# Car Care



## JUSGTO (Feb 22, 2005)

I was just curious as to what product other GTO owners where using to clean the in, and outside of their cars with. Has anyone tried the GM products that are supposedly the best ones according to the manual. Just something I am looking into. :cheers :cheers :cheers


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## GumbyGoat (Sep 24, 2004)

I bought the Zaino kit for my car and used it with great results. I used Tech wax on my Wife's Grand Am. The shine was about the same, in my opinion, but the Zaino was more durable and lasted longer. I used Armor All on the inside of my Wife's car for all of the plastic and Armor All leather cleaner for the seats. On my GTO, I used the Formula 2000 or something like that, but the plastic surfaces on the GTO are different. They don't seem to take the cleaners as well as some other cars I've had. The plastic seems harder and less porous (sp?). I used the Zaino leather cleaner and then the conditioner and it seemed to make the red leather really stand out. The first time I sat in the car after I cleaned the seats, I damn near slipped right out of the car...Ha Ha!!! They were slick. I clay barred both cars before all of that and that really helped. That clar bar is some cool stuff. Well, that's my $.02. Hope it helps. :cheers


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## djdub (Oct 23, 2004)

Armor All is the devil.

In all seriousness though, don't ever use Armor All, it shortens the life of anything it's used on.


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## GM Kid (Mar 21, 2005)

I'm a Meguiar's fan and have had lots of luck with their line. The only fault I find is that Meguiar's makes so many different products that do roughly the same thing, you can get dizzy. Their overall theme is a three-step process involving cleaning, polishing and waxing, but they have multiple product lines that will accomplish that. Reminds me of how Sears used to have a good/better/best system. If you want to save yourself a heckuva lot of time, go with their basic cleaner/wax. Works well.

Just so you'll know, all of those GM products recommended in your owner's manual are packaged for GM by someone else. In fact, some of them are actually Meguiar's products, I believe. They're all good, but each can be had for less money under their own names at a regular auto parts store.


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

A. Exterior Paint (without getting into color sanding and that other kind of stuff): 

1. P&S Remove All Solvent: A mild solvent used to remove all existing layers of wax, etc. from the paint. Will not hurt anything.

2. Lusture Glaze or ProWax #1 Polish: Gets rid of any spider webs in the paint. Sets it up for additional polishing and protectant.

3. Klasse All In One (the red bottle): Polishes the paint again and puts down a synthetic protectant coat on the paint.

4. Meguiar's #7 Show Glaze: Outer coat. Gives your car a "wet" look. Just glazed mine yesterday during the NASCAR race -- and, I swear, it has kicked up the color of my yellow jacket car a notch.

Rather than get into a big WRX-owner style discussion on how to apply this stuff (Porter Cable vs. Milwaukee buffers, blah blah blah) let's just say nothing works better than a big pile of clean, soft pure cotton hand towels, some good music on the stereo or live racing on TV, some time -- and some elbow grease. And hold off of any alcohol until you're done -- because it's a lot of physcial work.

B. Exterior Tires:

1. P&S Blue Gel: Can't think of the actual product off the top of my head, but that's what it looks like. It's kind of like a blue snot that you put on with a damp sponge.

2. Turtle Wax Wet & Shine: This is a dirt cheap protectant. Like $5 a spray quart. By itself, it's OK. Over the Blue Gel -- you just get an amazing amount of depth and shine.

Don't use anything on the wheels personally -- although some of the Zaino folks their products on every exterior surface. 

C. Interior:

1. Windows: Windex with microfiber cloths works best. Take one cloth and spray it down with Windex. Then hit the window with Windex. Use the wet cloth to break all of the build up off -- then us a dry cloth to finish. Always do this in your garage. Be prepared to use a total of 5 or 6 cloths during the project. Seems like a lot -- but it beats the heck out driving around with smeared windows. And I like to do the exterior windows the same way -- because I'm fussy about visibility.

2. Interior: Since the car is made in Australia - I'll bet the Pilkington glass has UV protectant built in. That said, I usually don't wipe down the interior surfaces with anything other than a microfiber towel with a light spray of distilled water on it to pick up dust and whatever crap my wife spills in the car (rings in the bottom of the cup holder, nothing major. And regular vacuuming does wonders for keeping dirt out of your seat seams. For stuff like scuffs on the kick panels, P&S Remove All with a SOFT nylon bristle brush will work. As djdub says -- stay away from Armor All -- it's why I don't use anything on the interior at all.

Hope that helps. If you're serious about going this route, just say so. I can round up web URLs for you if you want. Always wipe out the door jambs, and the areas under the hood and the channels under the trunk. And reach under the car and the painted surfaces which face the ground.


