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Coach Steve
12-23-2013, 09:04 AM
Last week I posted some pics of a neighbor's truck I was hired to detail this past weekend. After requests by some to start a thread with pics of the results, here it is.
My original post about this job and pics of the truck is located here:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/74464-look-what-i-get-do-weekend.html

It took up pretty much the entire weekend give or take and while the results are stark and impressive, the truck is far from what I would consider to be a "nice ride".
Every newbie should have to take on a vehicle like this just prior to going pro because this one had it all... holograms, swirls, scratches of varying depth, road paint, water spots professionally baked-in by the Arizona sun, cloudy headlights, sun-bleached plastic trim pieces, severe clear coat fracturing/crow's feet on the lateral surfaces... you name it, it had it!

As for what I used, I kept it really simple in an effort to make at least a little $$ on this job. Oh sure, I could have used a specific product for each and every issue but that would have eaten away at any profit I was trying to make on this one. After washing and claying, I decided to put Meg's Ultimate line to the Ultimate test ( <----- see what I did there...? :p ). I compounded the entire truck with UC, then polished it with Ult. Polish and finished it off with 2 coats of Ult. Wax applied about 12-13 hrs. apart. Not surprisingly, the toughest issue I ended up facing was the years-old water spots. They were a ##### to remove. But with some persuading with some vinegar and heavy-handed compounding, I managed to remove 99&#37; of them.
Here are the results...

Holograms left by the last "detailer" long ago...
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/IMG_0087_zps5723bd2f.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/IMG_0087_zps5723bd2f.jpg.html)

Gone!
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0155_zpsfbad6699.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0155_zpsfbad6699.jpg.html)

A good representation of the swirls that covered the entire truck.
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/IMG_0092_zps20747b40.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/IMG_0092_zps20747b40.jpg.html)

Gone!
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0151_zps03c1bf07.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0151_zps03c1bf07.jpg.html)

Hood
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/IMG_0091_zps73866d84.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/IMG_0091_zps73866d84.jpg.html)

After
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/Matts%20Truck%20After/hood_zps591f3441.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/Matts%20Truck%20After/hood_zps591f3441.jpg.html)

Some random shots before...
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/IMG_0097_zpseecd0c83.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/IMG_0097_zpseecd0c83.jpg.html)

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/IMG_0090_zps980ffd77.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/IMG_0090_zps980ffd77.jpg.html)

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/IMG_0088_zps8415915d.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/IMG_0088_zps8415915d.jpg.html)

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/IMG_0089_zps98b1df00.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/IMG_0089_zps98b1df00.jpg.html)

Some random shots after...
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0156_zpsd6c62052.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0156_zpsd6c62052.jpg.html)

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0153_zps042483ad.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0153_zps042483ad.jpg.html)

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0151_zps03c1bf07.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0151_zps03c1bf07.jpg.html)

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/jrnyman1978/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0149_zps1adbbe12.jpg (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/jrnyman1978/media/Matts%20Truck%20After/IMG_0149_zps1adbbe12.jpg.html)

I'll take a few more later today and add them to this thread.
All in all it turned out pretty good although the scratches that remain are actually more like gouges but they don't stand out too awfully bad. At some point during the process it became personal and I stopped worrying about the number of hours it was taking and more about how good of a total transformation I could make it. I know the owner is going to be shocked when he sees it and that's what it's all about, right? I jsut hope I succeeded in accomplishing the goal he wanted - to get more for it as a trade -in than he would have gotten otherwise.

Thanks for looking!

Steve
Mike@DedicatedPerfection
12-23-2013, 09:50 AM
Beautiful work Steve! That was an extreme makeover Coach Steve style! You put the Ultimate trio to the Ultimate test and they delivered. Sure there were still scratches left in the paint but it looks far better now and im sure the owner will be thrilled when he sees his truck. He may not want to trade it in after all.

Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Keep up the great work. Look forward to seeing future posts from you.
kochdalton87
12-23-2013, 09:52 AM
Nice work! That is a transformation for sure!
BlackPearl
12-23-2013, 10:25 AM
UC is great, but man I would've used something else just for time's sake. Great job, nonetheless.
lyodbraun
12-23-2013, 10:55 AM
That looks a lot better that's for sure, very nice work you did, I think he will be very happy with those results ...
Romans5.8
12-23-2013, 10:59 AM
Unless it's just the camera angle, looks like that guy is overdue for a set of tires! :eek:. Did you do anything with the interior?

