Dick B.,
I should like to respectfully disagree with two of your comments...
>For one thing, you must avoid getting any water or solvent in the
> distributor, and if you just start spraying around in there, you'll cause
> yourself problems.
Obviously, you'll cause yourself some problems with regard to re-starting the
car immediately after getting the distributor and wires wet. However, if you
park the car with the engine facing the sun on a nice warm day (which will also
help you see the grime) the distributor & wires will dry themselves within a
few hours. Of course, this means doing it in your driveway, not the pressure
wash car-wash bay. Do they still have warm, sunny days in Michigan?
You'd have to intentionally try and get water "into" the distributor in order
to do any damage. You can also take the pre-caution of wrapping the cap/wires
in a plastic bag and taping the ends shut.
Another area of concern would be water into the carb (and then the engine). I
solve this by using an old plastic butter tub that is either the same size or
larger than the carb throat. Poke a hole in the top, and install it upside-down
like the air cleaner.
Finally, you'll need to stuff a rag or plastic bag into the oil filler hole on
the valve cover (making sure to leave enough hanging out so that you can remove
it).
Why am I giving Donna this advice? Because...
>
> I think your best bet it is to take it to your local carwash outfit and ask
> them to "detail" the engine for you.
I haven't met the car wash on this planet that I would trust to touch an
original '66 Imperial, let alone in a sensitive area like the engine
compartment.
At the least, you'll be $100 lighter in the wallet, and you can kiss any old
decals, paint markings, & delicate old plastic good-bye. At the worst, the
detail boys won't take any of the above cautions since they're used to
detailing 2-year-old Hyundais for the used car lots. They likey will not
understand how to remove an old-style air cleaner, and in this age of
distributorless ignitions, they won't have any idea why "not" to blast the
round thing with all the wires at the front of the engine. Most could care less
about blasting water into the carb, so long as they get paid.
Then after using harsh chemicals on 40-year-old paint, they give the whole
thing a nice blast of dirt-magnet silicone shine-ola.
Just like 10-minute oil change joints; detail shops are usually staffed with
guys who couldn't quite cut it in the mechanic world, but still love to
mess-around with carz. ("Mess" being the key word.)
As I said, I would recommend parking the car facing the sun and plan on it
being immobile for a few hours while things dry-out. I would try to carefully
remove any loose decals so that they may be re-glued at a later date.
Cover the carb & oil filler (I'd consider the distributor optional, just don't
blast it). Then spray the backside of the hood with some Simple Green (R)
avoiding the hood pad. Work it around with a soft, long bristle nylon brush,
and rinse with the hose. Again, avoid the hood pad... Some "mist" won't kill
it, but don't get it soaking wet.
Then move on to the engine firewall & fender jambs, using the same Simple Green
(R) and soft brush technique. Rinse. Repeat for the engine.
Once things dry, you can move on to painting parts. I usually use a combo of
small pieces of cardboard (like from a dress shirt package) and aluminum foil
to protect areas from overspray. Foil works well for covering odd-shaped parts,
and it's a hell of a lot easier/faster than tape.
Get all of your clears, flat/gloss black at the Home Depot. If Donna lives in
the Detroit area, she can get the correct turquoise engine paint from Mancini
Racing, (on Grosebeck, near 14 mile Rd. in Fraser. They might be listed as
Detroit Performance in the phone book). They'll have it on the shelf for $5.00
a can. If you don't see it, ask one of the fat, bald men behind the counter.
Finish the job by re-applying your old decals in their proper positions. Smear
a thin layer of clear, adhesive silicone caulk on the backside to make them
stick. You can always buy new decals, but if you can re-use the old ones,
they'll better match the original condition of the vehicle.
Mrs. Carmine has actually become quite good at engine detailing, and would
probably be happy to give you some real-world advice (again, if the Detroit
area is convienient). However, she'll be in the Phoenix area with me until
mid-July.
Carmine F.
PS: I agree with everything else below, but I would add that you shouldn't use
anything stronger than dish-detergent on the Imperial pie-tin. The
silk-screening is very delicate. You can also clean wiring with WD-40 instead
of lacquer thinner (a little more elbow grease, but less toxic). I do use the
lacquer thinner myself, but I'm also a politically-correct-redneck-jerk.
> The pie plate on the top of your air cleaner is a tough one, if yours
> is at all savable, try to clean it up carefully while preserving the decal.
> You might be able to make it look pretty good, and then spray clear Krylon
> over it (available at your local Home Depot). Your hoses and other rubber
> parts will look much better if you rub them with some lacquer thinner soaked
> into a cloth - but be careful with this stuff, it eats paint! And don't
> inhale this stuff, it is a cheap high, but it isn't good for you! Stop
> short of removing the writing on the hoses.
>
> Lacquer thinner also does a good job on wiring, it will restore much of the
> faded colors on the wires. Remove your battery and clean the white residue
> from the tray, then wire brush the rusty areas down to bare metal, then
> paint it with Rust-Oleum gloss black enamel (also from your friendly local
> Home Depot) - use brush type enamel, to avoid getting overspray on nearby
> items. Wash your battery with "Joy", water and a brush (out of the car)
> until it looks new and shiny, and after you re-install it, put a light film
> of Vaseline on the cable ends and post tops to keep the crud from
> re-forming.
>
> The underhood pad is probably ready to turn to dust. You can try vacuuming
> it gently, but don't get carried away or it will rain down all over your
> nice clean engine. If you are going to remove and replace it (they are
> available, see the IML archives for sources), spread a tarp or something
> over the engine and fenders before you touch it.
>
--
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