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Safest Way To Clean Grime From Firewall - FINISHED!

Started by Jon S, May 02, 2016, 08:15:30 AM

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Jon S

Took some pictures yesterday to assist a poster and realized how grimy my firewall has become over the past 57 years. The flash makes it look worse than it looks in daylight.

Anyway, I want to clean the original paint without damaging it. Was wondering what would be best. Diluted simple green, Armor-All, sudsy water?  Thoughts
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

76eldo

You can use straight Simple Green and an old paint brush.  Mist the area with water first and rinse after.  It will take several rounds of this to see a big improvement but the simple green won't harm anything.

Another really good degreaser is Purple Power which is water based and won't hurt anything either and is stronger than the Simple Green.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

Jon S

#2
Well, just finished using Simple Green. It's interesting how the car came from the Factory. Red Oxide and black sealer throughout. Not the nice all green finish I was expecting, but here it is 57 years later less the grime. It does look a lot better!
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Jon S

It's amazing - the camara showed grime underneath the top rubber strip and the channel it goes into that I could not see working on the car. Fixed:
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Jon S

Now I see the bottom of the hood needs a cleaning. Tomorrow's project.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Gene Beaird

Heh, Jon, one thing leads to another!!  Next thing you know, you'll be posting about how you just finished cleaning the grime off the back side of the rear bumper, after cleaning your way from the firewall.  ;D

So what was your process, exactly?  What were all the 'tools' you used. Did you disassemble anything first?  Nice work!
Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

fishnjim

Jon's mobile detailing?   
I hear ya, I was planning to do the engine bay before I replant the 365.   I repainted my underside of the hood already.   

Jon S

Quote from: Gene Beaird on May 07, 2016, 10:44:34 AM
Heh, Jon, one thing leads to another!!  Next thing you know, you'll be posting about how you just finished cleaning the grime off the back side of the rear bumper, after cleaning your way from the firewall.  ;D

So what was your process, exactly?  What were all the 'tools' you used. Did you disassemble anything first?  Nice work!

Last I checked inside the back bumper it wasn't too bad. No tools or disassembly. Just sprayed diluted Simple Green, let it sit and then wiped it with a microfiber cloth. Next day went over it lightly with Meguire's Ultimate to protect it. It cleaned very easily ... Just was a pain to reach parts of the lower firewall.

It's amazing how the camera picks up every imperfection.  Looking at it with the naked eye with the hood open, it looks terrific.  Obviously I held the camera very close to show how Cadillac finished off the firewalls back in 1958.

I plan on doing a little more on the firewall, but am giving my back a rest for a few days - don't want to over-due it.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Skwerly62

Looks great John! I'm hoping to hit mine today with some citrus-based degreaser.
1958 Extended Deck 62 Sedan SOLD
1960 Coupe - current project
USCG Vet - Fly CG!

Jon S

Quote from: Skwerly62 on May 08, 2016, 09:20:44 AM
Looks great John! I'm hoping to hit mine today with some citrus-based degreaser.

Thanks!  Go easy and let the product do the work.  Mine was more dirt/grime than anything else.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Jon S

Calling it quits!  Think I'm done:
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Gene Beaird

Thanks, Jon.  It's nice to know it was that easy.  I have a couple in my collection that are needing similar work, including a car that spent considerable time in a paint shop, so it has a lot of paint dust and polishing compound in all sorts of places. 

You've done an awesome job there, and have a beautiful finished product!
Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873