Detailing the underbody of a car

M

manmanSS

New member
Hey guys,



I saw some pics on the click and brag section and I want to clean the bottom side of my miata like that.



Any tips for doing it? What to use?



Would simple green be a good idea, just like detailing the engine bay, but would it remove any anti rust material that came from the factory.



this is for an 02 miata.
 
I usually use eagle one tire and rim cleaner or simple green. Put it on the inside of the fender wells and any other part of undercarraige, try not to get on the paint, let it sit for a few minutes and then hose off. I have been using this method for years, and I have never ran into any problems with the undercoating coming off. Depending on how particular you are, you can then go with a silicone base protectant for the shine. I tend to use formula 2001, or armor all. I spray on let it sit for a few, then wipe off fender wells. Comes out sweet on my acura.
 
The only time I had to resort to Simple Green was the never-before-cleaned undercarriage of a 30 year old Jag. I generally use EF HI, diluted. Use what you have to to get it clean, but something like undiluted Simple Green may very well remove factory applied undercoatings.



If you just clean it at every wash you can keep it looking pretty decent without applying any product. But something like Griot's Undercarriage Spray will shine it up quite a bit. It's a high-silicone product like jerseyguy was talking about.



Something the size of a Miata oughta be small/easy enough to really do *right*. I recently picked up a low-mileage RX-7 that is somewhat similar in the general sense...I might end up using regular paint prep products and something like Collinite 845 on it, but we'll see once I get under there and really evaluate things. So get under the Miata and see what's realistic ;)
 
wouldnt using wheel cleaner get pretty expensive while doing the underbody



accumulator what do you mean exactly by doing it right?
 
Wheel cleaner can be expensive. But I don't like having too many bottles in my house or car. (no garage) space is minimal. For me it's like two steps done in one shot.
 
Accumulator said:
Use what you have to to get it clean, but something like undiluted Simple Green may very well remove factory applied undercoatings.
Click to expand...



That wouldn't suprise me at all, it works very well at dissolving the waxy residue from overheated PCB-filled fluorescent light ballasts, which was pretty impressive.
 
I use a diluted APC on the undercarriage. Whenever I feel like being adventurous Ill get the car up on ramps and rinse everything down with a hose. Ill then use a 3:1 APC on anything that didn't come off. Works great.
 
I go to the local garage to use their hydraulic lift every month. I spray the undersides with hot water first and after applying a tar remover spray, after I rinse that, I apply a mixture of shampoo and warm water with a partially stiff brush and a sponge and rinse.



After that I use the cheapest protectant I dare to use. (Usually Armor All Protectant or alike)



Simoniz has an ultra thick protectant gel and it is great to repel mud, salt and similar. It shines just fine too. But it is rather hard to smear that stuff with a sponge unless you remove the wheels so I usually prefer the Armor All protectant which comes in a spray bottle.



Also I have a couple of cans of touch up paint (various colors according to the gear down below there) and spray underbody "gunk" to treat exposed bare metal, as well as a tin of aluminium paint to go thru the exhaust system every 6 months...
 
manmanSS said:
accumulator what do you mean exactly by doing [the undercarriage] right?
Click to expand...



Treating it like the rest of the painted parts of the car. Really polishing it, using a glaze and a wax/sealant. Basically *detailing* it the way you would for a concours where the underneath will be inspected/judged using mirrors/etc.



The paint down there usually isn't as nice as on the rest of the car (b/c cars aren't cleared, for instance) but you can still get it *awfully* nice if you're starting with something that's still in good condition.



I'd guess the favorite APC these days is Meguiar's. I usually use EF High Intensity myself, or my old P21s TAW.



I'm starting to think that my washing the undercarriage at *every* wash is unusual, even by Autopian standards. But it sure makes it easy to keep it really clean and it only takes a few minutes. It's not like you have to do a perfect job every time, just getting the worst of the dirt off makes a huge difference. Makes it easy to tell if something's leaking/amiss down there and makes a great impression on the mechanics too. They're pretty careful on a car with a clean undercarriage because they know you'll notice anything that's sloppy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top