2005 Pacifica (the wife's ride)

[richy]

Last week I was off on vacation and decided to use the time to get caught up on detail jobs. I had 4 cars booked and then did my wife's on the last day. It was the 4th car I had done with a beta polish that I have been testing. We then took the car to Niagara Falls for a few days and got 8 hours of driving bugs on it. I have attached a video at the end of how the coating reacts with water.
The aim of this detail however is to clean up the outside to a respectable level to get it presentable for sale. I am putting the car up for sale so we can use it as a trade-through at the dealership on a new Lincoln by the looks of it. This car had many marks in it and it is never going to be perfect. But, it's 6 years old and it now looks fantastic for its age and will have no competition for sale.


There are no before shots of the car. I really decided to do it at the last minute so I was already into it and did not do any shots. Sorry.

Wash:


Wheels/Tires/Wells:

The tires were cleaned with Zep Purple
The wheels were cleaned first with Zep Citrus.
That was followed up by P21S polishing soap. I have used this combo on the soft, plastic chrome on the Lincoln and I really like what it does.
The wells were cleaned with Zep Citrus.


The wheels were subsequently sealed, by hand, with the new beta Nano polish.
The tires were treated with DP gel.
The wells were dressed with Megs HD.


The car was first sprayed down with DG bug remover that was allowed to dwell. Then I used my bug sponge with a 2 bm to clean the car. The trim at the bottom was cleaned with Zep Citrus and a brush. The car then got a strong solution of DG 901 and Dawn to remove any sealants still residing on the surface. When rinsed off, it sheeted no water and was squeaky clean. It was pulled into the garage to get clayed. CM blue was used.


Paint Correction:

With all this talk about DA's doing correction, I tried mine with a Surbuf pad and M105. It did not correct nearly as well as what I'm used to with my rotary. So I went back to using my Dyna and M105 and a yellow B & S pad for the most part. I think I may shoot a video showing how this pad/polish/rotary can finish down. I read so much about dusting and all these 105 issues...I just don't get it. Maybe some folks can see how I do it and it might help them? Who knows? Anyway, for the worse marks that had enough paint to allow it, those sections were first done with a black TB wool pad followed by the yellow B & S with 105. This step was followed by M205 and a green B & S pad. The surface was awesome and the black flake was really showing well under my 12" long CFL lights.

Too Darned hot to work!

It was in the high 80's that day and the overhead fan was not cutting it...time to break out the big gun!

Here's the temp in the garage as I pulled the Pacifica in to work on it:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0305-3.jpg


Here it is the following morning:


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0306-3.jpg


I love the setup in my garage. Working in temps around 70° is a godsend. Here is the setup:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0307-3.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0308-3.jpg


Trim Correction:

A few years ago I tried BHAB on this car. At the time I was advised that it was good to use on trim. The trim on the wiper cowl was a mess after using it. It looked awful and nothing I have ever tried has made a difference for any amount of time, including Ultima. Here is the sorry state the cowl was in:



http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0309-3.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0310-3.jpg

I used C4 on it and was delighted at the initial change in appearance. Time will tell on this trim how it holds up. It really stands out against the rest of the car that I was praying this miracle product C4 would do its thing. Here are some shots of it right after application. There is a video at the end where you can see the progress after a week.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0312-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0313-3.jpg


Nano Coating Prep:

I wanted to use DG 501 under the nano polish as a final cleaning stage and I have found that they work very well together. I put the 501 on with a blue pad of medium aggressiveness with my DA at 6. This was allowed to haze and then removed. (It was my usual 501/601 mix). I then followed up with the nano polish. This product needs heat to activate. I used a black LCC pad on my DA at speed 6. It works into the paint very quickly. You don't need to go over the area a lot by any means. The other thing I have found is that quicker removal is better than slower removal. It was harder to remove if I waited longer than 10 minutes. You could also remove it right away too. The resulting surface is instantly slick, slick, slick. The metallic is amplified and just jumps off the paint. This is my favourite sealant I have ever used. It is labeled as a polish but has virtually no cleaning power...kinda on the same level as 105 that way.

Inside After Shots:

I manually focused some of these to try to capture the reflection of the light as well as the flake.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0314-3.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0315-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0318-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0319-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0320-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0321-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0322-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0323-2.jpg



Outside After Shots:



http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0324-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0325-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0326-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0327-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0328-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0329-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0330-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0331-2.jpg


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Live2Detail/DSC_0332-2.jpg



Part of the testing of how good this product is will be the longevity. Here is a video I shot showing how it repels water. It also seemed to either not get as many bugs from the trip (my MKX seemed to get more) or they just seemed to wash off pretty easily. It's funny, the metallic jumps so much that from 10 feet away, it actually looks dusty until you get close enough to see the vibrant metal flake. The way it reacts to water is on par with CQuartz and Opti Coat (Guard). It is way easier to use than either product. The key will be how long it lasts. Check out how it reacts to water:


- ‪Nano polish water repellency‬‏

[ChrisJ]

NICE...

Oh how I envy your garage...

