The update to the front end looks great !!
really stands out now !
Printable View
The update to the front end looks great !!
really stands out now !
Part ??: Pinaccle Jewling Wax AIO
It's been about 9 months since I compounded & waxed the car last summer. Since then I've driven the car a lot and really enjoyed the fruits of my labor, but the glossy shine of the wax diminished and I could tell it was time to give it attention again. The wax seemed to hide some of the swirling that I never polished out after compounding. The worst areas are on the tops of the fenders and hood where I made a lot of extra passes with compound. Under certain lighting it really shows. Here's a video to highlight the badness:
https://youtu.be/LgrHGvE31Yk
In case the video doesn't come through, here is a photo. It's funny this swirl is hardly visible in photos of the car and it's not too noticeable in daylight, but my garage really brings it out.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1558.jpg
After a strip wash, I pulled out the 6" Lake Country white polishing pad and went to work with Pinnacle Jewling Wax. This is an AIO that I thought I'd try after seeing great results in one of Mike's threads. I was not sure how much correcting it would do, but I figured it was worth a try since I did not want to spend my time on a dedicated polishing step. Here is what I ended up with after a few passes. It needs more work but it did make a difference.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1559.jpg
https://youtu.be/0jAsKpJ-RSQ
I spent a few hours going over the whole car. I was very happy with the light correction work this AIO managed to do. The sides of the car turned out great, but the hood needs work. Here is where I ended up.
https://youtu.be/0-qMfiKpKcc
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1554.jpg
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1555.jpg
In the video above and in the photo below you can see the hood still needs some work. I'm thinking about going over it with M205 polish and then coming back with the Pinnacle Jewling Wax to finish it off. Is it acceptable to polish back through the wax or would I need to strip the wax off somehow first? Also there are a lot of little blotches and dots on the hood. Is it possible these will come out or could they be stained/embedded in the paint?
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1556.jpg
Here is how the car is looking now. You can be sure a few swirls and blotches aren't going to keep me from driving the wheels off it!
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1557.jpg
What a great thread and a great car!,,,I love everything,,the car,the motor swap and most of all the great write up.
I think sometimes a restored original or original type of paint beats a show car paint job as most people can bring it back on their own with a lot of patience and love,,Kudos to you sir !
:props::props:
The amount of work you have put into this project is as phenomenal as the outcome. Your posts are clear and concise as are the pictures and videos. Thank you for taking the considerable time to post all of this for us to enjoy. Well done is the understatement of the year. Killer NOVA!!
Thank you both for the kind words. It's the least I can do to share photos and video after benefiting from all the great information and professionals on this forum! There is also great satisfaction from sharing the results with folks that appreciate it. A lot of people seeing the car would have no idea what kind of work went into bringing the paint up to this level. I suspect for the amount of time I've put in, I've added tremendous value to the car at minimal cost. And it's nice to know I can build on the improvements while doing a better job of maintaining the finish. Knowledge is power!
I am just about "done" with the transformational efforts to restore the exterior of my car. So far I have spent a fair amount of time bringing the paint back to life with compound, polish and wax, and freshening up the front of the car by painting the grill and filler panel. I decided to finally give some attention to the vinyl top. I've never really been sure what to do with it. Normal washing doesn't seem to clean it up that well. Here's what it looks like after my last car wash:
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1560.jpg
I did some research and found all purpose cleaner (APC) might be a good start for lifting the nasties out of the vinyl. I picked up some Chemical Guys Nonsense and a soft interior detailing brush.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1561.jpg
Working in sections, I sprayed and heavily brushed the vinyl. Then I let the APC sit a while so it could lift some of the contaminants out of the vinyl.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1562.jpg
It's hard to see in the photo, but I could definitely see the grime coming out of the vinyl.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1563.jpg
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1564.jpg
Once the foamy bubbles dissipated, I mopped up the grime with a microfiber.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1565.jpg
Here is what the top looked like after cleaning. Much more sanitary! You can clearly see which side I had cleaned and which side still needed attention.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1566.jpg
Next it was time to shine up and protect the vinyl. I decided to try out Chemical Guys Natural Shine dressing. I picked up a 16oz bottle and a foam applicator and went to work
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1567.jpg
This stuff could probably be smeared on with just about any cloth or applicator. I put a few dabs on at a time and worked it over the top of the car.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1568.jpg
Here is a 50/50 shot with one side cleaned and dressed, the other side still dirty.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1569.jpg
And here's what it looks like up close right after application. It's a little shinier than I expected for a "matte" / "natural" dressing, but it looks good. It brought a deep black shine back to the vinyl.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1570.jpg
And after a few weeks of rain, I finally found a break in the clouds to get out and see the car in the sun. So nice to see shine in the paint from the recent polish & wax.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1571.jpg
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1572.jpg
The hood looks so much better outside than it does in the garage!
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1573.jpg
And just for the fun of it, here are a couple more photos of what's under the hood.
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1574.jpg
http://cjnn.xtremefabricator.com/ima...y6swap1575.jpg
Looking forward to some new projects and experiences with the car soon, but I think I'm about "done" with restoring the exterior!
Awesome project, man.
Love the Nova. You have done an incredible job in all aspects. For real. :dblthumb2:
Thanks Paul. I am grateful for the community for putting all this information out there for me to digest and apply.
Great job - it really pops out in the sun. The roof came out nice as well. And that motor! Wow, I'll bet she gets up and goes!