Concour and Detailing Notes

From: CarcareSp@aol.com

WASHING YOUR CAR:

What is the best product to use as a car wash? The correct answer is use what you like best. There are some drawbacks to certain products and advantages to others. Dish detergent (Ivory Liquid, etc) may be used, but rea
lize that this product is designed to remove animal or vegetable fat / grease from fired ceramic dishes. It looks at your Porsche's nice coat of wax with the same hungry eyes. If you enjoy washing and rewaxing weekly, then this is for you. Wax retailers love people who use dish detergent (they send the Ivory Company Christmas cards every year)

If you prefer to have your wax last a little longer, you may consider using a product that is specifically designed for automotive use. The quality products are based upon detergents instead of soaps. Soaps are manufactured from rendered animal byproducts (the stuff the dog food people reject). They contain trace elements that can actually damage your paint. These trace elements are the same goodies that leave a ring in your bath tub. (Ring around the Porsche)

Quality car wash/shampoos (same thing - most cars don't have hair) are usually
pH controlled, contain gloss enhancers and some even have a small amount of water soluable wax for good measure. Use only enough car wash to break the electrostatic/ionic bond between dirt and your Porsche. Start with a clean large bucket (preferably plastic - if you kick the metal bucket, Mr. paint chip rears his ugly head), add a small amount of the car wash and fill the bucket with cool water. Avoid hot water as it will soften the wax. Read the directions on the car wash bottle and try reducing the recommended amount by half. I use less than a half a cap full in 5 gallons. The more car wash, the more wax you remove. Try to avoid powder car washes, as the undissolved granules can get on your sponge or towel and scratch the paint surface.

Make sure that your Porsche is in the shade and the paint surface is relatively cool. Rule of thumb # 1: If you can comfortably hold you hand on the hood, you can wash/wax the car.

Spray the car with a gentle spray to thoroughly wet the surface. Don't use a 200 P.S.I. fire hydrant spray, it isn't needed and may grind the surface grime into the paint and cause scratches. Some of the concour purists will not use a nozzle on the hose at all. Start at the top of the car and work down. Rewet the top, gently wash the top and then rinse. Move onto another section, such as trunk or hood. Rewet this area, wash and rinse. Continue on down the car, completing a section at a time. This way, the car wash does not dry on the paint.

You may use a wash mitt, towel, or sponge to wash the car. I prefer a wash mitt as the grit tends to work up into the long fibers and not scratch the paint, When I redip the mitt into the wash bucket, I give it a swirl to release the grit. The flat surface of a sponge can sometimes catch dirt and act like a sandpaper. The purist will use two wash mitts. One for the top half of the car (the cleanest) and one for below the trim line and wheels/wheel wells.

Your Porsche should be dried as soon as possible. There are several methods to accomplish this. Lots of towels are a great drying medium. They should be 100% cotton (some of the blends contain polymer fibers that scratch). Start at the top, lay the towel on the top and then **gently** drag the towel across the surface of the paint to pull the water from the surface. Change to a dry towel and blot any remaining water. Move to the hood or trunk and repeat. Dry the sides last as the water will usually take care of itself on these surfaces. Another method is to use a chamois. There are two types, natural and synthetic. The natural leather chamois contain acids, primarily tannic, that strips wax. Most synthetic chamois don't seem to do a satisfactory job. One exception is the P21S Super Absorbing Drying Towel. I have stopped using towels after trying this goodie. I used to be a "dyed in the wool" towel man.
Driving the car to dry it may be fun, but you are redepositing dirt on the wet surface and allowing the resulting "mud" to dry on the paint.

CLEANING WHEELS

"The wheels show whitish dicoloration....and small streaks on the wheel".

This problem is not unusual and may be the result of several factors. The most common cause is your friendly local car wash. Many automated car washes use an acid to clean the wheels and tires. This acid cleaner will rapidly remove dirt, but may also attack the clear coat on Porsche wheels. The result is a cloudy, whitish or dull appearance.

Many times, this may be cleared up by using a paint glaze such as 3M Hand Glaze or Meguiar #09 or One Grand Omega Glaze to clean the affected paint. The OEM finish on many Porsche wheels is simply a silver paint with a clear top coat. This combination is not too different from the paint on the body.

