dont forget the salt and pepper..............lol...................

 

I actually washed my car with vinegar on Dec 31st. A lot better than car soap.

 

I have to admit I just don't get this thread.

Andrei didn't the vinegar just strip any sort of wax/sealant that you had on your car? It all just seem so odd...

 

It had to. Its a cleanser. But its not going to be strong when dilute with water. Depending on the strength.

 

Get some olive oil for your exhaust tips too.

 

I used 100% strenght vinegar. It was dilluted in water of course.

 

Howzit? Yes, old and perhaps dead thread and, yes, sorry, non-G35 owner/driver. I found this thread when I was considering washing my car with, yep, vinegar, and I offer the following observations:
I have a half-plastic/half-painted Honda Element and was looking for a way to get all of the stray wax, hard water deposits, and oxidation off of the plastic, specifically. Using a soft-soft brush and full strength white vinegar (the initial hose-spray provided the dillution...I hope...), I methodically sprayed, "scrubbed," and rinsed from the top down. The paint and windows look unreal! And it really released and broke up the brake dust on the wheels. The plastic, though, while not harmed, didn't snap to like I thought it would: still hard-watered/oxidized/stray-waxed. I might try some 70% iso-alcohol on a less-conspicuous panel.
Ultimately, post-vinegar-wash, the paint/clear-coat is squeaky clean and ready for new wax. The windscreen looks terrible in a good way, 'cuzza now all I can see are the sand-blast pits (desert driving). The plastic needs a diff solution (ha!) and then a fresh dressing.
Vinegar works (for me), but only maybe once a year.
Besides, I thought your G35s were "dry clean only"...bwahahahaha.
TT

 

Why not use a clay bar? It's easy and it will not damage any cars finish.

 

Ah, yes, point taken, but I didn't point out that my plastic is not the smooth, skinned, painted-looking variety, but a textured, wrinkle-coat looking surface...bare plastic, basically. It looks so bad that I (almost) can't do any worse, so I'm offering up for experimentation.
The 70% iso alcohol didn't pull off the wax marks, nor, really, anything else. At this point, I'm thinking that the stains/wax/hard-water-deposits are not ON the plastic, more like IN it. It's cleaner than clean, especially now, so I'm just going to dress it and hope that it "soaks in." So I'm off to the forums for the best-dressing-of-all discussions...
To summarize (and perhaps add):
Vinegar wash is great once in a while (1-3-5 years), but it is a drastic strip.
Alcohol may also work, but it is another drastic strip.
I've used WD40 on paint to get off gum/tar/road-paint, then used 409 to get off the WD40, then used regular car soap to get the 409 off.
I once used Liquid Gold wood polish on my fake, faded wood decals on my '73 Pinto and it looked bitchen.
I've used powdered corn starch to take the wax swirls out a black-black VW.
But think it through, because there pro'ly was a time when I used EZ Off oven cleaner on an engine and I've buried the horrible memory...until just now. Ahhh, to be young and stupid...instead of old and crazy. Thanks, folks!
Shine up!
TT

 

^ Hey nice ride. I had a 78 Pinto. Red on Black vinyl and a roaring v6 and ~95HP if I recall. I think it had some of that beautiful 'wood' trim you speak of. It's been so long I can remember any more.