Cleaning smoke/soot off of car's finish

[ia-k]

Working on a car that was either stored in a diesel truck repair shop or had a bad burning wood stove. 

 

Normally I would use whatever cleaner would remove the smoke/soot and once clean, re-wax it.  However this car is a 1984 Chrysler Lebaron "woody" convertible. White paint with the woodgrain appliques and white/beige top so I need to think twice about what I wash it with. The normal car wash concentrate and wash mitt I use just seems to smear (for a lack of a better term) without lifting it off and removing the black grime, looks better than before the first time I washed it but after multiple washes it still looks dirty.

 

Would Simple Green be to harsh for the convertible top and the "wood" appliques? I see combination cleaner/waxes available, would this clean or just put the dirt under a layer of wax, but doesn't help with the convertible top? Dish soap (Dawn)? Other ideas for a cleaner?

[Digger914]

Simply green wouldn't be to harsh, but Dawn will work better for the top. Not just Dawn, Dawn Ultra.

In a spritzing spray bottle about 2oz Dawn Ultra, mix with about 1oz spray and wash fabric pretreat and a half quart of very hot water. Liberally spritz on the top in an area of about 2 sq ft at a time, scrub it in with a soft scrub brush rinse with really hot water and keep at it until the top is clean. Let the top dry and spray the material with convertible top sealer. 

[TAKerry]

I just read a thread on another forum whereas a guy had major overspray on his car from sitting in a body shop for a number of years. Several guys replied to use 3m brand commercial grad clay bar. They said the results should be remarkable. It should be fine for the paint and paneling. I have used meguires clay bar successfully but these guys were saying the 3m stuff is so much better.

[63RedBrier]

Try Dow bathroom cleaner, the Scrubbing Bubbles, in an inconspicuous area...

[Laughing Coyote]

2 hours ago, TAKerry said:

I just read a thread on another forum whereas a guy had major overspray on his car from sitting in a body shop for a number of years. Several guys replied to use 3m brand commercial grad clay bar. They said the results should be remarkable. It should be fine for the paint and paneling. I have used meguires clay bar successfully but these guys were saying the 3m stuff is so much better.

I do my vehicles every year with the clay bar method.  Takes all the impurities out of the paint.  Then follow up with a nice good wax.  Leaves that nice soft and smooth finish.  Use it on the glass too. 

[John348]

Better then a clay bar is the clay cloth, a lot more forgiving if you drop it on the ground.

[bryankazmer]

be really careful with Simple Green - residual amounts may stain the plastic.  Some plastics passing the Chrysler test for cleaner fail if Simple Green is used instead

[60FlatTop]

2 hours ago, 63RedBrier said:

Try Dow bathroom cleaner, the Scrubbing Bubbles, in an inconspicuous area...

The guys at US Seat Covers in Houston, TX introduced me to Scrubbing Bubbles about 3 years ago. I would try that. Sometimes it is hard to find in the spray can, grocery store stuff. On leather car interiors it removes human body oils that make the seats shiny with age. I have redone three interiors after replacing upholstery and seat buns. I brought a can in the house and now my wife loves it for shower cleaning.

 

The story goes that customers had installed new leather and complained it had a satiny finish, not shiny like the original. The satin finish is how it is supposed to look and the Scrubbing Bubbles restores the finish by gently deep cleaning it. Great stuff.

 

Do the Bubbles first. If you have rain tracking in places water ran use some NAPA chrome polish. It has a very fine grit and will remove the marks and brown rust bleeding.

 

After that 3M fine polishing compound will bring it up nicely.

It's about $25 on Ebay. And give it a coat of your favorite wax.