How To Polish your Mustang’s Exhaust

Polishing a Mustang exhaust system is a relatively
straightforward task. While the exhaust is not considered to be one of
the most crucial parts of the Mustang in terms of the overall appearance
of the car, it’s nonetheless an important component and, if you want
your vehicle to look its best at all times, you’ll need to keep a close
eye on this part as well. Because of the nature of the function of the
exhaust system, it’s easy for it to become dirty and layered in grime.
This means that you should check on it about every 2 to 3 months make
sure that you don’t need to polish it down with a towel, sponge and
brush kit.

Step 1 — Gather Your Materials

You’ll need the following materials to polish your Mustang’s exhaust pipe and system:

• Chrome polishing kit
• Drill with high RPM levels
• Towels
• Sponges
• Brush set
• Extra fine sandpaper (around 1000 grit)
• Protective clothing

Step 2 — Clean and Sand Down the Exhaust

Use a rag or the towels to clean off the outside of the exhaust pipe.
You can also begin to clean off the inside of the setup as well,
although this will likely be very messy at this point. You’re better off
using a sponge and water to do this second part. Work to remove as much
the grime and exhaust as you can by hand and with these items. When you
find that you’re no longer able to do so, remove the sandpaper from its
packaging and begin to sand down the outside of the exhaust system.

Using the sandpaper to sand down the exhaust system should aim to
remove any buildup of dirt, debris or any other items that have
accumulated on the exhaust pipes themselves. Do this so that the polish
will better be able to clean up and improve the lustre of the exhaust
pipe.

Step 3 — Pre-Treat the Exhaust System

Open up the chrome polishing kit and look for any pre-treatment
materials that are contained within. Most of these kits have solutions
that you can treat the chrome surface with that will help the polish to
more effectively stick to the chrome itself. These can also help to
clean up any scratches or other minor damages on the surface of the
chrome. Use a towel or rag in order to clean up the exhaust system in
this manner.

Step 4 — Polish the Exhaust System

Next, you’ll need to actually polish the exhaust system. In order to
truly buff the chrome as well as you’ll need to in order to achieve a
good lustre and shine from it, you’ll need to make use of your drill.
The brush set that comes with the chrome polishing kit should include a
set of brushes that can be attached to the drill. It will also likely
include several different types of polish. It’s always best to begin
with the darker polishes and move your way to the lighter ones.

Decide which polishes you’ll use, then apply them to the brushes and
buff out any damaged spots using the drill system. Continue by cleaning
up the brush and then applying new polish to it in a lighter color. You
can then continue to buff the outside of the chrome exhaust system until
it meets your standards for appearance.

If you have any questions about how to polish your Mustang’s exhaust,
or if you’re looking for any of these materials, consult with an auto
body repair shop or a specialist.