taws6

iTrader: (2)

Hey,

Summers finally on the way, and I need to do a proper clean now the weather is getting better.

I have always cleaned the TA, but there are a few places that are hard to get at, and have gathered green, dust & dirt, and are a PITA to get at.

Well, I've been using cotton buds for the grove around the back window, and an old electric toothbrush along the bumpstrips and around the Trans Am letters on the doors !! lol

What other 'tools' have you all used to get at those difficult to reach bits, and any advise for getting at all the bits in and under the windscreen cowl mesh at the bottom of the front screen?

Need to do a full wipedown under the hood too, any tips?

Cheers for the advise,

Paul

Z28LS1camaroguy

iTrader: (3)

some things you can remove and clean, makes it a lot easier than going in with small tools.

GT_EATR

iTrader: (1)

Far as the engine bay goes i normally soak it with Simple Green and wipe what i can with a rag, spray it off with water hose..then i use WD-40 to wipe down all the parts that i can reach.Your prob wondering why I use WD-40. Well WD-40 believe it or not wont hold dirt and grime as easily..It helps the surface of whatever you clean stay smooth and it gives it a great shine..

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

Get a cheap, straight-handled toilet brush for cleaning in the engine bay. That along with some Simple Green and 409 cleaners can get into even the hard to reach areas under the hood. A toothbrush works great for the even smaller areas.

taws6

iTrader: (2)

Opps, double post

taws6

iTrader: (2)

Cheers for the tips, anyone got any other 'tools' they use that aren't the normal thing?

1 spot I am having difficulty getting at, is the inside of the rear spoiler where it meets the trunk.

Don't really want to remove the spoiler unless I have to, already done that a year ago, and it looks messy already...

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

I use a toothbrush for that. I showered my birds and brush all their teeth and nooks yesterday! Don't forget to remove the T-tops and clean in there...especially the corners of the weather stripping. Mine were NAAAASSSTY!

MasterTomos

iTrader: (15)

You clean the paint on your car with a tooth brush that sounds like an awful idea

The Mighty Texan

iTrader: (4)

^Haha my thoughts exactly! Must have been a mix up or something..

- 024mula -

I use q-tips to clean around the lugnuts on my rims.

VinR1

iTrader: (17)

the Mini California Duster is great for the area where the dash meets the windshield

O'Reilly's has a small $3 brush that has the same kind of material as the california dusters but is shaped like a big cone - works well for under the spoiler, inside foglight recess, etc

I use a shaving cream brush to get inside the AC ducts, around the steering wheel/gauges, and radio/console areas

under the hood - I've got an old 4in paintbrush thats very well used so the bristles are nice and soft - my engine is very clean to begin with but the brush works well for the weekly dusting

exhaust tips - go to WalMart or Target and get a baby bottle brush - most of 'em have semi stiff nylon bristles that fit perfectly into a ~3in tip. I have a Borla system and some of the baby bottle brushes have a smaller tip for the bottle nipples - it fits perfectly in the 'intercooled' area of the Borla tips

wanna clean the underside of your car without getting dirty? Go to LoweDepot and get one of those sprinklers that looks like a yellow hockey puck and a 'Miracle Grow' fertilizer despenser - its a 1ltr bottle that screws into an adapter that has a male and female hose ends on it. I run a 50ft hose from my house to the Miracle Grow thingy, then a 15ft hose to the hockey puck sprinkler. In the Miracle Grow thing, you can fill it with soap, wax, whatever and adjust the concentration. I'll put soap and with the short hose, I'll push the puck back and forth under my car like I'm vacuuming the driveway. Switch, rinse, etc until the underside is clean

MasterTomos

iTrader: (15)

I personally never dry my car off with anything anymore. Even the most gentle and soft microfiber or shammy will leave scratches and/or residue on the car. (Don't even get me started on California car dusters )

I use pressurized air to dry my car, it's good for all the nooks and crannies and doesn't scratch a thing...

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

It's an OOOOLLLDD Soft bristle brush. I only use it in those little areas that my microfiber washmit can't get. Like in the rain channels where the body glue's edges are, around the hinges for the doors, the corners of the T-top weather stripping, door sill plates, the corners of the windows and the channel at the bottom of the back window. Used carefully, a old soft bristled brush works great. A stiff one works awesome under the hood too by the way.

taws6

iTrader: (2)

Nice ideas there!

So I'm trying to remove the front cowl at the botton of the windscreen.

I removed the clips, and the bolts holding the wipers on, but the arms just don't want to come off...

Have they just corroded to the point they're stuck on, or is there another way of removing the wipers???

Cheers for the advise

VinR1

iTrader: (17)

Lift the wiper straight up. Grab the arm firmly and yank/push like you're jerking it off. 2-3 times should be enough to break it loose

taws6

iTrader: (2)

Thanks VinR1, I tried that numerous times, even had the ball joint breaker tool on it, but was very carefull, as I wasn't sure if that's how it was suposed to come off or not.

I'll be a bit more forcefull next time.

Cheers

Paul

99'CajunFirehawk157

iTrader: (57)

Anxious to hear out how this tuns out, heard sometimes you have to use a lil puller...?

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

Use a small hammer, like a claw hammer, and while pulling up on the wiper arms, tap the bolt with the hammer. It'll come off real easy then! Use a scribe or whiteout to mark the position of the arm to the bolt before you remove it so it's that much easier to line back up later.

taws6

iTrader: (2)

The hammer trick might just work too.... I won't be able to try this though untill next weekend, as it's dark by the time I get home!