merchauser

I thought that the factory cosmoline was a good thing to leave in place? I have done everything to preserve its existence. am I making a mistake?

928cs

There are three points of view, I guess:
a) Everything must shine, so remove cosmoline and clean.
b) It is only original once, so don't touch cosmoline.
c) It must be as factory condition, so remove old dirty cosmoline and apply new one.

Mine would be b) on a very original car without rust.
This is also the choice of the owner of the 1988 CS that you can see into the issue 009 of 000 Magazine. The car's underside is a little dirty, but still covered with 30 YO cosmoline.

928 GT R

Great point and I debated that for some time. With only the upper front liners surviving the years on the road, plus the accumulated road tar and filth, saving the cosmoline on those two parts only - looked out of place (I have preserved it on the suspension and most other areas - so far).

Will re-visit applying cosmoline in the future or look for a full original set of intact wheel liners, engine tray etc... My GTS and 85S are intact and I would have harvested the 85's if it were a wide body

Unfortunately, this car came without the rear fender liners and front engine tray. I can only replace with new factory parts or source used parts that are unobtanium.

Perhaps it was wrong to remove it from those two parts? Perhaps I did the right thing by making it all match? To me, protecting all the parts that these liners shield from damage was important and I would not drive this car any more without these parts in place.

Range Rover

I'm of the opinion that cosmoline was supposed to be removed entirely prior to vehicle delivery. Evidently, for safe transit on the ship from Europe, the entire car was coated with it and it was removed at the VDC. I remember there was a special 964 that was auctioned a few years ago and one of the selling points was that it was so original that none of the cosmoline had been removed (it covered the paint, windshield, underside, etc.). BMW uses the same system today, and they used the same system back in the '80s and '90s. It is not uncommon to find an older BMW with cosmoline still on spots of the undercarriage or even in the engine bay. Today their system of removal is much more effective and includes removing it from the undercarriage. I have a 2006 Mini that has a few remnants of cosmoline, but 99% of it was removed and there isn't a trace of it on the undercarriage. I believe Minis are processed at the same VDCs as BMWs.
Here's an interesting article on Cosmoline and how BMWs are completely coated with it: http://www.rtsauto.com/different-typ...-which-to-use/

Here's an article about that 964 I mentioned. What looks like dust is actually cosmoline that was never removed: https://www.motor1.com/news/146848/p...rsr-auctioned/

928 GT R

Thanks Range Rover! That is interesting food for thought and I will continue researching this topic.

I have often wondered why the XX8 car has so little cosmoline compared to my Outlaw GT (which is slathered). Perhaps XX8 was cleaned off to a higher degree because the factory used it as a show car?

puyi

May be the production process was not controlled so much. And then certain cars were "cosmolined" a lot and others not. My 90 GT that is not really a "normal" car has not so much cosmoline on it as my 89 GT has plenty. they both were german cars.

MrLexse

I think the discussion becomes academic if the car is rarely if ever driven in the rain or snow. Cosmoline looks like dirt to me and the less of it I see the better I like it. If I were worried about protection from the elements and the possible reduction of sound dampening caused by the removal of the cosmoline, after removal I would try a re-coat with flexible rubber coating like clear Leak Seal.

MrLexse

Dave,
I looked on the Griot's site and couldn't find anything that I could identify as the "secret sauce" you wrote about. Which product is it? Thanks
Lex

olmann

After removal of the cosmoline I will coat everything down with Amsoil MP Metal Protector. Dries somewhat to a satin finish and seems to last.

polecat702

Brian, how is it applied, by sprayer, or is it an aerosol?

Wisconsin Joe

It's an aerosol can.

It works well on a variety of things.

olmann

That’s correct. I like the regular MP instead of the Heavy Dury MP. The heavy duty leaves more of a yellowish cosmolinesqe finish.

928 GT R

Lex,

My bad! It is actually called "Undercarriage Spray" not secret sauce. I have only used it on the rubber/plastic parts under the car and have not used it in the wheel wells or let it get on any painted surfaces. It seemed to soften the two front wheel well liners a bit and is staying a nice flat black. Use it sparingly until you get used to it.

Enjoy!

MrLexse

Dave,
Thanks. I'll order some and see how it works.

911user

Dave, here's the only two 928 GTSs in Minnesota.