2011 Camaro - Show Car Finish by Dodo Juice - Modeled by Amy

[Mike Phillips]

2011 Camaro - Show Car Finish by Dodo Juice - Modeled by Amy

Chris's 2011 Synergy Green Camaro

My friend PJ from Dodo Juice was visiting the U.S. from Norway and while he was here I invited him to participate in a couple of our Autogeek's Car of the Week projects. The first project he helped out with was this pristine 1957 Chevy Bel Air with single stage paint in which we hand-applied Dodo Juice Orange Crush.

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air - Remove Swirls - Modeled by Kristin



Dodo Juice just introduced a brand new product called Home Brew, which is a do-it-yourself wax making kit. I love this idea so much as soon as it arrived here at Autogeek I purchased four kits for Birthday and Christmas gifts.



While the kit is well thought out and complete in every way, PJ suggested we make a how-to video while he's here to show step-by-step how to make your own car wax using the Dodo Juice Home Brew Kit. Max said great idea! Get Yancy onboard and go make a video.

Mad Scientists in the Autogeek Laboratory!


PJ and me making our Home Brew Wax...




So once we had approval from management we needed a car. I asked PJ what he would like to work on and he said... get something green...

So I went through my list of green cars and came up with,

1974 Green AMC Gremlin
1972 Green MGB
1970 Green Chevelle
2011 Synergy Green Camaro

Immediately after rattling off the above list PJ said, get the Synergy Green Camaro!

With a quick phone call to my friend Chris it was a done deal. I asked Chris how the finish looked and he said it was in excellent condition. He purchased the Camaro in July and it's garage-kept anytime it's not in use.

Anyone that knows me knows I love a challenge, like the 1977 Can Am Corvette that we did a few weeks ago. When it arrived it was a completely swirled-out mess and it was both a challenge and a lot of fun removing the swirls and restoring a show car finish.


1977 Can Am Corvette - Modeled by Amy and Janna - Pictures and Video!

Before - You can't even see the multi-color metal flake because the paint is so hazy with swirls.





After - The paint glistens like its wet




Now you can see the multi-color metalflake finish...



Extreme Makeover vs Show Car Makeover
So while I'm always hoping for a car that will be a challenge we take as we get them and even when the car is in good to excellent condition, there's always a little room for improvement. If we can't do and extreme makeover then we do a show car makeover, the end results are always the same, a finish that glistens like a gemstone and shines like a diamond.

It's easy to take a neglected finish like you see with the Can Am Corvette above and create a DRAMATIC before & after results. It's a lot more difficult to take a finish that's already nice and take it to an even higher level... but it can be done...

I have an article about this topic here,

"Taking your car's paint to its maximum potential"



Mean Green Arrives at Autogeek.net
When Chris arrived the first thing we did was try to capture some pictures of the swirls in the paint using overhead sunlight. With our eyes we could see light swirls throughout the finish but the sun was already starting to set in the sky and that makes it hard to get good swirl shots.

Chris in his Camaro in the Autogeek Parking Lot


Framing the shot, I had Chris drive around the parking lot till I could get a shot of the sun reflecting off the hood.



You can see the tale-tale signs of light swirls and scratches in the paint...




Next we tried using the Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light and the overhead florescent lights but again, we could see the light swirls in the paint but it was difficult to capture them on camera.

Here's Chris, using the Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light to inspect the finish on his car while Steve, the owner of the 1969 Camaro Pace Car looks for swirls too...




There are actually more swirls throughout the finish plus a few RIDS here and there but this is the best I could capture with my trusty, dusty Canon Rebel...







11 Paint Condition Categories
While the paint does look new and in good condition we could see that it was still going to take some machine polishing to bring the condition of the paint up from category 2. Excellent Condition to category 1. Show Car Condition as described on page 37 of my how to book.





