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Anyone got a VZ Cross 8 Crewman? (But now I have one :) )

Fu Manchu

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I’ve done as much as I can inside for now.

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So today i started on the back. I have to wire in a pig tail into the tail light harness for cameras etc.

Started by removing the rails and corner trims. Then the tray liner.

Cleaned under the back, which I was expecting to do later. Did it in the garage. Hosed the crud out the door.
Used sugar soap in a pressure sprayer and a paint brush from Bunnings.
Used a paint glossing brush for cleaning. Cheaper than detailing brushes and works better. Want to clean your car, go to Bunnings and get into their chunky paint brushes. For interior, I wrap the top of the bristles, which pulls them together and if you tape up over the metal, you won’t get scratches. Use either Tesa tape or electrical tape. Anyway, for engine bays and under body, I use a particular brush.
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These are the two for this job

Wasn’t as gross as I was expecting.

Then removed the lights. Gave the area a clean.

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Fu Manchu

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First thing I did was get some pop up sprinkler lube onto these harnesses. I didn’t get a before photo. The harnesses were coated with dust, mud and a greasy thick grot. You couldn’t see any wire colours etc. That softened up the grease and it then hoses off easy. Then scrubbed the plugs and looms with sugar soap and water. Well rinsed. Lots of time to dry. Will give all the plugs a clean out as well.

This is where the trailer harness joins the back lights.

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Then up underneath. Scrubbing as much as I could get to. A lot of the white underside won’t be white. It will just have to have the crud bonded to it. Still got lots off. Heaps of grey sand came out. Heaps of black mud. That was the two colours of crud left on the garage floor.
 
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Fu Manchu

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After I cleaned the tub, removed the tail lights, cleaned all the grot off from behind them too.

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Before

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After.

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Before

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After

Not only the areas you can see. Cleaned down inside that area, right down in toward the area the bumper bolts to.

It also gave me a good view of what I missed cleaning under there. So I was able to give that a good clean.

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Again, sugar soap and the brush. You can see the brake there. This looking through the tub from the panel that gives you access to the lights.
 
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Fu Manchu

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Cleaned up the trims. Also scrubbed the tray liner. Plastic backing trim from the tail lights. Panels for tail light access. Sugar soap and the chunky brush did the job as always.

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Fu Manchu

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A bit of surface rust to deal with. Easy enough. All those spots are from metal filings. It was a ute belonging to a roof safety mesh mob, so I guess a grinder was used near it. Could also be swath from drilling holes for the tray liner. Either way, it will be gone.

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A bit of Ranex worked into it, wipe and rinse off. Should be good.
 
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figjam

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Lots of good info on dismantling and cleaning in your project for other members future reference . :) Well done.

Those tray liners do prevent unsightly damage to the tray. I would have expected more grot under it, unless the previous owner did the occasional remove and clean.

A point of concern ................ are you looking for another Cross8 to play with in the dirt and dust ?
It will be a real shame to get this one dirty when you have finished.
 

Fu Manchu

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This one will be mostly on the many perfect beaches in WA.

The odd dirt road.

I doubt the previous owner had done much cleaning on it. I’m really doing 15years of cleaning at once.

I used to get my Suburu (with lift kit and Yokohama Super Diggers) covered top to bottom in limestone mud, then wash and detail it, rinse all the sand out. It doesn’t bother me.

Overall, I’m getting the car to a standard I’m happy enough with and can always work back to when cleaning it.

It’s currently coated with a grey green mud and schmutz over most areas.
 

Fu Manchu

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I was thinking of painting the wheels and brakes after I throw degreaser around, but I won’t really be doing that on the back half, so might have a think about that. I found some silver caliper paint. That really does need to be heated up though, and I can’t do that.
 

Fu Manchu

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I just got underneath and cleaned to a point I’m happy with. I sprayed Maguiars Wheel Cleaner, which generally cleans iron and metals, from brake dust, from the wheels and callipers. Goes purple when it reacts with it all.

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So on it went, and it’s easy to scrub and lather with the brush. A little bit goes a long way. All the grot came straight off. It’s not new looking, but it’s cleaner and I’m happy enough with it. I could get more, but it means laying under the car in the water, so no. Maybe another day.
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If you scroll back a few posts, you’ll see what this part looked like with embedded brown schmutz and 15years of road grot.

Once everything up front has been degreased, I think doing this in the easy to reach places and front wheel wells is on the cards. Then a clean with sugar soap. Then aerospace 303. Wipe down front drive shafts and boots. Will look almost new.
 
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lmoengnr

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I just got underneath clean to anpoint I’m happy with. I sprayed Maguiars Wheel Cleaner cleaner, which generally cleans iron and metals, from brake dust, from the wheels and callipers.

View attachment 218308
So on it went, and it’s easy to scrub and lather with the brush. All the grot came straight off. It’s not new looking, but it’s clean and I’m happy enough with it. I could get more, but it means laying under the car in the water, so no.
View attachment 218309

Once everything up front has been degreased, I think doing this in the easy to reach places and front wheel wells is on the cards. Then a clean with sugar soap. Then aerospace 303. Wipe down front drive shafts and boots. Will look almost new.

Something you don't see much anymore, a chassis!
 
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