1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convt. FULL DETAIL & a trip back in time.

[Matt S.]

Stuart, Florida aka Hot Rod City
circa 1959


Hey all you Chickie babies, Cool cats, Greasers, and Motor heads. You are hip to a whole new sound, so put on your best threads, lose the squares, and get ready to head to coolsville for the biggest machine bash of paint polishing. Let's get cranked and have a blast!

Narrated by Arthur Fonzerelli

Matthew, aka, Matt-Attack is an actor in these parts, hip to the crowd. His old man just laid down the bread on a '57 Chevrolet Bel Air flip-top with double quads and a 283 bent eight. Matt-Attack clued in with the fact that his old man's chariot was short on the sizzle. The paint had gotten moldy with swirl marks, scratches, and a lack of shine. I'll clue you this, Matt ain't no wet rag, he's in orbit and he was determined to pound out the swirls and restore shine to the rag. Shiny paint is the best way to find the babies, paper shakers, and foxy yoots.

Matt-Attack had a partner in crime, his handle is Todd. Todd is a goof who is just as good at smoking his clutch as he is smoking cigs. Todd's a prep who can't lay a patch to save his life. I'll clue you more: He knows how to remove swirl marks so Matt-Attack was over the moon to have his help on their polishing ice freeze.

The first step to get Daddy'O's chariot ready for the boulevard is to get it clean. Matt-Attack crushed out his Pall Mall and got workin’ with BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Waterless Wash and a primo Supreme 530 Microfiber Towel. Supreme 530 Microfiber towels ain’t square. They feature ultra soft microfiber that is gentle to your paint.




BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Waterless Wash uses advanced polymers to encapsulate dirt and grime and safely pull it off the paint without causing damage, ya dig? First ya get it a little goopy by laying down the goods with a fine mist.




Then wipe the microfiber towel over the paint until the dirt is gone. Flip the towel over and wipe to a shine.




Matt worked the all the areas of the paint until it was in orbit. Leaving dirt on the paint before you polish is for Mickey Mouse. Any dirt on the paint can cause damage, so make sure your chariot is clean from goop before movin' on.

Matt shined his Daddy'O's ride completely.




The next step was to get looped in on the process needed to make the '57 Chevy give the babies heart attacks.

Ya see, paint loses shine when it gets infected with swirl marks. Swirl marks are little scratches that cause light to disperse instead of reflect, so the paint looks dull. Polishing the paint restores the sizzle to the paint by making the surface smooth, like the mirror your mom fixes her nest in, ya dig?

Ya see Matt and Todd got the jets for brains, they are clued. They know the best way to select the process is with using a test spot. Polish one section of the paint until you dial in the correct process, then repeat the steps on the rest of the paint to make sure your results are hip.

Matt-Attack inspected the paint with a Brinkmann Swirl Finder, after taping off a 2' x 2' test section.




The light gave the goods on the paint. You just cannot go ape on paint that has swirls like this. Your ride can't be the big wheel when the paint looks like a hub cap. It just ain't coooollllll.




Todd'O is Ivy League I'll tell ya. He knows it’s best to start with the finest polish first and see if that will correct the swirl marks before jumpin' the shark. He ain't no jelly roll.

Todd put a Lake Country Hi-Gloss White CCS pad on a FLEX 3401 DA polisher. The white foam has enough bite to lay the swirls down with the cows but it’s still soft enough to leave the paint with a good gloss. A mist of BLACKFIRE Advanced Paint Conditioner - this magic in a bottle has the proof. It prevents dry buffing and helps the polish spread across the paint for results that are cookin'.



Todd hopped up the pad with three small dots of BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish. SRC Finishing Polish ain’t the grease ya slick back your nest with, it uses precision cut nano aluminum oxide abrasives to jewel the paint to a mirror finish. It's the chili. It is the finest abrasive in the BLACKFIRE lineup, and it is always best to start with the least aggressive method first.






He set the FLEX on speed 5 and pressed firmly into the test panel. A firm squeeze of the speed-sensitive trigger brought the machine to life. Todd worked with firm pressure and slow arm speed until the polish started to give the goods and turn clear. The residue was wiped with a Supreme 530 Microfiber.




Todd gave paint the goggles. The extremely gentle combination of BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish and the White Polishing Pad made the paint shinier, but it didn't remove the deeper swirl marks. That's okay, no need to have a cow. That's why Todd and Matt-Attack start with a test section.






