Wax On, Wax Off

No doubt keeping your street rod (or any of the family's cars) looking good requires some effort. However, when it comes to keeping your favorite ride showroom fresh after days and hours upon hours on the road, a little effort is required. A little wax on followed by wax off is a good thing. In fact, there is something peaceful and soothing about applying a wax and gently polishing that baby smooth paint to a brilliant shine.

Well, there is more to this story than just selecting the proper wax to bring out that shine. We also want to welcome to the world of street rodding Turtle Wax as they present the STREET RODDER Top 100 program. But for more on that you can visit www.streetrodderweb.com, or follow along as we pick 10 finalists at 10 different events, which include eight Goodguys, Ocean City, and Syracuse. Come the end of the year (October) you, the reader, will get your chance to select the Street Rod of the Year by casting your vote online. You can go to the SRM Web site right now and see the finalists as they accumulate from the summer's events. Keep viewing these online features, and in time you will have the opportunity to select your favorite. Of course, nothing prevents you from attending one of these events and having the opportunity to make "the list" yourself. As a finalist, you will receive a STREET RODDER Top 100 jacket, as well as a box full of Turtle Wax products. And that brings us to the point of this article.

Let's take a look at what it takes to keep the various aspects of your ride showroom fresh for the street. There are some basics that apply to all types of cars (and trucks), whether it is my '29 highboy, your fat-fendered ride, or maybe your family car or pickup-all need cosmetic attention at some point in time.

Being somewhat inept at keeping my own ride looking its best, I managed to get some firsthand pointers right from the guys who should know-Michael Schultz, the vice president of product development, and Robert Zaremba, the marketing director for Turtle Wax. OK, maybe my effervescent personality isn't the reason I had these top guns show me the tricks, but it sure was fun watching someone else slave over my highboy! During the process, they showed how to use each of the products that will be given away, and also provided some tips on keeping that showroom shine. Here are some proven tips and techniques.

Paintwork
The windshield of your car should tell you immediately just how much dirt (grim, grease, etc.) builds up on your cars paint-and, yes, even the engine. Bodywork is in the front line, attacked by grit, tar, oil, and salt. Here are some easy-to-remember recommendations: Look out for chips-front of the car and sills are prone. Remove any bird droppings as soon as possible. Use a ChipStick to stop rust in chips or scratches.

Washing
While most street rods do not suffer the same indignation from road grime as the red queen family truckster, you should never begin to polish (or wax, etc.) without first addressing dirt and road grime. Failure to do this can result in scratching off the finish during waxing due to the presence of abrasive particles in the road dirt. Washing is also effective in removing residue from industrial fallout, bird droppings, and road salt. Here are some recommendations: To prevent scratching, use two sponges-one for dirty areas, the other for cleaner parts. Drive car briefly afterward; this will ensure the brakes are dry and prevent corrosion. Don't forget to clean the painted areas covered by the hood, side panels, decklid, tailgate, or shut doors. Should you find water spots on your street rod, here is a handy tip: Most common water spots are caused by mineral deposits. A 50/50 solution of vinegar and water does a great job of neutralizing these marks.

Waxing and Polishing
Waxes and polishes serve three primary purposes: cleaning a car's finish, improving the shine, and protecting the surface against Mother Nature. Most waxes/polishes contain very mild abrasives, along with chemical cleaning agents, lubricants, and waxes. These abrasive services remove surface oxidation while leaving behind a high-gloss shine. Some more recommendations for waxing and polishing: Never apply wax onto surfaces that cannot be easily buffed. Ideal waxing temperature is between 55 and 85 F. Always apply paste wax in thin coats. Soft terry cotton makes perfect polishing cloths. Do not apply wax in direct sun (unless you are using ICE Synthetic Liquid Polish) on dark finishes; this makes polish and wax removal difficult. Only wax a recently washed (or carefully dusted) surface.