BrightonRT
07-28-2012, 11:12 PM
Previously on Chronicles of An Amateur Detailer...
http://http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-university/53385-chronicles-amateur-detailer-project.html
Introducing Patient #1: The Black Pearl
The Black Pearl is my 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T. It's name was selected for two reasons. First, the color is officially called Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat. Second (and more so..), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was the movie my wife and I saw on our first date.
Patient #1, This is your life...
This vehicle was a daily driver for the first 7 months of it's life but now lives a life of privelage. After the first 14,000 miles, it has been given a cap of 5000 miles a year, and is only driven on days when it is 20% chance of rain or less. It's winters are spent covered in a garage hooked to a Battery Tender.
The Symptoms
The Current State
At the start of this spring, I used Meguiar's Ultimate Polish on the paint with a yellow W8207 polishing pad to try and remove some very light swirls. It appeared to have worked so I protected with a coat of NXT 2.0 followed by Gold Class Carnauba Plus.
The Unpolishables
There are 2 spots on the car where, despite my best efforts, parking lots have exerted their wrath on the paint, one is a small but deep scrape that went all the way to the primer.:mad:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4462.jpg
The second is a scrape along the drivers side rear that is not to primer but I can feel with my fingernail. These are beyond my skill level to repair safely and I am going to looking into professional repair this winter when the vehicle is parked. :surrender:
The Fixables
Minor swirls and 2-3 RIDS showing through the polishing oils and LSP...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4456.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4459.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4461.jpg
And for the interior some spotting of unknown origin on the drivers seat...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4468.jpg
The Treatment
1. Scrub up! - Sweep out the garage and take the leaf blower to the driveway where I'm going to be working, have to work clean!
2. The Detailer's MRI...a 2-bucket wash with Dawn Dish Soap to see what that LSP and those old polishing oils are hiding
3. Wash engine bay
4. Vacuum the bulk of the dirt out of the car
5. Spot clean seats and any carpet spots
6. Overall deep clean of carpets (APC, scrub, re-vacuum)
7. Wipe down dash and side panels with APC
8. Apply protectant to dash and door panels
9. Clean interior glass
10. Remove wheels (for ease of access to clean wheel wells and aid in photography).
11. Scrub and remove road grime from wheel wells
12. Protect wheel wells
13. Clay
14. Tape
15. Compound (if necessary)
16. Polish paint
17. Seal
18. Polish exhaust tips
19. Apply protectant to trim, and seals, and engine compartment
20. Wax
21. Clean exterior glass
22. Apply tire dressing
Food for thought...
Is there anything you'd remove or add to this menu of items? Or would you do things in a different order for reasons I hadn't thought of.
http://http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-university/53385-chronicles-amateur-detailer-project.html
Introducing Patient #1: The Black Pearl
The Black Pearl is my 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T. It's name was selected for two reasons. First, the color is officially called Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat. Second (and more so..), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was the movie my wife and I saw on our first date.
Patient #1, This is your life...
This vehicle was a daily driver for the first 7 months of it's life but now lives a life of privelage. After the first 14,000 miles, it has been given a cap of 5000 miles a year, and is only driven on days when it is 20% chance of rain or less. It's winters are spent covered in a garage hooked to a Battery Tender.
The Symptoms
The Current State
At the start of this spring, I used Meguiar's Ultimate Polish on the paint with a yellow W8207 polishing pad to try and remove some very light swirls. It appeared to have worked so I protected with a coat of NXT 2.0 followed by Gold Class Carnauba Plus.
The Unpolishables
There are 2 spots on the car where, despite my best efforts, parking lots have exerted their wrath on the paint, one is a small but deep scrape that went all the way to the primer.:mad:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4462.jpg
The second is a scrape along the drivers side rear that is not to primer but I can feel with my fingernail. These are beyond my skill level to repair safely and I am going to looking into professional repair this winter when the vehicle is parked. :surrender:
The Fixables
Minor swirls and 2-3 RIDS showing through the polishing oils and LSP...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4456.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4459.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4461.jpg
And for the interior some spotting of unknown origin on the drivers seat...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_4468.jpg
The Treatment
1. Scrub up! - Sweep out the garage and take the leaf blower to the driveway where I'm going to be working, have to work clean!
2. The Detailer's MRI...a 2-bucket wash with Dawn Dish Soap to see what that LSP and those old polishing oils are hiding
3. Wash engine bay
4. Vacuum the bulk of the dirt out of the car
5. Spot clean seats and any carpet spots
6. Overall deep clean of carpets (APC, scrub, re-vacuum)
7. Wipe down dash and side panels with APC
8. Apply protectant to dash and door panels
9. Clean interior glass
10. Remove wheels (for ease of access to clean wheel wells and aid in photography).
11. Scrub and remove road grime from wheel wells
12. Protect wheel wells
13. Clay
14. Tape
15. Compound (if necessary)
16. Polish paint
17. Seal
18. Polish exhaust tips
19. Apply protectant to trim, and seals, and engine compartment
20. Wax
21. Clean exterior glass
22. Apply tire dressing
Food for thought...
Is there anything you'd remove or add to this menu of items? Or would you do things in a different order for reasons I hadn't thought of.