Are you as anal as I am? I suppose there are all sorts of extreme
levels of cleanliness when it comes to cars, but I hate to work on
dirty cars.. I'm not talking about show-car clean where the underside
of the dash is painted to match, rubbed out, and waxed, but the sort
of clean that cars in regular use should get. There are a lot of folks
who are happy if the steering wheel doesn't get their hands black, the
seat is clean enough to not transfer any filth to their clothing, and
the windshield is clear enough to see through during daylight hours. I
am somewhere between those two, but closer to the former than the
later.

Since I am the one that works on my cars (and motorcycle) almost
exclusively, I try to keep them clean. When I get a used car it
usually takes some time to get it to the point I like. I hate cereal
and M&Ms in the spare tire well, I hate little bits of leaves in air
vents, and since I don't smoke, I hate leftover tobacco products in
the ash tray. But beyond that, I try to keep all the mechanicals clean
as well. Clean bolts and nuts are easier to handle, and the gritty
grease doesn't transfer to all my tools if the car is kept clean.
Tools don't slip as easily and that;s good because my knuckles don't
heal quite as well as they use to.

I am slowly getting my new-to-me 245 back into shape. Today I decided
to clean the door hinges and strikers/latches on the driver's side.
They were disgusting. Years of black accumulations from lubricant and
road grime. Sure, better black and greasy than dry and worn out, but
how lazy is the shop that merely squirts a little of whatever is on
hand in an aerosol can on a moving part and walks away after charging
.25 hrs. labor? Does it take that much time and effort to put a rag
behind the hinge, squirt, then give the hinge a quick wipe after being
lubricated? I suppose it does.

I spent the best part of nearly two hours cleaning the four hinges and
two latches. Using Simple Green, a toothbrush, and a stiff,
short-bristled scrub brush I sprayed, scrubbed, and sprayed. After it
rinsed clean with a squirt bottle filled with water, I blew it all out
with compressed air, the used a "Wash and Wax" product to clean up all
the painted areas on the jambs. A little light lubricant to the moving
parts, a wipe, and the doors are looking and working almost like new.

So why go through all that effort?
1) The hinges will last longer  
2) Every time I shut the door and get that smooth motion and solid
latching I get a feeling of pride of ownership.
3) People getting into my car won't get their clothing soiled by the
dirty, greasy latches and hinges.
4) It will be a lot easier to work on in the future.
5) Grease draws dirt, dirt draws moisture, and moisture causes rust.
 ...and most importantly:
6) It was a lot easier to spot that loose hinge bolt that wasn't even
finger tight!

            __  __
    Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
             \__/olvos
'90 245 Estate  -  '93 965 Estate
  "Shelby"     &      "Kate"