Dalton Blevins vs. Black 1995 Nissan Altima

[DLB]

First off - hello again to everyone. It's been a couple of months I guess since I posted last. Work has had me busy and I just haven't had time to hit the forums.

Anyhow - here's a 1995 Black Nissan Altima. It's still in progress, hence no full shots.
Stuff I did and what I have use to this point:
Wash - 2BM, 3.5oz Meg's Shampoo+ and 1oz. ONR, LC Big Blue Sponge, Meg's APC+ for wheel area.
Clay - Pinnacle XMT Speed Clay, used after first washing, using wash soap as lube and claying entire exterior, then rinsing again. (This clay does very well in this circumstance, it is actually the only way I use this clay - it sleeps in my wash bucket).

Paint Cleaner - Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion (PPCL), PCXP and 5.5" Orange Hydro Pad. When I did a test spot in a couple of places, the compound was just gumming up with the oxidation and gunk that was on top of the paint, really making it a pain to work with, so I cleansed first. This removed all the oxidation and gunk, and then I had a nice surface to start correction on.

Correction (thus far) has been Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover (WG TSR) 3.0 via Rotary and Orange 6.5" LC CCS Pads. Tomorrow I am going to finish it off with Wolfgang Finishing Glaze (WG FG) 3.0 via Rotary - pads still undetermined.

Interior has been a use of DP Total Interior Cleaner, brushes, terry towels, and Folex + Bissell Autocare ProHeat. Windows will be Surf City Garage Glass Cleaner.

Here's the pic's...I'll let them do the rest of the talking. All pics taken with my best camera - a Motorola Droid.

Pre-Washing - Roof:


Post washing and claying - Roof:



If you want to see full size pictures of a hazy car, just let me know. Figured a few in one spot would give you the idea.

Half and Half with PPCL - Roof:


The sun was down by the time I got the roof polished, so I had to give you the hood swirl shots. The roof came out just as well to my excitement.

Post PPCL in Sun - Hood:



Post WG TSR in Sun - Hood:



Interior Before's:






Interior After's:






I'll post up some finished shots tomorrow hopefully. This thing has taken a bit of time to get into shape. Also did an engine detail on it. Not too bad for a hack job I don't guess.

DLB

[DARK HORSE]

As always Dalton, excellent job! I love how you remove the seats to detail the interior!!! You are a true detailer in every sense of the word my friend! Can't wait to see the rest of the completed project. Oh ya welcome back home buddy, hope to see you around a little more often!!!!

[DLB]

I love how you remove the seats to detail the interior!!!

Well, some will think it to be controversial. There is no way you can get the carpet fully cleaned though and all the crud from around the console out without removing them. Well, maybe, but time would be out the window. I always put the seats back in the same way on every vehicle, and torque the bolts back in the same order. This way I can safely trust myself to take them out. Also, it is only the people that want their interior that clean that get that treatment. Most people just want the normal old clean up.

The console also came out, but I didn't stop to take pics.

Thanks for the props yo - good to be back.

DLB

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

WOW, that thing was trashed, awesome turn around Daltin. Nice to see you back around.

[CEE DOG]

Wow Dalton! Talk about trashed. Really truly impressed with the interior work! Do you mind if I ask how long the interior took? Even more important how many landfills did you fill with the sludge that came out!

I noticed you hadn't been on in awhile. Was reading an old thread from you the other day. It's great to be busy with work! Especially the current atmosphere

Later

[Mike Phillips]

Looks like someone was living inside their car... the outside looks like it hasn't seen a quality wash and wax since it was driven off the dealership lot...

Nice restoration, lets hope the owner either has you take care of it this day going forward on a "Maintenance Program" or hangs out on AutogeekOnline to learn how to take care of it themselves...

Can you take this shot after you wipe off your last step product? As in do your best to stand in the same place with the car in the same place at the same general time of day and capture an exact "after shot".





The above looks like oxidation but it could just be a dirt film, can you verify?

Clear coats don't oxidize as easily as single stage paints, usually a person really has to let the car go, as in not touch it for a long time to get oxidation that looks like the above picture.

Also, it's always nice to see photographs loaded into the Autogeek Gallery too instead of Photobucket, all too often people use up their free space on Photobucket and then delete photos to make room for new photos and everywhere they posted now deleted photos turn into red x's.

[DLB]

WOW, that thing was trashed, awesome turn around Daltin. Nice to see you back around.

Thanks Dana.

Wow Dalton! Talk about trashed. Really truly impressed with the interior work! Do you mind if I ask how long the interior took? Even more important how many landfills did you fill with the sludge that came out!

I noticed you hadn't been on in awhile. Was reading an old thread from you the other day. It's great to be busy with work! Especially the current atmosphere

Later

Thanks Corey. I probably spent 8 hard hours on the interior. About 10 in reality, but I could have picked up a little time here and there if I was busting it harder.

Looks like someone was living inside their car... the outside looks like it hasn't seen a quality wash and wax since it was driven off the dealership lot...

Nice restoration, lets hope the owner either has you take care of it this day going forward on a "Maintenance Program" or hangs out on AutogeekOnline to learn how to take care of it themselves...

Can you take this shot after you wipe off your last step product? As in do your best to stand in the same place with the car in the same place at the same general time of day and capture an exact "after shot".

The above looks like oxidation but it could just be a dirt film, can you verify?

I don't think this guy has ever waxed it. I hope he'll get on a maintenance program, but I'm not banking on it. This detail is coming as a gift to him from someone else.

The roof was covered with a lot of dirt film! The rest of the car had it, but the roof was particularly bad. There was some oxidation on this thing, because it had been let go. It is clear coat, so it wasn't as bad as the dirt film.

I hope to be wiping off the LSP in just a little while, got to get busy now. I will take as close to that same shot as I can.

DLB

[DLB]

I was afraid that I wouldn't have good light when I finished this thing, so I went ahead and finished out the parts that show up mainly in this shot with my LSP, which is Meg's #21.



I got to go off to another job, so I have to pull off of this car for a bit now.

DLB

[Gerri_J]

Hey, nice job! I'm new here and was searching around to get my head around how to tackle my grandmother's 97 altima(which is the 95's twin in damage) for when I take it off her hands. These pictures are motivation, because it looks like a zombie car right now. Keep up the amazing work.

[Mike Phillips]

Hey, nice job! I'm new here and was searching around to get my head around how to tackle my grandmother's 97 altima (which is the 95's twin in damage) for when I take it off her hands.

These pictures are motivation, because it looks like a zombie car right now. Keep up the amazing work.

Hi Gerri,

Since the above was you're first post to our forum...

Welcome to Autogeek Online!




And the before and after results from Dalton's work are incredible and have undoubtedly inspired and motivated countless people to get out into their own garage and tackle their own detailing project.