Two Favorite Cosmetic Uses

[Jetaway]

Folks,

Not real sure where to put this post, or for that matter, what to title it, but here goes.

NEVER DULL: more versatile than you think!

One product, Never Dull, you probably either use or have heard of, but do not use. It's the bottom-shelf metal polishing wadding stuff. Whatever its merits as a metal polish, it is the absolute best old wax remover that I've ever found. Wipe it on, wipe it off with a cloth. Considering how well it works on old wax, its probably taking off new wax as well, so aim carefully and given enough time, I wouldn't doubt it would start on the paint, so be quick about it. I've never had a problem with it removing paint, but I don't really give it a chance. (See before and after pictures of wax in the rear bumper crease photos.)

It will also remove wax from rubber parts. It definitely dissolves rubber, though new rubber is much less affected than older, aged, rubber. I've used it on rubber and not had a problem, but the admonition above to "Be quick" applies doubly here. (See before and after bumper rubber photos.)

Finally, under the nothing to lose category: Never Dull will blacken up old, worn out rubber. Yes, indeed, it will. I use it because my bumper rubber is, charitably, shot. I do not use it on good rubber, for that I use a product designed for use on rubber.

PLASTI-DIP

When I bought my Z, it came with ZX "Iron Cross" wheels. I thought it odd that the design on the center cap consisted of a polished metal "Z" against a backdrop of textured metal. Didn't really stand out that much. A few weeks later, I noticed the piece of crud that had resisted mild removal techniques was not a piece of crud but a piece of black plastic. AHA! That makes sense, the backdrop was originally textured black plastic. Now, what to do about it? Eventually I decided to try Plasti-Dip, a rubberized spray paint. A bit of fancy masking, three very light coats, and as you can see, three years later it has held up very well, and even reproduced the metal texture underneath.

Didn't take much for the wheel center caps, and the rear valence was faded, so I painted it. Those white areas seen between the bumper and taillight leads to the caution below. I liked the look of a pre-72 gas door and as the one I had picked up was in a messed up blue, I sanded the paint off and painted it with Plasti-Dip.

Maybe six months later while dissembling the dashboard area for some damn reason and a general cleaning, I Plasti-Dip'ed the metal panel between the padded dash and windshield. After 2 and 1/2 years, the color has held up very well. (Those white specks are dust.)

I had spray-painted the wiper arms with basic black spray paint and while they looked good at first, they faded to a dull grey within six months. Still, I was hesitant about using Plasti-Dip because it doesn't form as hard of a surface as regular paint and I worried about it being quickly sand blasted off of such an exposed area. Still, after three or four repaints with spray-paint, I figured nothing to lose and took off the old paint and applied Plastic-Dip last March. I'm thinking that six months later, and while its garaged, we don't have clouds from April through October, its holding up really well. Looks no different than the day I applied it.

The caution: Plasti-Dip does not play well with wax or polishes. Not at all. Those grey areas on the rear valence are wax smears inadvertently applied when I was trying to wax that thin piece of metal between bumper and valence. Not even the mighty Never Dull will get it all off. And that thin piece of metal remains unwaxed ever since.

Give'em a try!

Chris

[TomoHawk]

Cool thoughts, brother.

Nevr-Dull:

Ironically, the can rusted apart! I'm not sure I'd use it to de-wax paint, because I think the wadding feels abrasive.

Plasti-Dip Spray:

It sounds like a good idea for use as a kind of stone-guard. I think I'll use it to paint my side mirrors, which are faded from wind and rain.

[bluezcrazy]

I have used Never Dull to remove Paint overspray from chrome also. Takes a little elbow grease, but it works. It's one of my favorite car cleaning items for car shows.

Bryce

[TomoHawk]

Be careful with spark or flame around that stuff. :eek: I forget what the smell was, but it was definitely an organic solvent, so you could either use them to start a fire or dissolve wax or paint.

[ConchZ]

The best thing I've found for removing old wax, and refreshing the paint is Turtle Wax Liquid Clay Bar. It leaves your paint super smooth, too. Once a year, I do it on all the cars. It takes just a bit of elbow grease, but it's easier than a regular clay bar. I had some clear coat overspray on my hood that it smoothed down, even. You just hose off the car, rub this stuff on with the supplied sponge(that has a hand strap on it for easier holding), and then hose it off. Apply twice to really rough paint of swirl marks. A trick is that you are supposed to apply it to a wet car. Do not let it dry on the paint, or it will be somewhat hard to remove.

[Jetaway]

Fellow-Z'ers.

TomoHawk: Plasti-Dip works very well for side mirrors. I would have included a photo of mine, but it happened to be the one that snapped off that I posted about under "What Did You Do Today?" about a week ago. Go figure.

And rest assured I respect the power of Never-Dull on paint. When using it for non-traditional uses, "being quick" means "as soon as the right hand puts it on, the left hand wipes off."

ConchZ: I don't think the Turtle Was Liquid Clay Bar would do any better and is a lot more work for touch-up wax removal (like on the insides of the cowl air intake slots). I will give it a try on some larger problem areas, like what I assume is an oil stain spot on the front fender.

Bluecrazy: It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who uses Never-Dull "off-label.";)

Chris

[TomoHawk]

I wonder if the Nevr-Dull people are reading this stuff and saying " You're not supposed to use it to do that!!" and the guy in the next cubicle is thinking," I didn't know it would do that!" :bulb:

After my experience with the Nevr-Dull can rusting, I'd suggest that you get a small plastic container and store the stuff in there.

Can anyone confirm the solvent they use? It might be good to spike the contents of the can occasionally with a couple drops, or in case it dries out.

[sblake01]

You might have a tough time finding out. A friend and I looked into that a few years back. From what they told us it's a 'trade secret'. They said that it's a C.A.R.B. and V.O.C. compliant mineral spirit/petroleum hydrocarbon and that's all they would tell us.......

[Jetaway]

You might have a tough time finding out. A friend and I looked into that a few years back. From what they told us it's a 'trade secret'. They said that it's a C.A.R.B. and V.O.C. compliant mineral spirit/petroleum hydrocarbon and that's all they would tell us.......

And that's all you need to know, buddy.

Regarding drying out: When bought, the top wadding will usually be a bit on the dry side as the solvent has moved to bottom. I'll buy it, then turn it over for a day or two before use. Doesn't cause all the solvent to move to the top, but makes it easier to get to a dampened area for use.

If the lid is kept on tight, the last bits of wadding will be pretty damp with solvent. Throw it in the new can to spread the love.

Chris

And no, I don't use it on my cereal for breakfast.

[sblake01]

And that's all you need to know, buddy.

That's right! If they told me, they'd have to kill me........