Prep with Kerosene ???

D

DM101

New member
I had a friend that right before his winter waxing would wipe his car with kerosene. (lived up north) His car looked extremely good. He then would apply MG #26. His car looked awesome. Anyone else done this?
 
don't use kerosene. The process he's doing is really really really old school. It's just like acid washing a white car. The after effects are much more damaging than the initial results. Kerosene is about as bad a gas. It eats through everything. If he's leaving it on it's damaging his clearcoat. If he's washing it off he's washing Kerosene off into the ground and we all know what that does. There are much safer and actually much more effective ways of doing what he's doing. (Namely claying the car first)
 
Yeah, his car did not have a clearcoat, just paint. Thanks



Jakerooni said:
don't use kerosene. The process he's doing is really really really old school. It's just like acid washing a white car. The after effects are much more damaging than the initial results. Kerosene is about as bad a gas. It eats through everything. If he's leaving it on it's damaging his clearcoat. If he's washing it off he's washing Kerosene off into the ground and we all know what that does. There are much safer and actually much more effective ways of doing what he's doing. (Namely claying the car first)
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There's too many better options on the market that are designed to do what kerosene would do, but better. A good stripping wash like Chemical Guys Citrus Wash mixed strong will strip any protectant that's on the paint, followed up with a good claying which will remove any contaminants left behind. I guarantee that the results left behind after the above process will be better, safer and much more environmentally friendly than using kerosene. Clear coat or not, I always recommend using a product that's designed and formulated to do the job your trying to achieve, rather than employing some home remedy that may end up causing more damage in the long run than good.
 
Since we're on the topic of a wash prep, what do you guys think about adding some APC in addition to my wash shampoo? I use Meg's Gold Class for my routine washes but I don't have anything stronger to prep my car for claying and what not.



If I throw some of my Poor Boy's APC in my wash bucket with my shampoo, will that help at all? Or should I not even bother?
 
Sure you could. Be careful not to add to much. You can always use IPA to Prep your car for claying, polishing, and adding a LSP.
 
isopropyl alcohol use it at a 50% ratio with water. Much cheaper. Put it in a spray bottle spray area and wipe. Try it.........
 
Kerosene is OLD SCHOOL!



I wouldn't know from experience but have read / heard that kerosene will enduce the paint to swell thus, temporarily masking swirls....



OP: As has been offered IPA, Prep Sol would accomplish the same goal your friend is trying get to... a dedicated paint cleaner would also work.
 
Yep, old school. But it usually doesn't do any damage. A childhood friend's father did that on his '62 Chevy, a ratty work car that was nonetheless 100% mechanically. And I mean he did it for *years and years*, on a car that was outside every day and abused like you wouldn't believe. It worked out surprisingly well, at least for what the car was (note that back then paint failure and rust were almost taken for granted, but this thing held up great).



But it's not something anybody here would ever want to do, and even my friend's dad finally had the car repainted and then treated it more conventionally.
 
The old school fact is true. Kerosene and water was the original rinseless wash. You would use one cup of kerosene to a bucket of water, and you would sponge your car down and wipe it off with a couple of terry towels. It would keep road film off the car and would help prevent rust coming from behind chrome mouldings.It was also great for cleaning glass. In its day it done a great job.
 
I see people talking about Prep Sol all the time. Is this the DuPont product or a generic name for this kind of solvent? And where are you guys picking it up from? Thanks.
 
Accumulator said:
Yep, old school. But it usually doesn't do any damage. A childhood friend's father did that on his '62 Chevy, a ratty work car that was nonetheless 100% mechanically. And I mean he did it for *years and years*, on a car that was outside every day and abused like you wouldn't believe. It worked out surprisingly well, at least for what the car was (note that back then paint failure and rust were almost taken for granted, but this thing held up great).



