DETAIL: '06 Spice Red Metallic GTO
04-05-2009, 08:24 PM
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DETAIL: '06 Spice Red Metallic GTO Earlier this week I chance to detail a local owner's '06 after the March 28 Goatfest event in Central Texas. Aside from the dust, pollen and road film after 600+ miles of round trip driving, the surface was in very good shape. There were some mild fine lines and stray scratches on the surface.
After a quick rinse off to get rid of the loose dust, I started with our new citrus pre-wash concentrate in the Gilmour foam gun by spraying it on the surface and allowed it to set for about 5 minutes before washing. This will help to break down any remaining greasy dirt and road film.
First rinse after washing:
Paint coverage measurement on trailing edge of hood. 6 mils(thousandths of an inch)is about 2 sheets of paper:
Leading edge on top of roof:
Leading edge of hood:
After seeing the testing results from our previous detail demo at the end of March, I used the white "KOMPRESSOR" polishing pad on the FLEX with Menzerna SIP. It gave me the correction I was looking for without inflicting any micro-marring. Some deeper lines needed a little more follow up action to remove them.
More to follow.
After a quick rinse off to get rid of the loose dust, I started with our new citrus pre-wash concentrate in the Gilmour foam gun by spraying it on the surface and allowed it to set for about 5 minutes before washing. This will help to break down any remaining greasy dirt and road film.
First rinse after washing:
Paint coverage measurement on trailing edge of hood. 6 mils(thousandths of an inch)is about 2 sheets of paper:
Leading edge on top of roof:
Leading edge of hood:
After seeing the testing results from our previous detail demo at the end of March, I used the white "KOMPRESSOR" polishing pad on the FLEX with Menzerna SIP. It gave me the correction I was looking for without inflicting any micro-marring. Some deeper lines needed a little more follow up action to remove them.
More to follow.
Last edited by Steve@Tropi-Care; 04-14-2009 at 05:39 PM.
04-05-2009, 08:30 PM
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Part 2 Checking the buffing progress with the halogen spotlight:
For all the little panels and tight sections, the PC set up with 3.5" backing plates and 4" pads makes the work that much easier.
Be prepared when using a powdered based product like Menzerna or our Swirl Cutter, dusting is normal. Lightly misting the pad with detail spray or distilled water will minimize the chance of micro-marring and tone down the amount of dusting.
After I was done with the Menzerna use, it was easier to wash the entire car again to remove the dust and residue from the surface.
After completion of today's polishing, I applied the TC-3 "Sunburst" Sealant xP with the blue 6.5" pad at speed 3-4 on the FLEX.
With 80 degree temps in the garage, the sealant dried very fast as seen by the light haze.
After the wipedown:
After the paint/glass wipe down, I had some time to look at he CCW aluminum wheels. I was a little concerned with the cloudiness of the surface. The owner had showed me the ZOOP Seal kit recommended by the manufacturer for use on these wheels. I have not used the product before and wanted to take a closer look. I was surprised at the amount of abrasive makeup to the sealant. A quick application to the lip inflicted considerable fine lines.
I happened to a have a bottle of our TC-12 Plastic/Cleaner polish handy. This immendiately removed any residual water spotting left over after the wash/dry phase. In addition, it had started to remove of the finer scratch lines and hazing from previous wipedowns. I had switched to the black 4" pad on the PC to see if I could get further improvement by machine. This is a pretty mild combo that gave encouraging results. With a little more time and maybe a white or even orange pad could yield even greater clarity and shine.
Once completed, I would finish them off with the same sealant as used on the paint.
Plastic polish on the tips:
Questions/comments welcomed.
For all the little panels and tight sections, the PC set up with 3.5" backing plates and 4" pads makes the work that much easier.
Be prepared when using a powdered based product like Menzerna or our Swirl Cutter, dusting is normal. Lightly misting the pad with detail spray or distilled water will minimize the chance of micro-marring and tone down the amount of dusting.
After I was done with the Menzerna use, it was easier to wash the entire car again to remove the dust and residue from the surface.
After completion of today's polishing, I applied the TC-3 "Sunburst" Sealant xP with the blue 6.5" pad at speed 3-4 on the FLEX.
With 80 degree temps in the garage, the sealant dried very fast as seen by the light haze.
After the wipedown:
After the paint/glass wipe down, I had some time to look at he CCW aluminum wheels. I was a little concerned with the cloudiness of the surface. The owner had showed me the ZOOP Seal kit recommended by the manufacturer for use on these wheels. I have not used the product before and wanted to take a closer look. I was surprised at the amount of abrasive makeup to the sealant. A quick application to the lip inflicted considerable fine lines.
I happened to a have a bottle of our TC-12 Plastic/Cleaner polish handy. This immendiately removed any residual water spotting left over after the wash/dry phase. In addition, it had started to remove of the finer scratch lines and hazing from previous wipedowns. I had switched to the black 4" pad on the PC to see if I could get further improvement by machine. This is a pretty mild combo that gave encouraging results. With a little more time and maybe a white or even orange pad could yield even greater clarity and shine.
Once completed, I would finish them off with the same sealant as used on the paint.
