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Topic: Flitz

in Forum: C3 Car Care

Flitz

Posted: 3/9/11 4:19pm Message 1 of 9
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Dutchess County, NY - USA
Joined: 8/27/2007
Posts: 2484
Vette(s): White '79 Corvette. It's a driver.
Does anyone have any experience using Flitz brand metal polish?
I'm going to shine up the aluminum rims my '79 came with. I've got the Power Ball drill attachment, some fine automotive sandpaper and two tubes of Flitz I never used.
...your opinions please........



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Flitz

Posted: 3/9/11 5:51pm Message 2 of 9
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Holland Patent, NY - USA
Joined: 6/3/2008
Posts: 4421
Vette(s): #1 *1980 White, Red interior 14,000 mile #2 *1980 Red, Oyster interior 93,000 miles Resto project car, rebuilt to 383 stroker

Kevin, big ball or small ball?

I have used it on my brass woodstove and its good stuff, semi chrome polish, wentz, the one from eastwood forgot the name...they are all in the same class of good polishes.

Guna be a while.... but great late winter project. Get some good latex gloves first, this stuff gets black and the blacker the better. The powerballs are good for light polish and waxes but if you really need to remove years of oxidize you need some wool polish cones. You can be more aggresive with them Eastwood again. Sand em down and buff the living crap out of them. Your guna have hand cramps but they will look great.
Evil SmileeboMushroom Buff 3 1/2 in w/ 1/4 in Mandrel
ebo2011-03-09 17:57:16



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Flitz

Posted: 3/9/11 7:59pm Message 3 of 9
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Dutchess County, NY - USA
Joined: 8/27/2007
Posts: 2484
Vette(s): White '79 Corvette. It's a driver.

Hey ebo,

The ball I got is called the "mini" but its definitely bigger than what's in the photo you used.

I'll see how it goes. If I need to I'll go with the cones you mentioned.

My Vette currently has Rallyes on it but I've got the bug now for some really shiny aluminum rims. Funny how our tastes can keep changing. When I put on the Rallyes I thought "That's it!!!" Now I'm likin' how the aluminum rims pop when they're worked on a bit.

Kevin 



Flitz

Posted: 3/9/11 8:47pm Message 4 of 9
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Flanders, NJ - USA
Joined: 1/27/2004
Posts: 2553
Vette(s): 1982 Black, ZZ4, Hooker Side Pipes, 3.55 Rear, Rebuilt & upgraded 700R4, All new suspension, brakes, & new Charcoal interior.
Hey Kevin, I suggest using 3M ScotchBrite pads instead of sandpaper. They come in different grades, like sandpaper, but will give a better finish. Use with a lubricant (oil based) Work your way to the finner pads like you would with sanpaper. You can rinse the pads out as you go to keep them from glogging. Get some grease for your elbows!
Just my 2 cents.
Dave



 

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Flitz

Posted: 3/9/11 8:49pm Message 5 of 9
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Flitz is some good stuff. Way mo better than the "Power Ball", however. You'll be better off just using paper towels, and LOTS o elbow grease.
If your rims are not polished to begin with, I would recommend using some buffing compound on a 8" or 10" buffer first. That's how I did mine. Buffing took the clear coat off, and got the surface fairly smooth. I use the Flitz to keep them shiny...almost chrome-like. Flitz works best with paper towels(lots of them!)...no matter WHAT they try to sell ya, ie: the Power Ball. I've got several sizes of the ball thingies, and an air powered polishing tool for the balls. It all came in a polishing kit I bought. It just doesn't work for me as well as doing it by hand....and I'm LAZY!.
That's my story, and I'm stickin wid it!



Joel Adams
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Flitz

Posted: 3/9/11 9:02pm Message 6 of 9
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Oak Creek, WI - USA
Joined: 5/21/2008
Posts: 1965
Vette(s): 1981 Great White Shark. Red Interior, 350/190 hp. PS, PB (SS), A/C CC, T-Tops. Served three years in Active Duty Army, then Retired Air Force after 34 years! Badger State Vettes Car Club. 175,000 Original miles!! Now own a 1998 C-5!
I use it!!  I think it is good stuff!!  I'm with Joel!!
Dan



Flitz

Posted: 3/10/11 6:31am Message 7 of 9
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Fort Myers, FL - USA
Joined: 3/1/2011
Posts: 16
Vette(s): 82
Love Flitz, it can also be used  to clear up cloudy plastic headlights.


Flitz

Posted: 3/10/11 12:14pm Message 8 of 9
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Dutchess County, NY - USA
Joined: 8/27/2007
Posts: 2484
Vette(s): White '79 Corvette. It's a driver.
You guys are right. Elbow Grease wins out over the Power Ball, so far.
I just had to try out the Power Ball, so I let 'er rip with some Flitz. Kind of improved the look, but then I began to rub what was left of the Flitz with a cloth rag. Now that was something!
About a half hour's work and the rim I was working on seemed to improve quite a bit!
 
I'll go ahead and get a few of those  3M pads DaveM mentioned. Sounds like a good idea for those tough oxidized spots.
 
Thanks guys!
Kevin



Flitz

Posted: 3/10/11 4:56pm Message 9 of 9
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
I kinda remember rubbing mine with a Scotchbrite pad before buffing them, too, now that Dave mentioned it. It cleans them up a little better to start with. Flitz will definitely do the job, but ya gotta put in the time, and effort. Once you do get them polished the way you want, keeping them like that isn't hard to do. Just a clean-up every now and them with the Flitz, and they'll be right back to being shiny again, without all of the hard work of doing it the first time. I originally did mine in '98....and have only touched them up a couple of times since.
One thing you do NOT want to do is use Windex(or similar) on them after using the Flitz...it will make them look nasty, and you'll have to start all over. Just use clean water to keep them clean, and a Flitz rub every now and then is all they'll need.
I usually just wipe them down with a clean cloth, and try not to use anything else to clean them unless absolutely necessary.
At least, that's been my experience.
Adams' Apple2011-03-10 16:57:52


Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    

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             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

in Forum: C3 Car Care


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