Porter Cable 7424 - Meguiar's G110v2 - Griot's DA Detailing Classes

[Mike Phillips]

Porter Cable 7424 - Meguiar's G110v2 - Griot's DA Detailing Classes



The Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's G110v2 and the Griot's DA Polisher are all simple, entry level dual action polishers that when used with the right products, pads and techniques can take the worst looking piant and create a true show car finish.

All our machine polishing classes start out at the beginning, that is they start out using these entry level tools and then we progress onto the other tools ending up with machine sanding, (with the Porter Cable), followed by learning to use rotary buffers.

Here's an example of what you'll learn during the Porter Cable 7424 - Meguiar's G110v2 - Griot's DA Detailing Class.



Class Topics

1. How to use a Waterless Car Wash.
2. How to visually inspect paint.
3. How to inspect paint with your sense of touch.
4. How to inspect paint using The Baggie Test.
5. How to use a Porter Cable 7424XP Polisher to remove swirls, scratches, oxidation and staining.
6. How to use a Porter Cable 7424XP to polish the paint to a super high gloss.
7. How to use a Porter Cable 7424XP and Griot's 3" Mini Polisher to machine apply a show car wax.
8. How to inspect your microfiber towels.
9. How to break open a coating of wax and carefully remove it.

We start by washing the car using Pinnacle Waterless Car Wash.

Why? Because as a "Best Practice" I don't introduce lots of water to classics, kustoms, antiques, streetrods or muscle cars and I don't teach others to do it either.







Visual Inspection & The Baggie Test

Now that all the loose dirt and dust has been removed we inspect the paint using swirl finder lights and also with our clean hands followed by the Baggie Test.

Most people would think a show car has perfect paint in every sense of the word "perfect" but that's usually never the case. To the shock of many of the students, the paint on this car felt rough to the touch, somewhat like concrete.





The correct way to use Detailing Clay

Next we went over the correct techniques for using detailing clay. There's lots of confusion over how to form the clay bar once it's removed from its packaging plus how to push it over the paint. All this is demonstrated first and then put into practice by the class.


After
After I clayed a section of paint I asked Sam to inspect my work using the Baggie Test. Here's Sam feeling the section of paint I clayed....





Here's Sam inspecting the section of paint left un-touched....





Hands-on time!

The owner told me this car was recently appraised at $156,000.00

I have great relationships with all the local area "Car Guys" and having been at Autogeek for 5 years, and before that teaching classes at Meguiar's Corporate Office in Irvine, California, I've worked very hard to earn their trust.







Contaminants on clay
Often times the contaminant you remove will be a blackish, grayish and even brown color. But it's possible to have contaminants bonded to the clay with very little color to them, clear overspray paint is a good example. Whatever was on the paint, claying removed it and left a clean, smooth surface for the next step, machine polishing.










Just as important as claying is so is carefully wiping off the clay lube so as not to re-instill toweling marks, especially to a show car.








__________________

[Mike Phillips]

Just to note.... this car is typical of the types of cars the students that attend our classes get to work on. Autogeek is unique in the industry by providing not just real cars but classics, streetrods, muscle cars and kustoms to work on as it makes for a top notch learning experience. The skills you learn to work on these styles of cars carry over to ANY other cars you will work on in the future.


In this example, our class worked on an award winning show car.


Richard Zocchi Kustom 1956 Dodge Lancer

Multiple Car Show Winner

1956 Royal Doge Lancer

The car premiered at the 2000 Grand National Roadster Show San Francisco Cow Palace and was awarded the prestigious George Barris Kustom d’Elegance Award.

(Richard Zocchi has won this award three times now … he was the winner of the very first George Barris Kustom D’Elegance Award in 1992 with his fabulous ‘39 Dodge and again in 1994 with his chopped yellow pearl ‘51 Olds).

At the Sacramento Autorama the car won the very first Manuel Arteche Memorial award.

At the Good Guys All American Get Together in Pleasanton, California, it was in the Top Five Customs.

Finally, at the West Coast Kustoms Paso Robles 2000 car show, it received the Larry Watson Nostalgia Pick.

The top was chopped four inches. The rear window was sunk into the package tray to create the flowing line. The side roof molding was hand-built. The windshield and all glass work was done by Dan Mazzoncini of Dan’s Glass, Concord, California.

