1998 Pontiac Firebird Owner's Manual - Page 311

Finish Care Occasional waxingor mild polishing of your vehicle by hand may be necessary to remove residue from the paint Exterior painted surfacesare subject to aging, weather finish. You can get GM-approved cleaning products from your dealer. (See "Appearance Care and Materials" and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period of years. You can help to keep the paint finish looking in the Index.) new by keeping your vehicle garaged covered or Your vehicle has a "basecoatlclearcoat" paint finish. whenever possible. The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss the to colored basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes Cleaning Your Convertible Top that are non-abrasive and made a basecoatlclearcoat for Your convertible top should cleaned often. If you use be paint finish. an automatic car wash, use with water jets and one hanging cloths. High pressure car washes may cause water to enter your vehicle. NOTICE: When you hand wash the top, it in partial shade. do a Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on Use a mild soap, lukewarm water andsoft sponge. A chamois or cloth may leave lint the top, and a brush on a basecoatlclearcoat paint finish dull the may can chafe the threads in the top fabric. Don't use finish or leave swirl marks. detergents, harsh cleaners, solventsor bleaching agents. Wet the entire vehicle and wash the evenly to avoid top Foreign materials suchas calcium chloride and other spots or rings.Let the soap remain the fabric for a on salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird few minutes. When the top really dirty, use a mild is droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can damage your vehicle's finish if they remain on painted foam-type cleaner. Thoroughlyrinse the entire vehicle, then let the top dry direct sunlight. in surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible. If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that marked are safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter. I 6-58