I know, I know, this isn’t really a question, but it does start a spring cleaning discussion.
Here’s the FYI bit:
My Rock Auto newsletter informs me that they now carry touch-up paint, even for the old Grand Prix. Shipping is a little pricey (hazardous material??), but hey, they have it for me. I can even choose between AC-Delco or Dupli-Color products.
I just washed the old Grand Prix and applied Nu-Finish to the paint and Rain-X to the glass. I find both easy to use and get good results.
Here’s the beginning of the spring cleaning discussion bit:
What are some of your favorite spring cleaning ideas or products?
Any suggestions for us?
Isn’t it a bit early for Spring talk? It’s going to be January-cold across the Midwest and Eastern US. Sure, it’s summer in your new home, Mr Florida Gator, but not so in much of the rest of the country. Sniff.
I actually started to do some spring cleaning last week (before I found out that new snow is coming on Saturday ) on the cars. I started my heavier duty deep cleaning on the interior of our Odyssey and Focus, mostly vacuuming and windex on the interior sides of the windows. When it gets warmer out I’ll use my little spot cleaner carpet cleaner on the interior, Febreeze if it’s needed. I’m not even going to think about the heavy washing and waxing until the snow disappears
Back at our northern home folks just received a foot of snow and it’s staying cold. I need that like I need tap-dance lessons. That’s why I bailed. I seriously froze some toes running the snow-blower last winter and decided I’m not doing that any more. Sunglasses, Nike Dri-fit shirts, Nike shorts, and sandals are components of the wardrobe every day. I think it would be fun to sell the snow-blower this summer!
At this location where the Grand Prix is residing with us we have a wash rack with a hose available to use a bucket of suds and give the vehicles a sponge bath hand-wash. Also, there’s a nice Splash & Dash just up the road. This city has everything close-by! Also, the roads are very well maintained here.
I’ll be driving back north in about a month. I haven’t decided for sure which old car (or van) is going to live here and which one is taking us north. If I leave one then we can fly down once in a while to check on things over summer. Then drive down here in the fall. We bought this place “turn-key furnished” (it has everything). So we’ve been clothes shopping and stocking up personal incidentals. We can just about fly cheaper than driving and will not need more than a little carry-on bag. Much more convenient than vacation rentals. And, besides the golf course, pools, and fitness facility, we have a workshop here with drill presses, benches, table saw, chop saws, tools, hardware, etcetera.
Which ever car makes the 1,500 mile trip back, it’ll have fresh oil. The van had reached 5,000 on its oil last week and I didn’t have the means to change it myself. It was a little scary (I almost always do my own), but I bit the bullet and took it to a very local Take-5 quicky change place. They have a pit (I don’t like using a hoist/lift just to change oil) and I took my own factory filter. You stay in the car! They had very redundant procedures for checking fluid levels and for leaks following the change, plus they greet you by handing you a cold bottle water! I felt useless, but I could get used to it, I guess.
I have to go out and finish spring detailing the old Grand Prix. CSA
I bought a steam cleaner that is GREAT for cleaning carpets and upholstery. For us northern residents - nothing beats it at getting salt deposits off of carpet. There is nothing I find better at cleaning the interior of a car. It’s like new when done. After I clean the interior…let it dry - then Scotch-Guard upholstery and carpet. My wifes car I put a leather protector on the seats. And the steam cleaner does great job in cleaning leather too. You can get a decent one for about $100. The ones under $100 - you have to keep refilling the water and then wait for it to heat it up.
True story: When I bought my Bonneville, some clown had removed the factory carpet mats from the car (probably dirty and they were too lazy to clean them). However, I wanted factory mats. So, I went to a salvage yard and bought a set very reasonably priced (front and rear). They weren’t worn, but they were dirtier than dirty, weighed about 28 pounds each because of all the dirt.
After I left the salvage yard I went directly to a DIY car wash and proceeded to spend several dollars in quarters spraying (from point-blank range) the mats. I had to keep going over the same areas several times, but you could see the dirt flow out. When the rinse started coming out clear, I was finished!
I hung the mats up and let them drain, took them home and let them finish drying. The mats came out fine (almost like new) and they are tough enough that my treatment with the spray wand and all that pressure didn’t hurt them at all. CSA
I guess high 30s is Spring for you. That’s winter in the Mid-Atlantic. It’s supposed to be in the 60s full time by now, but we are getting weather similar to you guys the next few days. Rain/sleet/snow overnight and into Sunday.
I was giving CSA a hard time since he moved to his great new home. Hey, someone’s gotta do it.
) on the cars. I started my heavier duty deep cleaning on the interior of our Odyssey and Focus, mostly vacuuming and windex on the interior sides of the windows. When it gets warmer out I’ll use my little spot cleaner carpet cleaner on the interior, Febreeze if it’s needed. I’m not even going to think about the heavy washing and waxing until the snow disappears 