Clean the wheel throughly with a quality wheel cleaner and dry completely. Apply your choice of glaze to a soft cloth and rub out the clouding. If this does not do the trick, put a generous amount of 3M on your cloth and add a small amount (about the size of your pinkie nail) of Blue Magic Metal Polish. Rub out the clouding with this combination. The Blue Magic /3M combination will usually get the job done. If it has, follow up with a coat of quality wax. I use Sonax Spray Hard Wax on the wheels. It doesn't chalk and requires only light buffing.

Some painted/clear coated wheels will "yellow" under hard use applications. This is fairly common with track wheels that are subject to hard braking. The tremendous heat generated affects the clear coat and causes it to turn yellow. The 3M/Blue Magic trick will help to some degree, but not usually restore them to original appearance.

If the finish has not improved at this point, you may consider using a more abrassive cleaner such as Meguiar #02 Fine Cut Cleaner or Meguiar #01 Medium Cut Cleaner. Apply either one to a soft cloth and *GENTLY* rub into the wheel. Use carefully as you may put hairline scratches if you rub too hard. When the desired finish has been achieved, follow up with 3M Hand Glaze to "finish out" the surface and then wax.

A wheel that has resisted all of the above, may require repainting. If the existing paint is in good condition, other than discolored, slighly rough up the paint with a 1200 grit sandpaper. Wash thoroughly with a Prepsol type product to remove all grease. Spray the wheel with a quality primer such as Wurth Rustop Primer and several *LIGHT* coats of Wurth Gloss Silver Wheel Paint, allowing each coat to dry for two hours, prior to the next coat. Allow to dry for a few days, clean thoroughly and spray several *LIGHT* coats of Wurth Gloss Clear Wheel Paint. The Wurth products match the OEM finish. The Wurth Gloss Gold Wheel Paint matches the BBS gold finish.

If the surface of the wheel is pitted, or the paint has flaked off in patches, all paint should be removed prior to repainting, The easiest and in my opinion, the only way, is to have them blasted with a plastic media. Most blasting shops have the plastic media, but don't like to use it because it is relatively slow (time=$). Some people use glass bead. Other blasting media will dimple the wheels. Aluminum oxide leaves a distinct texture to the surface. Once all the old paint has been removed, clean the wheel with Prepsol, prime and then paint.

One of the keys to maintaining your wheels is a coat of wax. The wax acts as a sacrificial protectant. The damaging effects of red hot brake dust, brake dust acids, pollution and ozone are unleashed upon the wax and not your wheel.

PAINT CHIP REPAIR

Items you need:

Touchup or color matched paint
Compatable primer - I like Wurth Rustop Primer
Oganic cleaner -Wurth Citrus Degreaser or P21S Total Auto Wash
Solvent - Rubbing Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer
3M Imperial Hand Glaze
Meguiar Finesse Sanding Block 2000 grit
600 grit wet/dry sandpaper
Round undyed wooden toothpicks
Large lightweight cardboard boxes (large shoe box or bigger)
Several 100% cotton towels
Magnifying glass - this help we with older eyes
New Pencils with unused erasers
Rubber glue
Several heavy clean plastic cups
Roll of quality paint masking tape

Realize that paint chip repair is a learned skill and should be practiced on an area of the car that is not that visible. The hood and nose are two areas that should be tackled last. Test all cleaners or solvents on the paint prior to usage. I like to use the seam underneath the rocker panels. Apply a little cleaner or solvent to a cloth and rub the seam. If you do not get any color on the rag, then the cleaner/solvent should be safe for the paint. If you do get color on the rag, then you may wish to consider another solvent.

CHIP REPAIR STEPS:

