Official Car Wash Thread

Whats everyone's favorite headlight restore kit? I used my buddies (cant remember brand, maybe mothers?) and it got one of the headlights great looking, but the other one is still pretty foggy. I might have focused on one more than the other, I dont know for sure, but Im going to go get my own kit. Any suggestions?
 
The 3M kit made my hazy headlights look brand new.

Every time I wash the car now I use the 3M headlight protection stuff and they still look great.
 
Stopsign002 said:
Whats everyone's favorite headlight restore kit? I used my buddies (cant remember brand, maybe mothers?) and it got one of the headlights great looking, but the other one is still pretty foggy. I might have focused on one more than the other, I dont know for sure, but Im going to go get my own kit. Any suggestions?
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Wet sand paper 800-3000 grit and a polishing compound.
 
JoshMcMadMac said:
Wet sand paper 800-3000 grit and a polishing compound.
Click to expand...

Second that. For oxidation you won't be needing anything more aggressive than 800. I went much lower (440) to remove a scratch on mine, and I may never do that again. It's a lot of work to get them out at that point though.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=74933

The kits you buy are :q:q:q:q. You attach them to the drill, they clog up and mar the lens. The 3M brand one lasted me a set of headlights the first go round. I then went and bought wet sandpaper from 400-3000 grit, and a polishing wheel and compound. I can probably do 15 pairs of lights or so with what I have now.
 
JoshMcMadMac said:
Wet sand paper 800-3000 grit and a polishing compound.
Click to expand...

jmtiseo said:
Second that. For oxidation you won't be needing anything more aggressive than 800. I went much lower (440) to remove a scratch on mine, and I may never do that again. It's a lot of work to get them out at that point though.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=74933

The kits you buy are :q:q:q:q. You attach them to the drill, they clog up and mar the lens. The 3M brand one lasted me a set of headlights the first go round. I then went and bought wet sandpaper from 400-3000 grit, and a polishing wheel and compound. I can probably do 15 pairs of lights or so with what I have now.
Click to expand...

Nice yeah, I think Ill be going that route then. Did you use the mixture myfirstlincoln talked about to seal the lights or did you just sand/polish them? Mine arent really that bad but I want to make them perfect. I need to do my fog light lenses also.
 
Threads so nice you post it twice haha. You'll be blown away by the results. I'd wait until they get unbearable. It's a lot sanding to remove the whole layer of factory sealant. That's a popular method that doesn't break the bank. Ziebart quoted $80 minimum. That's if the damage was light.

I used the sealant concoction described in the thread. It takes a few tries to get it to lay on the lens right without missing a spot, runners, etc.

Also, looked into deoxidizers as I read that it's not advisable to remove all the factory sealant.
 
Washed with Zymol car wash, waxed with Mothers California Gold;

IMG_20120804_185710.jpg
 
I figured I had to post since you guys linked my thread which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

I actually redid my lights again - mainly because I was bored and looking for something to do to the LS...I had the bumper off anyway (put on an LSE) so I figured I would spruce up the front end.

The lights were obviously in decent shape since it wasn't too long ago that I refinished them but I used the same instructions (for the most part) as I did in my original write up. I've found that the minwax/mineral spirits works well and really brings out shine but like jmtiseo said, it can be tricky to apply. Since I'm a headlight restoring veteran at this point, it didn't take me nearly as long. The polishing stages are really where it gets time consuming but are super important to get out all the little scratches and any haze. Now that the LSE bumper is on, I plan to do a full detail in the upcoming couple weeks. I recently got a heavy duty buffer/polisher and some quality cleaning/waxing products so I'll probably have some pics at some point.

Oh - and for scuffs on interior plastic, I find that simple green and spray nine work pretty well. Be careful though. They are both pretty powerful and can make the color of the plastic appear a little "off" when compared to other pieces.
 
myfirstlincoln said:
I figured I had to post since you guys linked my thread which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

I actually redid my lights again - mainly because I was bored and looking for something to do to the LS...I had the bumper off anyway (put on an LSE) so I figured I would spruce up the front end.

The lights were obviously in decent shape since it wasn't too long ago that I refinished them but I used the same instructions (for the most part) as I did in my original write up. I've found that the minwax/mineral spirits works well and really brings out shine but like jmtiseo said, it can be tricky to apply. Since I'm a headlight restoring veteran at this point, it didn't take me nearly as long. The polishing stages are really where it gets time consuming but are super important to get out all the little scratches and any haze. Now that the LSE bumper is on, I plan to do a full detail in the upcoming couple weeks. I recently got a heavy duty buffer/polisher and some quality cleaning/waxing products so I'll probably have some pics at some point.

