The Detailing Hand Book

 

Aside from the wheels, there are very few flashy accents that come with the S2000 straight out of the factory.  Really, the exhaust tips are the only other exterior accent piece.  Exhaust tips are often ignored by many amateur and “professional” detailers, but well detailed exhaust tips will enhance immeasurably the view most other drivers see of the S2000 . . . the rear!

 

 

 

You shouldn’t need to follow all remove your exhaust tips to detail them more than 1-2 times per year.  However, you should wash your exhaust tips each time you wash your car.  Lightly polishing your exhaust tips should also be done once per month or every other month.

 

What you’ll need . . .

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• Socket set – It’s easiest to detail the exhaust tips if you remove them from the car.  They are attached with a single screw on the bottom side of the tips.  If you have an older car the screw may be rusted in place and you may not be able to remove the exhaust tips without damaging the mounting system.  If this is the case then you should detail them while they’re still mounted.
• Water – you’ll need approximately 4 gallons of water preferably warm or hot water.

• 5 gallon bucket – be sure to use a bucket which you are not going to use for car washing.  Detailing exhaust tips often leaves a good deal of tar residue in the bucket which could enter the wash solution and be harmful to the LSP or paint.
• Old wash mitt or towel – use an old wash mitt or towel to detail your exhaust tips as the mitt/towel will likely end up very dirty and stained.

• Soap – the same car wash soap that is used to wash your paint can be used to clean your exhaust tips.  However, if your tips have a lot of road tar on them then you may want to use dishwashing soap.
• Metal polish – a good quality metal polish like Flitz or Meguiar’s All Metal Polysh will not only restore shine to your exhaust tips, but will also protect them.
• Microfiber Towels – cheap microfiber towels from a wholesale club like Costco are a great tool for exhaust tip detailing.  They’re cheap enough so that you won’t mind getting them really dirty, but they are absorbent and soft like more expensive microfiber towels.  Make sure they are clean and that all tags have been removed before use.