[V3AutoDetailing]

Nice, I am about 20 min from the falls. Go hinking all the time thier

[richy]

NICE...

Oh how I envy your garage...
Thanks. The garage has everything I need to detail: great lights, lots of plugs, my tunes and a/c. My only issue is the floor. I painted the epoxy paint about 7 years ago and it has all peeled and it looks like crap. I may end up going with tile.


Nice, I am about 20 min from the falls. Go hinking all the time thier
Thanks. My wife particularly was taken with the Niagara-by-the-lake area.

[bw72]

My garage gets well over 100 degrees everyday most of the summer so I cant work in it. What type of A/C unit do you have there?

[tuscarora dave]

Very nice video and great looking Pacifica. I too would like to see this product come to market. Richy, it was you that interested me in trying the Duragloss line in the first place and I can get them about 3 miles down the road from where I live. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[richy]

My garage gets well over 100 degrees everyday most of the summer so I cant work in it. What type of A/C unit do you have there?
The unit is an Amcor that is 13,000 BTU if I recall. At the time it was the biggest unit you could get on a regular 110 plug. I then bought a dryer vent and cut a hole in the garage door. My father had the inner sleeve made up for me to attach the hose to. It is an absolute blessing to work in the 70's, not to mention that the products work better as well in that temp.


Very nice video and great looking Pacifica. I too would like to see this product come to market. Richy, it was you that interested me in trying the Duragloss line in the first place and I can get them about 3 miles down the road from where I live. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks Dave. It was Sparkie and Al53 who originally turned me on to the line years ago. Bye-bye Zaino, hehehehe. I promote it b/c it works and it is very cost effective. I really hope this product comes to market. To say it rocks is an understatement!!

[Porsche Pilot]

Richy, join the forums at 6speedonline. You can then get RaceDeck flooring at cost.

[00celica]

Really nice metallic in the paint!!

[richy]

Richy, join the forums at 6speedonline. You can then get RaceDeck flooring at cost.
Thanks for the tip. Gonna pm you for more info.


Really nice metallic in the paint!!
Thank you. It hasn't looked that good since new I think.

[Meghan]

Richy that metallic flake in the paint looks amazing. I am sure the wife was very happy to see her car all nice and shiny!

[ChrisJ]

I really need an A/C unit in my garage...

[IID]

The unit is an Amcor that is 13,000 BTU if I recall. At the time it was the biggest unit you could get on a regular 110 plug. I then bought a dryer vent and cut a hole in the garage door. My father had the inner sleeve made up for me to attach the hose to. It is an absolute blessing to work in the 70's, not to mention that the products work better as well in that temp.


First off,you did a superb job on your wife's Pacifica-WELL DONE!

Second,thank you for posting the A/C info that helps to relieve you of the sweltering summer heat.That is a excellent idea for something I would DEFINETLY be interested in.

Again,Thank You for the Thread :dblthumb2:

[RTexasF]

The vehicle looks magnificent....you earned your vacation pay :laughing:

Being a Duragloss user myself I truly hope that product comes to market, I'll buy that in a wink. I never bought into the "beading is better" theory and long for an easy on easy off no fuss product that flows water off the surface....oh, and inexpensive to boot.

I had to chuckle at the 1st thermometer picture. That's usually the temperature here when I get up at 6AM. Major envy for the garage A/C as you can imagine.

[richy]

Richy that metallic flake in the paint looks amazing. I am sure the wife was very happy to see her car all nice and shiny!
Thank you Meghan. It's kind of bittersweet actually because the reason I cleaned it up so well was to get it sold. I am looking forward to using this or the other beta product I'm testing on whatever new ride she gets.


I really need an A/C unit in my garage...
Dude, you do..seriously. I tell people that not only do the products work better, but so does their operator!


First off,you did a superb job on your wife's Pacifica-WELL DONE!
Thanks Chris, that means a lot coming from you. I've always admired the work you do!
Second,thank you for posting the A/C info that helps to relieve you of the sweltering summer heat.That is a excellent idea for something I would DEFINETLY be interested in.

Again,Thank You for the Thread :dblthumb2:
My pleasure, and thanks for the comments!


The vehicle looks magnificent....you earned your vacation pay :laughing:

Being a Duragloss user myself I truly hope that product comes to market, I'll buy that in a wink. I never bought into the "beading is better" theory and long for an easy on easy off no fuss product that flows water off the surface....oh, and inexpensive to boot.
I enjoyed their products from the moment I started using them. Now that I'm somewhat involved with the company on a testing basis, I have even more respect for the people (Bailey brothers) behind the company. They are stand-up gentlemen who are very dedicated to their craft...not to mention pretty darned smart chemists (Phd level!). I am organizing a decent size test group for both of these products and am looking very forward to the reviews and feedback it generates. Can't say much more on that as it is not being conducted through AG.

I had to chuckle at the 1st thermometer picture. That's usually the temperature here when I get up at 6AM. Major envy for the garage A/C as you can imagine.
I was very pleasantly surprised at how cheaply a very effective system was able to be installed.