Oh - and for scuffs on interior plastic, I find that simple green and spray nine work pretty well. Be careful though. They are both pretty powerful and can make the color of the plastic appear a little "off" when compared to other pieces.
Click to expand...

Yeah I definitely plan on doing your style of restoration soon. As you can see from the pics I took my lights arent too bad, but with a little love they could look immaculate. Seems worth it to me.
 
You guys have any tricks for cleaning your wheel wells? Living on a dirt road they get dirty as hell. I figure there has to be something better than just reaching in there with a a microfiber and soap...
 
Brush dude, get one. Spray the wells with some APC (I use Optimum PowerClean), let it sit for a little, grab your brush and do your thang. Rinse, and optionally apply some appropriate dressing. It's not rocket science.

My LS isn't lowered and I can barely get my brush in though. In your case, you might have to jack up each corner at a time lol, or skip the brushing altogether and use an APC + pressure washer, but careful around brakes and sensors.

Disclaimer: I will not be responsible for any personal injuries, damages to your vehicle, or similar, caused by cleaning your wheel wells as per my suggestions.
 
M4rk said:
Brush dude, get one. Spray the wells with some APC (I use Optimum PowerClean), let it sit for a little, grab your brush and do your thang. Rinse, and optionally apply some appropriate dressing. It's not rocket science.

My LS isn't lowered and I can barely get my brush in though. In your case, you might have to jack up each corner at a time lol, or skip the brushing altogether and use an APC + pressure washer, but careful around brakes and sensors.

Disclaimer: I will not be responsible for any personal injuries, damages to your vehicle, or similar, caused by cleaning your wheel wells as per my suggestions.
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Yeah, I really dont have much room in there. I'll try getting some chemicals to break it up, because just using a pressure washer definitely doesnt do the trick. What do you suggest for dressing? I know some people just use their tire shine and its supposed to make it a little easier to keep it clean. Oh the pains of having a lowered car...
 
Adam's have an undercarriage dressing. I would consider picking up a little pest pump sprayer, diluting with water as per instructions, and spraying it on. Mothers have some FX Tire Shine in a spray bottle, which is water-based, and very good. I use Optimum Opti-Bond (gel) for my tires, which can be diluted and sprayed on. Anything water based should do the trick. On the other hand, I would avoid silicone-based products as they tend to gunk up and get greasy.
 
hey does anyone have any recommendations on carpet cleaner? Seems all the same but i thought i'd ask.
 
Now that the weather is slowly starting to warm up, it is time to wash away the grime left behind from this winter. I started with the engine compartment today and also cleaned the bottom of the hood. I also put the strut covers on. Here is the before and after pics. Also a pic of the hood and strut covers that I painted black to better match the car.

LS Engine dirty.jpg


LS Engine clean.jpg


LS Underhood.jpg


Strut cover.jpg
 
Finally put those strut towers to use :D

Looks great, what products did you use on your engine bay?
 
I just used some ONR on the inner fenders and the bottom of the hood. I also used a little armor all on the plastic parts. I will usually put a coat of wax on the inner fenders and hood bottom. I will put more effort into it when the weather is warm. Once I find a new engine cover, I will put that back on. Next, I need to clean out the interior. The carpet is a mess. I think I will have it cleaned by professionals and buy some new OEM mats for the summer months.
 
Just wanted to share the products I use and recommend.

Gilmour foam gun. Cheapest on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XTH1GY/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Maxi Suds II-I'm a fan of Chemical Guys stuff. Probably my favorite soap. Doesn't break the bank and works good in the Gilmour.
http://www.chemicalguys.com/Chemical_Guys_CWS_101_Maxi_Suds_II_Super_Suds_Car_p/cws_101.htm

Ammo Hydrate-Used when drying reduces swirl marks. Ammo stuff is top notch.
http://www.ammonyc.com/shop/ammo-hydrate/

M-seal- Only sealant I've used. Probably won't be trying anything else. All reviews say is just as good as everything else. It's cheaper, but requires 2 coats.
http://www.chemicalguys.com/Chemical_Guys_WAC_113_16_M_Seal_p/wac_113_16.htm

Spit Shine-Amazing spray wax, but $$$.
http://www.ammonyc.com/shop/ammo-spit/
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1374545739.712836.jpg just got done post products I been using every time in a little got to clean up

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1374545739.712836.jpg
 
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