View Single Post
  #6  
Old 07-27-2011, 04:47 AM
Stretch's Avatar
Stretch Stretch is offline
...like a shield of steel
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere in the Netherlands
Posts: 14,461
Quote:
Originally Posted by dieseldan44 View Post
Fair enough - I need to take more.


How do I make the aluminum look good again? The oil canister and valve cover etc. How do I detail this beast?
This has been a real pain in the arse for me too.

I've tried vinegar and other house hold cleaners and they are a waste of time. I've tried commercial products like this one

http://www.frost.co.uk/car-care-tools/frost-ali-clean-1-litre.html

Waste of time.

The best thing I've found so far is to degrease with whatever degreaser you can get your hands on (I've been using these products http://www.valvoline.com/products/consumer-products/engine-parts-cleaners/engine-degreasers/) and then use a semi expensive wheel cleaner.

The problem that you'll have (just like me) is that the staining is heavily ingrained into the surface - it ends up being a balance between as clean as you can get it and not so clean that the surface starts to corrode (go all powdery).
__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!
Reply With Quote