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I know, from personal experience and practice, that there is no better way to clean auto glass than to use a piece of newspaper and windex. I think the printers ink works as a mild abrasive and will clean auto glass better than anything else I have ever used. But, be warned, your hands will get temporarily stained using newspaper.
Does anyone use Windex to wipe down or do the final detailing on your car’s shine? I have seen some folks using Windex at the car shows and it seems to do a pretty good job. If you use Windex, do you use it full strength or do you dilute it?
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Marshall ~ from time to time I will use GM Foaming Glass Cleaner on the car and usually use Windex for all the windows. I’ve heard of others using Lemon Pledge to polish, makes the cars smell good too!
Personally, I prefer to use Ice by Turtle Wax on my car. I like the Mequairs products but find they leave a white residue all over the place, especially in places I can’t clean wax out of.
I’ll windex the front glass, and also rain-x it too (not that I’m looking to be caught out in the rain).
Another trick I’ve learned is spraying down the painted metal in the engine bay with WD40 (and then whipping it down). This is suppose to be an old hot rodder trick from the 50’s. It is a great way to get a nice shine, but if you ever want to repaint it, it will take a lot of prep work to get the metal oil free and ready for the paint to stick. They use to use this on the body panels too (not me).
I will use windex on the glass but never thought of using it on the paint. I usually use one of the Meguiars products to detail it, their Kwik Detailer or the NXT products. Eagle One also has a good detailing product. Using WD40 under the hood sounds like a good idea.
I can’t say I have waxed my car in 2 year. I’ve been spraying it down with wizard detail spray.
Here is some before and after photos of using WD40
http://www.detailcity.org/forums/engine-detailing/18098-recommended-products-make-engine-shine.htmlQuite often you will see pit crews spraying down cars after races with WD-40 as it makes the rubber from racing much easier to remove. Never thought to use it on the engine though!
Those are amazing before and after pics! I might have to do some experimenting this fall before putting the Chevelle into storge! icon_scratch.gif
Wow, Those before and after pictures with the WD40 are truly amazing. I can clearly see that at the beginning of a cosmetic restoration that it would be OK to spray the motor and engine bay with WD40 and wipe the area down to see exactly what you have to work with.
This would seem to be an easy and inexpensive way to make a car look a whole lot nicer under the hood.
I have used Turtlewax Ice on my windows with excellent results. I wipe it with an inside-out sock. Wizards for the paint. Recently I started using a polish that Honda motorcycles use to market. This stuff is amazing on chrome and glass, but hard to come by. The only place I know that sells it is Slaughter Motorsports, and they don’t carry large amounts so they run out.
I am not sure about the WD-40 on the paint. Won’t it damage the paint itself? Race cars don’t have to last. To get my engine bay shiny I just use Armor All. I spray it on and let it soak overnight, then wipe any excess away the next day. The shine lasts about a month or more.
As for paint, it hasn’t harmed the paint on my fan shroud. I think I got the tip from a video online, where the guy was spraying down the body of a beat up VW bus, and he mentioned it was an old hot rodders trick.
I wouldn’t worry about the smell, After the engine gets to temp the smell is gone.
I am going to remember this tip. I am looking for my next car and many of the cars I am looking at need alot of help under the hood, right away. Immediately, I am thinking – pull the motor and clean and detail the engine bay. The WD-40 trick might be a good way to find out just how bad or how good the engine and motor bay actually is, before pulling the motor and assuming that the engine bay needs restoring.
My brother worked at a hardware store years ago where the owner used to put wd40 on like skin lotion.
Quote:My brother worked at a hardware store years ago where the owner used to put wd40 on like skin lotion.Between him and the father on My Big Fat Greek Wedding, we should have a cure for all ailments! For those of you who haven’t seen it, the father in that movie regularly sprays windex on his arm or any part of his body that hurts or is injured. At one point he was soaking his hand in a bowl of windex! :haha:
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