alloy cleaning

[africaking]

What is the best way to make alloys shiny and sparkly? like alloy wheels but more importantly for me, i need the alloy mouldings and casing in engine compartment to be nice and clean and shiny, does this involve hard graft?

[kopend]

there was a motoring program on the other the day.i think it was vroom vroom on sky 1 but it might have been 5th gear . anyway they had a specialist car valleter? on who said all the normal stuff you get has chemicals in it which can damage the alloy, he used a specialist product (american i think) and it was about �60.00 a litre i may have been made from oranges

[Garforthdave]

There are now a small number of mobile vans specialising in Alloy treatments, where in the country are you, I may know someone who can help as I know three such vans.

Dave

[Impret-Sir]

Solvol Autosol, available from Halfords, works well on alloy, cleans shines and protects.

[djprescott]

Solvol is a metal polish which you would normally use on bare metal.

Most alloy wheels these days are either painted of laquered, so you must'nt use metal polishes on them.

Use a special wheel cleaner like Meguiars Wheel Brightener or Turtle Wax Performance wheel cleaner.

As for aluminium casings etc, use a metal polish but remember that it will be bare metal and therefore will corrode very quickly if not protected straight away.

[africaking]

Thanks to eveyone, I have used various polishes and aluminium polishes too, all are pretty standard and arnt up to the job, basicly I have an american car the has aluminium casing's in the engine compartment, i would like to get these shiny like gloss really, i fear i may have to get pro's to do this as it may need them to sand the ali back and then buff it.

Dave

I am based in Manchester, so anyone you know round this way, would be great, thanks

Ron

[madijay]

you can use Solvol is a metal polish and brilliant stuff
see here for more cleaning alloy information
http://www.secat.net/