how to detail your sled

Snowmobiles aren't just toys. They are frequently extensions of our personality. How your sled looks may say a great deal about you. To put on your best face, here are a few tips suggested by "detailing" experts.

1. Wash Frequently- To keep your sled's finish looking new, washit frequently if it sits uncovered. In the summer, pollution in metropolitanareas can dull your sled's finish. Investing in a storage cover is alsoa good idea.

In the winter you can pull your sled and trailer into a do-it-yourself car wash. Spray under the bellypan, track and into the tunnel area to remove road salt and grime. You should ask your dealer about special recommended cleaners for your sled.

2. Excess Water- If you hand wash your sled, there can be little pools of water that remain in hard-to-reach areas. To remove wash water from the bottom of your rearview mirror, wrap a terry towel around a credit card and slide it into the mirror housing to remove pooled up moisture.

3. Vents- Hard-to-reach small vents like those on a sled's cowling can be cleaned with a foam swab and mild dishwashing liquid. Another optionis to wrap the handle of a small boar hair brush with a piece of terry cloth towel and insert in the venting.

4. Vinyl Protection- If you are going to apply a vinyl protectantover an area such as your gas tank cover, consider using a special brushwith foam face and easy-to-manipulate handle. You can usually find thesebrushes in the automotive section of stores like Target or Kmart. The brushlets you get into those difficult to clean areas around the seams or instrumentation.

5. Seepage- Use caution with spray protectants. Don't spray aroundelectrical switches or instrumentation as it may seep into the circuitsor mar the lens. Clean by spraying the protectant onto a foam pad firstand then apply it.

6. Wax Or Polish- You can give your sled's finish extra protectionwith a good base of high gloss polish. Apply it with an all-cotton diaperor a tight weave T-shirt. Apply polish to the cloth first, not to the sled'sfinish. You can "cross polish" by applying a second coat in theopposite direction of the first coat. This will reduce any swirl marks andenhance the overall "look."

Wax with a dry sponge applicator. Using a moist applicator may actuallyresult in moisture getting trapped between the finish and the wax- bad newsfor anything metallic.

For a real professional look, try a technique called "triple coat."Used by show car pros, this technique consists of applying the first coatin a linear motion- front to back; applying a second coat perpendicularto the first; and finishing with a third coat that's applied diagonallyto the first two.

When you use a terry towel, fold it until it's about an inch thick andthe face has no seams showing. This helps you apply a more even hand pressurefor a uniform action.

7. Residue Removal- If you overspray a wax or cleaner like Armorall,you can remove it from the underside of a vent or from a trim piece by slidingthe edge of a towel under it. Wrap a cloth around a credit card edge ifyou need to get farther under the trim.

8. Decal Care- When waxing or polishing your sled's cowling, beespecially aware of the many decals. Work the polish parallel to the decalor pinstriping detail. Working across the decal may result in catching anedge and damaging the decal.

9. Oily Tip- Removing dried wax or polish from textured plastictrim can be a lot of work. Think ahead by either taping over such piecesor treat the piece with an oil-based rubber or vinyl dressing. This oilybase makes it easier to remove the dried wax residue.

10. Leave It Lie- If you drop a towel or applicator, don't useit as it may have picked up grit from the shop floor. Keep extra towelsand sponges on hand for just such an occurrence. In order to keep from contaminatingone product with another, be sure to use a different cloth for each productused.

11. Lid Lift- After you've taken the time to carefully wax andpolish your sled, take a few more minutes to open any storage compartmentdoors or lids and then run a towel along the edges and inside the commonjoint areas. Lift the cowl and clean the edges where they jam into the hoodguide. Clean along the bumpers. Use the towel or credit card technique toremove residue around brackets and bolts.

12. Details, Details- After you think you're done, take a carefullook at the job you've completed and look closely for any spots you mighthave missed. Especially note any areas around brackets or springs or bolts for residue.