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  1. #1
    Super Member 2black1s's Avatar
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    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    A week or so ago I had the pleasure of reading Mike's book, "The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine". I wrote a review, sent it to Mike, and thought I'd share my review with the forum. So here you go...


    Hi Mike,


    Here’s my review after reading your book, “The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine” preceded with a little preface on my background so you know where I’m coming from.

    First and foremost, great book and thank you for sending it.


    My Background


    My background (as related to detailing) started years ago (late 1960s) in the autobody industry. I think I was around 15 years old when I painted my first car in my Dad’s garage. An early car that comes to mind is a 1966 or 1967 (?) Buick Riviera. That is my first recollection of using a rotary buffer to remove 600G scratches from an Acrylic Lacquer finish using DuPont Machine Polishing Compound. You could feel the grit in that stuff between your fingers. And then the dusting… Whenever I read about dusting today, my thoughts are “If you only knew”. Times sure have changed.

    Anyways, through the years I gained experience and improved my skills, both in painting and also polishing, which I really consider as one. They are individual tasks, each required in the execution of the overall process.

    I did plenty of specialty, award winning work. Early on there were a lot of Cadillacs, Corvettes, and custom motorcycles. I prided myself in turning out the best possible work and always aimed for each job to be an improvement over the last one. My business’ motto was “We Strive for Perfection”.

    The work I did required the highest level of polishing achievable. One can always debate which steps in the process are the most important, but to me, they’re all critical and important in the overall product and final polishing is no exception.

    Later, around 1980 or so, I got out of the full-time painting business but continued to do classic restorations out of my home garage, as a nearly full-time side gig, for several more years until the early 2000s.

    Now my detailing consists primarily of my own vehicles and helping out friends.

    I understand that many “detailers” do not have the highest opinions of “body shop detailers”, and rightfully so, but I assure you I’m not one of those guys that fits that stereotype. Quite the contrary. My Attention-to-Detail in most (not everything) all I do has been the subject of others questioning my sanity more than once.

    That’s it for my background, now on to the book.


    The Book

    The first thing I’d like to say is how lucky you are to have access to all of the latest products and equipment available today. You’ve done a great job at describing them.

    For me, my exposure to such is miniscule compared to yours. My general philosophy is along the lines of something I heard you say before… Find something you like and use it. That’s what I do. I certainly don’t go out to buy each and every new product or piece of equipment.

    Now the processes. Another great job describing those. I’m a hands-on, self-learner guy and believe you can only get so much from reading or instruction. Actual experience is required. You’ve given as clear and concise as possible descriptions of the actual processes that only experience could improve upon.

    And just for the record, generally speaking, your processes and mine are very similar with few exceptions.

    Here’s a few specifics…


    Process Variances

    “How to tape off a car before machine polishing”

    While I do cover areas that I want to keep clean, i.e., windshield cowl, engine bay, wheels/tires, etc., typically I will not tape off things like body lines or edges. The only time I’ll tape an edge is when an adjacent panel has a mismatch in which case, I’ll protect the protruding edge. Hoods, doors, deck lids… I’ll crack them open so there is only a singular edge to worry about and I don’t have to buff across the edges of two adjacent panels.


    “Use a tape line”


    Even though you do have a cautionary note not to buff aggressively on the tape line, I see the tape line as an unnecessary risk. It scares me to imagine a “ghost” line left behind because of a piece of tape that wasn’t absolutely necessary. I completely understand though using the tape line for your before and after photo shots for educational and/or marketing purposes, but I can't see myself doing it as a matter of course.


    “Test Spot”

    I do agree on the general philosophy behind this but do not take it to the level of detail that you do. I treat the first section of my polishing process as my test spot. Then again, I’m working on my own vehicle, or my own paint work, and am acutely aware of what is necessary. I’m not working on different cars everyday with varying paint characteristics, but even if I was, I think I have enough stored knowledge from experience to make a rational decision of what’s necessary with the products I have.


    “How to buff your car section by section”

    I’ve never been a 2 x 2 guy. By your definitions, I’m more of a “let the panel dictate your path” or a “big picture buffing” type. That probably comes from my rotary background. I’ve always felt that if there were going to be any buffer trails left behind at least they would be somewhat straight and uniformed, rather than some of the haphazard random sequence of trails we’ve all seen.


    “… working by machine is faster and produces better and more consistent results”

    While I agree on the “faster” aspect, I do not necessarily agree with the “better and more consistent” part. My opinion is probably due to the fact that I’m an old guy and have plenty of hand-rubbing experience from days past. Heck, I remember rubbing out complete motorcycle paint jobs entirely by hand, and even some cars that I would do a final hand rub after machine polishing to remove the buffer trails. Then I’d follow that with 3M Fill & Glaze by hand, the pink stuff. Do you remember that?


    “Don’t be a caveman and use a screwdriver…”

    I still to this day have an old worn screwdriver that has only one use, and that is to clean my wool pad on the fly. I also have a spur but to me the screwdriver is easier/faster and does just as good a job.

