Are you as anal as I am? I suppose there are all sorts of extreme levels of cleanliness when it comes to cars, but I hate to work on dirty cars.. I'm not talking about show-car clean where the underside of the dash is painted to match, rubbed out, and waxed, but the sort of clean that cars in regular use should get. There are a lot of folks who are happy if the steering wheel doesn't get their hands black, the seat is clean enough to not transfer any filth to their clothing, and the windshield is clear enough to see through during daylight hours. I am somewhere between those two, but closer to the former than the later.
Since I am the one that works on my cars (and motorcycle) almost exclusively, I try to keep them clean. When I get a used car it usually takes some time to get it to the point I like. I hate cereal and M&Ms in the spare tire well, I hate little bits of leaves in air vents, and since I don't smoke, I hate leftover tobacco products in the ash tray. But beyond that, I try to keep all the mechanicals clean as well. Clean bolts and nuts are easier to handle, and the gritty grease doesn't transfer to all my tools if the car is kept clean. Tools don't slip as easily and that;s good because my knuckles don't heal quite as well as they use to.
I am slowly getting my new-to-me 245 back into shape. Today I decided to clean the door hinges and strikers/latches on the driver's side. They were disgusting. Years of black accumulations from lubricant and road grime. Sure, better black and greasy than dry and worn out, but how lazy is the shop that merely squirts a little of whatever is on hand in an aerosol can on a moving part and walks away after charging .25 hrs. labor? Does it take that much time and effort to put a rag behind the hinge, squirt, then give the hinge a quick wipe after being lubricated? I suppose it does.
I spent the best part of nearly two hours cleaning the four hinges and two latches. Using Simple Green, a toothbrush, and a stiff, short-bristled scrub brush I sprayed, scrubbed, and sprayed. After it rinsed clean with a squirt bottle filled with water, I blew it all out with compressed air, the used a "Wash and Wax" product to clean up all the painted areas on the jambs. A little light lubricant to the moving parts, a wipe, and the doors are looking and working almost like new.
So why go through all that effort?
1) The hinges will last longer 2) Every time I shut the door and get that smooth motion and solid latching I get a feeling of pride of ownership. 3) People getting into my car won't get their clothing soiled by the dirty, greasy latches and hinges. 4) It will be a lot easier to work on in the future. 5) Grease draws dirt, dirt draws moisture, and moisture causes rust. ...and most importantly: 6) It was a lot easier to spot that loose hinge bolt that wasn't even finger tight!__ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate "Shelby" & "Kate"