What do you use to shine up under the hood after cleaning?

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454cid

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After I clean under the hood, I like to spray the engine bay with something to make it shine and/or not look all dry and dull. For the last few years, I've been using a waterborne silicone product the janitorial company I worked for previously sold/used. When we were getting rid of it, I grabbed a couple of bottles. The big print on the bottle says it's for vinyl, but then lists plastic, leather, sealed wood, and so on, in the smaller print.

The first bottle is getting low, and I've still got a full second bottle. While using it today I decided to ask what others use.

I've also used a Stoner product.... Trim Shine maybe? It was quite a number of years ago.

Edit: I may have used Trim Shine, but I think the product I was thinking of is the now discontinued CD-2 Engine Detailer. Apparently the company got bought out, and the product discontinued.
 
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kennythewelder

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Stoner trim shine is the bomb. With all of the aluminum polish work I have done under the hood, I use white diamond metal polish a lot. It does a grate job on aluminum to keep the shine up.
 

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454cid

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This is what I have currently.... did it a few days ago with a bit of touchup today because I did a quick wash to the airbox (out of the truck) before I installed a new filter. I don't have much time in driving it, right now.

Edit: Sigh, the picture isn't focused all that well. I must have knocked my dipstick out when removing the air box... I discovered that after adding a quart of oil.
 

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Joe Dirte

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Meguiars hot shine for tires haha. Its been over a month since i applied it n still looks good. Wishin i woulda remembered to paint booster and firewall when i had motor out n nose off.
 

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Tomahawk 309

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Way back in the day when I detailed cars for a dealer, we sprayed satin clear on the engine bay after cleaning. Don't know how long it lasts but it sure looked good.
 

454cid

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Way back in the day when I detailed cars for a dealer, we sprayed satin clear on the engine bay after cleaning. Don't know how long it lasts but it sure looked good.

Yes, that was a used car lot trick around here. A freind bought a Olds Cutless that had been done too. That's right up there with painting the whole engine compartment black to cover up the rust, to me.

The clear starts peeling off the hoses first, if I recall correctly.
 

PlayingWithTBI

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Doesn't all that stuff dry out wire insulation, rubber, and plastic or , was that something people used back in the 70's?
 

454cid

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Doesn't all that stuff dry out wire insulation, rubber, and plastic or , was that something people used back in the 70's?

I've heard that silicone does that, or "Armor All", but I don't know if it's true or not. It was more related to the interior when I first heard it. Some of the products I was looking at (don't recall which) was specifically saying non-silicone, but not explaining why..... could be simply to appeal to customers.
 
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