camaro detailing...

[Superdutytd]

Okay just out of curiosity unless you are getting rid of MAJOR scratches in your headlights why are you starting at 400 gritt? I mean they would have to be SEVERELY oxidized for me to even start with 800.

[Shinystang]

I agree with those who encourage you to read through the forum. You'll see pics and tips of how experienced detailers have dealt with multiple paint related problems.

If you are still thinking of detailing beyond a basic "wash and wax", you'll probably find that Autozone, Pepboys and the rest won't carry what you need. From my experience, the buffers and products they stock are VERY low quality.

If you are willing to spend a good amount of time on your vehicle, do yourself a favor and use quality products. You'll be glad you did everytime you look at your car, even more when OTHERS notice the work you did.

The people who post on this forum are fantastic resources, not to mention Meghan and the gang. Nothing beats experience and good support.

Best of luck.

[mammoth713]

ok well in spring i will most likely buy professional products and a power tool to help...

but for now i need "by-hand" alternatives....

so heres what i am thinking....

*wash
*clay (mothers or meg's)
*meg's ULTIMATE COMPOUND and/or meg's scratch 2.0 based on how bad the scratch is.... **ultimate compound is grittier than the scratch remover right?**
*meg's swirl remover
*poorboy's polish and sealant
*meg's plastx for headlights
*meg's "gold class trim detailer"
*meg's hot shine tire shine
*wash again?
*LSP like dp max wax or whatever it was

and for the headlights... i'll try that plastx stuff that meg's has by hand for now because i was really interested in just geting HALO style ones anyway so i'm not too concerned

[DLB]

According to Mike Phillips, the Meguiar's Consumer Product line is as such - Most to Least Aggressive:
M105
Ultimate Compound
ScratchX 2.0
SwirlX
M83
M205/M80
Original ScratchX

I recently tried the Ultimate Compound, and must say, with proper working time, it gives a pretty good result.

DLB

[mammoth713]

heres the headlights 90% fixed with Meg's PlastX, a couple paper towels, patience, and a half hour.....

Before:


After:


Other side After(forgot to take a before for the other side):

[mammoth713]

tonight i worked 4 hours on the car and still have a ton of scratches to attempt to getting out.....

i'm doing everything by hand and using meguiars stuffz to fix the scratches like ult comp, scratchx 2.0, and swirlx. none of them have really had steller results but it could be due to the car's horrible condition.... idk or me doing it by hand..... anyway i'll finish it tomorrow hopefully before dark after class and post up the final pics

[MikeGibson]

Hey man, I am new to Auto Geek, but have been detailing for a while, and have owned a Black 1998 Camaro Z28, just like yours! I had a lot of trouble keeping that thing clean, and I worked in the detail bay at a Cadillac dealership!

My headlights were dulled too, but I would use one of those headlight restoration kits from the auto parts store. 3M sells a good one ($20), and comes with everything needed to do the job I think, and you can use a high speed drill instead of a buffer. The drill works just the same, if not easier because of the small surface area, as long as you keep it flat and use light pressure and make multiple passes. If you don't have a drill, I am sure you can borrow one from a neighbor!

As far as paint chips, I have found that taking a small bottle of color matched touch-up paint (the little tube with the fingernail polish type brush attached to the lid) from a GM dealership works the easiest. You first should try this process on something besides your f-body to make sure you get it right the first time!
Starting with a clean car before you wax it, take the touch-up paint and dab it on the chip, making sure you get it down in there real well. Put enough on there to bubble up just a tad-bit over your existing paint. Then use some 1000 grit sandpaper (It takes a while but saves more of your finish) to level it out, then repeat with 2000 grit. Next take a high speed rotary buffer, a wool pad, and some mildly abrasive compound and buff out the scratches you just made. Then step down to a medium compound, a light compound, and a machine glaze/polish. Put on a coat of good paint sealant after that and your good to go. Takes me about and hour to do a chipped up nose, cost about $10 or less in supplies/materials. Either way it looks as good as new and saves a ton of cash at the body shop.

And for polishing the beast, black can be tricky. Unlike lighter colored cars, it will show swirls a lot easier. I like to use a polish that I get from CAR BRITE called SLEEK. Its soooooooo awesome! Its made for dark colored vehicles, especially black. Its gray in color and you can use a buffer or apply it by hand. Either way it works great on those black F-bodies!

Hit me up for some more tips. My maro also had the tan interior, and the tan carpets were like stain magnets.

I did a bit of work to it when I had it, still have some pics too I think... ??

Heres the URL for the SLEEK from CAR BRITE:
Car Brite - Sleek

The only products I would suggest from CAR BRITE are:
SLEEK (obviously)
PURPLE DRESSING (for tire shine... it smells awesome and last a while too!)
SEE SPOT GO (Awesome stain remover literally blast stains away, you just spray the stain gone and dab it with a towel to dry)
10,10,10 DEGREASER (Its cool because it goes on clearish, but turns blue so you know when you got it all rinsed off!)

They can be pricey though, but I would definitely suggest the SLEEK for your maro.

Anywho, hope I helped. Everyone else covered it though I think. These guys seem to konw what there doing on here! Been on here a day and am loving it!

~MikeGibson

[detail viking]

Please stop saying "Turtle Wax"! It stings the ears. Also, buy some microfiber towels, not paper. As far as over the counter products go, Duragloss is a great choice. As are some of the Megs line, most have been mentioned already. You have found Autogeek for a reason. You may as well place an order...soon. Keep reading and you will improve your skills and knowledge in a very short period.
ps. Max Wax is a good choice... Good luck.

[MikeGibson]

yeah, agreeing with Viking, Turtle Wax is not the way to go on yer maro!

Although Turtle Wax original liquid wax works great on my boat. I wax it once a month or so, and use it every weekend. And I do have to say it really keeps the yellow off for very little money!

[mammoth713]

yeah the products i am using are......

*meg's ult compound
*meg's swirlx
*meg's scratchx2.0
*meg's clay kit
*meg's plastx
*bunch of cheap MF
*poorboys world polish with sealant (AOI)
*DP Max Wax


i have clayed the whole car... (showed the most difference on the back bumper and lower side pannels for obvious reasons), and i did some scratch removal

i was going to finish it tonight until driving home from class right now and its pouring....

so i'll finish it tomorrow on my day off hopefully in the morning dependent on weather