How good are my skills at detailing we are going to find out (horrible shape GT)

[Justin]

I am one day into fixing a 07 GT that has been the product of dawn washing for the last 2 years. the paint is peeling in areas but I will see what I can do using FLEX XC 3401 VRG POLISHER


took me all day and three clay kits to get it clean....had sap all over it....came from parking next to mulch in the rain of all things. would have been no big deal to get off if the car actually had WAX on it!!!!! but I digress. here is the paints current status.....it will make you want to vomit a little. I think you should need to take a detailing test in order to own a black car lol. thank god I have the flex. it takes 1/10th the time the porter cable does.
All the grey dots are sap and a #$^%#$%^#$%^ to get off.

clay from a 3x3" area

got that 50' shine now lol

now the ugly

 

[VoodooBoss]

Nice work, if you lived about 3,000 miles closer I'd be keeping you busy. I give up, what's "the flex"? Link?

 

[Justin]

http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-738-adams-basic-flex-xc-3401-vrg-polisher-kit.aspx
there is a video of it being used on that web page

 

[VoodooBoss]

Thanks, so if I'm going to buy a polisher this is the one?

http://www.autogeek.net/flex-orbital-polisher.html

 

[Justin]

Thanks, so if I'm going to buy a polisher this is the one?

http://www.autogeek.net/flex-orbital-polisher.html

it would be. the kit on adams is the better deal comes with pads and polish

 

[ace72ace]

Holy swirl marks Batman! And heavy staining to boot, damn... Thing should just be repainted.

 

[racered302]

I don't understand how the flex could be 10x's faster then the porter-cable. Their both dual action, random orbital. Maybe I missed something in the tool comparisons prior to buying my PC a couple of years back, but I don't see how there could be that much of a difference between tools. I know build quality, controls,balance and power are important but that's where my knowledge ends. What makes the Flex so different that it has such an edge over the PC?

 

[Justin]

I don't understand how the flex could be 10x's faster then the porter-cable. Their both dual action, random orbital. Maybe I missed something in the tool comparisons prior to buying my PC a couple of years back, but I don't see how there could be that much of a difference between tools. I know build quality, controls,balance and power are important but that's where my knowledge ends. What makes the Flex so different that it has such an edge over the PC?

forced rotation and 9600opm

http://www.adamsforums.com/forums/machine-polishing/9207.htm

just search flex there are quite a few threads about it

 

[Justin]

ok did a test panel. going to take two passes green pad one orange and one white.
before and after

Before

after

Before

after

still have to do the entire car then some zaino.

I have about two more days to go.

 

[fduboss302]

Justin did you just do this for the challenge?! Very impressive work so far... Agree with Rick if you lived in CA I'd be sending my car your way every coupla months. ;D

 

[Justin]

Justin did you just do this for the challenge?! Very impressive work so far... Agree with Rick if you lived in CA I'd be sending my car your way every coupla months. ;D

I did it for the practice mostly. As charging 200 for 4 days work isnt going to get me much profit. I will end up making maybe 20-30 bucks in the end over the cost of materials. First black car I have done with the flex and finally get to see how awesome and fast it works.

When I first took the car I didnt notice the sap all over it. That sap has greatly caused so much more work.

Moral of the story Put WAX on your car at the very least other wise you will ruin you paint and to have someone that is a professional do it would cost you more than 800 bucks. Oh and save the dish soap for your dishes and get some real car soap made for cars. lol

 

[racered302]

http://www.adamsforums.com/forums/machine-polishing/9207.htm

just search flex there are quite a few threads about it
[/quote]

Now I understand. Not sure if that was around when I got mine from Auotogeeks. If so, maybe the sticker shock made me look the other way. I used mcguires 101 then counted up too remove wet sanding marks when I removed etching from a bird bomb on my bimmer. Did the job, but it took awhile. Nice job on the fender. Have you tried the Adams sealant yet, if so how it turn out? Don't have the time to wax my car as much as I should and besides I'm lazy.

 

[Justin]

I have their maching sealant. tried it on the blue mustang. didnt like it to hard to remove and apply. and it didnt pop like zanio does. Feels like I will never get done with this car. listening to soft rock in the head phones so I can keep pace and stop rushing.

The pad cleaning brush is a life safer clear a clogged pad in 4 seconds. I clean the pads every new section its like I just pulled it out of the bag.

http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-743-adams-pad-cleaning-conditioning-brush.aspx

 

[racered302]

Does the sealant last? I suspect that it does if it's a pita to remove. I wonder if it will keep the strips from fading or getting stained. I have a spot on the hood vinyl that doesn't come out. Picked it up on my trip to GA. Not happy with that but there's not much I can do about it now. I wonder if black kiwi would work?

Did you give a pick up date for the car? If not don't sweat it, the reward is in the result. Have fun with it. Maybe you find a new career path to retirement. And if your good enough, an early retirement.

 

[Justin]

yeah I have as long as I want with the car.....problem is its taking up the bosses sleeping hole lol aka the garage. I called it quits for the day I have the passenger side and rear to go. Then I am going to wash it again to get all the dust off. Then give it my Zaino special. I put zaino on the decals on my boss and if you layer enough Z5 on it the swirls almost go away. I havent put the machine sealant on the boss and never will. I find the Zaino is way better.

Here are some pics from today's progress. The tiny white dots are polish dust. I assure you the paint is like a black mirror

outdoor pics

 

[racered302]

that job is worth way more then 200 bucks. But I guess you figured in the educational benifite also. That paint was scuffed up from a $6 scotch-bright equipped car-wash. I know because I ran my bimmer through one and thats what I got, lesson learned. A lot of work to bring it back, dark blue is unforgiving, just like black.

 

[Justin]

that job is worth way more then 200 bucks. But I guess you figured in the educational benifite also. That paint was scuffed up from a $6 scotch-bright equipped car-wash. I know because I ran my bimmer through one and thats what I got, lesson learned. A lot of work to bring it back, dark blue is unforgiving, just like black.

yeah I had a harder time getting the hard water spots out than the swirls. the swirls werent as deep. my hands are still numb from the vibration....no way I would want to do this everyday.

If the guy wasnt my GF's uncle I would be asking for at least 500 lol

 

[racered302]

Water spots were stuck in the swirls. The bimmer burned me out on the detailing cars Thats why I ask about the sealant. But I'll keep up with the boss, the bimmer suffering though. The clearcoat on the Boss isn't as hard as the bimmer, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think BMW uses a ceramic clearcoat which is tough to work the swirls out of. It seems to give way al the sudden to the paint layer. Don't ask why I know that, I don't want to relive it. :/

 

[Justin]

Water spots were stuck in the swirls. The bimmer burned me out on the detailing cars Thats why I ask about the sealant. But I'll keep up with the boss, the bimmer suffering though. The clearcoat on the Boss isn't as hard as the bimmer, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think BMW uses a ceramic clearcoat which is tough to work the swirls out of. It seems to give way al the sudden to the paint layer. Don't ask why I know that, I don't want to relive it. :/

I find that zaino in layers will hind minor swirls. the z5 has filling properties.

 

[racered302]

so z5 is a sealer?