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Squiggle Dog · #**299** 01-06-2013, 10:58 PM

My 300SD has been running and driving great, for which I am very thankful (on B99 biodiesel since I've been down here--it's cheaper than diesel and the engine runs smoother). I decided it was time to clean it.

The paint is damaged, so I didn't do much more to it other than scrape off a bunch of loose clearcoat, hose it off, and tried to wipe off as much of the water spots as I could before it dried (we have very hard water here). After that, I wiped 303 Aerospace Protectant on the rubber surfaces to protect them from the sun (SPF 40 rating, blocks 100% of ultraviolet rays when used regularly), and it made them look like new. Sadly, the gaskets on the NOS turn signal and taillights are already cracking. I applied Howard's Feed & Wax to the wood slats on the rack.

I also attached the ends of the bumper overriders. The car was in a collision at some point, which bent the front crossmember, the right fender was repaired, and the overrider brackets were tweaked. I've had some difficulty getting the centerlines of the bumper and grille to match. The ends of the overriders wouldn't reach the fender until I attempted to straighten the brackets. At least they bolt up now, even though they are not perfect.

I applied for my 500,000km mileage badge since I just rolled over 315,000 miles. I look forward to installing it next to my 250,000km badge. I've got a Saudi Arabia badge that will be going on too, since that is where I grew up.

The interior was in dire need of cleaning. The seats were grimey and the carpets were dirty and oil-stained. I found that I had a spare upper front seat skin, so I replaced the one on the driver side that had a large hole in it. I installed the set of brown seat net panels to add to the two-tone effect.

I scrubbed the seats with a stiff-bristled brush and Simple Green. It took out the grease and grime and even removed most of the sunburn. I applied 303 Aerospace Protectant to the seats and other vinyl surfaces. I plan to have the windows tinted to help further protect the interior from the Phoenix sun.

I vacuumed the carpets then sprayed the dark spots with Simple Green and soaked the rest in water. Then I used a stiff-bristled brush to scrub out the stains and sucked up the water with a carpet extractor. When the carpets dried they were clean and the color was darker than before. Removing dust and expended particles of carpet made a big difference.

I applied Howard's Feed & Wax to the wood. The wood on the instrument cluster has already started to warp and crack, as has the dashboard wood. The wood on the center console appeared to be drying out, so hopefully this product will help save it all.