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View Full Version : Richy Detailed: 2012 Bucik LaCrosee with OG


richy
08-27-2012, 11:28 PM
This vehicle belongs to a co-worker of mine and she was quite excited to get it done. I was looking forward to it too. It's been a while since I've done a silver car and I was looking forward to not doing a black one, LOL.
First however, a little history lesson on the vehicle's name. This car was introduced as the LaCrosse here in Canada a few years ago and GM quickly changed the name to Allure. Why? It turns out that in Quebecois (French Canadian language), the term LaCrosse is slang for masturbation. I kid you not. GM Canada had some big egg on its face with that one. The press had a field day with it! After a few years of special badging, etc, I guess the cost to have the same car with 2 different names outweighed any negative connotations the name might have. Hence the re-introduction of the Buck LaCrosse!

OK, now that you're armed with that useless trivia, on to the car!

First up as always was the wheels. The car arrived to me clean but it was obviously wearing some kind of wax which would need to be stripped to have the OG bond well.
The wheel barrels were cleaned with Zep Citrus and the barrels were too.
The tires were cleaned with Zep Purple.
The wells were also done with ZC.

The car had only 7,000 km on it and was just a few months old. This was going to be an outside job only. Once the barrels were done, it was time for a foam wash. I had recently picked up a 16 oz bottle of Megs Hyper Wash and was looking forward to trying it in my foam gun. I mixed it with some Zep Citrus to give me a strong mix to strip any wax or sealant that was on the paint. After the car was foamed, it was washed with DG 901. I then went over it one more time with IronX gel soap and a grout sponge to ensure a completely contamination-free finish and then brought in wet to clay with my new CARPRO foam clay bar. I also have an Elastofoam bar and it is every bit as nice and a few dollars cheaper. In fact, they seemed identical to me.

Here's the car getting foamed up:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0566.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0567.jpg

Here is the car as it arrived to me. There was one scrape in the right front fender that went all the way down. The customer brought me touch up paint as I had requested. I needed 2 coats to get a thorough coverage of the area. It turns out I forgot to photograph the area afterwards. It no longer caught your eye and I had forgotten!

BEFORE SHOTS:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0557.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0558.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0559.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0560.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0561.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0562.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0563.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0564.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0565.jpg


PAINT PREP:

I chose to do a one step polish on the car and used Menz Power Finish along with a cyan Hydro Tech pad that I hadn't used in a while. This bit into the finish a bit to make it sparkle and left it perfect. This was also very exciting for me as this was the first car with which I was going to use my new Flex 3401! It took a few panels to get the hang of it, but boy do I like using it now!! I find I handle it very similarly to my Dyna rotary. After that stage, I cleaned the paint using the beta DG squeaky clean paint cleaner by hand with a foam pad. Following that stage was an Eraser wipe down. Finally it was ready for OG.
The wheels were coated first by hand using a suede mf and my fingers to get in all the areas. The barrels were done last with Permanon and blown dry with my master blaster. The tires were done absolutely last with DP gel and my spray gun and air compressor method which is now the only way I will put tire dressing on. The wells were sprayed with it as well.
The paint and glass were done using a suede mf and the block method.
After curing for a few hours, I sprayed the car down with Permanon using my paint gun. That made it just sick-slick!!
The job took 2 hours longer than I anticipated but I was very happy with how it turned out. The metallic paint was gorgeous on this car!!


AFTER SHOTS:


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0576.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0568.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0569.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0570.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0571.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0572.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0573.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0574.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0575.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0577.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0578.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0581.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0582.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0583.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0579.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/DSC_0580.jpg

Thanks for looking. Comments welcomed
davey g-force
08-28-2012, 01:50 AM
Nice work... and funny story about the car's name! :)

Over here, we used to have a car named the Mitsubishi Pajero. Turns out Pajero means a similar thing in Spanish (so I've been told). :D
Pats300zx
08-28-2012, 04:45 AM
Great job Richy !!!
WRAPT C5Z06
08-28-2012, 07:02 AM
Nice job, bud!!! That was your first time using a 3401????? It works great for 1-steps, but still lacks for heavy correction, IMO.
RMM
08-28-2012, 07:07 AM
Great work as always! :dblthumb2:
You never do interiors?


[SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]...
First however, a little history lesson on the vehicle's name. This car was introduced as the LaCrosse here in Canada a few years ago and GM quickly changed the name to Allure. Why? It turns out that in Quebecois (French Canadian language), the term LaCrosse is slang for masturbation. I kid you not. GM Canada had some big egg on its face with that one. The press had a field day with it! After a few years of special badging, etc, I guess the cost to have the same car with 2 different names outweighed any negative connotations the name might have. Hence the re-introduction of the Buck LaCrosse!
...


