the 'little tricks you've learned' thread

SL500 said:
With a houseful of kids there are always baby wipes around. Tonight I used them to wipe down my wheels with a couple of days of brake dust accumulated. Baby wipes are just tough pre-moistened paper towels. Give them a try - if they are soft enough for baby's bottom then they are good for my other baby as well.
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ah! good one! Thanks
 
TortoiseAWD said:
I use a couple of kitchen pump sprayers for Z6 and homemade glass cleaner (see picture). The mist is very fine, and the small size of the sprayer makes it easy to slip into a pocket if you should happen to need both hands for a moment. Click the picture to see the Pampered Chef version . . . you can find them in kitchen stores, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. for less than $10.



click pic





Tort
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You have very pretty fingernails
 
I remember another one... turning the front wheels all the way in one direction gives you much more space to clean wheelwells. I usually can reach the control arms and springs without removing the wheel.



:up
 
BW said:
I remember another one... turning the front wheels all the way in one direction gives you much more space to clean wheelwells. I usually can reach the control arms and springs without removing the wheel.



:up
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Very true, comes in handy to have someone sitting in the car to do that for you :)
 
When dressing window seal or other plastic trim, its difficult to do it fast without rubbing it onto the paint or glass.



When applying dressing, I hold a sheet of card in the edge where glass meets the rubber seal, or paint meets the trim. I slide it along as I move the applicator along the surface. This way any stray dressing goes onto the card rather than the glass.



Its a fast and easy alternative to putting masking tape on. Since you do not need to be as careful along the edges, it speeds up the application. Saves tidy-up time afterwards also.



I use the same idea, with a different larger piece of card slid under the tire when applying dressing down there.



Just my bit!



B.
 
When applying protectants to exterior trims, I use one of those little foam paint brushes you can get at Walmart or Lowe's, etc.



You have much more control of the product, and don't get it all over the paint.



I go back over the trim with a MF to remove the excess product and buff to a nice finish! Plus, use a MF to quickly wipe off any protectants that did get on the paint.
 
I originally got into Plexus because my Boxster has a rear plastic window. Works fine on that. But it is an amazing product for any glossy plastic:



1) Absolutely phenomenal results on the delicate clear instrument panel cover. You won't believe the difference--even if you think yours is already clear!



2) Plastic headlights and tail lights, markers.



3) Scratched CD's and DVD's. Not car related, but get this--you can actually watch through an unplayable scene of a movie you get at the video rental store 90% of the time!



-Charlie
 
When working on the car, always have one or two MF towels in your hand or pocket. That way when you want to lean on the car, you can lean on the towel. Stops the messy finger/hand/arm marks. And they make a handy cushion for putting bottles products down on the car without scratching.
 
I like adding a little garter string on the handles of all my brushes... when working on engine compartments, this saves me a lot of trouble from picking the brush up when it falls...



I also place a large towel underneath the engine compartment to catch any screws/bolts that may fall off when I work on the engine... it's a pain looking for 1 bolt/screw when it bounces off hard cement.



Before washing a car that has been driven, I always open the hood and trunk to cool the engine compartment and preventing direct sun exposure...



Ditto after washing/before drying. I open the hood and trunk to let the water drip off while I'm drying the roof/glass.
 
After waxing and polishing use halogen lights to view the finish from different angles before taking the car out in sunlight for a drive. This is especially true for dark colors.
 
Credit vwlarry from vwVortex for this one: Tack cloth for glass -- to set a clear, slick, streak-free finish on window glass, give them a quick buff with the same cloth that you used to buff wax from your paint.



Also from vwVortex (unfortunately I can't remember who posted it): You can release a lot of the trapped water from window seals and gaskets by inserting a toothpick between seal and paint at the lowest or likeliest drain point.



Now a strange but true. One of the products used in firearm cleaning and maintenance is called Ballistol; gunshops will stock it with the cleaning supplies if they have it. My SO, John, collects wwII militaria and for wood and metal swears by this stuff. All I can say is, it smells horrible but it's truly a remarkable product. Last fall I had restorative detailing work to do on a 72 mercedes benz 280 sel 4.5 that hadn't seen a kind hand in forever. The wood veneer on the dash was thick with a dirty sludge and even though I cleaned it with a solution of murphy's and water it still had a dull appearance and a filmy, sticky surface texture. John thought Ballistol might help. So I applied a thick layer of the Ballistol and let it sit overnight. The next morning I wiped it down and the difference was amazing. The Ballistol brought a great deal of embedded dirt to the surface and it conditioned the wood beautifully. After buffing, the wood just glowed. It was not greasy at all. It was gorgeous. While I was working with the Ballistol on the wood veneer pieces of the console I rubbed it into the surrounding vinyl trim pieces, and it cleaned and restored a nice even color to them that was permanent. This I thought was truly a godsend because neither 303 nor vinylex had the whatis, the penetration or staying power or whatever, that the interior trim of this car seemed to need. I rarely have the opportunity to do work on cars of this age so I don't expect to be borrowing John's Ballistol very often, but I'm really thankful to have it here for when I do.
 
My contribution to this thread:



After applying tire dressing, let the vehicle roll a few feet so you can apply dressing to the spot that was facing the ground. Otherwise you will have a very noticeable 'dry' spot on your tires that can be seen going down the road.
 
This one sound a little corny, but it's very true..Take your time & do it right the first time. Why is there never enough time to do it right the first time, but ALWAYS enough time to do it right the second time? Do it right or don't do it at all.
 
Spray your QD in the air above the panel you are working on, It settles on the finish in a finer mist. Can't always have the good Meguiar's sprayer at hand.



Charles
 
I 'm surprised no one else does this. I have a dedicated leaf blower to blow dry the car. It blows off most of the water, but best of all, I can blast off all the water that can't be seen, like in the crevices of the window sills, the grill, body seams, mirror cavities, around the hood and trunk. You know, the water that shows up as soon as you move the dang car and leaves spots all over when it dries.



Of course, you got to be careful with an electric one. I usually move the car to a dry spot before doing this. Of course, your neighbors don't get to excited about this at 6:00 in the morning... so be reasonable. P.S. wear a ear muff, so you don't go deaf.



:xyxthumbs
 
Jon S said:
I 'm surprised no one else does this. I have a dedicated leaf blower to blow dry the car. It blows off most of the water, but best of all, I can blast off all the water that can't be seen, like in the crevices of the window sills, the grill, body seams, mirror cavities, around the hood and trunk. You know, the water that shows up as soon as you move the dang car and leaves spots all over when it dries.



Of course, you got to be careful with an electric one. I usually move the car to a dry spot before doing this. Of course, your neighbors don't get to excited about this at 6:00 in the morning... so be reasonable. P.S. wear a ear muff, so you don't go deaf.



:xyxthumbs
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Guess My Name thought us long time ago.

It's a good one though,

some use a hair-dryer(I sometimes do)

some use those cans with compressed air(build for computers)



:wavey
 
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