What's in the air? - Checking for surface contamination
Next up we wanted to inspect the paint for above surface bonded contaminants. Although new and always garage-kept, it's still possible to have some type of contaminants bonded to the paint. Whether or not your car's finish has what's called Above Surface Bonded Contaminants or not depends upon what's in the air over the car.

So we felt the paint with our hand and it felt clean as new glass. Next we tried The Baggie Test to see if by using a thin film of plastic if we could then feel and detect any surface contaminants.



Here's Chris the owner using the Baggie Test to inspect the paint...






Here's Ron doing the same.... Ron will be bringing in one of his toys in the near future for one of our Autogeek's Car of the Week projects.






So next up is doing our Test Spot

One of the things we teach at our classes is the idea of,

"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"


By using the least aggressive product you get the job done, that is you remove the swirls and other paint defects while leaving the most amount of paint on the body panels to last over the service life of the car.


Optimum Polymer Technologies - G-P-S
Optimum recently introduced a brand new product called, G-P-S which stands for Glaze, Polish, Sealant. Basically it's a sprayable light cleaner/wax. In keeping with the idea of using the least aggressive product to get the job done and since the swirls in the paint appeared to be very light or shallow, we gave this product a try first during out Test Spot.


Here I am spraying some G-P-S onto a black finishing pad on a Porter Cable DA Polisher being held by Chris



This is Chris's first time machine polishing so a little hands-on training is in order... Hands-on training completely flattens out the learning curve and also helps to instill confidence to people new to machine polishing and worried about making a mistake.



The first combination wasn't aggressive enough so now we're trying a white polishing pad with G-P-S



The G-P-S is a fine polish as far as it's cutting ability goes and while it's important to test first... we really need something more aggressive for the ceramic paints that come on all new Camaros...




Getting more aggressive but still very safe
Robert from Impressions Detailing buffs out a lot of cars including a lot of new Camaros and he said from experience the Flex 3401 with Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover and a Tangerine Hydro-Tech polishing pad would be more than enough to remove the swirls and scratches and leave the paint ready for the final machine polishing step.

Here's Robert doing a Test Spot



More to come...

[Mike Phillips]

Contiued...


The Major Correction Step

The results from the Test Spot came out great so everyone set-up with Tangerine Hydro-Tech Polishing pads on the tool of their choice and Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover.


Robert tackling the driver's side of the hood...



Kyle priming his pad...



Kyle removing swirls on the rear passenger side fender... Kyle has really turned out to be a hardcore paint polisher with a real knack for the craft...



Rene using a 4" Tangerine Hydro-Tech pad on a Flex 3401. Rene has also turned out to be a true craftsman when it comes to polishing paint.



From left to right,
Steve, the owner of the 1969 Camaro Pace Car, Renny, the owner of the 2011 Red Jewel Tint Camaro and Ron our newest addition to our Thursday night projects and he's bringing one of his cars in the future... one thing for sure... Ron LOVES the Cyclo Polisher.



Ron using the Cyclo Polisher with 4" Hydro-Tech Pads attached...




Here you can see Kyle helping Scott use the Flex 3401...
Each one, teach one...



Teamwork... at the far end you can see Robert, Chris and Adam...



The Polishing or Minor Correction Step

Here's Adam following the Major Correction Step with a Porter Cable 7424XP with a Black Lake Country Foam Finishing Pad and G-P-S to really maximize the gloss and shine...



On the other side is Kyle using the Meguiar's G110v2 with G-P-S and on the driver's side is Steve using G-P-S and to the right is yours truly...



Here's a splittin image of Steve while he's machine polishing the paint...



Kyle is one serious dude when it comes to machine polishing... just look at him as he's concentrating on the task at hand...





PJ having fun making a Smiley on the face of his buffing pad...



Getting busy...



Ron the Human Towel Rack




How to Machine Wax and Seal the Paint

After the polishing step it's time to seal the paint with a coat of wax. For this we're going to use the Cucumber Explosion my son and I made over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Cucumber Explosion!