Looks great!
jankerson
12-23-2013, 01:10 PM
Unless it's just the camera angle, looks like that guy is overdue for a set of tires! :eek:. Did you do anything with the interior?

Looks great!

Way overdue and they will take that off when they do the appraisal for the trade in too.

The dealer will have to put tires on it before they can sell it....
Tato
12-23-2013, 01:28 PM
Very good results, I was following your first topic and gladly seen this one. Keep doing the nice work!

Kind Regards.
oldmodman
12-23-2013, 03:13 PM
A COLOSSAL improvement.

You can actually see a reflection (and a pretty darn nice one too) in what was matte black paint.

I wonder how long the owner will keep it looking that nice?
Coach Steve
12-23-2013, 06:57 PM
Beautiful work Steve! That was an extreme makeover Coach Steve style! You put the Ultimate trio to the Ultimate test and they delivered. Sure there were still scratches left in the paint but it looks far better now and im sure the owner will be thrilled when he sees his truck. He may not want to trade it in after all.

Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Keep up the great work. Look forward to seeing future posts from you.Thanks Mike!


Nice work! That is a transformation for sure!Thanks!


UC is great, but man I would've used something else just for time's sake. Great job, nonetheless.Ya know, I was just going to blow through the correction part of it with M105 and my rotary and be done with it but, knowing I had 5 days to do it at my leisure since the owner went out of state for the holidays, I just decided I'd do something I never get the chance to do and that's use all the products in a particular line, solely and see just how well they live up to their claims.


That looks a lot better that's for sure, very nice work you did, I think he will be very happy with those results ...Thanks! I sure hope so.


Unless it's just the camera angle, looks like that guy is overdue for a set of tires! :eek:. Did you do anything with the interior?

Looks great!Yep, tires are spent. No sense putting new rubber on it since he's getting rid of it. Probably the most bizarre thing about this truck is the night-and-day difference in the condition of the interior vs. the exterior. Although I shampooed the interior and treated the vinyl, at his request, all it really needed was a light vacuuming and the windows washed. He obviously never smokes, eats, farts, perhaps even breathes in it. It was damn near perfect.


Way overdue and they will take that off when they do the appraisal for the trade in too.

The dealer will have to put tires on it before they can sell it....That truck will never see that particular dealer's lot. It will go straight to auction due to the fractured clear coat, numerous deep scratches, etc. The dealer he's buying his new truck from would never inventory a pig like this on his lot.


Very good results, I was following your first topic and gladly seen this one. Keep doing the nice work!

Kind Regards.Will do, thanks!


A COLOSSAL improvement.

You can actually see a reflection (and a pretty darn nice one too) in what was matte black paint.

I wonder how long the owner will keep it looking that nice?Thanks! Well, as long as he keeps it looking that way long enough to get it to the dealership to trade it it, he should be fine. :D
Romans5.8
12-23-2013, 06:59 PM
You'd be surprised what those dealers will do. Lots of them own several OTHER dealerships, and that may include a 'discount used car lot' so to speak. It may very well end up on a different lot!
pikiki
12-23-2013, 07:28 PM
Just absolutely a beautiful finish!!!!
Pureshine
12-23-2013, 10:17 PM
Great save! That thing was hammered!
Coach Steve
12-31-2013, 07:33 AM
To bring closure to the saga that is this thread, I just thought I'd report back with the details of what detailing the truck did for his trade-in value.
He had already talked to a salesman at the dodge dealership about buying a new truck and after 3 hrs. spent haggling back-and-forth, it turns out the deal breaker was how little they were willing to give him for his trade (I wasn't aware of this part until yesterday). They were offering him $9600.
He took this truck back yesterday and got $13,500 for it in trade - at least that's what they were showing him on paper. I was skeptical and was pretty sure they simply moved some numbers around to show him that much but he showed me the original worksheet and the rest of the numbers didn't change so, based on that, I have to believe, in this case anyway, detailing a vehicle prior to selling/trading it does in fact bring a higher price.

He came home with a big ol' 2014 Ram 2500 Diesel Quad Cab with a 4.5" lift and huge wheels and tires which I get to un-swirl and seal up for him tomorrow. It's a nice truck but it's soooooo white and there's sooooo much of it! :laughing:

Thanks for the compliments and all the positive replies!

Steve
House of Wax
12-31-2013, 08:09 AM
Wow, that thing was beat. It's almost a shame to see how nice you made it look just to be traded in lol