alright this post is going to kind of jump around, but it all involves detailing. for starters, i dont want to be a member of team craptastic (no offense to those who are on it, im sure you all have good fun relating among your visually dirty underhoods)
i just got back from a trip down to the keys with Harley and am too afraid to open the bonnet. i have a feeling in my intercooler and radiator there will be a ton of bugs and other assorted gunk, plus even before the trip i had noted some of my intercooler fins were in miscelaneous directions. basically what would you guys recommend for getting out the bugs that get pretty far down the intercooler fins, and how do you recommend i straighten the fins?

my next question takes a completely different turn, and im sorry for tripping out right now and bouncing all over the place, but Harley could use a wax, in fact since i ve gotten her, 4 months to the day now, i havent waxed her. on my old honda id wax her once a month, but im a fraid with the mini because of all the black side molding, and the wax drying it out (for example there are currently some "dry" spots on the molding where i can tell the previous owner got wax on the moldings). im thinking to stop this i can put some painters tape on the moldings (the blue tape, i thinks its called painters tape) but that seems like it could take a lot of time,a nd may be more trouble than its worth. SO what do you guys in teh detail know recommend i do for waxing, throw on painters tape or somethign to cover the side moldings, or just wax the main sectionms of the car and avoid the parts near the molding, or any other idea you guys may have?

sorry for the long post, but this is a massive dilemma for me

 

I use tweezers to get any univited guests out of the fins.

Regarding waxing, sounds like you should start with the beginning and hit all the steps from washing with Dawn to remove any left over wax that might still be on the surface, to claying, all the way through to final waxing.

I have my preference of products, as do most if not all the other folks here, but I won't push anything (unless you ask me specifically to identify them) - except for I'll mention one product, which I have personally NOT used at this point, and that is ICE. Folks who have used it have indicated it does not leave any residue on the trim.

Now, to remove the existing residue on your trim, you can look around the threads here and you'll find things such as peanut butter and peanut oil - no we're not just a bunch of nuts (pun intended). Use one of them with a soft toothbrush and you'll take care of it.

You can go the route of taping off the trim, which I have tried but have found that the tape doesn't stick very well to my trim which I regularly apply a dressing to. So, I typically take my time when polish and waxing and always try to keep a finger between the pad and the trim.

I'm sure you'll get more advice, but try the different things out and see what works for you.

ENJOY!

 

I bought a cheap set of metal dental picks which come in all shapes. The kit includes a couple really long thin tweezers. I can easily pick out bugs and straighten fins.

 

Our local detailing guru suggests those plastic toothpicks that have floss strung on them... Don't use the floss end (break it of if you want)- instead they have a little "hook" at the end of the pick end that it looks to me would be perfect for scraping those buggers out. You can get them for like $2 for a gigantic bag at any drug store.

 

thanks for all the help guys, i still need to work on my IC cleaning, but i just detailed that body, and i used the peanut oil, and man am i surprised. honestly i thought like, i dont know itd work, but just not so well, i used it on the whole molding, not even the dry spots, and its so new looking, thanks so much for that tip, maybe i just havent lived enough yet or something, but that completely took me aback how well it works, esp. since it sounds like an old wives tale type of idea, thanks again