Twentyfour hours before you want to start, use the rubber glue to attach small 600 grit sandpaper circles (the diameter of the eraser) onto several new pencils. The eraser must be unused and flat on top.
Step #1:Wash the car with a quality car wash and dry thoroughly.
Paint chips come in two flavors. The worst case has exposed the bare metal, while the less severe has left the original primer intact. Clean the area throughly with the Wurth or P21S citrus cleaner. If there is rust on the exposed metal, clean off with the pencil eraser. Use a toothpick to gently probe the area and make sure that the edges of the chip are secure and not waiting to fall off and destroy your work. Take a new pencil/sandpaper tool, dip into clean water and put a few drops of water on the chip area. *SLIGHTLY* rough up the chip and a small portion of the surounding paint. Lightly turning the pencil will rough up an area the diameter of the eraser and this should be more than enough. Keep the roughed up area as small as possible, the object is to give the new paint approximately 1 mm of old paint to "grab" around the perimeter of the chip and not dig scratches.
Move onto the next chip and repeat the above. Depending upon the amount of time available, you may wish to tackle 10-20 chips at one time. Try to stay within the area that may be covered by your box(es).
When finished sanding all your chips you are tackling at this time apply a small amount of Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer to a rag and wipe each chip and surrounding area to remove any sanding dust and grease/oils. Use additional solvent and new area of the rag for each chip. Allow to dry (these are highly volatile and will evaporate quickly with no residue).
If the original primer is intact, and "pencil sanding" does not disturb the primer, then skip the next step and go directly to painting (# 9)
Make sure that the chip and surrounding area is clean. If not, reclean with the Prepsol, Alcohol or Enamel Reducer. Pour or spray a small amount of primer into a clean plastic cup. Dip the point of a wooden toothpick into the primer to get a thin coating on the first 1-2 mm of the toothpick. If there is a blob on the end, gently scrape it back into the bottle. Place the tip of the toothpick against the center of the chip and allow capillary action to literally flow a *THIN* coat of the primer into the depression of the chip. Move onto the next prepared chip. If you have finished priming all your prepared chips before two hours are up, cover with a box, taped down with masking tape and go have a beer. The key is to allow the first coat of primer to dry at least two hours. Dispose of your cup and start with a fresh cup and toothpick. Apply another thin coat of primer to each repair that needs primer. Priming is completed when no metal is visible and the level of the primer is *BELOW* the level of the surrounding paint. This is important! Cover and allow to dry for two hours or until dry.
Take a new pencil sander and dip into water and add a few drops of water to the repair area and gently sand the area to rough up the chip and a small portion of the surounding paint. Lightly turning the pencil will rough up an area the diameter of the eraser and this should be more than enough. Apply a small amount of Alcohol or Prepsol or Enamel Reducer to a rag and wipe the chip and surrounding area to remove any sanding dust and grease/oils. Allow to dry. Repeat for all the chips that are on today's list of victims.
If you are using a touchup, shake the bottle thoroughly. If you are using color matched paint, mix thoroughly and pour a small amount into a clean plastic cup.
Dip the point of a new toothpick into the paint to get a thin coating on the first 1-2 mm of the toothpick. If there is a blob on the end, gently scrape it back into the bottle. Place the tip of the toothpick against the center of the chip and allow capillary action to literally flow the paint into the depression of the chip. Repeat for each chip. The key is not to use too much paint. Do not redip the toothpick. Use only the amount that will flow from one dip. Temptation to add more paint with each application will be almost overwhelming. Fight it!
Cover with your paint box and allow to dry 2 hours and repeat 8-12 times till the depression is filled with paint and bulges slightly upward and covers the roughed up area with a thin coating of paint. The first 2-3 coats may not completely hide the primer. This is fine because you have many more coats to go. Fight that urge!
The paint application is completed when the new paint bulges slightly upward (a fraction of a millimeter) and had covered the roughed up area with a thin coat of new paint. Allow the paint to dry for at least a week.
The touchup paint has been applied to the surface and allowed to dry for at least 1 week, and resembles a minute mound ( __o__ ) (this is exaggerated) on the flat plane of the existing paint. The object is to remove the mound and make the surface of the paint one continuous flat plane. The Finesse Block offers the ability to gently remove only the high spot of the repair. Unlike sandpaper or polish on a rag, the five usable sides of the block are flat and act like a "wood plane" to remove only the elevated areas of the repair. The 2000 grit will not leave scratches.
Soak the Finesse Block in clean water for 24 hours prior to use. Then gently "plane" the high spot on the paint. I prefer to "plane" in one direction (usually back to front - drawing the block towards me). If the block dries out, re-wet and continue use. When the new and existing paints are blended (smoothed to the flat plane) to your satisfaction, clean the area with a quality car wash and then use a quality glaze to restore the high gloss finish. I prefer 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. Don't use a machine on your Porsche, as they deserve to be caressed by hand. Use the machine on your Yugo.
When applying either a glaze or a wax, apply to your soft cotton cloth or applicator pad (don't squirt the stuff on the car) and work in one direction only. Don't go around in circles like dear of dad . Circles are many times the cause of "swirl marks." A front-to-back, back-to-front motion (the way the air flows over the car) will help minimize swirl marks or at least make them less visible. Buff out with a soft cotton cloth. If it looks good, wax with a quality hard wax and you are done.
Tip for applying wax. If you are using a quality carnuba based wax, try applying it with your fingers instead of a pad or cloth. Hold your fingers together and use your finger tips as an applicator pad. The tactile feedback from your fingers will tell you when the wax has been worked into the paint. If grit should lodge under your fingers, you will know immediately and not grind it into the paint. A pad will not allow this tactile feedback and these devil grits become sandpaper. A circular motion of the pad will make a 360 degree swirl mark. All marks on paint are most visible at a 90 degree viewing angle. Thus the front to back marks are most visible from the sides, whereas a circle stands out from any viewing angle.

