What are your secrets for detailing/shining/etc?

[nullset]

What does everyone here use to really make your Delorean shine?

Stainless, fiberglass, fascias, the whole nine yards. I'm slowly working my way front to back trying to clean 2072, and I don't know what products or methods work best for cleaning the various parts of the car.

Suggestions appreciated!

Specific questions: Louvres? Side view mirrors? Pontoons? Lower trim pieces below the doors? Body itself? Frame?

[Ratrace427]

I found that the easiest way is to rinse the whole car off with a water hose, then use four towels to dry it off in the direction of the grain. No soap just water. Use the sun to watch for streaks. If you see streaks use a cleaner part of the now damp towel to wipe that area again. Using a car wash is a waste of money but is good for blasting the wheels and underside. I would use a tooth brush and soap to get in between the grooves in the wheels. Using this method will load the towels up with dirt but it will wash out. Just something to be warned about if your wife has expensive towels.Those darn front wheels really suck because the grooves are so close that a tooth brush wont fit the whole way. Careful of the chemicals used because the center caps will most likely have old paint that is fragile to chemicals.

[blueshark66]

Barkeeper's Friend is the best thing for the stainless. It works wonders. You'll be amazed how clean your car can be after you've used it.

[nullset]

The stainless is the easy part. I'm more curious what people use on the mirrors, trim pieces, and visible fiberglass pieces to make them look less weathered.

[NckT]

A good wash first, power jet wash with nozzle on a 'fan'

Barkeepers friend with melamine 'magic eraser' sponge to cleanse the grain

Microfibre towel to dry

Once dry you could use a kitchen cleaner designed for stainless steel fridges that put a slight barrier coating on. I don't know what brands there are in the USA for this, but here I use a not available online but sourced very locally for me is "J12 - Plenty in the tank" which gives a simply lovely finish. Another white almost thin milky cleaner I use is Lakeland Kitchen sink cleaner. I'm sure any other kitchen sink cleaner would give the same finishing effect. This is why I love our cars as cleaning them gives a simply blinding finish :)

[NckT]

The stainless is the easy part. I'm more curious what people use on the mirrors, trim pieces, and visible fiberglass pieces to make them look less weathered.

I've used autoglym bumper gel with a nice finish to bling up the car plastic bits

https://www.autoglym.com/bumper-and-trim-gel

Give the bottle a good shake for a couple of minutes then knock a bit out on a cloth, then run it in with small swirling motion etc. As per the instructions really.

Post some pictures up of the finished results :)

[David T]

The stainless is the easy part. I'm more curious what people use on the mirrors, trim pieces, and visible fiberglass pieces to make them look less weathered.

Black Again is the thing to use for all of the trim. It isn't greasy and lasts. Avoid Amour-All and products like it with silicone that leave things greasy and wears off quickly.
For the stainless steel just clean it well with an automotive detergent, not dishwashing liquid, and if necessary rub with a Scotch-brite pad to remove minor scratches, stains, and even out the finish.
For the facias, wash, clean with a clay bar, polish and wax.
Clean the windows and mirrors with a glass cleaner, use a tire protectant with UV protector on the sidewalls of the tires. On the weatherstripping use a silicone lube to shine them up and keep them supple.
That should cover the exterior. Check out Griotsgarage.com for all kinds of cleaning products and tools. They aren't cheap but they are all good quality.
Don't use anything too harsh on the rims, it can damage the old paint. I ground a toothbrush so it fits in between the ribs on the rims to get in there to clean. For the first cleaning it is easier to remove the tires and clean them off the car. The interior is another whole story so take care of the outside first.

[BladeBronson]

Black Again is fine for the ERM license plate surround too?

[Christian Dietrich]

Groits is great stuff and I used there leather conditioner and sealer on my two tone custom interior and it makes it smell fresh and new! Give the inside of that car that fresh new leather scent! I use the DMC Factory car cleaning kit for the outside and it does a really good job on the stainless!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171126/85cb91965ff2a467b27d9917b777d391.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171126/3029eb066a24df70fd8a2015a3878869.jpg

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[David T]

Black Again is fine for the ERM license plate surround too?

Nothing seems to work well on that piece. It is rough and dull. Just clean it up as best you can with a stiff brush and some automotive detergent. To do a really good job take it off the car and clean it up on the ground.

[sdg3205]

Nothing seems to work well on that piece. It is rough and dull. Just clean it up as best you can with a stiff brush and some automotive detergent. To do a really good job take it off the car and clean it up on the ground.

Just paint that thing.

[mluder]

I've found Aerospace 303 to work really well on the black bits - mirrors, trim, side vents, even the license plat surround. Just be careful not to get it on the stainless after you've washed the car as it will be visible and it takes a bit to get it off.
Top tip - it also brightens up the hoses, etc in the engine bay.

Cheers
Steven

[hippieman9]

Nothing seems to work well on that piece. It is rough and dull. Just clean it up as best you can with a stiff brush and some automotive detergent. To do a really good job take it off the car and clean it up on the ground.

I have found a product called "Perfect 10" from Majestic Solutions works great on the license plate frame, mirrors, tires, and vents, I even use it on the louvers and side moldings. It will last through 1or 2 washes pretty good. doesn't leave a tacky or greasy feel.