Automatic car wash queen – makeover

**jjkacz** · 03-18-2010, 08:04 PM

Below is a car that has been taken through a brush type car wash about once a week since new. The swirls on the hood weren’t all that bad, but the scratches on the side of the vehicle were horrific! Go ahead and take a look for your self. They were particularly bad in the sun, which I was unable capture correctly with my point and shoot. Thankfully a 250w halogen light and my Brinkman dual xenon light helped to show the scratches. I used a hoist to get the vehicle to my level. This worked especially well since the worst part was the sides of the vehicle.

PRODUCTS AND PROCESS:

Soap: Meguiars Deep Crystal Wash
Clay: Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit, white in color
QD: Meguiars QD included in the kit
Tape: Scotch blue painters tape – almost a whole roll was used.
Polisher: PC 7427XP
Compound: Meguiars Ultimate Compound
Pad: Lake Country CCS 5.5in and 4in orange and yellow were used
Polish: Menzerna PO85RD
Pad: Lake Country CCS 5.5in and 4in gray pads were used.
LSP: Pinnacle Liquid Souverän Wax
Pad: Lake Country 4in red pad
Microfiber: Cobra Arctic White Edgeless & Indigo Blue
IPA: 91% IPA 50/50 with H20

Camera/s used: Sony P100 (most of the before shots) and a Sony W290 (for some of the after shots). A DSLR will be purchased in the next 6 months…

Lessons Learned: I defiantly could have used a rotary with M105. I feel that this two would have enables me to cover more ground and correct more of the RIDS.

After viewing the severity of the carwash scratches I was glad that I had almost a week with the vehicle. This is a daily driver, so the idea was to get the paint to about 95%. There were defiantly some RIDS that I wasn’t going to address. This was hard for the ‘DO’ type of person, as I always want to get the vehicle back to 100%. The idea was to only do one buffing cycle per section with the UC, but some ended up taking two. Meg’s UC had a VERY long working time, which was great. I started off using the orange pad and soon switched to the yellow one. Wow, what a work of difference a more aggressive pad makes. The UC did leave some micro marring here and there. This was easily corrected with the PO85RD. An IPA wipe down was performed after compounding and polishing.

This was the first time I used Pinnacle Liquid Souverän Wax and let me say I AM IMPRESSED!!! The product smelled great and was so easy to work with. I applied with the red pad at speed 3-4. A little product went a long way. I let it sit about 5 min. while I waxed the next panel/s. It was very was very easy to remove with the Arctic white towels. I have to give credit to the new sample program, which put this amazing product in my hands. I have been converted to this LSP!

All taped up and ready to go

50/50 shot after Meg's UC and one buffing cycle

Another 50/50 shot after Meg's UC and one buffing cycle

The bottom section was corrected. The top section shows some minor swirls

After:

Before

After Meg's UC

After UC

The next four shots are after UC and PO85RD

Pinnacle Liquid Souverän Wax just applied to the drivers side

and a shot of it applied on the roof

**jjkacz** · 03-18-2010, 08:08 PM

some shots after the LSP was removed, but before the final wash

**SRHTX** · 03-18-2010, 08:10 PM

Oh yeah. That Susuki IS a Automatic car wash queen!!!

Good thing you are able to correct the car wash mess.

**jjkacz** · 03-18-2010, 08:15 PM

It was very overcast when I finished. The Brinkman shows the true correction in the suns absence...

**jjkacz** · 03-18-2010, 08:19 PM

A couple shots after the final wash. I will have some full body shots in the sun coming soon.

**jjkacz** · 03-18-2010, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by SRHTX

Oh yeah. That Susuki IS a Automatic car wash queen!!!

Good thing you are able to correct the car wash mess.

It almost looked like someone had taken 3000 grit to the sides of the vehicle.

Thanks!

**SRHTX** · 03-18-2010, 08:22 PM

Very Very nice sparkals on the paint!!

**rpittman19** · 03-18-2010, 08:33 PM

wow it looked bad. nice recovery though.

**jjkacz** · 03-18-2010, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by rpittman19

wow it looked bad. nice recovery though.

Thanks! It's sad that people have no clue what the automatic brush type car wash is doing to their car.

**SRHTX** · 03-18-2010, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by jjkacz

Thanks! It's sad that people have no clue what the automatic brush type car wash is doing to their car.

Welcome to Deep South Texas. LMAO..... If it's not the automatic washes, then, they take thier vehicles to all the hole in the wall places that really never change their waters, soaps and/or pads. ewwwww