Please HELP! - tons of general detailing questions

[dmcgibbo]

I have a Jeep and have tons of underbody parts (rear receiver hitch, skid plate, springs, wheel wells, etc.) and most are black and/or powdercoat painted black.



how do I clean them and how do I protect them from rusting and getting dirty? I am putting a black tow hitch in and don`t want it to rust - is there something I can put on it?



Also, my tailpipe is all rusty looking so what`s the best way to clean it and then protect that (and what about the chrome tip)?



And what`s the best tire cleaner/protectant and wheel cleaner/protectant to use on my alloy wheels and black tires?



Finally, is it ok to take cars to a brush carwash place or should I only handwash? And which wax should I use?



Basically, I`ve read tons of the posts on this board but just don`t understand what is the best to do/use - I own a `98 Jeep and am not nazi about my car but want to keep it looking good, not rusting, and protected - what do you suggest (I bought lexol vinylex for the black exterior parts but will that protect them from fading, i will take it to a regular carwash place or handwash it w/ water and duragloss or some other random soap, i dont know which wax to use or if the quick detail waxes are suitable, and i don`t know what to use on my tires or wheels or what to use on the underbody and hitch to seal/keep it from rusting)



I`d really appreciate any advice!

Thanks!

[Preachers Sheets]

If they are poweder coated black and not that dirty I would just wash them with a seperate towel as you would wash your car. You could spray some Simple Green if the metal is gunked with grease.



The paint/powder coat should prevent any rusting.



I use Mother metal polish on my metal cat back and the chrome tips.



I use the Turtle Wax Formula 2001 tire/rim cleaner on my car. It`s inexpensive, mild and can be purchased locally.



Those brush car washes are nothing but trouble. First off, they filter the water they use to clean you car and there is no way they can filter it to be 100% free of particles plus the fact that there are coarse brushes rubbing all over your clear coat just keeps me a mile away from spray bays now. Worst of all, they charge money for those spray bays, if I want to mess up my clear coat I think I can manage it without spending any money.



I like Blitz and Meguiars High Tech Yellow Wax.

[dmcgibbo]

yeah but the paint on ur car is supposed to protect the metal yet we wax that area. is there anything to add to the underbody (like the hitch) to keep it cleaner or keep it from rusting? i thought about spraying PAM lol but it`d just come off right away. there is lexol vinylex for the black plastic pieces but nothing for the unwaxed/painted metal.



thanks for all your other advice on washing! i hate washing my car b/c the water at my house sucks (its really hard water or soft or i don`t know but it sucks) and after i dry my car it looks worse b/c i can never find good towels and stuff to use and then i find so many more imperfections in the paint it pisses me off.



i just hate it when my tow hooks (like on my last car) rusted and the hitch receiver started to rust and all the black plastic - door handles, roof rack, etc. all faded and looked bad so i want to somehow protect those

[acl99]

after you polish your hitch you can prob use a sealant or a heavy duty wax the objective is to keep oxygen and water away from the metal to keep it from rusting / breaking down. your trim faded due to UV exposure 303 i think has a uv protectant in it which will prevent future fading

[Accumulator]

dmcgibbo- Welcome to Autopia. Some parts are, sorry to say, probably gonna get some mild rust. Where ever you get metal-to-metal contact (like tow hooks, etc.) you`re gonna get a little surface rust.



Sealing your powdercoated stuff with something like Klasse or, better yet IMO, BFII should keep it looking nice.



For undercarriage stuff that doesn`t really show, you can use a clear, spray-on (aerosol) rustproofer like Wurth`s Body Protection. It can be tough to find; I get Wurth stuff through my mechanic.

[LouisanaJeeper]

Another JU member on this board?

As said above you can probably put some wax on the underbody parts, but I just hit them up with black rustoleum when I see rust start to form or when they get scratched badly

[dmcgibbo]

LOL OMG i can`t escape from JU - anywhere I go whether around town, online, Bulletin Boards, etc. there is always a Jeeper. Man we should form a secret society of jeepers or something - you know get a police connection for if you get in trouble, etc.



i should do different handles but i am just too lazy to remember different usernames and stuff. remembering passwords and my family`s phone numbers or even my own phone number is hard enough.



i joined autopia b/c i`m in the obsessive stage w/ my new jeep. i`ve owned a 96 ZJ and beat the hell out of it but this new 5.9L has me all worked up b/c i see little chips every time i look at it and my 96ZJ rusted in the rear hitch area pretty bad. plus i don`t have a garage to put it in but don`t want to go the car cover route so pretty much i`m sol for sun damage and rust and stuff i guess.

[Jesstzn]

The rest has been covered I`ll just comment on the tires. Nothing worse to me than someone laying dressing/protectant on "just" washed tires or someone using the No Touch type foams. All you get in the end is nice shine on an off black tire.



First step you want to do ( before you wash the rig ) is use Whesleys Bleech Wite on the tires. Spray it on and watch the crud run off. Be careful if you have non-cleared alloys, try not to leave it sit on them. Then lightly spray the tire with water and use a stiff brush on it. Then rinse. You will now have a black rubber base for your dressing. The dressing may have 2 purposes .. Looks and protecting. And if you come down to it... its the looks most are interested in. You can get 2 looks .. gloss or matt and you can use a thousand things to do it. You can get both with good ole cheap Armorall. ( ok everyone chime in here and flame on Armorall.. I know your going to ) . Key to a good finish on your tires is the application. I use the kitchen scrub sponges, the ones with yellow foam on one side and the green abrasive backing. They are 12 for $1 at the discount stores which makes them disposable. You can buy the curved ones for $1 each but they work no better. Squirt the Armorall on the foam not the tire and wipe the tire down paying attention not to leave excess in the tread edges. Doing it this way eliminates dressing over spray on the body and dressing fling off. To get a gloss apply 2 coats. To get a matt apply one coat and before it really dries wipe it down with an old towel. The Wesleys proceedure isn`t required every wash , just when you see the tire loosing its blackness.

[LouisanaJeeper]

I`ve seen poeple spray down their entire rocker panels (painted or plastic) with Bleech white to clean them off "good". haha

[Jesstzn]

Originally posted by NozeBleedSpeed

[B]Sorry, I just couldnt let it go.(I tried) Like Jesstzn said,you need to clean tires before dressing them. Washing tires with soap and water doesnt get them clean. However,I disagree with him on tire cleaning.I wouldnt use Wesleys Bleche-White on tires. It will cause tires to brown.(Ive seen this first hand)

I have used it for 20 years ... never browned a tire yet.. Maybe your not washing it off or letting it dry on the car ..

[dmcgibbo]

why do u say soap and water doesn`t clean the tires? you know a lot more about detailing its just that on my BFG A/t`s i would wash them like normal and then put dressing on them and after several years they never browned, never dirtied, and still look brand new.



you can see pics of them after a wash at www.unc.edu/~dmcgibbo/Jeep/Jeep.htm