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

Anyone know about engine detailing? I don't have a lot of greasy crud but the heavy rains this year have left my high-milaeage honey looking a bit filthy under the bonnet...


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## axt36 (Apr 28, 2005)

Griots has some great stuff. Been using it for years. Just put the Best of Show Wax on this weekend and found out how much metal flake is in the Black paint. Looks like a different car. Griots.com


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## GumbyGoat (Sep 24, 2004)

djdub said:


> Armor All is the devil.
> 
> In all seriousness though, don't ever use Armor All, it shortens the life of anything it's used on.


I've never had any problems...please explain.


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## SgtGeek (Apr 30, 2005)

Groucho said:


> Anyone know about engine detailing? I don't have a lot of greasy crud but the heavy rains this year have left my high-milaeage honey looking a bit filthy under the bonnet...


Exterior I have been using Maguires three step for some time....glass finish
Interior...Maguires Leather Treatment...soft and clean...
Window I use ZIP Window and Glass cleaner.....
Engine I use a 50-50 mix of distilled water and Simple Green.....then rinse with a pump sprayer of distilled water.....this allows you to control the water spray and the distilled water leaves no water marks/spots......
For plastic stuff I use STP or baby oil...yes...regular baby oil.....hey if it is good enough for my Grandson's ass it is good enough for my Goat Seriously I have used baby oil for many years on interior and exterior plastics......


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## stucker (Sep 22, 2004)

Pretty much everything I use is Meguir's(wax, soap, leather cleaner/conditioner. Other than that, I use Black Magic on the tires. Windex for the windows(then a coat of RainX periodicaly).


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

For underhood care -- just buy a big ol' can of Gunk Engine Degreaser and spray away.

Seriously? Sgt. Geek's approach is exactly what I do. The only thing I do a little differently is to take a brush with really long, soft nylon bristles and lightly touch everything a little bit. Helps break off some of the crud. 

The pump sprayer's great because you can start to rinse with a really, really fine mist at first -- so your solution and crud starts moving toward the bottom of the car. Once you're far enough along -- you can up the output and flush it off. 

When done, totally wash the car to make sure any residue which might have splashed is removed.

EDIT: Just talked to a friend who details Ferraris and stuff for a living. Here's what he had to say: "Simple Green. Cover the distributor, carb/fuel injection, and plugs. Heat the engine up, mist the car, be sure the get the fenders, and then spray simple green. Use a fat jab brush to get the majority of the dirt. Take an air hose, get rid of all of the water. Use a foam brush on rubber/plastic pieces with 303 and let sit over night. Wipe down excess in the morning. Then use a polish/wax mix to protect paint under the hood."


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## The_Goat (Mar 10, 2005)

I use a gentle car was soap (forget the name) that doesn't strip wax.

When I wax, I use maguires.

Between "waxings" I use "The Bom" for interior and exterior. It seems to repel dust and make the car easier to clean.

Windows: Stoner glass cleaner, squeegie and cotton towels.

4 times a year (more depending on winter conditions) I also apply wax to the wheels.


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## westell (Oct 4, 2004)

Groucho said:


> Anyone know about engine detailing? I don't have a lot of greasy crud but the heavy rains this year have left my high-milaeage honey looking a bit filthy under the bonnet...


Simple Green and LIGHTLY spray off with H2O, avoiding obvious electrical areas as best as possible.

Then, if your into shine, get a spray can of silicone. You can silicone everything under the hood.


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## simpy (Apr 30, 2005)

Zaino, I got hooked on this stuff a while back, and while I know, to each his/her own, I have used alot of other stuff and Zaino is just easier to me. Just my 2 cents.


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## Fawkes (May 3, 2005)

simpy said:


> Zaino, I got hooked on this stuff a while back, and while I know, to each his/her own, I have used alot of other stuff and Zaino is just easier to me. Just my 2 cents.


I've used Zaino in the past, and that stuff flat out rocks. currently I don't own any cars with a finish that requires me spending that kind of money though, so I use Mother's products for pretty much everything.


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## DaveGesp (Oct 8, 2004)

I use Mother's. Seems to work for me. One product I really like is "Duration". It's a wheel dressing that is applied with a sponge that comes with each bottle. It's not a high gloss but more like new rubber. I tried Meguires Dressing in a spray bottle. It's too shinney for my tastes. Ive noticed also that when it's on the rims it seems to collect evey piece of dirt around. Another thing I've found is that it does not last that long on your tires but lasts forever on your driveway. Not trying to sound like a commercial, Ive purchased all my Mother's products from "The Wax Station". Promt service, and same day shipping. 

http://www.waxstation.com/


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## sno-rydr (Oct 13, 2004)

I also have used Meguiars for a while with all my vehicles and really like it. much better than armor all products for the interior. best waxes and polishes i've ever used too, but i've heard good things about that zaino or whatever it's called, so i'm gonna give it a try too and see how it compares. but you really can't go wrong with anything from meguiars.