...
Over here, we used to have a car named the Mitsubishi Pajero. Turns out Pajero means a similar thing in Spanish (so I've been told). :D

I didn't know about the LaCrosse but I knew about the Pajero: in Spain it was rebranded Montero.

There are a lot of similar stories around the world (I don't know why Marketing Departments don't do their homework...):
- in France, the Toyota MR2 was rebranded MR because MR2 sounds like "merdeux" which is shitty or crappy;
- in Portugal, Opel had to change the name of its Ascona because "cona" is a VERY dirty word (vagina but in the dirtiest way). It was sold as 1604;
- Mazda sells a model called Laputa. Fortunately it's only sold in Japan, because it would have to be rebranded in Portugal and Spain (at least...)
Honda, Fiat, Daihatsu, etc.: the list is quite long... :nomore:
richy
08-28-2012, 08:28 AM
Nice work... and funny story about the car's name! :)

Over here, we used to have a car named the Mitsubishi Pajero. Turns out Pajero means a similar thing in Spanish (so I've been told). :D
Thank you. I'm not surprised to hear there are other cases like that.


Great job Richy !!!
Thank you Pat!


Nice job, bud!!! That was your first time using a 3401????? It works great for 1-steps, but still lacks for heavy correction, IMO.
Thanks Mark. You know where my strength is: the rotary. I didn't buy it for correction. I bought it to be a more reliable and powerful DA. I am very happy with it for that purpose.


Great work as always! :dblthumb2:
You never do interiors?

Yes, I do. Truth be told, I prefer playing with paint.



I didn't know about the LaCrosse but I knew about the Pajero: in Spain it was rebranded Montero.

There are a lot of similar stories around the world (I don't know why Marketing Departments don't do their homework...):
- in France, the Toyota MR2 was rebranded MR because MR2 sounds like "merdeux" which is shitty or crappy;
- in Portugal, Opel had to change the name of its Ascona because "cona" is a VERY dirty word (vagina but in the dirtiest way). It was sold as 1604;
- Mazda sells a model called Laputa. Fortunately it's only sold in Japan, because it would have to be rebranded in Portugal and Spain (at least...)
Honda, Fiat, Daihatsu, etc.: the list is quite long... :nomore:
Wow, that's a lot of examples! That would make an interesting essay. It sounds like Marketing people have their heads up their "cona", LOL.
vet
08-28-2012, 08:50 AM
Outstanding, as usual, Richie! Great write up also, and the trivia was good. Now, what about the game LaCrosse, and the Wisconsin city of LaCrosse?
richy
08-28-2012, 12:57 PM
Outstanding, as usual, Richie! Great write up also, and the trivia was good. Now, what about the game LaCrosse, and the Wisconsin city of LaCrosse?

Thank you. And true..however, if you had an expression like that, what would you think of first??? And, besides, being a Canadian, I had no idea that Wisconsin had a city that name. Hell, I don't even know where that state is. I know it's not on my way to Florida. LOL.
ScottB
08-28-2012, 07:02 PM
Thats basically my Daily Driver (well I have all options including bigger engine and 19's Driver Package). When the silver is polished well some will suggest it is white from far away. I find Blackfire and Optimums Car Wax look best with alot of added gloss. I have resisted any coatings to date even though car sits outside 24/7.

Did you notice the felt linings in the wheel wells to surpress road noise into the cabin ?? It amazing how much dirt you can pressure clean out of them.
daveinsweethome
08-28-2012, 07:39 PM
very sweet. a friend has that car in black. i use permanon all the time to finish cars just before delivery. customers just love snot slick.
Y2KSVT
08-28-2012, 07:52 PM
Great work, Richy! Had you not said anything, I think I would have commented on this being the first non-black car you've done in a while. Good job!
richy
08-29-2012, 12:26 PM
Thats basically my Daily Driver (well I have all options including bigger engine and 19's Driver Package). When the silver is polished well some will suggest it is white from far away. I find Blackfire and Optimums Car Wax look best with alot of added gloss. I have resisted any coatings to date even though car sits outside 24/7.

Did you notice the felt linings in the wheel wells to surpress road noise into the cabin ?? It amazing how much dirt you can pressure clean out of them.
That sounds nice what you have too Scott! The interior was really nice and I would have like to have heard that Harmon Kardon system too. As far as those fender linings go, you only make the mistake of spraying too much soap in there once!


very sweet. a friend has that car in black. i use permanon all the time to finish cars just before delivery. customers just love snot slick.
Thanks Dave...yes..I describe it as slick as eel snot, LOL.


Great work, Richy! Had you not said anything, I think I would have commented on this being the first non-black car you've done in a while. Good job!
Thanks, and ironically enough, that one got followed up by a white FR-S. I'm sure the next one will be black.