Detailing Checklist

[TomoHawk]

I'm working on increasing my knowledge of cleaning a car this week! Oh boy!

I'm collecting info on what to go after when you clean the interior of the car. I'd like to assemble a checklist of the things that people do. I know "everything" should just about cover it, but there's more to cleaning "everything." Everything has little bits to it and there are probably things or techniques that you or I (or whomever) never thought of doing.

If you know of a GOOD & comprehensive website, post the URL & a short description.

My Z-car database is up to 2 Megs! (not including pictures.) Eventually, I post itt to my website.

thx.

[hls30.com]

I always get the following things to clean the inside of my car:

1) A microfiber cloth for the dash, chrome, and gages(pulls out dust and oils without fluid-will not scratch).
2) A bottle brush for dusting inside the center climate control vents.
3) A soft toothbrush for the console, switches, interior emblems, and control knobs.
4) A Vacuum cleaner with a felt covered slot attatchment (will not scuff or mar or stretch old vinyl).
5) Lint free paper towels (Kleenex brand is the stoutest)
6) Vinyl dressing(Boss Gloss, Armour All, Son of a Gun...).
7) Cinch(TM) for cleaning the glass.
8) Black sharpie-Touch up black painted fastners.


Will

[EScanlon]

DON'T USE ARMOR ALL!

Guaranteed death to your dash!

2¢
Enrique

[Alfadog]

What do you prefer, Enrique?

[26th-Z]

This is a great site of car care products http://www.carcareonline.com/
They have products for sale as well as technical articles on cleaning techniques and products. Armor-All contains silicon oils which is an inexpensive short term ingredient that will do more damage in the long run and should be avoided. I prefer the One Grand products.

[TomoHawk]

Originally posted by 26th-Z
Armor-All contains silicon oils which is an inexpensive short term ingredient that will do more damage in the long run and should be avoided. I prefer the One Grand products.

I've seen carcare.com, and it was good reading.

Silicone, isn't all that bad, and has some superior performance, on some things. If you are careful and know where it can be used safely. Every product has good & bad points, and you need to weigh them and use properly.

[hls30.com]

All of the products should be checked out for the surfaces involved, that's why I grouped several of them, "(Boss Gloss, Armour All, Son of a Gun...)", together. I use Boss Gloss form POR15. It lasts tht longest on the surfaces that need to be glossy-soft vinyl, flexible trim-and tires. I also really like the Meguars products for upholstery and the outside-Meguars has a "how to center", http://www.meguiars.com/howtocenter/ , that obviously pushes their wares, but it has a great deal of good info (articles, videos,etc...) as well.
Classic AutoRestorer magazine also has done a technical article on cleaning and detailing, I wil go through my back issues and try to find it.
If anyone knows of the studies that have been done to match chemicals to correct surfaces, or, more importantly-what NOT to use on What, I think they should be in here too-maybe the rocket scientists/engineers in the group know of some!

Dagnabit, TomoHawk, once again the quote from Sam comes to mind! I am just going to have to check out your website!
Will

[PrOxLaMuS©]

I use baby oil on my vinyl and dash... keeps it nice and moist and looks good too!

You know what I thought of? What if you used like SunBlock or like a SunBlock Lotion or Oil? I was thinking it would "block" the sun and reflect the UV rays and stuff away from the dash.. which means no cracks?

Would this work?

[hls30.com]

I have never used babyoil-I worry about where it comes from!
Actually, I don't care for the smell, but that is a good question for the chemists in the group!

[CoastGuardZ]

Baby oil on the dash? I know she's your "baby" and all, but you might have crossed a line that one isn't supposed to cross.

I'm sure there is something about baby oil that will make it not all that great to use. Car products for cars, baby products for babies. Personally I prefer most mequiars or mothers products. Not too terribly expensive and readily available. On the dash I use Meguiars Natural Shine, Outside trim Moters back to black, body I use the Meguiars 3 step "system" when I have time, keeping in my this has always been on stock paint jobs not $2000+ professional show car paint jobs.

-I find a box of Q-tips works great for vents and other small areas that attract dust.
-Wipe the dash then clean the windows not vice-versa.

Nate

[TomoHawk]

I was also hoping for people to point out those 'special places' that they go after. the ones you usually don't think off. Like certain places on the body(door jambs, trunck & hood frame, etc).

It's easy to just vacuum the carpets & seats, then wip down the windows & dash. That's about all I do now. May there are some (important) things I forget?

Do you have a general plan of attack?

[hls30.com]

Start at the top and work down,
Spray the cloth, not the surface,
I clean anything that is visable with the doors open(jams, weather stripping, trim panel edges...)

[GunnerRob]

Concerning weatherstipping. On my '75 Z the weatherstripping around the doors are a "folded" style, somewhat like a closed V or U shape. I clean inside the fold as well as pulling the weatherstripping away from the body to get to the tight places, using a damp cloth or towel.

If you have an air compressor, blow out the body joints, crevices, and emblems to prevent water drip marks and to eliminate standing water in joints.

[EScanlon]

My favorite product was Clear Guard by Turtle Wax. Sadly, it has been discontinued. It worked too well and would last forever.

Boss Gloss is EXCELLENT, and in my opinion second only to Clear Guard, which by default makes it number one.

After that the Meguiar's family are superb. I use those on the outside of the car almost exclusively.

About the only thing I use Armor All, Son-of-a-Gun, and the new Extreme brand of liquid vinyl products....is the tires. That's because I know I CAN and WILL be replacing them eventually. To me, from personal experience, the use of silicone oil is like shooting up heroin. Looks good for a bit, but you pay for it forever after.

I've heard of the use of baby oil, or mineral oil. To me both those products have the bad tendency to attract and capture dust since they never dry. The smell is also something I can do without, in the case of baby oil.

I have no idea on the UV blocker question, but it seems to me that what would work on your skin wouldn't necessarily work on plastic.

2¢
Enrique

[dga]

I use GM silicone on all the engine, door and hatch rubber seals.

[26th-Z]

Good suggestion to blow out wax build-up around the emblems and down the inside of the rain rail with air! Any car this old could use a good blow.

Try a long vacumn tip with bristles on the end for hard to reach areas in the engine bay. Vacumn and scrub out all along the fuel and brake lines on the frame rail. Get the sand and dust out!

Preservative on the engine hoses and wires. Preservative on the wiring harness. If you loosen the wiring harness from the metal tabs, be sure to get the plastic ends wrapped around the harness again - no metal contact. The rubber grommets that hold the brake, clutch, and fuel tubes could use some preservative too.

[TomoHawk]

I've been using the foamy tire cleaner under the hood & in grimy areas. On the sheet metal and rubber stuff and wiring. It seems to lift off the dirt and if you spray a second time, it leaves a nice coating that's not too slick or shiny and protects.
You don't even need to take it off, unless you want to get more dirt off.

Not for plastic!

[TomoHawk]

I had a neat idea of using the judging sheet as a kind of detailing of checklist. Car show judges will be looking specifically for those things (to start with), so you might as well make sure you have those things fixed up straight away. Then clean or fix anything of the like or in the area or anywhere else on the car.

I used the ZCCA judging sheets: http://www.zcca.org/downloads/JudgingRules_rev2005.pdf