My Restoration and Detailing Chemicals

[Cojones]

So... are you going to visit Amsterdam somewhere in the near future?

[propav8r]

Originally Posted by Captain Bondo

Hey Pat,

Question - have you ever cleaned an engine bay coated with cosmoline? I mean the yellow junk that is kinda like clearcoat that dealers liked to hose engine bays down with. I see it on some volvo's but BMW especially must have been in love with the stuff at one point.

My 5'ers engine bay is drowned in the **** and even superclean won't touch the nazi goop.


I mean I can remove it if I soak an area in superclean for and hour and then scrub like hell with a red scotchbrite, but at that point I might as well just be scuffing it for a re-paint, which is probably what I'll have to do- literally use paint stripper and re prime and paint the whole engine bay. It's terrible ****.

Any thoughts? Maybe the 713 would be better. Or Kerosene. Or Dynamite.

When we received a display artifact or part for our DC-3 at the museum that needed cosmoline removed, we basically did it one of two ways. Heat will actually melt it and make it drip off (old oven for us, maybe a heat gun for you) or with smaller parts, we would soak them in mineral spirits. They'd come out as clean as a whistle.

[Group A]

Originally Posted by Captain Bondo

Question - have you ever cleaned an engine bay coated with cosmoline? I mean the yellow junk that is kinda like clearcoat that dealers liked to hose engine bays down with. I see it on some volvo's but BMW especially must have been in love with the stuff at one point.

My 5'ers engine bay is drowned in the **** and even superclean won't touch the nazi goop.


I mean I can remove it if I soak an area in superclean for and hour and then scrub like hell with a red scotchbrite, but at that point I might as well just be scuffing it for a re-paint, which is probably what I'll have to do- literally use paint stripper and re prime and paint the whole engine bay. It's terrible ****.

Any thoughts? Maybe the 713 would be better. Or Kerosene. Or Dynamite.

I'll talk to my detail friend and see if he has any new tips before I post, but yeah, there are ways to get it off that aren't too bad.


My uber nice 90 325i before:



After first wash:



I was into e30's for a while so I'm totally used to it. Hope your car isn't silver, it tends to stain that color of paint permanently.

[Volvo Wagon Fan]

WOW!!! That is impressive.. Looks like the showroom floor model. I didn't see you list a leather restoration/cleaning system. May I recomend to you a product recomended by the Rolls Royce owner's club. It's called Leatherique. Yes, I know the name sounds like you buy it out of some guys trunk, but I have had good success with it. Even for painted leather. I'm currently trying to bring back the hardend leather seats on my 1996 965. Keep up the inspiring work.
Mark Johnson

Originally Posted by Group A

Before:



After:

[Clay]

Leatherique is absolutely the best stuff money can buy. I've been saying that for years, just not on this forum.

[canadianflathood]

Its amazing! Its like a whole new engine. wait....

[jao]

bump!

[616racing]

Wow great thread!!!

[Poik]

Doesn't WD40 dissolve cosmoline?

[pat244ti]

Pat - after seeing your cars in person the past 8 years and now reading your secrets, I have no choice but to stick this thread.

[PEGASUS 6]

[940guy]

Originally Posted by Brickster151

Pat - after seeing your cars in person the past 8 years and now reading your secrets, I have no choice but to stick this thread.

Why thank you!

[mjcerati]

Extremely useful thread, thank you!

[rporzio]

I need this thread because of its incredible inspiration! Stove bright here I come!

[klr142]

HHS2000 is now HHS-K, for what it's worth.

[dbarton]

Originally Posted by Clay

Leatherique is absolutely the best stuff money can buy. I've been saying that for years, just not on this forum.

The only problem I have had using Leatherique, it has way too much gloss. Before I did anything, a friend of mine restored some black 240 seats and the seats ended up with a weird shiny wet look to them. When I ordered my stuff I sent them a sample piece of leather and had them do a color match for some 240 tan seats (color match was good). I also made a special request for NO-GLOSS and they still came out way too shiny. Maybe they just don't do non-glossy seats. So as long as you don't mind shiny leather, Leatherique is great.
Dave B

[blueinportland]

Ever had any experience with Mother's back to black? I've used it on all my trim and went over the radiator hoses with it lightly, and it seems to look nice but I don't know how well it will hold up in the long run.

[PDX240]

What's the product you use to keep your hands so silky soft, clean and VJ-touchable? My GF won't let me near her with my mechanic mitts.

[klr142]

Latex/nitrile gloves...

[77volvo245]

The best way I take the stuff off is hot water and soap, and some scrub action.

Originally Posted by Poik

Doesn't WD40 dissolve cosmoline?

[RedFridge]

Used to detail automobiles fresh from the ship with cosmoline.
So allergic to that devil juice. Damn near sent me to intensive care.

[mr brick driver]

Good thread. Thanks for the ideas. It's also preferable to work on a clean engine too.

[nel621]

Originally Posted by dbarton

The only problem I have had using Leatherique, it has way too much gloss. Before I did anything, a friend of mine restored some black 240 seats and the seats ended up with a weird shiny wet look to them. When I ordered my stuff I sent them a sample piece of leather and had them do a color match for some 240 tan seats (color match was good). I also made a special request for NO-GLOSS and they still came out way too shiny. Maybe they just don't do non-glossy seats. So as long as you don't mind shiny leather, Leatherique is great.
Dave B

I too ordered from Leatherique,sent them a sample from under the rear seat of my Bertone.The sample had a matte finish and the mix they sent came out matte too!Maybe I got lucky but the dye is available with and without shine.
before

after

Any shine is from the camera.

[ellist]

Great thread. The 1 gallon container of Super Clean is on sale at your Advance Auto Parts. It's buy 1 get 1 free!!!!!

[15A]

Ever have any problems with the mid evil and totally over engineered glue they used on that goofy sound deadening just above the firewall? I get it off (in my own mid evil way) because when the car's repainted, that area is also redone so I dont care about saving the original finish.

Just wondering if you happened across anything that would dissolve the glue and foam resin without destroying the paint.....or taking 2 weeks to do so.