But it's not something anybody here would ever want to do, and even my friend's dad finally had the car repainted and then treated it more conventionally.
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I agree it's definitely old school but like you said it's a very mild solvent and even much safer than typical prepsols. What's funny is that kerosene is often times the petroleum distillate that's used in many car care products.
 
mikenap said:
I see people talking about Prep Sol all the time. Is this the DuPont product or a generic name for this kind of solvent? And where are you guys picking it up from? Thanks.
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i usually get it at wal mart. in the automotive section, pretty cheap too
 
I can think of 10 other solvents before I'd reach for Kerosene. Nasty stuff and one of the slowest working ones for tar removal.
 
David Fermani said:
I can think of 10 other solvents before I'd reach for Kerosene. Nasty stuff and one of the slowest working ones for tar removal.
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curious what solvents you refer to and what makes kerosene so nasty? Do you also realize that there are different grade levels of kerosene? There are a few manufactures of very highly refined products that are classified as kerosene as it's mainly determined by the flash point and distilation range of the product and typically very low odor or no odor. No different really than mineral spirits but just a higfher flash point (typcially around 160 or more) and end point (typically around 450) where mineral spirtis are 120 to 142 flash point and end point of 390's to low 400's. Kerosene (the low odor and highly refines kind) can be a very good and safe cleaner. I will agree that it is one of the slower solvents available but that's what makes it somewhat safer also. :)
 
True, just as mineral spirits is a generic name. Up here Varsol is a trade name, made by Esso-Imperial Oil-Exxon. But it is also classified as dry cleaning solvent when it is triple distilled.



Just as Lacquer Thinner is a mix of solvents, a mix of 5 to 7 different ones in different ratios, by manufacturer.



Kerosene and Stoddard solvent (solvent action in WD-40) was a main ingredient in products a few years ago, not sure how that changed with the VOC laws.
 
lawrencea said:
The old school fact is true. Kerosene and water was the original rinseless wash. You would use one cup of kerosene to a bucket of water, and you would sponge your car down and wipe it off with a couple of terry towels. It would keep road film off the car and would help prevent rust coming from behind chrome mouldings.It was also great for cleaning glass. In its day it done a great job.
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This brings back memories. I'm an old geezer, and when I was younger I knew a guy who ran a limo service. All he would use on his limo's was a few ounces of kerosene in his wash bucket. He never waxed those limos. They were black and were always very shiny and they would bead water like crazy. He never got any rust anywhere as the kerosene would get into places wax could never reach. This was back in the 50's and 60's. He'd use the soapy water and kerosene like an ONR. Those cars had no dipped paint processes and rust was almost guaranteed in the salty midwest winters. His limos had no rust so it was a great process for the time.



I owned a couple of 50's and 60's vintage cars and I used to spend hours polishing and waxing them and they all rusted out. I used to use Blue Coral, Simonize and Vista back then. He had much better looking cars than I did. and I was always trying to sell him on my services. He would look at my cars and just laugh.



Cars today are much better protected and there are much better products but his limo's were top notch back then.
 
jfelbab said:
This brings back memories. I'm an old geezer, and when I was younger I knew a guy who ran a limo service. All he would use on his limo's was a few ounces of kerosene in his wash bucket. He never waxed those limos. They were black and were always very shiny and they would bead water like crazy. He never got any rust anywhere as the kerosene would get into places wax could never reach. This was back in the 50's and 60's. He'd use the soapy water and kerosene like an ONR. Those cars had no dipped paint processes and rust was almost guaranteed in the salty midwest winters. His limos had no rust so it was a great process for the time.



I owned a couple of 50's and 60's vintage cars and I used to spend hours polishing and waxing them and they all rusted out. I used to use Blue Coral, Simonize and Vista back then. He had much better looking cars than I did. and I was always trying to sell him on my services. He would look at my cars and just laugh.



Cars today are much better protected and there are much better products but his limo's were top notch back then.
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Glad to here from someone with some good old fashon knowedge.
 
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