Matt switched to an Orange Hi-Gloss pad. The Orange Light Cutting Foam has more bite and is sure to help give the swirl marks the breeze. To increase the cutting power, Matt swapped out the polish for BLACKFIRE SRC Compound. SRC Compound uses the latest advancements in diminishing abrasives to remove moderate to severe swirl marks without dulling the paint. Matt set the FLEX at speed 6, flat out, and got on with the business.





Matt worked the FLEX 3401 Dual-Action Polisher and BLACKFIRE SRC Compound in overlapping passes over the test section until it began to appear opaque, then buffed the residue with a Supreme 530 Microfiber towel.

The best light to inspect paint is direct sunlight, and the sun was shining this day in Stuart, Florida. To give you cool cats at home an idea of the different, here is the paint before:




And the paint after in the sunlight, before they even used the BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish, which would increase the gloss even further.




Matt and Todd'e'O determined the final process to be a two step procedure. First BLACKFIRE SRC Compound would be applied by a FLEX 3401 DA and the new Lake Country Hybrid Wool Polishing pad or a FLEX PE14 Rotary using a 4 inch Hydro-Tech Cyan Pad in tight spots. Final polishing would be done with a FLEX PE14 Rotary and 6.5 inch Lake Country Black Finishing and Meguiar's Soft Buff 4 inch Finishing Pads. This would give the paint the shine to keep the mirror warmed happy and the paper shakers heading to backseat bingoville.


With the flip-top back in the garage, Matt and Todd taped up the trim pieces to avoid creaming them with 3M Painter's Tape.








To keep the tight areas from getting the shoulder, a 4 inch Lake Country Cyan Pad was attached to a FLEX PE Rotary Polisher.




Todd polished the trim and small areas with steel nerve, his lid on sideways.




Matt ran the Flex DA flat-out with a Wool Pad with BLACKFIRE SRC Compound. This work requires determination and Matt-Attack doesn't let anybody razz his berries.




Todd handled the other side.



The day was getting late and the sun was making like a tree and leaving. Matt had to cop a breeze or else he would be late on a date with his baby. They had a kick at the local drive in.

On his own, Todd turned up the '57 Chevy's Wonder Bar Radio and jived to the latest from Little Richard.




This hip tool, given to Todd from Marty McFly when he traveled back in time is a Defelsko PosiTest DFT Combo Paint Thickness Gauge. It measures the total thickness of the paint to make sure Todd didn't shave the paint too close.





Approaching 8 PM, Todd wanted to put an egg in his shoe and beat it, but not without cleaning up the corral first.

Cleaning your polishing pads frequently guarantees they will always achieve optimal performance. The Lake Country Hybrid Wool Pad had picked up the color of the '57 Chevy (that had drove to the levee but the levee was dry).




Adding one scope of Detailer’s “Pro Series” Polishing Pad Rejuvenator into a Grit-Guard ® Pad Cleaner made cleaning the pads no-sweat.



Spin the pad over the Grit-Guard insert with pressure to clean, then release pressure to spin the pad dry. The result after 30 seconds... was Madison Avenue.



The final shot from Day 1.

[Matt S.]

Day Two
Stuart, Florida

“Well the Biiiiig Bopper says that it’s time to ditch the lame'0s, germs, and cubes, grab your favorite mirror warmer, paper shakers, or Susy-Q, and head back to Fatsville for a passion pit of a good time. Put on your best threads and hold on, animals, cause this is a radioactive good time”


Matt entered into the shop the next day reading for the final polishing of the flip-top.

“Wowsers, this thing is large charge!” he exclaimed.

Todd replied, “Yes, it’s made in the shade, Daddy-O!”

Matt twisted his head,” It's made in the sunlight too,” he offered.

“Don't be so square,” Todd said rolling his eyes, tracing an imaginary square in the air with his index fingers.

BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish not only produces razor sharp reflections but it is extremely easy to use with dual-action and rotary buffers. When used with a soft finishing pad and good technique, it will leave the paint with breath-taking reflections that are in orbit.

“Todd, can we please finish with the rotary polisher?”

“Sure snake, let's rattle,” Todd replied. Todd and Matt exchanged skin.



First, draw a thin line of product, about 6 inches long, across the paint. This is called the bead.




Tilt the polisher on an angle and gently squeeze the loud peddle, ya dig? Pass the polisher over the bead at an angle to suck the polish through the pad in a spiral.




Then spread the polish over a small section, approximately 2' x 2', keeping the pad flat. Using a soft pad and a soft backing plate, such as the Flex-Foam HD, makes final polishing without creating a hologram effect easy-peasey.




BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish will create a visible film on the paint. Increase polishing speed to approximately 1200 rpm and add just a slight amount of down-pressure. Work the machine back and forth while keeping the pad flat to the surface.




As you work, the film will begin to clear up.




Reduce speed to 1000 RPM or lower, and release any pressure on the polisher.






Wipe off the residue with a soft microfiber towel such as the Deluxe Jr 600.




Make sure to inspect your paint so you’re not left in the breeze.




A flawless, mirror-like finish.




The FLEX PE14 is the Little Richard of machine polishers. Not only can this little gem belt out the tunes, but it does so with total control. Matt-Attack set up a FLEX PE14 with a 3 inch Flex-Foam HD backing plate and a 4 inch Meguiar's Soft Buff polishing pad to give the paint the goods.








No areas of this radioactive machine were left for the birds. Everything was polished to perfection. Like I said before, Matt and Todd ain't nosebleeds, they are hip to shiny paint.




Polishing paint, even with low dusting products like BLACKFIRE, can create dust on the surface and in the cracks and crevices. Washing your machine after machine polishing is always a good idea to make sure the details are perfect.

First, the duo removed the 3M Painter's Tape from the trim pieces.




Then the Chevy was pulled outside. A BLACKFIRE Foam Gun was attached to the hose and loaded with Detailer's “Pro Series” Xtreme Foam Formula Shampoo. Laying a coat of suds on the paint will help encapsulate any dust and help float away any residual polishing oils. Matt was focused on making his father's chariot as prime as possible, ever since Jimmy Bob stole his Donna with his Deuce Coupe.




The Detailer's “Pro Series” Xtreme Foam Formula Shampoo lays the suds down with proof! This unique formula can be used in a bucket for a regular wash but shines like chrome when added to a foam gun or cannon. It's out of this world. The soap clings to the paint for optimum saturation.








The canvas flip-top had some light soiling, so Todd grabbed some RaggTopp products while Matt continued to lay on the suds.








The soap was allowed to set for 5 minutes and rinsed off. Matt grabbed RaggTopp's Fabric/Vinyl Cleaner and sprayed some over the flip. Todd used a horse-hair brush to loosen any stains and soiling.


Before




During




After. Clean as a whistle, well a whistle that was clean, of course.

[Matt S.]

Now it was time to give the paint and body of the heavy Chevy a good washin'. BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Conditioning Shampoo was chosen. Not only does this formula deliver the goods with ample suds (Tuff Suds II technology) but it uses the same polymers in the paint sealant to encapsulate and remove any grime. It leaves these polymers behind on the paint as you dry it, which helps prime the paint for the sealant to achieve maximum adhesion. He heard that Biff and Joseph even used this in their hair to make it look slick, slick.




Todd added some water to the solution to activate the suds.




A soft microfiber towel is an ideal wash media after polishing, ya see? The nap of the microfiber will help loosen any polish residue while cleaning any lines from the masking tape. A Chinchilla microfiber towel was chosen.




Matt-Attack and Todd carefully wiped down all of the body panels with the slick BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Conditioning Shampoo.




They rinsed the suds off the flipper with an Industrial Fireman's Nozzle.




The Wet Diamond Polymers in the shampoo went to work immediately, causing the paint to bead up like it just got some wax.




That's when Todd offered to share a tip he calls “Flooding The Paint”. He cautioned that this tip ain't for dopes. Remove the nozzle from the hose and reduce pressure, ya dig? This allows a steady stream of water to flow out of the hose and over the paint, creating a pool of water on the surface.





Water has a natural viscosity. It sticks to itself like grease on my hair. By creating a flowing puddle, the water will actually pull itself off the surface, leaving it mostly dry.






Todd took the time to flood the emblems, wheels, top, and side panels.




After flooding, Matt gently wiped off the remaining water with an ultra soft, extremely absorbent Guzzler Waffle Weave towel. Not only is the towel the goods because it’s soft (made of microfiber), but it features a unique waffle design that gives it the ability to drink the water right off the paint.




To avoid water spots on the '57 Chevy, Matt and Todd pulled the machine back into the Autogeek Garage and set up a Master Blaster. The Master Blaster delivers heated and filtered high-velocity air to blow water out of cracks, crevices, trim pieces, wheels, and off the paint. It makes the water split.




Even the 283 bent eight was blown dry. No need to risk damage to the engine and rattle its cage.