The question was also asked if clear touchup should be used as a final coat to repair chips on a clear coat paint. There are two view points to this question.

The purist will say yes, the paint has a clear coat and thus, the repair should also. The process is the same as previously described, except the clear coat is substituted for the last 2-3 coats or paint.
The practical world says no. The touchup paint is different from the original paint and is formulated only as a touchup paint. Once it is applied it should, according to the manufacturer, match well enough to be all but invisible. I have found this to be the case with the numerous repairs on the many cars/colors, I have completed. If you are using the original paint as a touchup (I have not done this with a clear coated car), then my understanding is that you should use the clear as a topcoat. The color coat of some paints will many times be relatively dull in appearance. These paints rely on the clear coat to provide the "shine."

Try one chip in an area that is not that visible. If the process works, then continue with the rest. If not try the clear coat top layer.

WAXING YOUR CAR

One of the keys to applying carnauba waxes is to apply it sparingly. Assuming that the finish has just been washed and dried and is free of grit and does not need glazing, then apply the wax with a small piece of 100% cotton terry cloth or a terry cloth covered sponge applicator pad. An even better method of application is to use your fingers. Hold your fingers together to form an "applicator". Rub the wax thoroughly into the surface. Your fingers will give you the tactile feedback to let you know when the wax has been worked into the surface. This is NOT a situation where a little is good, so a lot must be better. Your paint will only accept X amount of wax. If you apply 100 times X then you will have to remove 99X in the form of drie d powder. It will make waxing more difficult, require more buffing and create clouds of white dust.

Make sure the paint surface is cool. Rule of thumb, if you can hold your hand comfortably on the paint, then it is cool enough to wax. Work in the shade, preferably in a garage. To apply the wax, choose an area about 12" x 12". Open your can of wax, get a small amount on your fingers (or cloth/pad) and recover the can (this keeps dirt out of the can). Apply to the paint surface, rubbing in a linear motion. Work into the paint in a front-to-back, back-to-front motion (the way the air flows over the car). Don't go around in circles the way dear old dad taught you. If you are using a pad and airborne grit gets under the pad, you have made sandpaper. If you are working in a circle, you have made a 360 degree scratch (or swirl mark). Since a scratch or swirl mark is most visible from a 90 degree viewing angle, a circular scratch is visible anywhere. If you work in a linear motion, and scr atch the surface, the line scratch is only visible from a small viewing angle. Using only your fingers to apply wax will give you the tactile feedback to know when surface grit is about to scratch your paint.

Work the small amount of wax into the surface until all that remains is slight haze. Use of your fingers will also tell you when the wax has been thoroughly worked into the paint and will help prevent you from using too much wax. Most waxes work best when this slight haze is allowed to dry. There are some waxes that require you to buff immediately after applying. Zymol is a classic example of this type of wax. If you allow Zymol to dry before buffing, you will need a belt sander to remove it. Read the directions on the can to determine the proper method. Buff out the slight haze with a soft 100% cotton towel. Buff this small section, shake out the towel to remove any grit and rebuff with a new section of towel. Keep using new sections of towel and change towels frequently. I use my wife's old flannel sheets. They are super soft and produce a brilliant shine. Move onto another 12" x 12" section of the car. Repeat the application and buffing procedures. When the car had been completed, return to the first section completed and rebuff with
another clean towel, continue to rebuff the entire car. The wax has had time to harden off and this extra buffing will bring out a deep shine. If there are areas that are hazy or cloudy, and you are using a carnuaba based wax, the wax has become hydroscopic and has absorbed a little water. Mist the cloudy areas with a small amount of water (a plant mister works well) and rebuff. This should remove the clouding.

