Hey all,

Since summer is coming soon and we will all be cleaning our cars ... please post what cleaners (detergent, wax, polishes, etc.) you use on your Grand Prix!

Zaino? Mothers? Meguires?

Be specific and let the cleaning begin!

ZAINO!!

Nothing touches my paint or glass unless its been mixed up by Sal Zaino. For the tires I use Endurance. Inside plastics get Armor All, and Leather gets Lexol. Under the hood I use a bunch of stuff. All metals get polished with either Mothers Mag polish or Nev-R-Dull. Rubber gets Endurance, plastics Armor All. Painted parts get Zaino, of course.

Did I forget anything?

Speaking of car cleaning, anyone with the RAT heat shield, what do you use to keep it clean. Mine has water spots that I can't get out. Tried Eagle One Never Dull and good ole vinegar, but I still have water spots.

I will not comment since there are numerous brands out there and I will not start another M vs. Z flame ware. But I will say that Armor-All will ruin plastic and foam over time. I cant tell you how many tow trucks (back in the day) and and other vehicles that I have seen this happen to over the years.

Thats true. Its also the exact reason that my "Armor All" isn't real Armor All. Its actually a professional product made by Stinger. It works kinda like Armor all except its a different formula. Wish I could give you more info but I can't. Its only available to professional detailers, and I'm not sure what I did with the spec sheet.

Armor All is a water based product, and unless you continously apply the product it will dry out your leather/plastics etc.

UH then why say that it is? Is it that stuff from Kastle?

Say that it is what? Its not made by Kastle. The manufacturer is Stinger. Its their "Premium Dressing". According to the bottle its solvent based, not water based like ArmorAll. I can get more info from the MSDS sheet if you want. I found it last night.

I was busting your chops for saying that its Armor-All.

mother's alum polish polishes the rat heat shield nicely... give that a try. If that doesn't work, use the alum polish on your tips so your $$ isn't wasted

Hi everyone,

I have been detailing my vehicles for the past 10 years and have found these products to work the best for me.

Car wash: Armor-All brand from COSTCO

Tire Cleaner: Eagle One A to Z

Chamois: Genuine Sheepskin (bought anywhere)

Post-Drying: Meguiar's Instant Detailer to take off watermarks and clean the car after you chamois it (always dirt there you can't see after you wash and dry your car off).

Tire Dressing: Meguiar's Premium Tire Dressing Gloss

That's it for car cleaning.

WAXING (beautiful showroom results)

1. Meguiar's pre-wax cleaner (applied and taken off with an 8" orbital buffer)

2. Meguiar's polish/sealer (applied and taken off with an 8" orbital buffer)

3. Meguiar's Wax (applied and taken off with an 8" orbital buffer)

This simple waxing job takes about 6 hours if done properly, but gives a competition grade wet look that lasts for weeks.

has anyone ever heard of this stuff: http://www.5starshine.com
Its got sometype of teflon in it? you guys should check into this. I just used Zymol cleaner/wax on my car last night and it looks beutiful. how can I bring the shine out even more? my car is black.

Hello,

OK guys, here goes.(disclaimer: I have nothing to do with this product, other than being an end user)
When I bought my car back in '00 I was introduced to a product called Dri-Wash by my Dad. I inquired about the product on the message board, and only got back a couple of replies, only one person that actually used it, and that was privately. With that, I decided I would try it on my own with no more consulting. So, in spring of '01 I purchase 2 quarts and started using it on a regular basis. After a Summer, Fall, Winter, here it is Spring in Portland Oregon. My car is over 2 yrs old now, never seen a garage, and I have never waxed it (black). It's very hard to tell that it's never been waxed. It's a spray on formula, that wipes off w/ a dry towel...No water is used. I'm quite impressed w/ the product allthough it, as all things, has its cons.
1. Overspray - It's a spray on application, and it seems to find it's way into all the nooks and cranny's.
2. Longevity - It doesn't last very long during the cold wet times of the year.
3. Easiness - Is that a word?....Anyways, it takes a while to learn how to make it wipe off easily, or, It may be the amount of toxicants on the paint at the time of application that makes it harder to wipe off.

Pros:
1. No water - (Can also be a con....I still like to take a bath with "my baby") but, can be done in the garage, during winter....etc.
2. Portable - This stuff can be used anywhere, even on the floor inside the coliseum during a car show. Take it w/ you to a show on the road.
3. No waxing - This product does not give a competition shine all by itself, but, I've had a lot of people disbelieve me when I tell them I've never waxed it.

It took me a whole year to go through a bottle of this stuff, so the price isn't all that bad. I think I paid $32 a bottle. I've literally wiped off some pretty bad "road grime" with it. Sometimes I use 2 towels. I will continue to use the product until it runs out. At that time, I'll decide whether I want to do something else to protect it. Since I've only been using it a year, maybe time will tell whether it was the right choice or not.
Dri wash is only available through distributers (as is a popular product used by many members here), and I'm not one of them. So, if you are interested, don't contact me, just search the internet. That's what I did

I've used this Dri-wash stuff before myself. One of the local club members sells the stuff.

It's very good for cleaning the car BUT its also pretty darn expensive.

Only reason I went back conventional polishes and waxes.

Plus, I lost that goofy pump spray thing that you need to use it.

Quality - thumbs up
Price - thumbs down

ttt