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## GM Kid (Mar 21, 2005)

Here's something interesting. I've had light swirl marks on my car ever since I got it, and they're still there despite using Meguiar's Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner a couple of times.

So I e-mailed Meguiar's today and submitted my problem. The rep who wrote back suggested (naturally) using their new NXT Tech cleaner wax. I'll admit, I'm intrigued by what I've read about this stuff. Has anyone tried it?

But I wrote back to the guy and told him I also had Meguiar's tan-bottle Swirl Remover at home, as well as some Scratch-X. I haven't tried either on my new GTO, though. Too chicken. But he just e-mailed me back and changed his recommendation: He now says to go with the Swirl Remover.

I prefer milder solutions to more aggressive ones, so I'm not sure what I'll do. I suspect the NXT Tech would just give my car a nice shine, which is harmless, but doesn't really improve anything. The Swil Remover? Eesh. Not sure yet.


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## Braman'sGTO (Mar 14, 2005)

in my line of work I deal with alot of scratches and have found that each different car company seems to respond better to different products. Scratch X workes very well on Toyota's but I have seen it scratch honda and acuras. I have a few scratches in my goat that I have been trying different products on, sofar I have not found anything that workes well, but will post as soon as I find something.


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

GM Kid said:


> So I e-mailed Meguiar's today and submitted my problem. The rep who wrote back suggested (naturally) using their new NXT Tech cleaner wax.


Don't get me wrong, Meguiar's makes some good products, but their tech support people SUCK. They're nothing but a bunch of stupid stinkin' parrots trained to sell their latest product. They don't even listen to you!

Was troubleshooting a problem caused by a dealer who detailed one of my cars without my permission, and called them because all the people I trusted were out of town at the SEMA show and were really slow returning phone calls. Here's how the conversation went. I think you can relate.

ME: Have a case of buffer burn on one of my cars. It's not through the clearcoat -- but it looks close. I don't want to color sand it because I don't want to risk breaking through. It's so close that any kind of polishing might put it over the edge. Any strategies for dealing with a situation like this?

MEGUIAR'S PARROT: "Awk, try our new Gold Class Polish. World class shine and protection in a single bottle. Awk."

ME: Are you freakin' kidding me?

MEGUIAR'S PARROT: "Awk, try our new Gold Class Polish. World class shine and protection in a single bottle. Awk."

ME: Can I talk to somebody who has more experience working on cars than you?

MEGUIAR'S PARROT: "Awk, try our new Gold Class Polish. World class shine and protection in a single bottle. Awk."

ME: Wow, Pamela Anderson's standing right here. She's fiddling with the fly on her jeans. Wow!

MEGUIAR'S PARROT: "Awk, try our new Gold Class Polish. World class shine and protection in a single bottle. Awk."


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## patrun64 (Apr 23, 2005)

*Zaino*

If you haven't tried Zaino, you should. I buy Z-6 by the case. Do the cycle like they recommend. And then just keep Z-6 handy for day to day finger prints, bugs, or when you get got in the rain. It will also work on the windows. 

Most importantly the Zaino products smell great! :lol

http://www.zainobros.com is where you buy, I noticed they have some new products (that last case lasted me a couple years!)


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## GM Kid (Mar 21, 2005)

I e-mailed the Meguiar's guy back regarding his altered recommendation (to go with Swirl Remover instead of NXT Tech), basically to say, "Really? Are you sure? Should I apply it by hand with a foam applicator?" His short reply essentially stated that yes, he _was_ sure, and the foam applicator was the way to go.

But I don't know. I suppose I wouldn't even have a bottle of Meguiar's Swirl Remover if I didn't think it was safe, but you know how weird we can be: I bought it for _another_ car, not this one.

So whaddaya think: Use it or not?


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## toolman (Jan 10, 2005)

I use the Mr Clean system, it flat out rocks(especially since we have the hardest water on the planet here). I was very leary of it at first, but if you follow the directiond to a "T", then the car will be unbelievably spotless with no drying every time. As far as wax nothing but mothers wax, i wont even try anything else.


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## RookWV (Apr 9, 2005)

hey toolman, what part of WV? I see you work chems, I take you're in the Charleston area....

I'm down in Beckley


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## toolman (Jan 10, 2005)

I am from just outside Parkersburg, I dont make it to beckley very often. Nice shine from the Zaino product, very impressed,


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