If you are using a polymer based wax on a German paint and have hazy or clouding of the wax, about the only thing that will work is to strip the polymer wax and rewax with a carnauba based wax. German paints hate polymer based waxes. I have spoken to paint chemists, the Glazurit people, Porsche, BMW and M/B people and to date have not gotten a viable reason for this. I have gotten a lot of mumbling and shuffling of feet, but no hard and fast answers. The Amercian and Japanese paints LOVE polymer waxes. The German paints just don't react well with most of these products.

Another trick to buff out any cloudy areas is to mist the area with Meguiar #34 Final Inspection and buff out. This will usually remove all traces of trapped water.

All towels you use on your Porsche should be 100% cotton and should be washed in the washing machine using only detergent. Do not add any fabric softner to the water. Dry them in the dryer and DO NOT use a dryer anti-static towel (I think that's what they are called). These dryer towels contain coatings that are transferred to your car towels and may cause streaks. If you have ever had your wax streak and you could not figure out why, your dryer towel was probably the culprit. You will remove a giant ball of towel and static electricity from your dryer, but will not have mysterious streaks.

Some people use a power buffer on their paint. I personally think that your Porsche deserves to be caressed by hand. Save the machine for your SO or Yugo. Use of a machine is a learned art and not a science. It is very easy to "burn" an edge or create swirl marks. There is nothing that a person with the proper chemicals and elbow grease can not do better than a machine. The only advantage of a machine is speed and the risks in my humble opinion far outweigh any time advantage.

If anyone has any further questions on types of waxes, glazes, polishes or application, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you,

Larry Reynolds
Car Care Specialties, Inc.
Distributors of Quality Car Care Products Post Office Box 535
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-0535
Phone (201) 796-8300
Fax (201) 791-9743
E-mail carcaresp@aol.com
Old enough to remember when sex was safe and race cars were dangerous

From: CarcareSp@aol.com
Subject: Re: Concour and Detailing Not...

I do not recommend a silicone based product for any part of a German car. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against silicone. It is cheap, and most of the products based upon it are designed for the K-Mart crowd and their Chevy Novas. A German automobile has different vinyl than either an American or Japanese car. The vinyl is more prone to "polymer off gassing" than either American or Japanese cars. You appear to have only received the tire part of the posting. I have included the complete posting for you.

The problems associated with silicone based products may be broken down into the two catagories of usage, tires and vinyl:

Tires/Rubber Trim: There are two main degrading agents that attack tires. They are UV light waves and ozone. Both of these attack the long hydrocarbon chains of the rubber and by breaking these chemical bonds, shorten the molecules with resulting loss of elasticity and other problems. Tire manufacturers add two primary sacrificial protectants to the rubber. To protect against UV, they add carbon black. This is why tires don't come in designer colors to match your paint. The carbon black will turn white/gray as it absorbs the UV and dissipates the energy as heat. Thus the basis of rubber parts turning gray as they age. To protect against ozone, tire manufacturers add a wax based sacrificial protectant. The ozone attacks the wax and depletes it. As the tire rolls, additional wax is forced to the surface of the tire. This is referred to as "blooming". This blooming refreshes the surface wax protectant. A tire that has not been flexed will have the wax depleted by the ozone and thus begin to degrade and suffer "dry rot". The silicone oil in Armour All et Al may actually dissolve the wax and be the cause of premature tire side wall cracking/failure. It is rumored that some tire manufacturers will not honor warranties on failures caused by silicone based products. I am in the process of checking with the major tire manufacturers to determine the validity of this rumor. In conclusion, any tire dressing should contain a UV protectant to bolster the efforts of the carbon black and preferably not contain any silicone.

