1968 Cadillac Original Paint Detailing Class - September 2020

[Mike Phillips]

1968 Cadillac Original Paint Detailing Class - September 2020


After results





We hold our BIG 3-day Detailing Bootcamp Class here at Autogeek 3 times a year.

1. February
2. May
3. September

This last September we broke a number of class records, one of which, the class detailed 17 cars in 3 days. Two of the cars for this class had the original single stage paint, these were a 1968 Cadillac Eldorado and a 1974 Plymouth Duster. The Cadillac had been stored for decades and over time and from neglect, the paint turned dull and chalky with oxidation. So I used this car to teach a number of techniques that you simply won't get to learn at any other class.

1: The Comet Technique - for both the paint and to remove mold from the vinyl top.

2: The Number #7 Rub Down Technique

3: How to do high quality one-step Production Detailing



Here's the pictures from this ONE car out of the 17 detailed over the course of 3 days. The machine polishing portion took place on Saturday during the part of the class I call,

Free-for-All

Free-for-All is the point in the class where YOU have already used all of the other major tools. So for this portion of the class you can choose whichever tool you want to revisit or spend more time with - OR - you can use multiple tools. Previously, the class learns the dedicated brands and dedicated paint polishing systems, for example, The RUPES and Griot's tools and paint polishing systems. For Free-for-All, we use a high quality one-step cleaner/wax or AIO for the product and then each person can now spend more time with ANY of the tools used over the last day and a half. I find this a very effective way for each person to drill-down and really isolate the tools they like best.


First - Here's a short video I made when the car arrived, and then right before it left.

Watch the video on my Facebook Page

Watch the video on my Instagram Page



BEFORE

Here's a few pictures that show the condition of the paint before the class.






Outside Sunlight

I took these of the paint on the trunk lid while the car was parked outside. There is ZERO reflection in the paint.






The paint is so oxidized, it actually has TEXTURE






Mold and Mildew

The vinyl top was covered with mold and mildew. You can also see the 1974 Plymouth Duster in front of the Cadillac as well as more cars being parked and staged for the class.














Zero Gloss - Zero Reflectivity

[Mike Phillips]

Just to note....


I'm building or "writing" this thread in real-time.

So feel free to read and look at the pictures as it evolves but I've closed the thread until I'm done.

This means you cannot post to it for a few minutes.

questions and comments are welcome - but give me a few minutes to put it together.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


The Comet Technique

First thing we need to wash the car. She's dirty after being stored for years. I'm taking this car or this opportunity to share the Comet Technique with this class. My guess is - this is the first and only formal car detailing class where this technique has ever been taught.

NOTE: It's very important that everyone understands - the Comet Technique is ONLY for OLD oxidized single stage paint. Basically what it is - instead of filling up your buffing pads with dead paint, you remove most of the dead, chalky oxidized paint during the washing technique using old school Comet and a wash mitt. You will be surprised at how well this works. Do not try this on a car with a clearcoat paint finish.

Comet contains BLEACH

Comet contains a little bleach, not a lot but enough to kill germs and disinfect. Perfect for a vinyl top with visible mold and mildew. So like a normal wash, we'll start at the top and then work our way down.


First we sprayed the top down with water.

Next we sprinkled Comet over the top.

To demonstrate the POWER of machine polishing over hand scrubbing, I asked fro a volunteer from the class. Dillard volunteered. I handed him a conventional scrub brush like you can find at any store, while I used the FLEX cordless PE15 with a 1 1/2" brush attached to the backing plate.





Here's Dillard scrubbing by hand - for sure this works and he's doing a GREAT job.





Here's me letting the machine do all the work. The machine ALWAYS does a better job faster. I show machine scrubbing pretty much everything in my classes. If it can be machine scrubbed - it is machine scrubbed.





Here's the vinyl top rinsed off, look how nice it looks!





Next - we wash the paint with Comet

First we wet the car down, because it's severely oxidized the paint is actually TEXTURED and this actually helps to keep water on the car. Perfect for the Comet Technique.

Here's yours truly sprinkling Comet onto the hood.





Next I gently wash this panel with a clean, microfiber chenille wash mitt.






It's also perfectly safe and smart to wash the glass and all the brightwork on the car including the hubcaps, chrome bumpers, trim, etc.





Now the class takes over... HANDS-ON Training. Do you see any chairs? What does my Power Point Look Like?











Here's the car after washing and rinsing - she's always looking brighter and shinier!






And for those interested, here's my original article on this topic,

The COMET Technique by Mike Phillips - 1965 Cadillac - Original Single Stage Paint - Slam job by Mike Phillips


The COMET Technique for oxidized single stage paint

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...



The Number #7 Rub Down Technique

Next we apply and work-in-well, a HEAVY application of the Meguair's #7 Show Car Glaze. This is the only product on the market today that was around at the time of the Ford Model T. Or another way to say this, this is the only product around today, that was around at the time single stage car paint was invented.


Big Picture?

