Cheers guys thanks for the info. Interesting about the rust. Has anybody else considered this point when washing? Didnt really think of it that way.

 

RUST is the Jaguar's enemy Number One! Especially Jaguars of this era. The Xj6s, for example, are Infamous for rusting away around the bottom of the windscreen and the back window.

The thing you also must remember, Paul, rubber is perishable. It hardens, shrinks, cracks and draws away from glass and metal it's intended to seal, thus allowing water to enter places it can't get out. So it sits and eats on the metal; RUSTS.

This is why I don't wash my car, nor do I drive it in the rain. I already have tiny bubbles forming under the paint over the headlights, along the trunk/boot lid struts and a few other places. They're not bad yet, and from 3 or 4 feet away you can't even notice them. But eventually, all metal rusts, and if you get it wet, it rusts faster.
(';')

 

What is everyone using on the wood to clean and preserve? My wood is beautiful - I'd like to keep it that way and prevent cracking etc.

 

Find any drain tubes, holes, leaf collection areas etc and make sure they are clear. I take my leaf blower to mine after it's annual wash and make sure all the crevices and trim areas are dried out plus always open the boot and dry the under lip as it's prone to rust/separation. I only drive mine in nice weather and keep it covered in the garage plus I use a car duster and spray detailed to keep it up during the year.

 

Heh guys just wondering how you keep your rims looking good?

In particular, how do you get rig of those scuff marks? Is it even possible?

I wanna make mine shine. I have car wash products and chrome cleaner. Im ready to scrub. Whatta need guys?

 

Zaino Z2 or Collinite 476s. They are both hard to beat. Both last well over 6 months and the water literally sheets off after application. Both are good for the wheels too!

 

Don't think those starfish's will "shine" up much. Mine were stripped, polished and cleared....all the "paint" is gone and the centers where the colored paint was looks 'bead blasted' nice look to be sure, different from other "star fishes" out there.

 

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback. Heh JT any chance of a pic of your starfishes?

Guys is there anything that is specifically designed for Alloy? Tyran66 are those products used on your car body/paint as well?

 

Hey Bud

There are loads of Videos on You Tube about cleaning Alloy Wheels but the one that used Iron X Wheel Gel looked pretty impressive.

 

@paulyling. Yes you can use them both just about anywhere. You can even use it on glass. The collinite is slightly harder to use and does not smell as nice but is absolutely the toughest polish you can buy - to give you an idea, they use to use it on destroyer radar arrays to keep the sea spray eating the dish. Use 476 as a winter coat and it will keep you well protected. For wheel cleaning I use Valet Pro Bilberry alloy cleaner, its cheap (can dilute 1:10) effective and non corrosive so wont take off old lacquer or sensitive finishes. Iron remover is a different thing altogether but is useful every 5th wash or so, look up some stuff called Dragon's Breath - it bleeds (from clear to purple) as it removes the iron, iron X is also very good but more expensive.


As you might be able to tell I am also a member of Detailer's world forum

 

"Don't wash the engine bay!!!! No, oh no, nada, zip.......oh by the way did I say NO! All by hand my friend, do not soap, soak or spray water in there, too many bullet and unsealed electrical connectors under there too risk that. Lots of de greaser, simple green, rags, brushes, steel wool and time/elbow grease."

+1 to this previous post.

 

Guys many thanks

I'll look into this and post some before and after results when I get the right stuff and some time to polish them.

Many thanks guys

 

As I keep her Garaged and Covered, she never really gets dirty in the true sense of the word but I sort of know when she needs doing.

When I put her back on the road in May, I gave her a really good clean all round and then polished her with 'Mer' which I always do about 4 times a year.

As you can see from the photo, even 3 months later, the Water just runs off



So all I did was give her a Wash with Water and a few drops of Washing Up liquid.

But I didn't dry the Car I just left her Wet! and also used a Wet Rag to put the Polish on!

Which you just spread around like 'single cream' only doing one section at a time.

You really need to do this on a nice warm day, then with a 'Cup of Tea' at hand, you sit and sip and wait a while for the polish to start misting over.

With a bit of practice you can pick the moment to polish the 'mist' off.

Too soon and it will mist over again, Too late and it gets a bit harder to polish it off.



You need a rough rag to do this, so I used a Clean Tea Towel, then a final polish with a big piece of very soft rag.



After which She then looked like this!

 

Love the location of that leaper. Like on "The Saint's" XJS

 

Don't get me started on leapers! I can't stand the blinking thing and really wish the PO had never put it on there.

 

I do not think I have ever seen one placed that far back on the hood-Is this something you have seen before on Jaguars in England?

 

OB can you please post a close up. I cant see the leaper!

 

Hi

Now you know why I hate that leaper so much!

P.S. About that Support Group for XJS 4.0L You might just have a new member lol!

 

Its coming Bud, hang in there!

 

Thought you guys might get a kick out of this from the Ferrari Chat forums

Washing your Ferrari without water..Do you? - FerrariChat.com