Shine the muffler...
 

While working on my winter project clutch/rms/ims and other stuff I was starting to say several four letter words while trying to remove my leaky oil fill tube...decide to take a break, next thing I know I'm polishing my exhaust underside, it can barely be seen from behind the car but it does come out nice. I remember seeing pics another guy posted and it was amazing how new looking it can be made.

It actually is much better in person, the camera seems to take that nice 'chrome' look away.http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1325049550.jpg

Tried to do mine last summer, but it was a lot harder to do while still in the car and not jacked up. Looks better, but not as nice as yours. What did you use to remove the tarnish?

The left side is original, the right after wire brushing it.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1325056375.jpg

To Each His Own
 

Painted mine flat black with high temp paint. I love it.

Honda metal polish works very well. Personally I won't worry about the muffler but I did do the exhaust tip area.

What did you guys use to polish it? What products/materials do I need?

@schnellman Can you post pictures of it on the car? I was about to buy high temp flat black header paint the other day to paint my muffler, but I wanted to see it on another Boxster first.

I had about 5 polishing agents, some 20 years old sitting around the house. Only one that worked to get it started was Revere Copper cleaner. I used a sponge on that and got it most of the way. I then used my 3 inch Griots random orbital with a product called Flitz Polish. The Flitz is awesome and the high speed is what made it shine. Like I said the interior lighting gives it a dull look in the pic.

I had done the tips before but never was happy. I got advice how to do them right but never bought any good product to do it until recently. The trick with the tips is high speed and the Flitz...I figured I had messed them up with my earlier attempts and they would never look really nice again...but they really come back to a wonderful finish. I'm guessing there are plenty of other products like Flitz out there.

Spinnaker - With a decent polishing agent you should be able to make them look pretty good without the buffer.

+1, I did my 99 Box, and it looked great.I my do the same to my 2002 I just got, I will have to see, my 99 was silver and my 2002 is black.not sure how it is going to look on a black car but it looked great on a silver Box.

This is such a bad thread! I saw your work and went out to look at mine and it was like ugh...now I have to do this as well. Did not go to the level you did with removing it, however, a pneumatic drill and wire brushes left mine with a beautiful shine.

You don't realize how much you see the muffler when it is clean and it really makes the back end pop.

Any chance of a pic please?

I have a silver box and the exhaust looks very sorry for itself, been thinking about doing it black for a while now..

here's a before and after on the car
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1325101998.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1325102016.jpg

Do you need to start with the Revere Copper Cleaner or will the Flitz Polish suffice for the whole job? Wasn't sure if you used the Revere CC because you needed to or because you just had it laying around the garage.

Thanks - Go Blue!

Well I did have it laying around. I started with it because I wanted something to get it initially close and didn't want to use a lot of my Flitz (I need it for a friends wheels). The Revere was the last of 5 I tried and was shocked it worked. The Flitz though is really good and can be used for the whole job...and with any buffing device (even one of those at Walmart that go on a drill) would work great...buffing again is the key to the shine. If you are leaving it on the car then the buffer on a drill would work great i would think.

Mine was actually already removed...clutch/rms/ims/oil fill tube/and ASO while in there.

Spinnaker - is it just me or is there a man in a snorkle in your muffler? Ya they are going to lock me in the funny farm with Danger.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1325110438.jpg

Great... something else Udo (pretty good German name, huh?) needs done this winter while he's stranded in the garage.

Just what I need, another reason for the wife to roll her eyes and shake her head.....

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1325116146.jpg

Ya got good eyesight, the pupils of the eyeballs are right where I drilled the Crios Mod.

So I was tired and too cold to go back in the garage and insert my new IMS bearing...got carried away again with the metal polish instead! I know I know give me grief, but I had no experience with shining metal (I'm a paint guy) and it is fun.

No one will see these unless I'm changing the oil. The one on the left I had cleaned when I took it off. The one on the right I buffed tonight, it's cool how aluminum will polish out. Next concours I go to I'll bring a mirror :).

I'll get back to the mechanical stuff again tomorrow after golf.

Cheers.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1325222936.jpg

Everything back together
 

I never posted a pic with the exhaust back in. Ants enjoy this view.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1326727219.jpg