Plastics/Vinyls: The dash, door panels, seat backs, and numerous other interior/exterior trim pieces are usually vinyl. Vinyl may be viewed as raw semi-liquid vinyls that are held in place by a solid vinyl "skin" (this description is for illustration only and not a PhD chemical dissertation ). The dash and other vinyl parts of your P car are constantly bombarded by UV that breaks down the molecules of the skin, allowing the raw vinyls to escape (off-gassing). These vinyls then may deposit themselves on the glass, forming a haze that is difficult to remove. If you have such a haze, it is probably your dash that has decided to pick up stakes and migrate(back to Germany?). Silicone based products do not usually contain UV protectants, and the silicone may act as a magnifying glass, intensifying the UV degradation. Silicone oil may also dissolve the essential oils in the vinyl skin, hastening the premature formation of cracks in the vinyl skin. A quality vinyl protectant will contain a UV protectant and essential oils to replace lost oils from the vinyl. These protectants are expensive, so the K-Mart specials may do more harm than good. Silicone also has very strong electrostatic attraction which may be considered beneficial in that it will tend to stay where it is placed, but will also attract every dust particle in the surrounding three counties.

This list is my personal favorites. I only carry the products that I think are the best for a Porsche. I am constantly testing new products and retesting old ones to compare their performance. We have a committee of 10+ people including national restoration and concours experts involved in these testing programs. Of these favorites, there are some that I personally like better than others. I have customers who will argue against my choices and defend their choice with equal vigor. When I am conducting work shops, I take a tire or two and divide them into sections and use all of the following products so people and see them side by side. Each person likes a different look, so each chooses a different product.

Tire/Rubber(spoilers, whaletails, etc.) Care:

My favorite is Black Again with a top coat of Meguiar #42.
Black Again - is a white creamy polymer formulation the gives rubber a jet black color and a soft patena. My only problem with BA is that it doesn't last as long a I think it should. That is why I use the Meguiar #42 on top. This combo seems to really last. BA will also remove the white wax residue that you slopped on the rubber trim.
Meguiar #42 - is thick emulsion specifically formulated for black trim areas and tires. Will maintain the black patena without greasy shine. Does not restore color quite as well a Black Again.
Harly Tire Nu - many of the old time concour people use harlys. They love it. It maintains rubber for long periods of time and does not turn brown.
Meguiar #40 - This is supposed to be for rubber and vinyl - I feel that it works a lot better on vinyl.
Tony Nancy Vinyl/Rubber Care - This is a great product. Tony Nancy is a World class restorationist (Pebble Beach Class) and judge. This is his own brew. Does a great job on rubber. I only use it on the exterior as the smell will kill you.
One Grand Exterior Rubber - This is similar to the Harly product. Lots of people swear by it.

8.Zymol Vinyl - Better for vinyl than rubber. I think it is too much $, but many people love it. Be aware that Zymol has hooked up with Turtle Wax Co. to produce a new line of K-Mart crowd products with the Zymol name. I call them Zurtle Waxes. They are crap. They come in black containers. I think it is Turtle Wax with pina colada mix thrown in. I got pre-release samples and tested them, hoping for a decent product at a reasonable price. Wrong!

9. Tire-Nu - This used to be a GREAT product. The original formula was made in Japan. They now make it in California for the K-Mart crowd and it stinks. They changed the formula to make it CHEAP. I bought up every case in the country when they discontinued importing it. I now own 2 cans for my personal use.

10. Formula 303 - A good product. I don't carry it because I personally don't like the "slick" finish. I won't sell something I don't like (which is stupid from a business point of view), but if I can't endorse something, I won't sell it.

11. Sonax or Wurth Rubber Care Spray - These are better suited for the rubber gaskets around doors, windows, etc. They rejeuvinate the rubber and help maintain the seal. Should be used twice a year.

12. Sonax PVC Maintenance Spray - A good product that is better for the hard rubber of spoilers and whaletails. Leaves a little more shine to the surface than I care for, but many people swear by it. Lasts a long time.

Interior Vinyl:

My personal favorite is Lexol Vinyex Spray. This in my humble opinion has it all. A very strong UV protectant, essential oils, anti-static (helps keep dust off) and a soft patena finish.
Harly Polyguard - This used to be my favorite, till I lost my heart to Vinylex. Leaves a touch more shine to the finish than Vinylex.
Somethin' Else - This is the sister to Black Again. Has all the right ingredients and people who love it are died in the wool. I prefer the Vinylex, but that only a subjective opinion. It leaves a "new car" smell.
Harly Interior Magic - An old standby that leaves a lemon scent. Some people love it. I don't think a car should smell like lemons, but that's my opinion and I could be wrong.
Zymol Vinyl - Another tropical oil product. Leaves a pina colada smell. Die hards will defend this product to the death. I just think it is to Much $. See warning in tire section.
Meguiar #40 - A great product that cleans and protects. Does not leave a slippery finish.
meguiar #39 - A very strong cleaner. This should be used carefully and very infrequently. It will clean just about anything out of vinyl. Must be followed by #40. A great cleaner for plastic Targa tops.
Tony Nancy - I don't recommend use on the inside. The smell is a bit much for me. Some people do and swear by it.
Sonax Cockpit Spray - This is a German product that is designed for German vinyl. Does a great job, but leaves a little more shine to the surface than I care for. There are a gagle of users who love it.
Wurth Cockpit Spray - ditto above. Wurth people don't like Sonax and vice versa.
Formula 303 - This leaves an Armour All type of high gloss shine to the vinyl. I personally don't like this type of finish. Some people do, so feel comfortable using it as it is a very good product.

Larry Reynolds
Car Care Specialties, Inc.
Distributors of Quality Porsche Care Products Post Office Box 535
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-0535
Phone (201) 796-8300
Fax (201) 791-9743
E-mail carcaresp@aol.com
Old enough to remember when sex was safe and race cars were dangerous

I have no problem with your transmitting the notes to anyone you choose, so long as you leave the name and company address/phone/fax/email tag on the end.

The Naval Jelly works very well on the larger areas. I was trying to concentrate on a small chip repair. Another product that I have found that works well is Wurth Metal Prep Spray. This does the same thing and is paintable and provides a great base for the primer. My favorite primer is the Wurth Rustop Primer. It is easy to work with and will take any paint. The metal primers (Rustoleum/Wurth/KD/PPG, etc) are sometimes not compatible with certain paints. Sometimes they will bleed through and in one case, I had new paint lift off in sheets.

I don't mention a lot of products in my articles because I don't want to sound like an infomercial. I test all of the new products that come onto the market. In fact I have a group of 10+ people (some of whom are nationally known experts) that are involved in the testing programs. We all test the products and then compare notes. If we like something, it goes onto further testing using 20+ people across the country. All of this input determines if I will or will not carry a product. I want to make sure that each item is the best for a particular application for a German car. My personal favorite everyday wax is One Grand Blitz. If I am entered in a Concour, I will wax the night before with Zymol Carbon and that morning will mist with water and buff. Then 1/2 before judging, I will mist with Meguiar #34 Final Inspection. The Mequiar (#16,#19 and #26) waxes are excellent waxes. I just happen to really like Blitz.

As to wheel cleaning, I solve problems everyday for people who have used the acid based cleaners and had the paint damaged. The German paints seem to very sensitive to acid cleaners. I conducted several tests on wheel cleaners to determine the pH of all the major brands. The only three that were close to pH neutral were P21S, Sonax and Meguiar #36. All the rest were either acid or basic (some were so basic that they dissolve your skin). The next clo sest to neutral was Zymol Brite. This was slightly basic. I have seen several BBS wheels that the Simple Green ate the clear coat off in quarter size spots. I can think of at least 6 sets with the same problem and all trac ed back to Simple Green. If you want a thrill check it's pH, it will surprise you.

One other thing you have to remember when writing a "how to" article in today's world, you have to recommend the safest approach. Not necessarily the fastest or sometimes the best, but the safest. I don't want to buy some yoyo's wheels because he/she left an acid based cleaner on them for 3 months and found out that the paint had dissolved. "You did not warn me not to do that" Look at lawn mowers with a sticker that says "stick your fingers into the spinning blade and you will get chopped fingers." It is cover your a** to the Nth degree.

I have no problem answering any question you may have on a personal basis. I LOVE what I do for a living. I was an engineer for many years. (In fact that was my foundation design that they tried to blow up when they bombed the Trade Towers) I decided to turn a life long hobby several years ago into a full time business and have had it grow beyond my dreams. I enjoy each day dealing with great people and helping them solve their problems. I love getting up each morning to come to "hobby". Work for me is the lawn.

If you are interested in other articles, let me know what I sent you and will fill in the gaps. My product description catalog goes into some detail on each product. If you are interested, I can send you a copy by snail mail. I also have a description of vinyl and rubber care products that I put together in response to my silicone article. I can E-mail you a copy of this if you are interested.

Thank you,

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