Rub in a HEAVY or WET application and let it soak overnight. Then the next day, remove it. If you're doing this for real on your own project, you would normally repeat this step 2-3 times. Each time you apply, work-in and then wipe-off, the paint will look better and better as you gently remove years of oxidation while the TS Oils bring out the full richness of color in the pigments.






























Meguiar's Number #7 Show Car Glaze - a non-abrasive pure polish for single stage paint restoration







This is what a heavy or wet application looks like

You want to see a layer of oil on the paint. Then overnight, the oils will migrate into the paint via capillary action.






Ha ha - Kirby took this picture






#7 Wipe-off

Here's the class removing the first application of #7. The oil is, well it's oily so this also means it's a tick sticky. The Number #7 Rub Down Technique is not for the faint-of-heart.








Here you can see the color, depth and shine being restored simply from #7 and some old school Elbow Grease.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued....


This is where the class really gets fun as you see such a mishmash of different tools and pads being used by everyone. Again - at this stage of the class, usually sometime Saturday afternoon, you get to choose any tool you want to re-visit or spend more time with. By this time on Saturday, you've already went through these classes,

1. Short Stroke Polishers - 3 cars detailed
2. RUPES Tools and Paint Polishing System - 3 cars detailed
3. Griot's BOSS Tools and System - 2 cars detailed
4. FLEX Tools - 2 cars detailed

If you were in this class, by the time we got to this 1968 Cadillac, the 1974 Plymouth Duster and on the other side of the Duster is a black BMW, you would have already detailed a total of 10 cars. You're working on training cars numbers #11, 12 and #13 and after these two cars next is the ROTARY POLISHER class where you're going to buff out 2 more cars. That's a total of 15 cars the first two days of class. No chairs. No sitting. 100% hands-on learning and training.





On the hood I see LC Power Tools UDOS, Griot's G9 and FLEX Supa BEAST






I bring in BIG CARS so there's LOTS of real-estate and this means LOTS of ROOM for everyone to get plenty of hands-on time.


Now we have a BEAST on the hood!










Keep in mind, while half of the class is working on the Caddy, the other half is doing Free-For-All on the 1974 Plymouth and on the other side of the Plymouth is a BMW.








I love Chris's intensity as he runs the Supa BEAST down a concave curved body line on the hood of the Caddy.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued....

Here's the final results...











A couple of week later, I hit the hood with a rotary polisher, wool pad and compound, then re-polished using a foam pad on an orbital.





















Remember, here's where we started...




Zero Gloss - Zero Reflectivity





She's gone....




Great job everyone. The Cadillac came out looking great, just like all of the cars. Best of all, we we're able to go over multiple techniques that if you're ever in a situation where you're asked to save the paint on a Barn Find - there won't be any guessing on your part as to what to do?

You'll know exactly what to do. This is called confidence learned by real-world hands-on experience.


On Autogeek.com

[Mike Phillips]

And....

Thread is now "open". Sorry for the delay, was called out to the garage for some help.


Click the link below to see the other 14 cars this class detailed in 3 days.

Pictures: 2020 September 3-Day Detailing Bootcamp Class

[FUNX650]

Continued...

The Comet Technique

First thing we need to wash the car.

She's dirty after being stored for years.
I'm taking this car or this opportunity to
share the Comet Technique with this class.
My guess is - this is the first and only formal
car detailing class where this technique has
ever been taught.


Comet contains BLEACH
Comet contains a little bleach, not a
lot but enough to kill germs and disinfect.
Perfect for a vinyl top with visible mold
and mildew.

So like a normal wash, we'll start at the
top and then work our way down.


Next - we wash the paint with Comet

RE: Comet/SS paint
Thanks for such a thorough write-up.

It's also perfectly safe and smart
to wash the class

and all the brightwork on the car including
the hubcaps, chrome bumpers, trim, etc.

And, thanks also...
For one of the best mistypes. Ever.


Bob


Edit:
@Mike: Saw your correction
after I’d already posted.

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for such a thorough write-up.

Thanks. It's a lost art.

Our real-world society has changed as has our online society. Everything is brief, short, video. No one reads anymore and even fewer will take the time to type as in comment. People take their thumb and click "like" or "heart" and that's as far as their they'll allow themselves to be involved. You can train a Chimpanzee to click "like".


Here's what an article looks like on Instagram and Facebook. These short attention span GUI interfaces simply don't work. My guess is by design. It's a path that leads to the type of future world depicted in the movie Idiocracy.



What an article looks like on Instagram

What an article looks like on Facebook


3 pictures and a dozen words is brevity but online - it's as long as the novel War & Peace.

It's also perfectly safe and smart to wash the class and all the brightwork on the car including the hubcaps, chrome bumpers, trim, etc.

And, thanks also...

For one of the best mistypes. Ever.


Bob

Ha ha... good catch. I fixed the original but it is funny. And "no" I'm not washing the class.

[57Rambler]

Mike,

If you're only working on oxidized paint, would Barkeeper's Friend work the same/as well as the Comet ?