chris7469
06-10-2012, 09:01 PM
Mike and everyone:
Just want to say thanks for all the tips, tricks and advice I got from Autogeek.
I just finished my first 15 hour exterior detail of my car and every part of my body aches. ha ha It took me Friday, Saturday and Sunday but it was a labor of love and I was blow away with the results.
I give myself a 7.5 out of 10, and I am sure a 30 plus hour detail on the exterior by one of the pros here would take out every last remaining mark. Yes its a black daily driver and I never went more aggressive then the swirl remover with the orange pad.
I have a new found respect for those pros that do the extensive paint correction. It seems like an art form and you guys must work really really hard!
First off I two bucket washed, then scrubbed and dressed the tires and rims.
Then I clayed the entire car.
I started with the porter cable and 5 inch flat Lake County pads, orange, then white then blue with the the Wolfgang trio, Total Swirl Remover, Finishing Glaze and Deep Paint Sealant.
I read as much as I could and watched many of Mike's videos. It took me almost 7 hours to just apply the swirl remover to every panel. I was going slow and doing small squares and several slow passes and checking my work with a light. That process was SO time consuming. My car has tons of curves and smaller spots and angles. And sometimes I needed to hit the same spot several times before all the swirls were gone.
After that I applied the Wolfgang Polish/Glaze, and then finally the Deep Sealant. Lastly I followed up with a light coat of Collinite.
As an amateur and car nut this was an incredible process and I can honestly say I may become addicted. However, I think because I have a black car, and its a daily driver I will never get it perfect. I still noticed a few deeper scratches from an inch or two away under a light that I could not get out. I had nothing more aggressive and to be honest, I don't know if I want to go anymore aggressive.
To the naked eye in the direct sunlight the car went from a 6 to a 10. No questions at all. However having just bought it from a dealer I am very disappointed with the detail work. I have a feeling they used something with fillers to keep the car looking nice, they never took the time to remove the marks. I guess I can understand why, it takes several hours.
Anyway, this was my first 15 hour exterior detail and I hope it lasts for a while. Thank you everyone for all your help!
I am going to post some before and after shots. I am simply an amateur with a porter cable. I am very please with my results. Any and all comments are appreciated! CM12149
12150
12151
12152
12153
12154
12155
Just want to say thanks for all the tips, tricks and advice I got from Autogeek.
I just finished my first 15 hour exterior detail of my car and every part of my body aches. ha ha It took me Friday, Saturday and Sunday but it was a labor of love and I was blow away with the results.
I give myself a 7.5 out of 10, and I am sure a 30 plus hour detail on the exterior by one of the pros here would take out every last remaining mark. Yes its a black daily driver and I never went more aggressive then the swirl remover with the orange pad.
I have a new found respect for those pros that do the extensive paint correction. It seems like an art form and you guys must work really really hard!
First off I two bucket washed, then scrubbed and dressed the tires and rims.
Then I clayed the entire car.
I started with the porter cable and 5 inch flat Lake County pads, orange, then white then blue with the the Wolfgang trio, Total Swirl Remover, Finishing Glaze and Deep Paint Sealant.
I read as much as I could and watched many of Mike's videos. It took me almost 7 hours to just apply the swirl remover to every panel. I was going slow and doing small squares and several slow passes and checking my work with a light. That process was SO time consuming. My car has tons of curves and smaller spots and angles. And sometimes I needed to hit the same spot several times before all the swirls were gone.
After that I applied the Wolfgang Polish/Glaze, and then finally the Deep Sealant. Lastly I followed up with a light coat of Collinite.
As an amateur and car nut this was an incredible process and I can honestly say I may become addicted. However, I think because I have a black car, and its a daily driver I will never get it perfect. I still noticed a few deeper scratches from an inch or two away under a light that I could not get out. I had nothing more aggressive and to be honest, I don't know if I want to go anymore aggressive.
To the naked eye in the direct sunlight the car went from a 6 to a 10. No questions at all. However having just bought it from a dealer I am very disappointed with the detail work. I have a feeling they used something with fillers to keep the car looking nice, they never took the time to remove the marks. I guess I can understand why, it takes several hours.
Anyway, this was my first 15 hour exterior detail and I hope it lasts for a while. Thank you everyone for all your help!
I am going to post some before and after shots. I am simply an amateur with a porter cable. I am very please with my results. Any and all comments are appreciated! CM12149
12150
12151
12152
12153
12154
12155