Interior Exterior
Q:
Just wondering if others here found lots of this stuff on the interior aluminum panels. Mine basically seems like the dealer never bothered to touch it. Should I leave it for "protection", or will it age and turn to crap?
Thanks
A:
I'd take the stuff off, although I've never heard of an Elise having cosmolene on the interior panels. As I understand it all aluminum parts, like the ones you're referring to, are anodized. Additional protection should not be needed.
Enjoy your new car!
A:
I'd take it off too. I can't imagine that Lotus would apply Cosmolene to anything prior to shipment. It's just a mess to deal with.
Whatever the stuff is, I'd remove it. You'll make it lighter too!
-Jim
A:
It's definitely coated with something. Slightly sticky. Probably not Cosmolene itself, but a protectant none the less. Anyone know if something like Goo-
Gone is safe for aluminum? I saw the warning about Simple Green in the other thread, so I'm leery of a lot of household cleaners.
A:
I agree that you should be cautious. No need to mess up your aluminum when you're trying to clean it.
I have used Griot's Garage Stainless Steel Cleaner on my car's interior aluminum, and it works pretty well. I confirmed that this is okay to use on anodized aluminum prior to using it(!) You may want to try this if Lotus USA doesn't have a specific recommendation (call your dealer first, then Lotus USA). Griot's cleaner is item #20249 - I think it's about ten bucks a can.
Hope this helps.
Edited my estimated price - seven bucks is better than twenty!
A:
Here's a link to the Griot's cleaner:
Griot's Stainless Steel Cleaner
I'm not affiliated with Griot's Garage - I've just been a customer for many years.