The upper hood was lengthened 1 inch to create the hood grill and rear scoop.

The centerpiece of the grill opening was sectioned three inches and the grill cavity was hand-formed.

The front grill hood scoop and rear grill were hand-made of three-sixteenths round rod by John Aiello.

Headlights were extended out four inches to simulate early 50s Studebaker look.

Headlight bezels again used by Zocchi is his trademark look – ‘56 Olds with the outside lip cut off.

Front and rear bumpers were frenched and extended … all bumper bolts shaved off to give it a clean appearance.

Front and rear wheel wells were flared.

Hand-made rear skirts were added.

Rear quarter panels were extended four inches.

One-half inch round rod was used to create cavity opening on taillights, which were hand-built by Gene Winfield.

Side molding was used from ‘57 Pontiac which was altered on the quarter panels.

Doors and trunk handles were all removed and Unkl Al’s remote system was used.

Paint was applied by Marcos of Lucky 7 Auto Body, Antioch, CA. PPG toners of violet and white were used in a custom mix by Marcos with gold pearl.

The front suspension was re-worked with drop spindles from Fat Man Fabrications by Bob Madsen.

The car was then turned over to bob Westbury for installation of Air Technology Air Ride System.

The interior was hand-built by Bob Divine Interiors of Martinez, California. It was done in violet and white to match the dash and exterior. Pioneer sound system was also installed by Divine.

The engine is a stock 315 Hemi except for a mild cam. The engine was all painted and detailed.

All chrome work and stainless work was done by Sherm’s Plating of Sacramento, California.

The car has radial tires with 2 ¼ inch whitewalls.

Hubcaps were custom made.

[Mike Phillips]

How to remove swirls using a Porter Cable 7424XP


Next up we went over the correct techniques for removing swirls and scratches using a Porter Cable 7424XP dual action polisher as well as the Griot's 6" DA Polisher and the Meguiar's G110v2.

For this step we used Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover with Lake Country 5.5" Orange Flat Foam Cutting Pads.

















Machine Polishing
I don't have any pictures of the machine polishing step but suffice to say we followed Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover with the Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish on black Lake Country 5.5" Flat Pad...

(No pictures)




Machine Waxing

Next we machine applied Pinnacle Souveran Paste Wax using Porter Cable 7424XP polisher with 5.5" Lake Country Blue Foam Flat Waxing Pads.

These polishers are light enough and compact in size enough that you can apply wax using only one hand on the polisher.










Thin Coat of Wax
When applying a true show car wax to a finish that is smooth from claying and defect-free from machine correcting the paint and then machine polishing the paint in excellent shape you only need a thin coat.






The correct way to remove a finishing wax
When it comes time to remove a finishing or true show car wax the first thing you do is inspect the quality of your microfiber towels to ensure you're not putting scratches back into the paint.

Then you put on some clean microfiber gloves, fold your towel 4-ways and carefully break-open the layer of wax on the surface and from their creep-out using small, overlapping circular motions.












And if you do everything correctly to take the paint to it's maximum potential, a true show car finish!

[Mike Phillips]

Here are the results.....

Remember, some of these people have never worked by machine before...


































Nice work Team!

[Mike Phillips]

And here's the SUN SHOTS!

Kind of hard to photograph pearl paint jobs in full sun but these actually came out really nice....

[Mike Phillips]

Detailing Classes at Autogeek for 2015


Consistent Dates Each Year
Because we have people that fly in from around the country and around the world we consistently hold our classes the same time each year so you can make your travel arrangements, (airline tickets, hotel reservations and rental cars).

Due to the popularity of these classes we've added an extra class for 2015.


Last weekend of January.
First weekend of May
Third weekend in July
Last weekend in September


Here are the dates for Detailing Classes at Autogeek for 2015.



January 2015 Class

January 24th and 25th - Full - No more seats available.




Note: Starting in May of 2015 the classes go to three days.


May 2015 Class

Friday May 1st
Saturday May 2nd
Sunday May 3rd

Click here to sign-up for this class



July 2015 Class
Friday, July 17th
Saturday, July 18th
Sunday, July 19th

Call 1-800-869-3011 to sign up for this class.



September 2015 Class
Friday, September 25th
Saturday, September 26th
Sunday, September 27th

Call 1-800-869-3011 to sign up for this class.




All classes always fill up so plan accordingly and get registered early.