civicPesek

iTrader: (3)

hey when you guys talked about dressing the engine, is that something that you used to make the rubber or plastic parts shiny? is it like the armor all tire foam? because i tried using that and it didn't make the plastic/rubber parts shiny.
what brand would you recommend?
i'm really a noob when it comes to detailing

soonercivic

Well if you want to do it the easy way you can go to the auto part store and buy a can of citrus cleaner that has a 2 stage tip that sprays cleaner and then detailer. If you want to do it right you need to cover your alternator and your intake if you have an aftermarket one. Then use a degreasing cleaner, i like simple green or Meguiars All Purpose Cleaner, you will probably need to wipe down certain parts. Then rinse, i suggest letting the engine run for about 15-20 minutes and dry as much as possible. Then i use Meguiars Hyper Dressing that provides that clean shine. Heres an example, not mine, of that method so you know what it can do.
Before

After

DDragon7

Wow, looks new... Gotta try that after the old man winter rolls thru.

civicPesek

iTrader: (3)

could you tell me where to get the Meguiars Hyper Dressing? I tried walmart and they dont have it.

jonw440

I like Autoglym's engine cleaner. Spray then scrub with a soft brush. Then rinse well and dry as much of the compartment as you can(a shop vacum is fantastic for this if you use it as a blower) Then spray a vinyl dressing like clearkotes tire treatment over the rubber parts and let it sit for 10 minutes then buff off the excess.
Heres a picture of my Daughters Saab I did for her this summer.

soonercivic

You can order it from Meguiars directly. Their shipping is REALLY fast. If you have an Orielly Auto Parts store down there they should be able to order it for you and have it in a day or 2. Try to go to one with a paint department, they can get it, or for that matter any auto parts store that sells paint can probably get it. Keep in mind that it only gives the shine, you also need a cleaner.

Troyskandi

one of the laziest ways to shine up your hoses other plastic parts is spray on tire shine then wipe it off a few mins later... I've done that before a couple shows that I won my category for

soonercivic

^^ that works as long as you dont drive your car or mind the smell of burning tire shine. The Meguiars Hyper Dressing works the same way, only its meant for the engine.

civicPesek

iTrader: (3)

i have the cleaner, I use a degreaser, but somehow I dont know what to use to clean and make the black rubber parts shiny. I'll check out autozone/ orielly tomorrow.

are you serious about the smell of burning tires shine? so what product would you recommend to make it shiny that will not give the smell ?

soonercivic

the hyper dressing wont give the smell. Its meant to be used in applications like this. its also much more durable and completely safe compared to spraying tire shine on the engine, thats just a bad idea.

rckdrmr

iTrader: (2)

btw... if you buy the hyper dressing it also works great as tire dressing. i dilute it 1:1 with excellent results!

soonercivic

Me too! I either use that, or if i dont have any mixed then i use Meguiars Insane Tire Shine.

jerseydetailer

i love hyper dressing....but as per meguiars it should be mixed anywhere from 4:1 to 10:1, have you tried silcone free dressing it comes rtu (ready to use) and leave a wonderful smell, i like it on interiors...303 is good as well