seems to work for me.

Well "One Eyed Jack" I have babbled enough. In fact I need to go check for dirt right now (lol), It's Tuesday. I just love to pull up next to a Ugly, dirty Mustang and smile. Then I beat off the line and down the road. Is this what America is all about!!! Happy cleaning. Good luck everyone!


------------------
86 Camaro Black SS Coupe, T Tops, Flowmaster, Custom Paint, Dunlop Road Kings S/R tires, Wheel Country Directional Chrome Wheels,new charcoal & gray interior including seats and door panels, new carpet and headliner, complete front end suspension rebuild, new Valve seals, and more mods to come
http://www.angelfire.com/sports/niterider/86camaro.html
Morgan_Andre@hotmail.com

 

For dashpads the best method I've found is to take the damn thing out of the car. Use a soft bristled brush on the speaker grills to get the crap out, then set it flat on a stain proof surface and hose it down iwth armorall. I cover it so the entire pad is white, then let it sit overnight. Next day, wipe off the remaining armorall and put it back in the car. I've done this once on each of my cars a week after I got them, I still haven't had to retreat them since. Just wipe with a cloth or whatever once every carwash to lift the dust and they're good to go.

------------------
Drew
predatorman@hotmail.com
83 Camaro 5.0L *1995-98*
87 Iroc 5.7L
91 Formula 5.7L 14.3@98mph
91 RS Convertible 5.0L
91 Firebird 3.1L
92 S10 2.8L For Sale!
98 Grand Am GT 3.1L

 

hehe Opps forgot to add that..

Thanks

Kat

 

We have raised white BFG TA's on our car. When the little woman gets too close to the curb and scuffs the letters I use a scotch brite pad to get the funk off and bring the lettering back to white.

Just soapy water and a scotch brite.
No major pressure because it will wear down the lettering. Just lightly go across the lettering and your done.

For the rag top I use a soft nylon bristle brush and soapy water. Comes out real nice and clean!!

For all Vinyl and plastic I've gotten best results using Mothers products.

We have the stock painted rims.
I used Meguairs wax products and I got them to shine almost like new!!
It was a 4 step wax treatment and took me about 4 hours to do, but it was well worth the time and effort.



------------------
91 Mystic Teal RS Convertible. 305 TBI, Auto, stock.
125,000 miles and still going strong.
Only minor mods planned for the near future.
Like headers, flowmaster exhaust, some ignition mods, K&N airfilter, Perhaps a chip if needed.
Waiting for the motor to blow up so I can install a ZZ4 crate motor. Let's just hope it don't blow up too soon.

 

For my vinyl i use vinylex. Thats stuff works great. It doesnt give you that bright shine but it makes it look new. And it clean the vinyl also. Ive never taken the seats out like you guys said, but it seems like a good idea since i just got my t-tops repaired and the car painted, so now i have to repair the stains in the carpet from the water. How much is new carpets anyway?

------------------
Chris
-91' firebird V8, 305
-Flowmasters with stainless steel pipes
-B&m megashifter
-JVC cd player
-Clarion speakers
-K&n filter with homemade intake.

 

I treat my wheels just like I treat my car. That means only 100% cotton towels, car soap, and Zaino. I sure as hell wouldn't use a bristled brush on my car, why would I use them on my wheels?

clearcoated.

 

Oh, I guess that is why my eyes burn when I get a little castrol degreaser in em! Hydrochloic Acid!!!:lala:

 

I don't use the castrol stuff on the wheels, but I do use it on the tires to strip off all the old street grime. It just melts the crap away! It's pretty grose looking too when I hose them off. -89IRO

 

I use simple green for my wheels, tires, interior...everything.

 

damn 89 went way back for this post. for the back of my wheels i use the potnent base its a red color and u must mix it with 80% water 20% formula it works great cuz if u dont mix it and u just wear rubber gloves and u just wipe some on and then 30 sec to a min not much more scrub off comes off like nothing else. turtle wax still works great for me on the paint

 

SO THATS WHY MY RIMS LOOKED LIKE SHI*T AFTER USING SUPER CLEAN!!!

 

YEh ill do all that then right after it will rain

 

If the plastics on your car (meaning marker lights, etc) have seen better days, make with the wetsanding w/ 1500 or so grit sandpaper....smooth them down well, then buff out with some Mothers' Aluminum Polish. Works unbelievably, I'd say 'better then new' if I had a reference point for what 'new' would be.

 

You may not believe this, but I have discovered the #1 way to get bugs, tar, trash, etc. off your car (especially the front end and the side mirrors) without doing ANY damage to the paint whatsoever. My mother-in-law actually put me on to this...

it's called "TOULE"

...you know, that white, sheer, lacy-looking stuff they make wedding veils out of and stuff? You can get it from the fabrics department at Wal-Mart for like $.50/yard or something like that...be sure to get the really fine stuff. Just cut out a BIG piece of it, ball it up, soak it in soapy water, and go to town with it on your bugs and tar. You'll be absolutely amazed at how much easier it is to remove stuff that wouldn't even come off with a rag. Try it out...you'll never stop using it once you do.

 

the little fabric softeners work the same as that clothe you speak of for bugs....dam them love bugs

My bro just got some of this new rain x fast wax stuff and waxed his truck and man thats one killer shine

 

who brought this back from 2 years ago?? it's weird to see anthony in a post.....

 

The love bugs are killer here in Louisiana, and I have found two good ways to get rid of the residue. First I use rain-x on my windshield about once a month. The trick to using it is that you will have to be able to see some glare, either from the sun or from lights at night, to put it on. It is really hard to polish it completely out, but when you turn on the windsheild washers the bugs will melt off. They don't stick to the glass and are much easier to get clean.

I use Meguire's quick detailer on the front of the car when the bugs start to collect. It works great and isn't as harsh as bug remover. Spray it on and let is sit while you work on the rest of the car. When you get to the front just wash it like you usually do. You may have to go back and work some more of the stuborn spots, but it really helps.

 

who is anthony

 

91droptop i got alot of family up in alexandria if you were wondering... but yeah love bugs a time of the year i think everyone with a nice car hates

 

who is anthony? i thought it was weird seeing the post was started by one eyed jack.

on the subject though, if newspapers get your hands covered with ink, how does it not cover your windows with ink?

 

One Eyed Jack is Anthony. He is banned cause he caused quite a bit of trouble on the boards back in the day.

 

Well, it seems to me that it was a good idea to bring it back, because I'm still hearing new ideas! -89IRO

 

Wow how the past returns, I came here just when he was getting up to the point of being banned. I never really have any problems with getting bugs off of my car. I just try to keep the front end clean from debrits and bugs. That way they dont get stuck on as much.

 

How about just keep your vents closed.....

 

Whenever i clean up my bird. I always make sure to clean the rocker panel. The part you see when the door is open.


There is nothing more annoying to me than that area being real dirty.

 

just curious.. anyone else notice this?
One Eyed Jack

Banned

Registered: May 2001
Location: Hell, Michigan
Posts: 940

 

yeah, I remember a lot of the posts leading up to him getting banned. he was a little too opinionated for some of the other members on the board. i never had a problem with oej, i thought it was good having people that aren't afraid to tell you if they like something or not.

 

I agree, he didn't sugar-coat his opinions and was sometimes brutally honest.

 

Well when i first got my Camaro my engine was so f*cking cake with dirt, dust and grease etc. etc.... i just sprayed it down with that tire cleaner... it got as clean as clean can be wish i had the before PIC,
theres mine tip

 

Ah yes he's been banned for quite a while now, but if you notice the date that he posted and you'll see "07-28-2001 01:20 PM" as the first post.