Got my new detailing goodies from DI today
05-25-14, 01:48 PM
#16
have you checked out any vids on youtube? Chemical guys has great vids on polishing and amount of pressure to use on the buffer... also dipyourcar.com has vids on plasti-dip with proper coating and masking off areas of the vehicles... in for pics....
05-25-14, 01:53 PM
#19
What are going to use for final finish, wax or a sealant?
Happy for you your car came out ok. Your car probably needed to be done with an aggressive polish and then with a fine polish after, imagine having to go over your car again, yes detailers are underpaid at least when it comes to polishing a car.
Happy for you your car came out ok. Your car probably needed to be done with an aggressive polish and then with a fine polish after, imagine having to go over your car again, yes detailers are underpaid at least when it comes to polishing a car.
Swirls are probably 90% gone. I didn't get many of the scratches out, but I was using a pretty fine polish and pad just to be safe. Without knowing what I'm doing and without having a feel for the machine I was scared to get too far into it. It seems like even very light pressure stops the pad from rotating or slows it down quite a bit so I'm not sure if I need to be just resting the machine on the surface or if I need to be applying pressure. It seems to have done a fantastic job though. It's like a layer of filth has been removed and you can actually see the paint now.
My wife asks "are you going to do mine next?" Haha yeah after I heal from this. Detailed are GROSSLY underpaid. I couldn't imagine doing this on a daily basis. Not in the AZ heat anyways...
My wife asks "are you going to do mine next?" Haha yeah after I heal from this. Detailed are GROSSLY underpaid. I couldn't imagine doing this on a daily basis. Not in the AZ heat anyways...
05-25-14, 02:03 PM
#20
05-25-14, 02:33 PM
#21
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also wanted to add to prevent "most" scratches and your hard work is to use the 2 bucket method when washing and a pressure washer if you have one... I've been using the foam gun, pressure washer, and 2 bucket method on my Optima and it has really helped in preventing swirls... The less you touch the vehicle the better.. prepping is key....
When I wash I use high pressure soap followed by a soft water rinse and a high speed air dry. I wipe whatever is left with a MF towel. Ive got the waffle towels now so drying should be painless. The car stays pretty clean so I prefer not to actually touch the paint with a mitt during washing.
I have the menzerna power lock I'm going to use to seal it. That's probably tomorrow's task. Poor car hasn't left the garage all weekend.
05-25-14, 02:37 PM
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What are going to use for final finish, wax or a sealant?
Happy for you your car came out ok. Your car probably needed to be done with an aggressive polish and then with a fine polish after, imagine having to go over your car again, yes detailers are underpaid at least when it comes to polishing a car.
Happy for you your car came out ok. Your car probably needed to be done with an aggressive polish and then with a fine polish after, imagine having to go over your car again, yes detailers are underpaid at least when it comes to polishing a car.
05-25-14, 02:50 PM
#23
When I wash I use high pressure soap followed by a soft water rinse and a high speed air dry. I wipe whatever is left with a MF towel. Ive got the waffle towels now so drying should be painless. The car stays pretty clean so I prefer not to actually touch the paint with a mitt during washing.
I have the menzerna power lock I'm going to use to seal it. That's probably tomorrow's task. Poor car hasn't left the garage all weekend.
I have the menzerna power lock I'm going to use to seal it. That's probably tomorrow's task. Poor car hasn't left the garage all weekend.
a leaf blower works wonders as well than i use the "absorber" to finish up...
05-25-14, 04:26 PM
#24
I just used some of that on my wife's ES 350, looks great and real easy to use also.
When I wash I use high pressure soap followed by a soft water rinse and a high speed air dry. I wipe whatever is left with a MF towel. Ive got the waffle towels now so drying should be painless. The car stays pretty clean so I prefer not to actually touch the paint with a mitt during washing.
I have the menzerna power lock I'm going to use to seal it. That's probably tomorrow's task. Poor car hasn't left the garage all weekend.
I have the menzerna power lock I'm going to use to seal it. That's probably tomorrow's task. Poor car hasn't left the garage all weekend.
05-27-14, 08:42 PM
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Well I have roughly 14 hours into this project and my car looks AMAZING. I'm sure I didn't do a 100% perfect job as I'm just learning how to do this, but my results are fantastic. My picture taking skills are horrible so I'm not sure if its going to do it any justice, but I'll see what I can do.
I told my wife I wanted to make it look BETTER than the day I bought it. Mission accomplished. I would have paid more if the dealership had taken the time to properly detail it. At first I was scared to pull it out of the garage and into sunlight, but it just glows in the sun. I even got a compliment from a guy who collects exotic cars and appreciates clean vehicles.
Money/time well spent in my eyes.
Thanks to everyone who supplied tips and encouragement.
What I learned as a noob:
Do not, NEVER EVER turn the DA machine on after you have applied product unless the pad is touching the painted surface. I did this twice and wanted to punch myself in the ***** for it.
Do not wash the windows before polishing/sealing/waxing. Your going to have to wash them again...especially if you didn't listen to my first noob tip.
Polish doesn't fix rock chips. Damn it...neither does wax.
Do not paint pieces without properly masking your car. Cover the entire car with a clean sheet. Paint goes EVERYWHERE.
I told my wife I wanted to make it look BETTER than the day I bought it. Mission accomplished. I would have paid more if the dealership had taken the time to properly detail it. At first I was scared to pull it out of the garage and into sunlight, but it just glows in the sun. I even got a compliment from a guy who collects exotic cars and appreciates clean vehicles.
Money/time well spent in my eyes.
Thanks to everyone who supplied tips and encouragement.
What I learned as a noob:
Do not, NEVER EVER turn the DA machine on after you have applied product unless the pad is touching the painted surface. I did this twice and wanted to punch myself in the ***** for it.
Do not wash the windows before polishing/sealing/waxing. Your going to have to wash them again...especially if you didn't listen to my first noob tip.
Polish doesn't fix rock chips. Damn it...neither does wax.
Do not paint pieces without properly masking your car. Cover the entire car with a clean sheet. Paint goes EVERYWHERE.
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