    Now some general comments/observations…


    General Comments/Observations

    “Technique is more important than the products or pads you’re using”

    That, or similar words, are used multiple time throughout the book. While I tend to agree with that assessment, like I said previously, I also think that all parameters are important to the final product. Ranking of importance is debatable in my opinion. What struck me though when reading this, is a forum poll you have in which you stated something contrary – that the abrasive technology is the most important. Am I misinterpreting something? Or has your opinion shifted over time?


    “Automotive paints are thin”

    Again, this is stated over and over throughout. In one instance you go on to opine why it is thin… “It’s thin because it costs more, in materials and time, to apply more paint”. There is no dispute there.

    But I have an additional perspective…

    What is rarely, if ever, mentioned as a reason for a thin coat of paint is the fact that paint becomes less stable and less durable as the thickness increases. As paint thickness increases so do undesirable instances of paint shrinking, cracking, chipping, etc. Ideal paint thickness is a compromise of many factors and the factories tend to lean in the direction of paint stability and durability. I think rightfully so, as their market is for the transportation of the general population, not producing “show” cars.

    Don’t get me wrong. I’m not necessarily opposed to thicker paint coatings but they should be reserved for special circumstances, not everyday factory vehicles.

    Heck I remember one Corvette I painted (that won multiple “best paint” awards) that had in the neighborhood of 40 coats of acrylic lacquer. I can’t remember the exact number but it was something like 8-10 coats of silver base, 18-20 coats of translucent candy blue, and finally 10-12 coats of clear.

    A few years later the owner let the car sit outside through an Ohio winter and this beautiful and expensive paint job was trashed with cracks beyond repair.

    Today’s urethane finishes are less susceptible to this type of damage, but they are not immune to it either.


    “Keep in mind the most important aspect of creating a show car finish isn’t the wax, sealant or coating, it’s the prep work”

    Agreed. But I’d also like to add that it goes back even farther than the prep work during detailing. It goes back to the beginning of the body preparation of the vehicle during the painting process.

    This is another reason for not wet sanding factory paints beyond the “paint is thin” risks involved.

    Factory bodyworks are usually full of minor flaws that become highlighted by glass smooth paint. While the paint itself may look nicer, the overall appearance may actually be worse because of such body flaws that are no longer subdued by the factory paint texture.

    Flawless bodywork is key. It is the origin for all that follows.


    Summary

    I enjoyed the book thoroughly and think it’s a great resource for anyone venturing into this profession and/or hobby. Also, for those with previous experience, it’s a great way to see how the “other guys” do it, pick up a tip on something you may not have thought about, and measure yourself against… How do my processes stack up?

    Feel free to share any info provided as you see appropriate. And if you ever have any questions about paint or painting processes feel free to ask. I'll either tell you what I know, or that I don't know. I try to never speculate or provide BS answers to something I don't know.

    As for polishing questions... I think you've got that covered.

    Thanks Again Mike,
    John Vargo
    Forum ID - 2black1s

  2. #2
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Wow John!

    There have been numerous reviews of this book but I don't think any have been as detailed, (pun intended), as this one.

    I truly appreciate all your comments, insights and feedback.


    Writing any type of book is a huge undertaking. My primary goals are,

    1. To be accurate.
    2. To be helpful.




    Pretty simple. And from all the reviews and feedback this book has received and all my books have received, I fee pretty confident I accomplished the above 2 goals. Perfection as far as writing any book is also a worthy goal but with such a wide spectrum of people and with them, all their unique backgrounds and experiences, I know I can never satisfy everyone with the information presented but I do think I get close, at least close enough to feel good about all my how-to books.


    Thank you so much for taking the time to read the book and then type-out a very well thought-out review.


    Much appreciated.



  3. #3
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Speaking of books...

    Look what I found...







    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Super Member 2black1s's Avatar
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Phillips View Post
    Wow John!

    There have been numerous reviews of this book but I don't think any have been as detailed, (pun intended), as this one.

    I truly appreciate all your comments, insights and feedback...

    ... Thank you so much for taking the time to read the book and then type-out a very well thought-out review.
    Anytime!


    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Phillips View Post

    Writing any type of book is a huge undertaking. My primary goals are,

    1. To be accurate.
    2. To be helpful.

    Mission accomplished.

    I didn't think of it, but now that you mention it, the same could be said for the objectives of my review.

  5. #5
    Super Member Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN's Avatar
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    This was a really good read! Thanks for the very in depth review, and for sharing your experiences and view points! I'd Ike to see some pics of your paint jobs!

    Sent from my SM-G975U using Autogeekonline mobile app

  6. #6
    Super Member 2black1s's Avatar
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN View Post
    This was a really good read! Thanks for the very in depth review, and for sharing your experiences and view points! I'd Ike to see some pics of your paint jobs!

    Sent from my SM-G975U using Autogeekonline mobile app
    Thanks.

    As for pics, unfortunately most of my work was pre-digital camera days. I just don't have that many and the ones I do are actual prints that I need to scan. PITA!

