Subject: How to clean a neglected car
                                      
   by Larry Reynolds
                                      
   Q. I was told recently the best way to clean a neglected car with
   little effort was to "take it to a detailer." What do you think?
   
   A. This is the easiest, albeit the most expensive way. A less costly
   yet more labor intensive approach might include the following:
   
   1. Insure that the car is cool to the touch and in shade, then wash
   the car thoroughly with a quality car wash and dry.
   
   2. Pick a fender, or door or any surface of the car that is separated
   by a seam. Complete all the below steps on this ONE area before moving
   onto another area. This way you don't start out on Saturday morning
   full of energy and strip all the wax off the car and then run out of
   steam (or get handed some honey-do's) and leave the car stripped of
   all wax.
   
   Note: The following steps are listed in the most conservative (read
   labor intensive/easiest on the car) order. Any solvents used on your
   Porsche's paint should be tested prior to use. Pick an area of the
   paint that is not visible. I like to use the seam under the rocker
   panels. It is almost invisible and has a nice coat of paint. Apply a
   little solvent to your rag and rub the test area. If paint does not
   stain the rag, then in all probability, the solvent is safe for your
   paint. If it does stain the rag, you may wish to use a different
   solvent.
   
   3. Clean the surface of the paint with a quality glaze. I prefer 3M
   Imperial Hand Glaze but there are several other quality glazes. Apply
   the glaze to your 100% cotton cloth or applicator pad and gently rub
   in a back-to-front, front-to-back motion. Work the glaze into the
   surface thoroughly and allow to dry. Buff out using another soft 100%
   cotton cloth. (I use my wife's old flannel sheets). If this has
   produced the finish you desire, then follow up with a quality hard
   wax. Apply the wax with your fingers and buff out with yet another
   cotton cloth. Move onto another section of the car.
   
   4. The track rubber marks will come out this way, but will take some
   time and effort. For areas that are especially difficult to remove try
   using either P21S Total Auto Wash, Wurth Citrus Degreaser or Oil Flo
   Safety Solvent to remove these marks (I use the Oil Flo). Take a soft
   cloth, apply a small amount of one of the above solvents to the cloth
   and gently rub out the rubber mark. These products will not normally
   harm a hardened paint if used as directed. Immediately rinse the area
   to remove any trace of the solvent. Dry and if the mark is gone, give
   the spot area another quick glaze. Then apply a coat of wax to the
   entire section.
   
   5. If your car looks like it was hit with a canon blast of black gum
   drops (3 days at Watkins Glen), then you may wish to reverse steps 3
   and 4. The safest method of using any solvent is to allow it to remain
   in contact with the paint for ONLY the amount of time that it takes to
   do the job and rinse completely.
   
   6. For wheel wells, spray one of the above solvents directly onto the
   area to be cleaned. Allow a few moments for the solvent to work,
   gently sponge or use a VERY soft brush to loosen the grime. Rinse with
   a lot of water to remove all traces of the solvent. Dry thoroughly. A
   trick to reduce the amount of crud that builds up in the wheel wells
   is to give them a coat of Sonax Hard Wax Spray. This will provide a
   thin coat of wax to help stop the build up street grunge and track
   "rubber snakes."
   
   EDITOR'S NOTE: Larry Reynolds and his wife, Geri, are both track
   junkies and have conducted numerous concour workshops. Larry also runs
   Car Care Specialties, Inc., a distributor of quality car care
   products. See his ad in the PANO.