1996 Custom International "Big Rig" Wash n Wax Video

**kenallwine** · 09-30-2014, 12:42 PM

This was literally a big project that I recently completed. The customer sent me an email a few weeks ago asking for a rough price to wash and wax an International. At first I was thinking the old Bronco style truck. However, before I could ask any more questions, he sent me a picture.... WOW!

I would normally pass over a project of this size, but it was way too unique to pass up.

Once he showed up that foggy Sunday morning, it looked like a monster coming down the street. Video and pictures don't do this thing justice. It is 10'-6" in height.

I went to town on this beast for 6 hours to wash and wax it. There was no interior work done. It took a full 32oz bottle of cleaner to just do the tires. and another 1/2 bottle to dress them!

I am very thankful that I bought a Little Giant ladder two years ago with the scaffold accessories. It paid off with this project.

Other than the wash and wax, I gave the front wheels and side tanks a quick once over with HDMetal just to brighten them up a little (not looking for mirror finish).

Enjoy the video!

1996 International 9600 Rig Detail - YouTube

**cardaddy** · 09-30-2014, 02:08 PM

Boy Ken, does that bring back memories!

Turned out great for a simple wash up/clean up. FWIW, if he says he'd bring it back, pick up a few gallons of hydrofluoric acid. Take that and a plastic sprayer (or a stainless one but plastic you don't have to worry about) and mix it 3:2 water to acid, or as much as 4:1 and you'd be AMAZED at how clean it'll get the undercarriage.

Of course it'll reach down inside your lungs, grab your lower intestine and pull it back out, turning your lungs inside out on the way up!

(Nothing a simple respirator, charcoal filter won't cure.)

After you spray the undercarriage, then hit it with LOTS of power washing, let it dry, then don the respirator again and crawl around under there with a case of gloss black rattle can.

I used to by mine by the case from Sherwin Williams (Auto Body Supply), even had some cases color matched to match the rollback frames dark gray metallic so I could touch it up as well.

Man all that diamond plate in the interior would get HOT, not to mention how bad it'll reflect light (where you don't want it) as well as rattle a lot. Wonder why he doesn't have Alcoa wheels on the rear?

I know just WASHING one of those beasts in a day (by hand like you did) is a friggin' job!

Southern Wrecker Sales would sometimes bring us stuff to do, knowing what type of jobs we'd do on our own trucks. One day Dale (the head salesman) drove up with a 45 Ton rig and parked it in front of the house, took up the whole darned lot from the mailbox to the property line! Noticed some of your neighbors stopping and looking at ### is he up to now! I got the same looks! Especially as the truck spent the night in front of my house.

One even called the COPS! They thought I'd bought a "big-rig" and was warning me I couldn't park it there. Had to talk my way outta' that one. Should have seen me on top of the boom straddling it, going from end to end scrubbing it down.

I owned a flatbed towing business for 18 years, and starting year 2 we'd take trucks to shows. Went all over the southeast, generally twice a year, sometimes three times. We'd literally pull the truck off the road the Saturday before the next weekend's show and work on it for 10~12~15 hours a day, 5~6~7 days straight before heading off to the show(s).

Worst we ever placed was 2nd. Even took best of show in Orlando one year against a 60 Ton Rotator that had a crew of 12 all in button up, starched silkscreened white shirts with the photo of the truck on back. Dude had $385,000 in that truck!!!!!! Tools were painted to match the truck, shovels, picks, axes all the handles were orange-ish red and EVERY piece of metal that could be removed (tool handles, shovels, picks, axes, air line fittings) were all chromed.

We beat him with a $65,000 F-450 with a custom pin striping job, lots of vinyl signage and stripes and green neon underglow. Needless to say he demanded seeing the judging sheets!

(Didn't help him.... his truck was brand new and mine hauled wrecks all day, EVERY DAY for 9 months before the show.)

Wasn't the only one we did that, but was probably the coolest.

(We usually just went against our class, not ALL the classes.)

**Tato** · 09-30-2014, 02:42 PM

Quality detailing doesn't need to mean lots of paint correction and boutique waxes. It's on the guy executing the work.

You showed yourself in very nice shape, good camera, and impeccable work.

I felt challenged while watching this, which means we always have so much to learn...

Thanks for sharing,

Kind Regards.