With the paint dry and the '57 looking like Fatsville, Matt spent some time wailing on the details. BLACKFIRE All In One All Purpose Cleaner and a Gold Plush towel cleaned any residue from the cracks and crevices.

The 1957 Bel Air opened up and ready for fine detailing...






BLACKFIRE APC, a towel, and Matt's patience got these areas cookin' good lookin', dig?

[Matt S.]

Now it was time to put the final touches on the paint and protect that cool shine. BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection is a synthetic sealant that uses a combination of Wet Diamond Polymers. These polymers attach to the paint and create a high gloss finish that is known for being deep, slick, glossy, and as smooth as Ritchie Valen singing to his girl Donna.

Matt used a FLEX 3401 VRG DA polisher and a soft Lake Country Gold Jeweling pad. A little BLACKFIRE goes a long way, so Matt added three small drops and got to business. Use a slower speed, like speed 3, and very little pressure. We wanna keep the chariot primo.








BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection takes 15-30 minutes to set up and haze before it can be wiped dry.

Matt used this time to apply BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal, a unique, wipe-on & walk-away paint sealant to the trim, chrome, and wheel covers. BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal features the same Wet Diamond polymers that have made BLACKFIRE hip with the in-crowd.




While Matt applied the Crystal Seal, Todd went to work cleaning the whitewalls. BLACKFIRE APC and an All Purpose Microfiber Towel handled any soiling and took the tires straight to the moon.








Remember when I told you BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal was moon-bound? Give a spray on the microfiber applicator, wipe over the surface, and walk away. That's it, you’re done and have plenty of time to listen to Little Orphan Annie with your decoder ring. Drink Ovaltine, ya dig?






The BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection was hazed. BLACKFIRE wipes off with ease, so Matt wiped it off with a Deluxe Jr Microfiber Towel.

Matt-Attack then laid the protection on the flip-top with RaggTopp Vinyl Convertible Top Protectant. Spray on, wipe into an even coat, and walk away.



Now it was time to give the tank a shizzlin' shine that's just cookin'. BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste is a premium grade carnauba wax that combines a high content of ultra-pure and ultra-refined Brazilian Carnauba Wax and Wet Diamond Polymers. Each jar of BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Wax is handle blended, hand poured, and hand packaged. It is the real deal and it creates a deep gloss that makes reds crank!

When used on top of BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection, the look is a unique fusion of high-gloss shine and ultra wet depth, known as “Wet Ice Over Fire”.

BLACKFIRE applies to the paint like butter and gives it the goods. Simply rub the applicator over the surface then wipe on the paint in smooth, overlapping motions.




Use the supplied soft microfiber to buff off immediately and take your paint to Fatsville and back.




Final Pictures, end of Day Two
Stuart, Florida


The polished paint was perfect in the sun, no swirl marks or other cooties.




The paint was unreal! Todd hadn't seen anything this red since he dipped little Suzy's hair in fountain ink in the third grade.



















Even the white top, cleaned and protected with RaggTopp, was bright enough to light up the tilt sign on a pinball machine.

[Matt S.]

The '57 flipped its lid with the latest technology. Matt jumped behind the wheel, pushed a button, and the top put itself away! Todd hadn't seen anything that cool since his dad brought home a Ham Radio.
Todd did make fun of Matt's shades however, “Those look like something some square is going to wear in the future!”
















Now it was time to set the sound on the WonderBar radio and head out crusin' for a bruisin’.





Todd called dibs on the back seat.



Back in the garage after the joy ride. Matt's old man was over the top with how his cruiser looked. He let Todd and Matt take it to the hot dog stand for some tube steaks and tunes, then pick up some babies for a night at the drive in.



Thanks for reading, comments and questions are always appreciated! Remember to see the USA in your Chevrolet!

[OhTwoGT]

EXCELLENT write up, loved the 50's speak too very interesting. Ive been using blackfire products and I have been impressed each time I used them. Great line up.

[HotRodJoe]

Great job, guys!

[Ray@Autogeek]

I thought it was safe to browse this forum.



Thanks for the unexpected whiplash.

But seriously, nice job showcasing a FULL detail!

[Nick McKees37]

Fantastic work guys.

[BillE]

Kookie Kookie lend me your comb!

That 7 is the coolest this side of an igloo.

Where did you find a vocabulary book of 'hip'?

One more smart a**ed 50's comment and I'll put the leg of my walker on you big toe!

Great write up and fantastic work!

Bill