    I did just scan a handful from an early '60s Porsche 356 I did in 1987 but when I upload them here I can't get them to post in the correct orientation. They're rotated 90 and despite my best efforts I can't get them rotated into view.

    I'll keep trying but my photo posting skill is definitely not at the same level as my painting skill.

  7. Thanks Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN thanked for this post
  8. #7
    Super Member 2black1s's Avatar
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Alright! I think I have the photo rotation figured out so hear you go... Unfortunately the photo quality isn't the best as these are scanned images of 30+ year-old prints.


    This is an old business card of mine from that timeframe, 1980s vintage...

    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0001-2-jpg


    Here's a couple shots of a nearly finished product after painting and reassembling. This is an early-60s Porsche 356. These pics are in the as-sprayed condition before final sanding and polishing which was accomplished 2 or 3 months later. I always like to wait at least that long to give the paint plenty of cure time before final sanding and polishing.

    The paint is DuPont Centari Acrylic Enamel Base Coat w/the appropriate urethane conversion hardener followed by Centari Acrylic Urethane Clear, again with the appropriate hardener.

    The base coat was applied in 3 coats and sanded between coats 2 & 3. The final base coat is not sanded as that would screw up the metallic.

    The clear was also applied in 3 coats and it was sanded following the first coat.

    So basically, no more than 2 coats at a time without sanding between coats. This sanding between coats results in a much smoother, flatter, closer to perfect paint finish.



    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0002-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0003-2-jpg


    These next shots are of all the finished bodywork and preparation. In my review of Mike's book, where I said "Flawless bodywork is key. It is the origin for all that follows.", this is what I was referring to. Note the fit of each body panel to the adjacent panel.

    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0004-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0004-3-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0005-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0005-3-jpg


    Here is the car ready for the initial primer coat.

    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0006-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0006-3-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0007-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0007-3-jpg


    And the initial primer coat applied. This is not a primer surfacer, but rather a self-etching primer, without much build, applied to promote maximum adhesion and corrosion resistance.

    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0009-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0009-3-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0008-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0008-3-jpg


    The light gray primer in these photos is a high-build primer surfacer used during the block sanding process. When doing my best work this step (prime/sand, prime/sand...) is repeated a minimum of 3 times. This is the final major preparation step. Next, apply one coat of sealer and then the actual painting begins.

    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0010-2-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0010-3-jpg

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  10. #8
    Super Member Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN's Avatar
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Wow! This is really cool!!! Is the number still good? This is absolutely amazing and thank you so much for sharing with us! I'll be back later and I'll leave some more comments!

  11. #9
    Super Member 2black1s's Avatar
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Here’s another cool vehicle I did some body and paint work on. I’m not even sure what model year it is, but it’s an International truck. It’s old enough that many of the body component structures, like the roof and the doors, are actually made from oak, then wrapped or covered with the sheet metal.

    I didn’t do the full restoration as the owner did most of the work himself. I helped with some problem areas that he was having a hard time with, primarily the front fenders and the engine cowlings (or hood).

    The fenders I did complete… All of the bodywork, the paint, and the polishing. The hood, I just helped with some of the bodywork and prep for primer/paint if I recall correctly.

    But it’s funny, I can remember just like it was yesterday (it was actually about 25-35 years ago), sanding and polishing those front fenders. They were single-stage black acrylic enamel with hardener.

    The final polishing step as I recall was a rotary buffer, wool pad and Meguiar’s #3 Machine Glaze along with some isolated hand polishing. I used to love that stuff. It's the machine applied brother to the famous #7. I haven’t seen anything, even to this day, that will outshine #3 (or #7). And with a wool pad, it actually has some correction ability even though it contains no abrasives.

    I also haven’t seen anything to this day that will outshine single-stage black. It’s the ultimate for DOI (distinctness of image). Clear-coated black just doesn't seem to have the same crispness to it.


    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-george-kauks-international-truck-jpg


    The owner, my daughter, and myself in front of my house during the restoration process but not yet complete. It looks like the doors and the cab haven't been painted yet.

    Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0005a-jpg Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine-scan_0005b-jpg

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  13. #10
    Super Member Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN's Avatar
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    Re: Book Review - The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine

    Wow!!! That truck looks sharp!!! Nice write up too! You should write stuff like this as a Show N Shine Article! This makes for great reading!

    The wool fibers in the wool pad are a form of abrasive so this is probably why you got some correcting ability with the Meguiar's #3 Machine Glaze. What type of wool pads were you using back then?

    I believe I've seen the #3 Machine Glaze in O'Reilly Auto Parts. I remember wishing I could afford it and also wishing I could have a project to test it out on.

    I was also wondering what the longevity of the #3 is based on your experience?

    I sure hope they don't stop making the #7 or the #3 before I get the chance to experience them on a proper project. I may have to stow a car away one day just so my boys get the chance.

    Thank you very much for sharing with us! I wouldn't get the opportunity to hear about this kind of stuff if it weren't for the forum!

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