Under body cleaning
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,336
Likes: 1
From: North Bellmore Ny
St. Jude Donor '09
Under body cleaning
What is the best way to clean the the bottom of the car? Frame,floors,exhaust, oil pan, etc..... Just wondering what you guys are doing to keep everything clean.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 683
Likes: 4
The hardest part of cleaning the under carriage is how not to make more of a mess than what you started with. What I'm talking about is the garage floor, your clothes, your shoes and all the parts next to the part your cleaning. I tried many things and what I ended up with was using brake cleaner in the spray can form. I would spray it on the part and leave it on for a second or two and then wipe. You will have to do these three or four times to get it clean. This method also removes paint. Make sure to have plenty of rags and use rubber gloves and to have a well ventilated area away from the water and house heater. To repaint the part or area if it was black I used a paint from my local John Deere store called Blitz black. It matches the factory paint. Other things that will help to keep from getting overspray on are sheet plastic masking tape, foil, saran wrap. Also cardboard on the floor will save you from cleaning the floor.
Good Luck
Good Luck
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 328
Likes: 0
From: PASADENA MARYLAND
Not a big fan of commercial car wash...but ..A couple of times ive run mine through the local "no touch" car wash ....
They have an under car up spray with steam as you pull in the bay ....
Last time i checked the underside while on a lift, it looked good ...
They have an under car up spray with steam as you pull in the bay ....
Last time i checked the underside while on a lift, it looked good ...
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 4
From: Arlington texas
If you have some buildup under it, depending on what it is and how bad, you can set up one of the moving lawn sprinklers under it and let it make a few slow passes under the car. It'll help break loose some of the build up from road grime then go back with a pressure washer or pressure nozzle on you hose.
4X4ers use it alot to loosen all the mud they accumulate after off roading.
4X4ers use it alot to loosen all the mud they accumulate after off roading.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 764
Likes: 2
From: THE OLDER I GET THE BETTER I WAS! NORTHERN ONTARIO
I helped a friend a couple of summers ago with his 72 we had a guy come over & dry ice blast everything...grease freezes & falls to the shop floor & it's safe for fiberglass parts as well! It was great for the initial cleaning. We painted it now he just pressure washes it clean
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,268
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota in the summer, Las Vegas in the winter
Last year I had my 72 up on stands for over a month while I completely redid the rear. I used some laquer thinner in a spray bottle to remove 36 years of grime and grease.
This is nasty stuff. I wore goggles and an old shirt when using it. A putty knife helped on the thick areas.
Clean as a whistle now.
This is nasty stuff. I wore goggles and an old shirt when using it. A putty knife helped on the thick areas.
Clean as a whistle now.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 1
From: Ansonia/NYC CT
I have a similar question.
When it gets warmer, I want to get back under her with my trusty drill and wire brush bit, and get rid of the rust on the half shafts, rear end, etc. And then paint it. BRDD is actually my inspiration for this....
BUT.
What about the frame? Mine is covered in some sort of goop....that is hard as a rock. I assume this is some type of undercoating from the factory to help fight rust? As in, should it be kept? I don't think I'll be able to do a proper frame off resto for, say, 10 -20 years or so....so powder coating the frame is out.....with that in mind, would it be even worth it to try to get rid of that goop?
When it gets warmer, I want to get back under her with my trusty drill and wire brush bit, and get rid of the rust on the half shafts, rear end, etc. And then paint it. BRDD is actually my inspiration for this....
BUT.
What about the frame? Mine is covered in some sort of goop....that is hard as a rock. I assume this is some type of undercoating from the factory to help fight rust? As in, should it be kept? I don't think I'll be able to do a proper frame off resto for, say, 10 -20 years or so....so powder coating the frame is out.....with that in mind, would it be even worth it to try to get rid of that goop?
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 221
From: Beecher Illinois
I save all my old socks! I'll pull two at a time onto a 12" shim(or paint stirrer)and spray it with solvent or soap, depending on what I'm cleaning, and work it up into all the inaccessable nooks and crannies.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
I love the old socks idea. I think I'll be using that one this winter. I hope to have enough tax refund to pull the rear end and have it rebuilt, so of course the whole area around it will get a full cleaning and restoring.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 2,460
Likes: 352
From: Madison Alabama
, hell that car is so clean all you need is some baby wipes 
.I want to clean the underside of my '82 but it was sprayed with undercoating back in '82. Really helped preserve the car but it's all a dingey, gray/black under there...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 809
Likes: 8
From: brewster NY
Honda Cleaner. Under your car is pretty clean so if you don't want to use water this stuff works great cleans and waxes, you can pic it up at any
honda motorcycle dealer. I never wash my bikes use this stuff on the wheels frame motor paint also great for getting the bugs off.
honda motorcycle dealer. I never wash my bikes use this stuff on the wheels frame motor paint also great for getting the bugs off.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 13
From: Kingman AZ
Just take it to a do it yourself car wash. About 3 times a week and just keep blasting. The jack it up and get under it for the hand cleaning. If there's still grease and oil continue to wash every couple days until all the gook is off. Then detail. Worked for me
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,838
Likes: 10
From: Austin TX
No easy way to get the ugly undercoating off. The best method I've found is:
Go to Home Depot, purchase,
Gallon of WD-40
Sprayer
Nylon gloves
A couple of plastic scrapers
Bag of rags
Drop cloth of some kind
Get the car up as high as you can and remove the wheels.
Soak the undercoating gunch with WD-40 on day one, then again on day two. Spray it again on day 3 three and begin scraping and wiping. The undercoating is some sort of oil based product so the WD breaks it down pretty well.
Also, WD is safe to use. Stuff like lacqer thinner, brake cleaner, oven cleaner (I've found ineffective anyway), stripper, etc, could damage the fiberglass, get on the paint, eat through soft parts, etc. No probs with WD.
Go to Home Depot, purchase,
Gallon of WD-40
Sprayer
Nylon gloves
A couple of plastic scrapers
Bag of rags
Drop cloth of some kind
Get the car up as high as you can and remove the wheels.
Soak the undercoating gunch with WD-40 on day one, then again on day two. Spray it again on day 3 three and begin scraping and wiping. The undercoating is some sort of oil based product so the WD breaks it down pretty well.
Also, WD is safe to use. Stuff like lacqer thinner, brake cleaner, oven cleaner (I've found ineffective anyway), stripper, etc, could damage the fiberglass, get on the paint, eat through soft parts, etc. No probs with WD.