Could Moe, John, and/or Phil (or anyone else who wants to chime in) give me some product advice on cleaning and detailing my wheel wells? I'm specifically looking for product recommendations for all the different types of materials in the wheel wells, not just the black plastic liners. So a quick glance while I had the wheels off reveals:

1) bare metal (i.e. mufflers and steering and suspension components);
2) painted metal (springs);
3) rubber (boots and radiator hoses); and
4) plastic (wiring and wheel well liners).

And please indicate if I could use the same products in the engine bay since it contains a lot of the same materials. Fellow 6speeder Justatoy had an interesting thread about detailing his undercarriage every winter (but unfortunately didn't list what products he used):

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ng-starts.html

Here's a picture of what his looks like:


Thanks in advance.

Jeff

 

This is what I use for the in depth wheel well cleanings for a car like yours. Any type of APC (all purpose cleaner) to clean.
Than to dress the plastic and rubber I use 303 Aerospace
For the bare metal I take some #0000 steel wool and Optimum Metal Polish than opti-seal to seal it (or any other type of sealant you prefer)
For the Painted metal I would use Opti-Seal for that as well, but you can use any sealant you please. Klasse AIO would be a good one

 

Undercarriage Cleaning & Care

Your vehicle’s undercarriage; it’s what you don't see that silently awaits underneath your cars. Removing sprayed brine solution to protect your undercarriage is just as important as detailing the paint. Wheel wells, sub-frame, springs, fender well and all of the other black and gray parts underneath the body need detailing too.

After removing dirt, road grime, and etc with P21S® High Performance Total Auto Wash or Optimum™ Polymer Technologies - Power Clean- use a pressure washer (Kärcher Model K5.93M) neutralise the effects of the alkaline sprayed brine solution on the suspension, wheel wells and the undercarriage (See also Road salt)

Never go underneath a car supported by the supplied jack - always use axle stands if you wish to work underneath the car. Always jack the car up at the manufacturer's recommended jacking points. Ensure the jack is in stable contact with both the jacking point (see owner's manual) and the ground. Always work on level ground.

A spray coating of Chemical Guys - Bare Bones not only adds a durable long lasting shine, it also repels dirt but can also hide dirty spots and discoloration between parts, while enhancing any detail .It is possible to do this detail with the wheels on and just jacking the car up, but the ideal way is with the wheels off.

Metal parts use #0000 steel wool and Optimum Metal Polish and then apply a WOWO sealant. Rubber or vinyl parts spray with 1z einszett Tiefenpfleger -Vinyl-Rubber Care and Protectant,

 

Hi Jeff. Great question. To keep it simple, simply use P21S Total Auto Wash to clean all metal, painted, and plastic/rubber surfaces. Use various brushes or a mf towel also works well. TAW also works great on the engine as well.

To clean metal surfaces, provided it's not years of built up gunk, you can use P21S Polishing Soap. This is a great product that safely cleans bare metals and chrome surfaces imparting the metal's natural luster.

As for rubber and plastic surfaces, einszett Vinyl Rubber Care gives a great satin sheen and not the cheap plastic shine some other product impart.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...to-wash/Detail

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...p-metal/Detail

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...Care%2C/Detail

Let me know if there's more info you need.

 

Thanks, guys. Luckily, my car has been a Florida car its whole life, so I don't have to worry about salt. Moe, I kind of like the shiny look on the plastic wheel well liners and used some "left-over" Armor-All to get that look. (I say "left-over" since I don't use Armor-All on my interior anymore.)

Of course, all of you failed to mention the main product.........elbow grease!

 

If you want more shine out of the 1Z Vinyl Rubber, then you simply apply another coat.

 

Taxi!: Great question on an often neglected area. Here's what I use:

- Rinse all surfaces to remove loose debris/dirt
- Saturate with Optimum Power Clean cut 3:1
- Mix some car wash with water in a bucket
- Agitate with various brushes (I like the Mother's Fender Well brush, DI spoke brush, Swissvax Wheel Brush)
- Rinse and repeat if necessary
- If all plastic or rubber, spray Chemical Guys VRT cut 2:1 in wells (matte sheen, water-based, repels dust/dirt)
- If painted surface, Zaino AIO
- If polished/bare metal, P21s Metal Polishing Soap (before final rinse)

I find Optimum Power Clean and Chemical Guys VRT to be more cost efficient, yet effective and safe on almost every surface.