# Auto detailing supplies have multiple usage



## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

I found that my Maguire's Detail brush (very soft) and some dish soap and water in an old hand soap foamer works very well. Followed by Q-tips, some compressed air to dry the crevices, and a little Maguire's detail spray for that added shine! 

Before and After:


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## yd328 (Dec 19, 2017)

Wow, looks great

Gary


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

A cheaper and in my opinion nicer product is plain old Pledge... Many sellers at train shows will give their items a shot of Pledge to make them shine and appear as new.. It works great on plastic car bodies.


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## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

yd328 said:


> Wow, looks great
> 
> Gary


Thanks! I started with the nastiest cars I had. Now I need to solder in replacement light sockets for the ones that were missing and replace the link couplers with knuckle couplers and they should be good to go.


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## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

flyernut said:


> A cheaper and in my opinion nicer product is plain old Pledge... Many sellers at train shows will give their items a shot of Pledge to make them shine and appear as new.. It works great on plastic car bodies.


Ah, that's a good idea. I don't keep it in the house (don't like the smell, don't like it on wood furniture, don't like the massive over spray), but I can imagine it does a great job on certain plastics.

I know that some people use it to shine the black plastic trim on car exteriors.

Mostly, I was pleased with the foamer and delicate nature of the Maguire's brush. The detailing spray was an afterthought and really only added minimal shine.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

I have a wide selection of Meguiar's products in the garage. I use them for other things than cars but rarely on my trains. I did use the cleaner wax on some 655 green plastic cars like yours. Never on a painted or inked surface.


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## dooper (Nov 9, 2015)

Just a thought. I have had some passenger cars converted to knuckle couplers. 
Two issues. One is that if you do not raise them high they will decoupler going through a re-railer section of track. The second is that they become too far apart at the coupling.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Dooper, correct and correct. Knuckle couplers will uncouple if they are not set high enough. Link coupler cars couple much closer together than knuckle coupler cars. Link to knuckle conversions are the worst offenders. This in one of several reasons I like link coupler cars.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I use the cleaner/wax on my guitars. Good stuff.


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## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

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dooper said:


> Just a thought. I have had some passenger cars converted to knuckle couplers.
> Two issues. One is that if you do not raise them high they will decoupler going through a re-railer section of track. The second is that they become too far apart at the coupling.


This is some good info. I bought some LC to KC conversions, but may re-think that as an option. At least until I have determined if they can be "raised" enough to provide clearance.


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## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

MichaelE said:


> I use the cleaner/wax on my guitars. Good stuff.


I have found may uses for automotive polishes, cleaners and waxes. Most recently I used my Porter Cable DA buffer and some Meguiar's polish to put the shine back on some cultured marble bath countertops. Once I used it to restore a dulled section of polyurethane sealed wood flooring. 

I also use the sealant products, like NXT, to shine a fiberglass whirlpool type tub.


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

The passenger car is before and after photos ?

Dan


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## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

​


Panther said:


> The passenger car is before and after photos ?
> 
> Dan


I thinks so, I do have two 650 passenger cars and a 651. I might have mixed them up while taking photos. All started out about the same and cleaned up about the same. 

Most of the result was foamy dish soap, the Meguiar's brush and a microfiber towel.


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## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

Another automotive product that I have used is any head light lens polish product to make yellowed vista liner passenger car "glass" clear again. It also works great on any passenger car windows. If you can get them out, I do both sides otherwise just doing the inside smooth sides does help the shine. 

As a side note, I have found that light tan colored butcher paper, at least what I have, is a perfect match in color and thickness for the original AF diffusser paper found in the passenger cars. I have changed all my bulbs to a yellower, cooler bulb instead of the original, hotter, brighter bulb. I also used that paper and bulb arrangement in my lighted cabooses. On red cabooses it takes away the whole caboose looking as though the caboose is glowing if the caboose is red plastic. On black plastic, painted red and tuscan colored cabooses it gives the interior lighting a dimmer look. Sort of like an old burning oil lamp which could have been used back in the steam days.


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## shaker281 (Jun 22, 2019)

Nice - i like it!


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

AFGP9 said:


> Another automotive product that I have used is any head light lens polish product to make yellowed vista liner passenger car "glass" clear again. It also works great on any passenger car windows. If you can get them out, I do both sides otherwise just doing the inside smooth sides does help the shine.
> 
> As a side note, I have found that light tan colored butcher paper, at least what I have, is a perfect match in color and thickness for the original AF diffusser paper found in the passenger cars. I have changed all my bulbs to a yellower, cooler bulb instead of the original, hotter, brighter bulb. I also used that paper and bulb arrangement in my lighted cabooses. On red cabooses it takes away the whole caboose looking as though the caboose is glowing if the caboose is red plastic. On black plastic, painted red and tuscan colored cabooses it gives the interior lighting a dimmer look. Sort of like an old burning oil lamp which could have been used back in the steam days.


You can also use a lacquer paint or glass dye to color the clear glass bulb a "warmer" color.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

They look great. :smilie_daumenpos:
Big difference.


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