Bumble Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 One for the Ali brigade such as MOCA2CV: do any of you have any tips on keeping Aluminium clean at all, can you wax it or anything? I last cleaned the car with fine wire wool and then Autosol - it took ages, but looked great. - can anyone recommend whether a cheap orbital polisher would do the trick - I have a rear panel with dents in, and someone cut out the racing stickers on the bonnet with a stanley in situ any local recommendations on specialists in the area who can help without me having to go to Arch or suchlike? Thanks, Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJD Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Autosol is just a cleaner and doesn't protect the aluminium from further oxidisation. I find that AluMagic here does give a degree of protection as it includes some kind of wax but it won't clear bad oxidisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaterBram Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Wash Well Autoglym Metal Cleaner Autoglym Red Super Resin Polish Autoglym Gold Extra Gloss Protection Waxoxyl on internal panels, knucks and crannies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Matt, dents are difficult to deal with - bonnet is easy just get a new one, back panel will be arch unless you cal get one of the dent repair guys to tackle it. Most will say it's patina!! Mine was originally ally with yellow fibre glass and after a couple of years got fed up with the polishing regime. Had it painted yellow to match the wings but wish I'd chosen a suitable metallic silver to maintain the ally look. I used Belgom ally polish. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Just leave it unpolished. Every three years or so I pay to have someone to give it a clean with wire wool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS2000 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I use Belgom Alu on mine too - the bumpf says: Belgom Alu cleans and protects. It is a very fine metal polish suitable for aluminium and its alloys, brass, copper, nickel and chrome. Where Belgom Alu differs from other metal polishes is that it contains a waxed additive that protects and seals the polished metal for several weeks. Use Belgom Alu for a shine that lasts weeks and weeks It does seem to work quite well, although I'm no expert on these things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Erm, I don't do anything... I clean it as you would a normal car, and every so often attack it with wire wool and a bit of polish. Dents I just leave. I tried a mop on a drill but it just flung polish everywhere. Much more fun driving 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Agreed Belgom is What i do is clean first with thinner ( something like brush clean ) then i apply Belgom with a rag and i polish it out with paper, that works much better than polish it with a rag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawlishseven Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Belgom is the only way. I've tried everything and had almost decided to paint the car as polishing was getting too laborious before coming upon Begom alu it is brilliant stuff, it gets better after each application; three is about an optimum. I got through the 250 ml small bottle over the period of a couple of years bought a large bottle on special offer for a £10 when the old one ran out and I touched it for years, I just wash and chamois the car after its got mucky and it looks great; to everyone else! I keep thinking that it could do with a good going over again, but whilst I keep getting comments about how shiny it is I'm leaving well alone. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Having let my re-skin (of around 7 years ago) grow 'patina', I'd recommend either painting it in the first place - or doing nothing. My car lives/lived outside and did some fairly serious mileage after the rebuild - but looks scruffy as hell now. Given the choice again, I'd have gone for paint - but now it's the way it is, I'll leave it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewie Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Think of the 'massive' weight saving you made by not painting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Scruffy as hell is a good look IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irrotational Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 My polishing battle never got past the first hurdle, so I am in the scruffy as hell camp...rear wing held together by gaffs tape doesn't help... 😳 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colwise Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Thanks for all your replies, looks like 'Belgom' is the favourite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 just out if interest do any of you use a canuba wax once you've got it clean and shiny or just rely on the belgom - or would the wax not respond to bare ally in the same way it does to paint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS2000 Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I've never used anything on top of Belgom Alu, as it says on the carton it does seem to leave a 'waxed like' finish that beads water etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Following comments on here I bought a small pot of Belgom Alu to polish up the aluminium heat shields on the exhaust of my otherwise painted car. My reasoning was that anything that hangs out of the side of my car screaming and bawling and generally making an exhibition of itself had better look good having caught people's attention. Only took a few minutes and it don't 'arf sparkle :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Doughty Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Autoglym and Belgom are both good. I polish mine maybe twice a year but tend to use T cut as it give a light abrasive polish and does not clog the polishing cloth too much, Finish off with a resin polish to give it a bit of protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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