KPV

I just took a look at Oak's engine and chassis detailing pictures and I have to say, after seeing them, I feel like a downright slob!! My god, you can eat off that engine Oak!! (See it here http://gallery.rennlist.com/gallery/...Chassis-Detail ). Now remember, I get to see the underside of mine everyday in the garage on the lift and it is beginning to disgust me.

I am incredibly impressed with the condition of yours Oak which brings me to my questions:

1. How did you get it so clean?
2. If you did it yourself, were you on your back with crap dropping in your eyes?
3. What products and tools did you use?
4. How long did it take?
5. How did you remove the cosmoline?
6. If you took it somewhere, where was it and how much did they charge?
7. Is there anyplace in NJ that will do it?

If anyone has helpful information, please share.

Here are copies of Oak's pictures so you can quickly see what I am talking about:

Robert Linton

Very well done. Depending upon the level of perfection one wants, the job can take from but a few hours to literally hundreds of hours for a national concours winning effort. In New Jersey, the best is Paterek Brothers, one of the finest Porsche restoration shops in the world. John Paterek is the PCA National Expert on paint, body and restoration and has served as the chief judge of numerous Porsche Parades. Again, however, the cost can range from less than a thousand dollars for basic clean to many thousands for concours quality -- including the removal of every bit of cosmoline.

msindi

Zymol Strik is a good product to remove that cosmoline...I am keeping mine on to protect from salt if I ship the car on a boat later on...Coulc also help for those that live in a snowy area and who drive in the winter....

Robert Linton

Another product is Wurth Citrus Solvent Degreaser.

KPV

Robert,
I am very familiar with John Paterek from PCA. His reputation precedes him. I have tried to attend the PCA NNJR Concours Workshop two years in a row now and could not due to schedule conflicts. This is one of the times I feel fortunate to live in NJ! There is actually a Concours Workshop at Prestige Porsche in Nanuet, NY this weekend that I am trying to attend. It will not be like the Paterek Brother's workshop though from what I understand.
I realize John has tremendous experience and ability, but does Paterek Brothers do this type of work? How much do you think it would cost to prepare the engine and chassis to look like Oak's car? I am not looking to enter any Concours events just yet, but more aptly wish to take the same care with this area as I have with the paint and interior.

Msindi,
I am looking to clean it all, not just the cosmoline. But thank you for the reference.

Robert Linton

I could not estimate the price -- it also depends upon how much you are willing to do yourself. I would give John a call and take the car over for him to look at.

adrial

I dont understand the point of cleaning up the underside of the car to such a large degree. The first time you drive it, all that nice clean shiny stuff wont be quite so clean or shiny anymore...

msindi

WOW!! Just noticed the headers (strictly - exhaust manifolds) on Oak's car!! They are soooooooo clean and shiny!!
BTW - Zymol Strik is an engine cleaner not just for cosmoline (I believe it is what Oak used anyway as I remember reading a few months ago - be prepared to scrub hard!!)...more details here http://www.zymol.com/strik2.htm

Oak

Ken, I don't think I could pay someone enough to do the job the way I did.

Mainly elbow grease, a myriad of small brushes and dental tools. Once you have it this clean it's actually easy to maintain. Also easier to see possible problems and leaks. Cosmoline will have a tendancy to absorb oils and liquid, it makes it difficult to see what's going on underneath. Once it gets to the fried chicken texture when all the road grit sticks it's going to be much harder. The longer you wait, the areas around where the cosmoline ends and bare alloy is it will be stained for ever. If you plan on removing the cosm the sooner the better.

It might be easier if you can find someone with a heated high press cleaner to remove the bulk cosmoline. I used some of the Strik, Simple Green, and some other mild solvents. Scrub, pick and scrape! Theres really no short cuts.

It's no fun, but once I started I couldn't stop! Get yourself some goggles, mask, and some ground cover and go at it! Start from the center and work out to save yourself from becoming a mess. This had taken multple days to get it in this condition.

MKW

My ol' C5 Corvette was that clean from the factory - no cosmoline needed for shipping from Kentucky by train , LOL. Even after driving it for 2 1/2 years in rain, it still looked pretty much the same underneath except for " dust" on the shiny parts. Gummy cosmoline is a road crap "magnet" , for sure.

billhart

I used the Pateraks to detail an F-car for an R&T magazine shoot. The car was black, and at my insistence was not washed or detailed by the dealer upon delivery by FNA. It took the Pateraks 3 days of hand polishing and waxing to get it to a high state of "clean" and they examined the finish under those intense outdoor gas lights before completion. The car glowed almost purple. I then kept after it myself but it was well worth the cost of using these guys to get the finish they did at the outset. This "detailing," which was confined to the body shell, and did not even approach the interior, cost something like $1700.

Sun Ra

Oak ,
i hope regis was swimming during this project... guys, having seen Oak's car many times it's like a block of crystal, clean pure and perfect. he's sanded his paint with 1500 so it's of course perfect, too. and wheels, and... and...

Sloth

OMG... that is not an engine, that is a work of art!


Seeing that motivates me to do the same to my engine before it is to late. D@mn this site... always costing me time and money!

KPV

Billhart,
I have been trying to reach John Paterek to no avail. I have a phone number of 973.635.5924. I was actually in his supposed shop area this morning and drove up and down his street (Commerce St, Chatham, NJ) and could not locate the shop. Do you have any better info or know how to get in touch with John?

Oak

Guys, thanks for the compliments. Regis got a work out during this job!

Watt, Your alloy tape is in the mail!

Have fun this weekend!