Man versus Machine = Machine Always Wins
Normally paste waxes are applied by hand and a lot of people prefer to hand apply a paste wax because it can be very relaxing, especially if you're working on your toy...

Me? I'm part machine and prefer to do every step by machine when possible because the machine always outperforms the human hand.

For applying the wax we're going to use 5.5" CCS Blue Waxing Foam Pads on DA Polishers like the Porter Cable, Meguiar's and Griot's Garage units. The benefit to these smaller type of DA Polishers is you can hold them in one hand while doing the vertical sides.




How to apply a paste wax by machine
On page 106 and 107 I show 3 ways to machine apply a paste wax. One of the methods is to clean the handle of the wrench that comes with your DA Polisher and use it like a butter knife to spread the wax over the face of the foam pad.













The Transformation Team goes to work machine applying Cucumber Explosion to the freshly polished paint



Kyle massaging the wax over the paint...



Steve working the wax over the driver's side fender...



Yes, I even got PJ to machine apply a wax that he prefers to apply by hand...



Ron using the Meguiar's G110v2 to machine apply Cucumber Explosion!



PJ can't help himself... he applies the Cucumber Explosion using his bare hands to the side mirrors... He's a "Hand Man" but that balances out me the machine guy...



Here's Robert wiping the glass down and Kyle behind him removing tape and cover-up towels.




More to come...

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


After we carefully removed the wax it was time to get out of the way and let Yancy work his magic. Earlier in the day we shot a brand new video showing step-by-step how to make the wax in the Home Brew kit.

The last part of the video is showing the end-results after applying it to our project car. The wax that comes in the Home Brew kit is a finishing wax also called a true show car wax. This means, it should only be applied to paint in excellent condition, that is perfectly clean, clear, smooth and defect free and that's what we have after machine polishing the paint twice.

Here's Yancy guiding the camera in for a swooping-in shot... if you ever watch any of the video we shoot here at Autogeek pay attention to the camera shots... Yancy is a true artist when it comes to guiding the cameras and it's a lot harder than you think...



As he moves the camera forward and up he can monitor the action on the 55" big screen TV on our studio. We're the only TV studio I've worked in that has this cool feature. Normal is a small 12" monitor half a dozen people hover around to try to get a look. With our 55" big screen hooked up to the camera everyone can watch the action live or how it looks on screen.





The camera boom is counter balanced with weights but it still requires the steady hands of a surgeon to do a great job...






Just to note... Yancy actually built this camera boom...



Now Yancy is running the tilt and pan controls for some far shots and overhead shots...



Switching to another camera for some close-ups where the camera needs to be stationary...



No formal video experience but I would put him up against the best in this industry... yes... he's that good...





We used Cucumber Explosion on the car as the wax we made is supposed to set-up and harden for 24 to 48 hours. Plus we're going to auction this wax off for charity.



Green with Envy Car Wax!




Beauty Shots

And now let's take a look at the results...







The car now has the wet-paint look everyone loves!



Bad to the bone...



This Camaro has style... with great looks!





Don't touch - Wet Paint!













Bad Attitude...



Chevy really got it right when they introduced the new Camaro and the Synergy Green color sets off the sexy, muscular body lines...



More to come...

[Mike Phillips]

Your turn...

Anyone can get show car results as long as they use quality products and good technique. Below is a list of pads, products and tools we used to remove the swirls and scratches out of the paint and maximize gloss and clarity for a true show car finish.


