No Clearcoat, need cleaning tips on '62 Lander

['62Lander]

I have an awesome '62 Overlander that I want to clean. Dont care about stripping all the patina off and polishing, just want something that will get rid of black/green "algae" and take some of the more obvious white off the finish. There is no clearcoat, thinking about using a 5 to 1 mix of Muratic acid after a heavy scrubbing....any ideas???

[dwightdi]

Do not use muratic acid. That is ok to get the green stuff off the bottom of fiberglass boats but is not good for the aluminum. You could use car wash detergent or maybe a house wash solution that sticks on the end of a garden hose. I have used one of those floppy flat non- abrasive car wash mops on the end of a broom handle and it gets most of the tree drippings off. I have seen some people use a high pressure washer but that may cause leaks in the seams.

['62Lander]

Sweet! You have a '63 Overlander... Maybe you can help me answer a wiring question also....?
Bathroom has been completely removed, I welded a new frame in the rear where it had been compromised, new belly skin installed, now.... I didnt disconnect the electrical so I have no reference. Facing the rear, the aluminum panels from the floor to the fiberglass panels are removed. To the left of the rear window, there are two large gauge(think #12) wires protruding from underneath the fiberglass panel. I think one is 12 volt and the other 110v, any way to tell the difference? Also, there are two 110v wires and 1 12 volt wire coming from the closet (breaker box) and running behind the cover to the holding tank. Three wires, only two wires coming from underneath the fiberglass panel.... hmmmm. Any idea of what these are? My only guess is that MAYBE one 110v wire is dedicated to the outlet box on the wall over the counter and the other continues to individually power the 110 wire protruding from the fiberglass....Any ideas?

[ALANSD]

A company that does a google ad here ( at the top of the page) Orison Marketing sells Aluminator a product you spray on. I used it, and on my aluminum tanks it cleaned and brightened them quite nicely. Did not shine them.

[dwightdi]

I had no wiring diagram for my trailer. I traced them down using an ohmmeter. Mine has a small 115 house box under the sink reached through the back outside compartment. There was no converter so I put one in there. The 12 volt system came from the small battery on the street side and spread out from there. We had 12volt and115 sconces and overheads with two bulbs. Kitchen and Roof fans had three way switches with 115 off and 12 volt position. Each had a transformer for dropping the voltage. I did give mine a half a polish job with an autobody grinder with rubbing compound followed by an orbital auto buffer and aluminum or chrome polish. First pass took about 15 hours. yearly touch up takes 6 hours. Not show quality.

[Ganaraska]

There are products at every auto parts store for cleaning aluminum wheels. Some are very difficult to clean due to disc brake dust. So there should be some good strong products available that will not harm aluminum.

Be careful of the heavy scrubbing, aluminum scratches easily. Use old terry towels, and rinse out frequently. Or use a soft scrub brush.

[samb]

I did a cleaning, not polishing, using Bon Ami ("Hasn't scratched Yet!") cleanser and rubbing it in with terry wash cloths then rinsing off. Took about an hour for my 1961 22' Safari and made a very noticeable difference.
It took off the black stains and some of the oxidation. It is worth a try and might save you hours of polishing.
Sam