richy
05-17-2011, 07:12 AM
This customer was sadly saying goodbye to this Vette that he bought used in 2006-it was only 4 months old at the time (the guy upgraded to a Z06). So my mission was to rid it of scratches and chips and make 'er look good enough to buy...Game on!!
First up as always were the:
Wheels/Tires/Wells/Exhaust Tips:
This car had been upgraded to Z06 chrome wheels. These are my most favourite wheels I have ever seen on a car. Lots of chrome, big openings to show the wells and just darned pretty!!
The tires got cleaned with Zep purple.
The wheel faces and barrels were first done with Megs WB acid.
The wheel faces and barrels were subsequently done with Zep Citrus to neutralize the acid.
The wells were cleaned with Zep Citrus.
The wheel faces were then subsequently polished with Collinite Metal wax with a mf.
The tires were dressed with Opti Bond.
The wells were dressed with Adams US.
A few wheel shots initially:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0121-1.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0120-1.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0119-2.jpg
The exhaust tips were cleaned with Megs WB and my RG wheel brush (inside and out) and then sprayed down with Zep Citrus.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0118-2.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0117-2.jpg
De-Bug/Wash/Clay:
I sprayed down the front of the Vette with DG bug and tar remover and let it dwell while I cleaned the jams with Zep Citrus and my EZ detail brush.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0126.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0109-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0110-3.jpg
The car was then foamed with a mix of DG 901 and Zep Citrus to remove any wax from the surface. It was then washed with a mix of DG 901 and Dawn to ensure a clean surface. There was no beading or sheeting action after these 2 steps.
The Vette was then pulled into the garage for Clay. It says the owner's name on the dash when it starts up..too cool. Should be my name but where am I gonna put 2 child seats in that thing??? Anyway, the car was then clayed with Riccardo warmed up in the microwave.
I had seen the car a few months before and knew there were some scrapes in the back as well as some chips. I had requested that the owner bring touch up paint with him and he did so. Here are a few of the marks I had to touch up including a scratch deep enough to feel with your fingernail that was about 1.5 to 2" long.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0111-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0112-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0113-3.jpg
Here's the scratch:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0114-3.jpg
Door opening chips:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0115-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0116-3.jpg
A few more Before's:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0124.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0127.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0128.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0123.jpg
Lots of wax on the back trim:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0125.jpg
This was going to be an outside only detail. I started by filling in the scratch with my usual method, a pointy toothpick, which gets down deep inside the scratch, much better than any paintbrush I have ever used. The paint was allowed to dry for the next day till I got to that area for compounding.
Paint Correction:
GM clear is notoriously hard and Vettes are usually the King of hardness. With fortuitous timing, my brand new tuff buff black wool pads arrived the day before. Boy, was I going to need them!! There was a ton of small scratches in the harder clear of the top surfaces like the hood and around the back window. Going up a few times in aggressiveness (I just didn't ASSUME it was going to be hard clear,m I made sure to test it first) I tried a yellow B & S pad with M105. Ya, dream on...Next I tried the TB with M105. That worked on the sides but the top surfaces were worse. I ended up using my "rocks in a bottle" Menz PG with the tuf buff. I really, really, really like these wool pads. They do not lint. No, you didn't just hit your head on the keyboard, you read that right...they do not lint. They are simply the cleanest wool pads I have ever used. Stock up boys. They are also well priced if you ask me. I was using both 5.5 and 4 inch. For the surfaces that got done with PG, it really finished down fairly well. Not good enough so I went over it with the yellow B & S and M205. That took out any traces of using wool and finished the paint down nicely. The same step was done after using the TB wool and M105. The whole car was done with wool. The scratch touch up was leveled using 3000 grit wet sanding.
After the compounding and polishing stage, the paint was cleaned and sealed using my 1:4 mix of DG 601/501 with a blue Uber pad (I think; it's a soft one) and my DA at 6. That really made the metallic jump. I had done an IPA inspection to make sure the surface was not in need of further refinement. I was working section by section and went back over and sealed it in with Collinite 845 put on in a WOWO fashion. It was humid the one day and I didn't want to take any chances of it getting hazy. It worked like a charm that way. The front and rear lights were done in the same way with all the steps.
Exterior Trim:
This was done with UTTG and a tire applicator or a foam brush depending on the area. I love this stuff and wonder what I'm going to do with my GALLON of DG trim dressing?? That'll learn ya for buying in bulk, eh?!? I first cleaned the back trim with my DG trim eraser as well as my IPA/Dawn mix.
Hating the weather!
