New GMC Denali 3500 Dually Black

[Nasdaqinvestments]

Good morning all,
I recently purchased this little beast of a ride and want to get on top of taking care of it from the get go. I can only imagine the cost of having it professionally detailed so I am going to learn myself. It already has the typical dealer swirl marks and a light scratch on the hood where it looks like something got stuck under the wash sponge (Nail doesn't catch on the scratch). Being that its black it shows every little thing and a big area of concern is the dually wheel part of it because it seems every possible thing on the road hits the fender flares there. I am going to go out on a limb and say that none of my current inventory of cleaning supplies is up to par so I will need everything from a buffer, pads, microfibers and polishes. I want to be able to maintain and remove swirl marks as I have a GT-R I bought as well but the gentleman took it to the dealership every week for its washing so you can only imagine how it looks as it is black as well. Thanks for all the suggestions and I look forward to all there is to learn here.

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[Buster906]

Depending on how much you have to spend, the Griots Garage Boss system is a great starting point.

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[Nasdaqinvestments]

Im not too terribly concerned about price, as I know its saving me money in the long run. The clear coat on this thing seems to be the softest clear ever and its on a HD truck, I dont know what they were thinking there or its just a poor wash technique or both.

[Buster906]

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[jjackkrash]

I have a '16 Black 2500 Denali with a Black Canopy. Its a lot of real estate. And its tall and hard to get to. My wife also has a Black SUV. I broke down and ordered a Rupes BigFoot 21, Mini, and Nano. These pretty much cover the gamut of spaces that need polishing. I also like the fact that the pads and polishes are all color coded so I don't have to think to much. These are very nice machines.

The other thing I broke down and bought was a nice steamer (Vapor Chief 125). I use this damn thing pretty much every day now and the wife uses it in the house. It makes short work on the carpets, mats, and nooks and crannies in the interior, and works great with the rinseless wash when I just want to get the dust off the truck. Just pull the trigger and spray a panel and then wipe. Done. The truck is too long for my garage so it gets old having to do a full wash all the time.

[Mike Phillips]

First you're going to want to go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get TWO Werner Work Platforms.

Take my word for it, you want two as it will make washing and waxing faster. Heck if you have a canaopy on the bed then get 4 and put two side-by-side on each side and you can walk back and forth over them instead of

Getting up and getting down. Moving the platform.
Getting up and getting down. Moving the platform.
Getting up and getting down. Moving the platform.








Next - if this is a daily driver figure out how you're going to wash it because this will determine the best way to "maintain" the paint.


So how you going to wash it?

1. You take ownership and wash it by hand?
   
2. You take it to a touchless car wash?
   
3. Or one of the other options...

It is the most important factor as to how your vehicle will look. That is how you wash or how you "touch" the paint.

[jjackkrash]

Man, those work platforms look perfect. I am grabbing 4 today.

[Mike Phillips]

Man, those work platforms look perfect. I am grabbing 4 today.

Totally worth it when you consider your time and your KNEES.


I'll write an article about how to be pro-active safe with these to prevent people from breaking their necks...

[Justin at Final Inspection]

Mike is correct. Those platforms are awesome! As for the paint you are correct that its very soft! Pretty much all straight black GMs from 2014 on have very soft paint and can be a pita to correct properly. If you are not coating it I would suggest Meguiars M205 on a Rupes Yellow pad followed by HD Speed on a black finishing pad or white polishing pad. I would look into a Porter Cable 7424 for a entry level polisher. If you want to spend a bit more then a Griots Garage G21 long throw is a great machine for correcting and finishing.

[MikeC78]

A finishing polish M205 followed by an AIO? Id rather do a 205/Essence combo followed by a coating. Or just a finishing polish such as HD Polish followed with a coating. Id go the coating route if the paint is so soft for better protection.