Scottster Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 So the weather finally broke here this weekend...right at the end of spring break, after we were hit with a mega snowstorm to kick it off The roads had dried enough, and with the "warm" temps. I couldn't resist myself but to dig into the Pontiac and begin getting all of the winter grime off of her. I intended to do just a simple wash, and wait to do my "ultimate spring cleaning" but had lots of time so I ended up going to town on the interior for the day. I had basic rubber mats in over the winter, which don't really fit the w-body-weird-shaped foot wells very well, so lots of winter scum had made it's way into the carpets. I think next year I'm going to order some form-fitted rubber mats from these guys who always have 8 pages of advertizing the car mags ( http://www.weathertech.com ) Beyond that, my wonderfully carefull friends had spilt numerous late-night-drivethru beverages in the back seat, which had murdered the rear center console and rear floor. All this plus blatent neglect over the cold months mean the interior was definetly more than worse for wear, and just plain nasty. So, on to the process. I didn't let anything get in may way...even the seats! I pulled 'em out so I'd have the whole carpet to work with, and was suprised how much dirt and junk had acummulated over one year. I only put these leather ones in last february, replacing the original cloth AQ9's, and had the floors spotless before installing them. As embarassng as it is, here's how dirty my interior was immediatly after removing the seats. You can see the outline of the rubber mat lol... Pass. side not so bad, but the girlfriend has a habit of putting here muddy shoes on the side of the footwell, instead of on the floor where the winter mats are Rear scum Sort of a shitty pic, but where are the seats? lol I suppose I should admit that I KNOW the console lid doesn't match, but actually I sort of like the "two tone" look (it matches the seats), and the J/Y lid contained fully funtional AQ9 controls, and no torn vinyl like my original lid. This was a lake of Rootbeer at one point that simply evaporated, leaving nice brown colored Mcdonalds pop remains....and what the hell is all that sticky shit all over the armrest!!! I should have some of my friends heads on stakes Up next, after the vacuum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottster Posted March 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottster Posted March 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 I really have to work on keeping a steady hand when taking pics eh? lol So here are the "afters". My process was to spray the soiled areas with some Shout spot remover (the laundry stuff) and then I put half-cup of Tide in a bucket of hot water, and used that with a brush all over. The rather "bold" thing I did was to use the hose (with one of those straght, twist-on/off steel nosels), along side a shopvac to rinse, and suck away the dirty water, out of the carpet. In fact this is the same process I use on the floor mats, driving the tip of the nosle on the hose into the carpet, and then agitating it. The pressure from the water drives the dirt out of the carpet, and then the shopvac sucks up all the dirty, soapy water. Beyond that, the carpet is left with no soap residue, and perfectly clean. I know it's a little risky spraying water into the interior carpet, but I would quickly follow with the vacuum hose in the other hand, so that the water would not soak in too much. Anyway, I am very happy with the result, and am proud to sit in my car again! All of the panels were likewise scrubbed down with tide/water, rinsed with a wet towel, and then dressed with Armorall. It feels like a new car to drive again! And everything put back together. On the seats I rubbed in some Armoral-leather treatment stuff, and then loosened the dirt up with a brush, wiped them, and applied it again. It's an all-in-one cleaner/conditioner, so it's probably not the best stuff, but the leather is noticably cleaner, and slipperyer-er. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottster Posted March 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Just to wrap up, some exterior shots of the car. It was just a wash, with the tires dressed. It may look good from a far in these pics, but's FAR from good up close! I'll update when I get some time to go to town on the exterior...it certainly could use some TLC aswell. The horrifying details... Rust! ahhhhhh!!! (Front Left Quarter) Did I do that? noooooooo? More scuffs and bruses... This shot was supposed to show how desperately the car needs clay, with all the little brake-dust rust pits and junk that's bonded to the paint...but the pic doesn't show that much detail. What you can see is the red stripping I re-did last summer, which held up through the winter pretty good. It was red vinyl taping I got in a roll from a body-shop supply store that was applied after I trimmed off the old shitty, crumbling stuff with an exacto knife. Looks pretty factory IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 she cleans up pretty well for her age !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOT2B GM Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 looks real nice Scott. You can do my Z next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Very nice. BTW: I want your AQ9's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 You are my car soul mate. The girlfriend, the friends spilling drinks, the light gray interior. I feel your pain. I'm glad to see it cleans up. Every spring I feel pretty hopeless, but usually I am able to undo all the winter interior damage. Your reclamation looks amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottster Posted March 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 You are my car soul mate. The girlfriend, the friends spilling drinks, the light gray interior. I feel your pain. I'm glad to see it cleans up. Every spring I feel pretty hopeless, but usually I am able to undo all the winter interior damage. Your reclamation looks amazing. LOL...Yeah, it's like fighting a battle you know your going to lose! It's not perfect, and every year will probably not come up as well as the year before...but it is almost 2 decades old, hard to believe. I keep telling myself I'll keep it when done school, and fix it up just as a toy (it's not worth anything to anyone but me). I guess I still have some time to think about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSI_MuNkY Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Looking good! I just gave mine a bath for the first time since November. Sadly I too found some more dings and war wounds, including a door ding from a white car and some rust/paint chip on the left front quarter panel. And tar, omg I need to buy a 4L jug of that bug and tar remover! Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EviLette Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Looks great, man! I wish my baby would clean up that nice. You, by the way, are much nicer than I am. I do not allow anything BUT spill-proof containers in my car. The most I will ever have in there is a can of soda half-empty that I keep my hand over most all of the time. Then again, I've got an all-fabric light grey interior. And I tell people to keep their feet on the mats. HAHA, I'm so protective of this car. >.> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted To Boost Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Looks awesome man! I'm jealous of how nice your SE is... makes mine look horrid I feel ya on the beverages.. except I take it to the extreme- nobody is allowed to bring food or beverages in any of my cars (except water). Guess I'm a jerk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mra32 Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Looks awesome man! I'm jealous of how nice your SE is... makes mine look horrid I feel ya on the beverages.. except I take it to the extreme- nobody is allowed to bring food or beverages in any of my cars (except water). Guess I'm a jerk. While i munch and spill my car's interior away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Looks awesome man! I'm jealous of how nice your SE is... makes mine look horrid I feel ya on the beverages.. except I take it to the extreme- nobody is allowed to bring food or beverages in any of my cars (except water). Guess I'm a jerk. Rule No. 1: NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE CUTLASS. Looks great Scott!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Man that interior turned out nice!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediabandit Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Looks much better now. good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottster Posted March 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Thanks everyone! I know, I shouldn't have let anyone in the car with drinks in the first place. Of course everyone always says "dont worry, I'll be careful", until you know what happens... I think I should have let the spot-cleaner work a little longer, and maybe some of the dirtier areas would have come up nicer. It's definitetly 100% clean, it just doesnt have consistency in terms of the grey color. I really don't want to make any apologies for it though. I'll give it another go-around when the weather really warms up, but this job will suit for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted To Boost Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 What did you do to your exhaust tips to make them shine up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottster Posted March 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 What did you do to your exhaust tips to make them shine up? I usually just hit them with some SOS steel wool pads every few washes, and they stay looking great. I've polished them before too, but that doesn't do much. It takes about a week the inside lip begins to get black with exhasut soot, but they are easy to maintain. Your SE should have the same stainless trim on the tips. Frankly, I'd like to get my hands on those wide rectangular tips from the 98+ Cadillac STS. I think those would look great, and *almost* stock, just a little better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89GranSport Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Good job cleaning! My Regal is probably overdue for a cleaning inside and out, maybe once we get some nicer and more consistent weather, I'll give it a good cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted To Boost Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 What did you do to your exhaust tips to make them shine up? I usually just hit them with some SOS steel wool pads every few washes, and they stay looking great. I've polished them before too, but that doesn't do much. It takes about a week the inside lip begins to get black with exhasut soot, but they are easy to maintain. Your SE should have the same stainless trim on the tips. Frankly, I'd like to get my hands on those wide rectangular tips from the 98+ Cadillac STS. I think those would look great, and *almost* stock, just a little better! Yeah, my SE has the same tips. I was trying to figure out how to go about shining them up. Thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krenzy Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Scott, three things: 1) When you open your interior cleaning business, I'll be the first in line. Good job! 2) What's with the 90+ gauges and the 88-89 seats?? What year is the SE? 3) When you can, send me the best version of your avatar...I SO want that pic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Ball Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Scott, three things: 1) When you open your interior cleaning business, I'll be the first in line. Good job! 2) What's with the 90+ gauges and the 88-89 seats?? What year is the SE? 3) When you can, send me the best version of your avatar...I SO want that pic! He swapped his seats, his car is a 90, and yeah he drew that pic of his car and it is sweet! BTW, looking good Scott! I need to clean my car badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottster Posted March 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Scott, three things: 1) When you open your interior cleaning business, I'll be the first in line. Good job! 2) What's with the 90+ gauges and the 88-89 seats?? What year is the SE? 3) When you can, send me the best version of your avatar...I SO want that pic! Lol, well I do detail cars in the summer and I'd be glad to do a fellow w-body members! As for the car, it is a 1990. I found those pristine leather ones in a J/Y car a few months after buying mine. I had never seen them before, and at the time thought they were "custom", and had to have them. I found out later they were just regular old Pontiac stock...I even thought for awhile "AQ9" meant the leather option...until the boys at the spring meet set me straight! lol I guess we all have a embarrasing learning curve to overcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Nice cleanup! I shampooed my interior on saturday and just used my little Bissell. Still have existing spots in the light blue carpet, so when the weather gets warmer I'm breaking out the power washer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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