On Sunday, it was raining the whole day so he had to take delivery in the rain. It was not raining hard, but nonetheless it takes some of the excitement away having to immediately get it dirty again. Oh well, beyond our control.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0164-1.jpg
Some New Lighting:
I had also picked up 2 new T8 light fixtures this week and mounted one vertically to replace an old one and mounted 2 (one old; one new) horizontally on the other side where I have room to do so:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0163-1.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0162-1.jpg
First up as always were the:
Wheels/Tires/Wells/Exhaust Tips:
This car had been upgraded to Z06 chrome wheels. These are my most favourite wheels I have ever seen on a car. Lots of chrome, big openings to show the wells and just darned pretty!!
The tires got cleaned with Zep purple.
The wheel faces and barrels were first done with Megs WB acid.
The wheel faces and barrels were subsequently done with Zep Citrus to neutralize the acid.
The wells were cleaned with Zep Citrus.
The wheel faces were then subsequently polished with Collinite Metal wax with a mf.
The tires were dressed with Opti Bond.
The wells were dressed with Adams US.
A few wheel shots initially:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0121-1.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0120-1.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0119-2.jpg
The exhaust tips were cleaned with Megs WB and my RG wheel brush (inside and out) and then sprayed down with Zep Citrus.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0118-2.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0117-2.jpg
De-Bug/Wash/Clay:
I sprayed down the front of the Vette with DG bug and tar remover and let it dwell while I cleaned the jams with Zep Citrus and my EZ detail brush.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0126.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0109-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0110-3.jpg
The car was then foamed with a mix of DG 901 and Zep Citrus to remove any wax from the surface. It was then washed with a mix of DG 901 and Dawn to ensure a clean surface. There was no beading or sheeting action after these 2 steps.
The Vette was then pulled into the garage for Clay. It says the owner's name on the dash when it starts up..too cool. Should be my name but where am I gonna put 2 child seats in that thing??? Anyway, the car was then clayed with Riccardo warmed up in the microwave.
I had seen the car a few months before and knew there were some scrapes in the back as well as some chips. I had requested that the owner bring touch up paint with him and he did so. Here are a few of the marks I had to touch up including a scratch deep enough to feel with your fingernail that was about 1.5 to 2" long.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0111-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0112-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0113-3.jpg
Here's the scratch:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0114-3.jpg
Door opening chips:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0115-3.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0116-3.jpg
A few more Before's:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0124.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0127.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0128.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0123.jpg
Lots of wax on the back trim:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0125.jpg
This was going to be an outside only detail. I started by filling in the scratch with my usual method, a pointy toothpick, which gets down deep inside the scratch, much better than any paintbrush I have ever used. The paint was allowed to dry for the next day till I got to that area for compounding.
Paint Correction:
GM clear is notoriously hard and Vettes are usually the King of hardness. With fortuitous timing, my brand new tuff buff black wool pads arrived the day before. Boy, was I going to need them!! There was a ton of small scratches in the harder clear of the top surfaces like the hood and around the back window. Going up a few times in aggressiveness (I just didn't ASSUME it was going to be hard clear,m I made sure to test it first) I tried a yellow B & S pad with M105. Ya, dream on...Next I tried the TB with M105. That worked on the sides but the top surfaces were worse. I ended up using my "rocks in a bottle" Menz PG with the tuf buff. I really, really, really like these wool pads. They do not lint. No, you didn't just hit your head on the keyboard, you read that right...they do not lint. They are simply the cleanest wool pads I have ever used. Stock up boys. They are also well priced if you ask me. I was using both 5.5 and 4 inch. For the surfaces that got done with PG, it really finished down fairly well. Not good enough so I went over it with the yellow B & S and M205. That took out any traces of using wool and finished the paint down nicely. The same step was done after using the TB wool and M105. The whole car was done with wool. The scratch touch up was leveled using 3000 grit wet sanding.
After the compounding and polishing stage, the paint was cleaned and sealed using my 1:4 mix of DG 601/501 with a blue Uber pad (I think; it's a soft one) and my DA at 6. That really made the metallic jump. I had done an IPA inspection to make sure the surface was not in need of further refinement. I was working section by section and went back over and sealed it in with Collinite 845 put on in a WOWO fashion. It was humid the one day and I didn't want to take any chances of it getting hazy. It worked like a charm that way. The front and rear lights were done in the same way with all the steps.
Exterior Trim:
This was done with UTTG and a tire applicator or a foam brush depending on the area. I love this stuff and wonder what I'm going to do with my GALLON of DG trim dressing?? That'll learn ya for buying in bulk, eh?!? I first cleaned the back trim with my DG trim eraser as well as my IPA/Dawn mix.
Hating the weather!
On Sunday, it was raining the whole day so he had to take delivery in the rain. It was not raining hard, but nonetheless it takes some of the excitement away having to immediately get it dirty again. Oh well, beyond our control.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0164-1.jpg
Some New Lighting:
I had also picked up 2 new T8 light fixtures this week and mounted one vertically to replace an old one and mounted 2 (one old; one new) horizontally on the other side where I have room to do so:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0163-1.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0162-1.jpg