Wax

OK. SO here is probably what will turn out to be a pretty dumb question, but want to make sure. I have never had a car that was fiberglass and not sure what type of paint is used on a speedster that Vintage built back in 2000. I am taking delivery on the car Wed.

The first thing I will want to do is wash the car and then throw on some type of wax. is there any wax that is a No No when it comes to fiberglass painted cars? If not, what does everyone use to shine the car up.

Also - is there anything in particular you all use to clean the engine components, etc?

Thanks

Todd

No special paint or wax required. I am a believer in P21S as it is extremely easy to use, gives great results, and lasts longer than most.

I have talked to some folks who warn against using any wax on new paint and that it is better to wait a few months until the paint is properly cured. The late Jim Ward even cautioned me about using the chamois on his Ruby since the paint was so fresh; just blot it, he warned, don't wipe it. Probably good advice. But if your car is vintage 2000, probably any good name brand that is recommended for clear coat finishes would be fine. I use McGuires.
Hoss

I use Mother's California Gold.

Used to use Blue Coral but it's impossible to find any more, and it was a horror to apply. Mother's goes on and off much easier and lasts a year. I've applied it over clear coat and it looks 3 feet deep.

I was hoping to hear that it was that easy. Thanks for the replies. As well and one last question...

Any issues with washing the car? Meaning, I know these things leak so I will be extra cautious with the top up, but I am guessing do whatever I can to keep water out of the engine grill?

Once this car is washed, I will keep it under cover in the garage when not driving it so I am not expecting to wash it too often.

Todd---quite a few of the folks on here use "rain hats" over the carb air filters to keep water out of the carbs.

My car is vintage and the paint is acrylic enamel ---possibly yours is too but give Vintage a call---find them at the top of this screen under "makers". If you have the acrylic enamel you will find it very easy to maintain and top repair any scratches or chips. Goodle the "Langka" chip repair product--invisible repairs and easy too.

BTW I see Vintage has updated their site from "1,500 cars made" to 2,000. Much of their production is exported.

Good luck with your car!

Plan on getting water in all of your closures. After washing, I have to wipe down under all. The passenger compartment doesn't get much, but engine and up front do. I usually wash with the full tonneau closed. It does just about as well without hassling with the top and I don't have to wait for the top to dry after. I drilled holes in my front tub this past summer to provide a drain path.

Other than water directly sprayed down carbs (or soaking the foam air filters) and on the distributor - engine is ok with water on it. Old leaky grease/oil encrusted VW engines benefit from even pressure washing just cover distributor and carbs with aluminum foil and plastic bag first. GUNK and Simple Green help dissolve the built up grease. Cleaning it off results in more efficient cooling. There are silicone based sprays that can be sprayed on clean, dry engine to brighten it up (just avoid the fan belt and pulley area).

Don't set stuff on fiberglass car as it can warp the fiberglass especially in hot areas.

If you're interested in "rain hats" then a fellow contacted me a couple of weeks ago asking if he could post a classified on www.spyderclub.com. He makes and sells rain hats. No endorsement, just information.

see: http://www.spyderclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14080

In the 4 years I have owned my car, I have actually only sprayed water on it about 5 times. Here is what I do. First, avoid rain and wet streets as much as possible and if you can't help driving through a puddle, go very slowly. Then, since most of these cars don't have chokes and need to be warmed up prior to driving, I start it and then use my Calironia Duster on the the entire car. That takes about 2 minutes and if I notice any spots while I'm doing that, I use Mother's Detail spray on a microfiber cloth to take care of them. If there are a lot of bugs on the front, I use a damp towel to clean them up. I also use the detail spray to go over the entire car every now and then or if I'm going to a show and that usually take about 30 minutes or less. I've used several different waxs and prefer the ones that dry clear, so there is no colored wax build up in the nooks and crannys. For the wheels, I use a damp towel and a dry towel and the same for the engine. If you do spray water on it, pay close attention to your license plate light, it WILL have water in it.
Troy

Check the carbon fiber rain hats from John Steele at JPS Motorsports---a fraction of the price of others I've seen.

Lane Anderson made his, I believe, from commonly-available materials---Lane, right?

Nope. Mine came from Carey Hines and are made of fiberglass.

Woops. Double post.

i rarely wash my car. i keep it covered with a car cover and dust it everysooften. every few weeks i will use Flitz(funny name, works great)
speed detailer and in 45 minutes it is looking new with a carnuba wax finish.
http://www.flitz.com/p-22-waxx-speed-wax.aspx

I'm a big believer that the brand of wax makes no difference provided it's a Carnuba wax.

When buying wax, look at the can, some wax contains a cleaner and some doesn't. Depending on the finish, I'd suspect that after 11 years, your paint needs a cleaner wax so use that first. (see next paragraph) Then, just maintain the car and the paint should last a long time. Once you've used the cleaner wax a couple of times, then you can switch to straight Carnuba wax.

Another good investment, time consuming but nice, is to buy some automotive clay and clean the car before you wax. If you "clay" the car first, then you can use straight Carnuba wax.

Also, using the right soap also makes a difference. Household soaps remove wax. Check at your local auto parts store for soap that doesn't remove wax and use that instead of diswashing soap.

I own the rainhats Jack speaks of. 30 bucks for the pair, 2 1/2 years ago. Seem to do the job.

Bob

I can attest to the use of a clay bar. it is a bit of a hassel, and some extra time and effort, no doubt about that, but the stuff puts the finish down to really smooth and clean, so when the wax goes on, you get a really nice result. just sayin'.

Couldnt find the rainhats on jps?

Todd,
No need to use water. Griots makes a good waterless car wash. As Troy mentioned, use a duster first.
The clay bar followed by a good carnauba wax is my route.
For in between cleanings I use Captain Richerds Best. Great product: http://www.captainrichardsbest.com/

Cory, I think that you're on to something.

Todd, I find primer leaves a nice, rough-textured finish. It can be more expensive than a tin of cheap wax, but it holds up better to bug impacts and covers chips nicely. Plus, it comes in several colors!

I wash mine with the tonneau on. Much dryer than the top with side curtains.

@ Corey. what do you mean by that?

Cory's car is painted w/primer. It's quite the unique creation. You should check out his photos

Just a joke, Todd.

My chassis gets waxed with Griot's, but not the body. Mother Nature washes it, and bug guts polish the primered surfaces. I clean the bugs off every New Year's Eve.

Man - I thought there was some new polish or something that no one else knew about. good one. You should think about doing a mid year review of the bugs...say right around June 1...