Are you ever concerned that all of those cleaners may catch fire?

& the thing is so clean (respect) that I would not want to drive it... which takes all the fun out of owning it..?

WOW.........That looks awesome mate.....:cool::cool::cool:

After applying dressing you might wanna give it a little wipe down after a few minutes. It now has this weird, uneven gloss (looks really greasy and sticky...). Besides, if it's matte you won't see the dirt on it as quickly.

Like has been said; several products can already help you a lot. Special APC for the car will make very light work of most of the dirt you'll find. Spray it on, rub it around with a (clean) paintbrush and wipe it off. Those things can't catch on fire.
For really bad areas you could use brake-cleaner.
But to simply answer the question: using a steam cleaner is fine as long as you use it with a bit of care. Don't use it for a long time on plugs and connectors obviously. But other parts are fine is you wanna clean it that way.

I have used a steam wall paper stripper with the end plate removed and a nozzle made from some pipe wrapped in cloth tape for insulation...

It works great just to remove grime and oil staining and is also good on areas around door hinges and for steaming fabrics and carpets inside the car.
It can even be used to soften leather or vinyl to stretch out creases etc.;)

mine cost £15 from B&Q and I have had it for nearly 20 years....

it is very similar to this one...
Attachment 35050

Driving it really isn't a problem. Once properly cleaned, maintenance is a simple wipe over when washing the car. My '75 is my daily drive - used in all weathers and the engine bay looks like this:

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/s...411_150106.jpg

Yellow parts now changed to black:

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/s...04_1629391.jpg

Finishing touch:

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/s...411_150149.jpg

Any cleaning agents (Brasso; vinyl dressing etc) are always wiped down after application, so no worries about combustion. My engine bay has been (more or less) like this for 8 years now, and it hasn't caught fire yet (should I be saying that? :o).

Cliff

It dies look very tidy and is a credit to you...
Unfortunately the access road to my garage is of the dirt track variety so I get mud in the winter and dust in the summer... hart to keep stuff nice...:shrug:

That plate looks really smart. Did you make it yourself?

The plate itself came from member Wullie480 - I had the inscription laser etched by a local engraving company. It seemed like a nice way to record the cars build data. :D

Cliff

I make sure I leave the bonnet open for a while after cleaning to allow any vapours to disperse.
I find now I have the engine bay as clean as it is, the bay stays fairly clean and only needs a quick wipe over every couple of weeks and maybe a slightly more thorough clean every month to six weeks. I drive my 75 pretty much everyday and my 75 gets left parked outside on the drive as we do not have a garage.

Not telling anyone steam cleaners are right or wrong. But i frequently steam my engine bay with no ill effects. mainly around the edges where the crud really gathers, and occasionally around the cylinder heads and down into the depths.

I treated myself to one of these a few months back and love it.

Brings the engine bay up pristine, and works wonders on the seats and carpets.

It hasnt been cleaned for a good couple of months in the pics below, but it has kept rather well.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...0/836/71s9.jpg