What to use on tin?

[35th Anniversary SS]

Im on a pit crew for a good friend of mine that races asphalt late models... the car panels are made of red tin, the car is damn good lookin'. I keep the car as clean as I can with sponges and simple green automotive between races, and we also use Pledge after cleaning it. Pledge is what he has always used and have wondered if anything I have will work.

Ive been given the job of detailing the car after the season is over... I was wondering if any of the Megs products will work on the race car?.?.?.?

Any suggestions would help.

THANKS!

[Murr1525]

Hmm, i dunno.. meguiars doesnt really have products for on colored metal. If it is smooth, you can wax it, but any texture would be hard to get wax out of.

[35th Anniversary SS]

Well... Ill do some testing.

Ill report back... in the meantime..

350cui 550hp and runs on 110oct.

[the other pc]

From the pix it looks like painted aluminum. If that’s the case all the usual Meg’s products should work great.

It would be very helpful if you could find out exactly what it’s made of and, more importantly, how it’s finished.


PC.

[35th Anniversary SS]

Its deffinately tin.. we had a race yesterday and I made sure. The top is painted FG though.

[Murr1525]

I had thought it was colored metal... but with it actualy being painted over the metal, you can definately wax it, or cleaner/wax it. You are treating the paint, not the metal.

[the other pc]

Okie dokie, now I know why I was so confused. The word “tin” is commonly used slang for ordinary sheetmetal. As in “tin cans,” which are never made of the actual metal tin or “tin snips,” which are cutters for thin sheet (most often used on galvanized steel), and “tin foil,” which is made of aluminum.

Anyway, as Murr1525 points out, if it’s painted you treat the surface as paint so all the usual Meguiar’s products are appropriate.

The only caveat would be the fiberglass roof. If you need to do any compounding with a rotary buffer always remember that fiberglass won’t dissipate heat as well as metal and you have to be more careful to avoid burning the paint.


PC.

[miked2]

The "original" Meg's products like show car glaze were actually meant for single-stage paints I believe, so in some ways they're more applicable to your current situation than modern clear coats!