On Autogeek.net

Cleaning
Detailer's Pro Series Waterless Auto Wash


Buffing Pads
6.5" Lake Country Tangerine Hydro-Tech Pads
5.5" Lake Country Flat Pads
5.5" Lake Country CCS Pads
4" Lake Country Hydro-Tech Pads



Tools Used
Flex 3401
Porter Cable 7424XP
Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher
Meguiar's G110v2
Cyclo Orbital Polisher Model 5-Pro


Medium Cut Polish
Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover


Fine Cut Polish
Optimum G-P-S



Wax
Dodo Juice Home Brew Kit



Microfiber Towels and Gloves
Super Soft Deluxe Blue Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges
Super Soft Deluxe Green Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges
Mango Breeze Microfiber Towels
Yellow All Purpose Microfiber Towels
Microfiber Gloves - 6 pair
Microfiber Gloves - 1 pair


Misc Tools
Kreepstool
Autogeek Detailing Cover-Up Towel
Pad Conditioning Brush
Brinkmann Maxfire Dual Xenon Rechargeable Swirl Finder Spotlight
Diamondite Glass and Surface Cleaner





How To Information Resources

All the tips and techniques used for detailing this custom 1954 Ford found in either the e-book or paperback version of The Art of Detailing as well as the DVD.

E-book
(Displayed on iPad - iPad not included)


Paperback



Mike Phillips' Principles of Machine Polishing



Autogeek.net
Customer Service: 1-800-869-3011

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...

And last but certainly not least... Amy, one of our Swirl Girls came by to inspect our work...

First up she autographed the Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light she used in the pictures below plus the one we used during this project.






First Amy checks to make sure we didn't leave any trace residues of wax on the paint. Anytime you're working on a show car finish it's a good idea to wear microfiber gloves for 3 reasons,

1. Give you grip strength over your microfiber towel. Article
2. Prevents you from leaving a finger smudge if you accidentally touch the paint
3. If you're Amy... they go great with your white Go-Go Boots!

Here's Amy giving the paint a final wipe...



1960's Psychedelic Dress goes great with the Synergy Green Paint and sexy body lines on the new Camaro.


Plus it matches the graphics Dodo Juice uses for all their marketing and packaging materials. Nice choice Amy!



She's got her Swirl Finder Light out!




Looking good so far... the Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light works like having the Sun in your hand to find swirls and scratches.



So far.. so good... another swirl-free finish at Autogeek's Show Car Garage!



Nancy Sinatra can walk all she wants... these boots are made for DRIVING!



Car detailing is fun!




Steve brought his 1969 Camaro Pace Car that we buffed out previously in this thread,

1969 Camaro Pace Car - Show Car Makeover - Modeled by Michelle




We thought it would be cool to get them nose-to-nose... now no fighting boys...



Here's the Transformation Team, from left to right...

Ron, Kyle, Adam, PJ, me, Chris, Scott and Steve




And a few fun shots...











You talking to me pal?

[Mike Phillips]

Green with Envy Car Wax

If you look closely... you can see PJ has autographed the wax we made together for our how-to video...





I've signed it also and we're going to action it off for charity, so be watching for that to come up on the forum soon...

[Mike Phillips]

Lab Day!
Check out the pictures from our day in the laboratory making the Green with Envy car wax...


Mad Scientists in the Autogeek Laboratory!


Made a new how-to video with PJ on how to make the Dodo Juice Home Brew Wax, here's a few shots from the shoot today...


Here's Yancy and PJ setting up products...



The AG Laboratory



Science!



Do follow the directions...



Don't drink the Liquid Phase!




Had a great time with PJ making this new how-to video...



Thanks PJ!

[silverfox]

Mike,
Its my understanding that the Synergy Green Camaro is very similar to the Red Jewel Tint Coat...(i.e. it has a tinted clear coat to get that special effect).

Did you notice any green tint on the pads? If not, I was misinformed.

Thanks...GREAT Car!

[Mike Phillips]

Mike,
Its my understanding that the Synergy Green Camaro is very similar to the Red Jewel Tint Coat...(i.e. it has a tinted clear coat to get that special effect).

Did you notice any green tint on the pads? If not, I was misinformed.

Thanks...GREAT Car!

No green tinting coming off the clear top coat... just pure clear paint...


Good question!

[thedodo]

great write-up with some good pics. 8) thanks Mike