Date:         Fri, 21 Jul 1995 12:12:43 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Erik Soule"  <erik@henries.nsc.com>
Subject:      Re: What do you wash your van with?

In message <9507211823.AA20849@chaco.com>  writes:
> I'm about to embark on the major task of washing and waxing my van.  For
> those of you who do wash your vehicles, what do you use for cleaner and wax?
> Any strong recommendations?
> 
> Ron

Don't psych yourself by looking at it ans amajor job!

Just did this yesterday after work...I did the annual/bi-annual "quickie" wash 
and wax - 2 hrs moving quickly to beat darkness. I used one of the car wash 
detergents this time (Turtle wax brand?). I normally use regular dish soap, but 
heard it really strips off the wax, making more work for yourself. I like to wax
as little as possible (Don't we all?). 

For the wax I've been using this McGuire's (not one with a number on it, like 
McGuire's #7, just "car wax") that they carry at Auto Parts Club. I like it 
because its not outrageously expensive, and you can do the whole van in one shot
(says so on the bottle anyway...). That is, you apply it to the whole van, and 
then buff it off the whole van. This stuff was designed for ease of use and 
durability, NOT show quality, no-swirl, sano-bitchin, hot-mama paint jobs. I 
like it, and I think it looks good too.

In keeping with my low-maintenance-but-make-it-look-good program, I then follow 
up every 4-6 months with a coating of "Black Chrome" on the rubber and black 
plastic bits. This stuff is more expensive than a lot of similar stuff (a whole 
$4 a bottle, woooo-weee!), but unlike Armor-All and other spray on crap I've 
tried, lasts for a long time. If you use it on the inside, like I do on my Golf,
it doesn't out-gas and fog up your windows (like Armor-All does).

If you're super anal, like some people on the BMW list are, you can shell out 
$50 for Zymol. If you like it, I've also got this stuff call "Snake-oil" that 
you put in your oil that doubles your horsepower....

-Erik, who would rather spend his time and money on food, beer, and camping

NSC Analog Automotive Systems  Tel. (408)721-3476  Fax (408)721-8292  M/S C2611