1969 Ford Mustang Cleaning Tools And Tips

After a wash job we like to dry with a real or synthetic chamois like the Absorber shown here. Old terrycloth bath towels also work well but are harder to wring out and carry with you. Some folks swear by an old-fashioned cloth diaper as the only way to go for drying their highly prized cars.

A good coat of wax is essential for optimum paint appearance and longevity. For this job we broke out our trusty can of Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell car wax. A traditional paste wax like this is a good choice and in our opinion is worth the elbow grease required for application. A paste wax is a little more work to apply than a liquid wax. If you'd like to save on some elbow grease, Turtle Wax also offers its Turtle Wax Ice liquid car wax. The liquids are easier to apply than a hard paste wax and your job will go a little faster. Waxing your car with any type of wax will take several hours, so plan accordingly. Complete one part of the car at a time and avoid putting down too much wax before you go back for your wipe down. Try not to work in direct sunlight and be careful with dark colors because they can get hot and the wax can bake on and be difficult to remove.

Nothing looks worse than dried wax caught up in doorjambs, headlight rings and cowl vents. After polishing off the wax on your job go around the car with an old soft toothbrush to clean any residual material out. You can also find detail brush kits with various tips that work great for wax removal.

Once your wax job is complete it's on to the details. You would be amazed at how well some fine steel wool works for cleaning up chrome, emblems, and bright work. We chose this Rhodes American steel wool in a very fine grade (usually listed as #0000) to avoid scratching.

After being washed and cleaned up with steel wool, we hit all of our chrome with Turtle Wax paste wax. It works as well on chrome as it does on paint for both great looks and protection.

When it comes to aluminum wheels, we've had great luck with this Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish. Our car gets parked near the beach and after a year or two near salt water, the wheels can take on a cloudy coating that looks awful.

We apply a thin layer of the Mothers polish evenly around the whole circumference of the wheel. Then the elbow grease part of the task begins. Work the polish into the rim using small circular motions and moderate pressure.

The instructions say that when things begin to turn black you're getting down to the business of aluminum cleaning. Use only disposable cloth here because the black residue will permanently stain the material.

For tire care we like this Eagle One Tire Detailer Gel. We've had good results with all Eagle One stuff and the contoured applicator assures a tidy and slop free application.

Simply set the edge of the applicator tip onto the edge of the tire and if the bottle is held at the correct angle the whole sidewall will be coated evenly and completely with no runs.

For our interior care we turn to Turtle Wax once again. It now offers ICE Total Interior Care in wipes or trigger spray bottle. ICE Total Interior Care cleans and protects almost all interior surfaces eliminating the need for multiple products.

In addition to cleaning and restoring plastic and composite interior surfaces the formula will also remove grease, tar, and ink stains. The thick formula clings to interior surfaces and will not leave behind any greasy residue or slick film. A quick application makes our dashpad look like new.

We went over the dash, door panels, seats, and kick panels with ICE Total Interior care. As you can see, the results look awesome. All that remains now on our interior clean up is a thorough vacuuming.

As you can see, our 15-year-old Highland Green repaint looks pretty good after our spring cleanup. Imagine the results you'd get on a new paintjob.

If your car is like our green '69 Sports Roof with some years on the two-stage paintjob, you may be interested in this Turtle Wax Premium Grade Scratch Repair Kit. The kit is an easy to use at-home system to repair or remove scratch damage and other finish imperfections from exterior automotive paint.

This kit features a precision clearcoat pen that offers an easy-to-use solution to repair light scratches. For deeper scratches, the kit can be used in conjunction with touch up paints, making repairs nearly invisible. In many cases, it helps eliminate the need for more expensive professional repair.

The kit provides step-by-step instructions and contains all the essential tools for at-home repair, including a fast drying Clear Coat Pen and a paint clarifying compound to polish and remove scratches. Also included are reusable and tear-resistant restoration pads in 2,400, 3,200, 3,600 and 4,000 grit. They will remove paint surface damage and make the repair as smooth as the original paint. A spray lubricant is included to minimize abrasion and help lubricate the restoration pads. Buff and polish to produce a clear smooth finish. The kit costs only $16.99.