Plastic polish on the tips:
Questions/comments welcomed.
Last edited by Steve@Tropi-Care; 04-14-2009 at 05:49 PM.
04-05-2009, 08:43 PM
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On Saturday night, Joe wanted to have his car at the first of the season local Plano Sonic show. After some display set up, light wiping down upon arrival and tire dress, the car was set to show.
Even though he did not win the his class with the show organizer judging, Joe walked with away with the "Manager's Pick".
Even though he did not win the his class with the show organizer judging, Joe walked with away with the "Manager's Pick".
Last edited by Steve@Tropi-Care; 04-05-2009 at 09:46 PM.
04-05-2009, 11:36 PM
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Nice job, that is a gorgeous car. I need to get another backing plate for my porter cable and trying correcting my paint again. I have not even able to get it yet and its very frustrating because it is nothing but swirls.
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04-06-2009, 08:47 AM
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Thanks to all for the compliments.
The key to using the PC is having patience and understanding the results when using it on any car. Since it a very safe and user friendly machine, it will take longer to get results than using a FLEX buffer or high speed rotary. We have found that the Menzerna Super Intensive Polish is very effective removing the deeper circular lines and scratches on the f-body clear coats.
The key to using the PC is having patience and understanding the results when using it on any car. Since it a very safe and user friendly machine, it will take longer to get results than using a FLEX buffer or high speed rotary. We have found that the Menzerna Super Intensive Polish is very effective removing the deeper circular lines and scratches on the f-body clear coats.
04-06-2009, 09:05 AM
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Zane:
I asked Joe(owner) what he had been using on his CCWs to maintain the surface. There was some significant marring/scratching due to either the towels or product he was applying. In addition, there was some heavier water spotting on the surfaces. I like to test combinations for their effects on multiple surfaces. The plastic cleaner/polish is acetic acid based which removed the water spotting quite easily. It also was a slightly less abrasive which started to remove some of the finer scratches and haze on the aluminum. After trying by hand with some success, I tested the PC/4" black pad and continued to see even better results. If I had more time, I would have looked at a white or green pad.
I asked Joe(owner) what he had been using on his CCWs to maintain the surface. There was some significant marring/scratching due to either the towels or product he was applying. In addition, there was some heavier water spotting on the surfaces. I like to test combinations for their effects on multiple surfaces. The plastic cleaner/polish is acetic acid based which removed the water spotting quite easily. It also was a slightly less abrasive which started to remove some of the finer scratches and haze on the aluminum. After trying by hand with some success, I tested the PC/4" black pad and continued to see even better results. If I had more time, I would have looked at a white or green pad.
04-06-2009, 09:22 AM
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Zane:
I asked Joe(owner) what he had been using on his CCWs to maintain the surface. There was some significant marring/scratching due to either the towels or product he was applying. In addition, there was some heavier water spotting on the surfaces. I like to test combinations for their effects on multiple surfaces. The plastic cleaner/polish is acetic acid based which removed the water spotting quite easily. It also was a slightly less abrasive which started to remove some of the finer scratches and haze on the aluminum. After trying by hand with some success, I tested the PC/4" black pad and continued to see even better results. If I had more time, I would have looked at a white or green pad.
I asked Joe(owner) what he had been using on his CCWs to maintain the surface. There was some significant marring/scratching due to either the towels or product he was applying. In addition, there was some heavier water spotting on the surfaces. I like to test combinations for their effects on multiple surfaces. The plastic cleaner/polish is acetic acid based which removed the water spotting quite easily. It also was a slightly less abrasive which started to remove some of the finer scratches and haze on the aluminum. After trying by hand with some success, I tested the PC/4" black pad and continued to see even better results. If I had more time, I would have looked at a white or green pad.
I have semi-matte black powdercoat CCW wheels on my 414ci CTS-V...get a little water spotting and want them to look their best....what would you recommend?
04-06-2009, 10:50 AM
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In that situation, I would test the effectiveness by lightly wiping with a clean microfiber towel using a diluted solution of distilled white vinegar and water on a very small section. You want to use the least aggressive means to get the desired results. Feel free to contact me direct with your progress or any other questions.
04-06-2009, 11:19 AM
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Zane:
I asked Joe(owner) what he had been using on his CCWs to maintain the surface. There was some significant marring/scratching due to either the towels or product he was applying. In addition, there was some heavier water spotting on the surfaces. I like to test combinations for their effects on multiple surfaces. The plastic cleaner/polish is acetic acid based which removed the water spotting quite easily. It also was a slightly less abrasive which started to remove some of the finer scratches and haze on the aluminum. After trying by hand with some success, I tested the PC/4" black pad and continued to see even better results. If I had more time, I would have looked at a white or green pad.
I asked Joe(owner) what he had been using on his CCWs to maintain the surface. There was some significant marring/scratching due to either the towels or product he was applying. In addition, there was some heavier water spotting on the surfaces. I like to test combinations for their effects on multiple surfaces. The plastic cleaner/polish is acetic acid based which removed the water spotting quite easily. It also was a slightly less abrasive which started to remove some of the finer scratches and haze on the aluminum. After trying by hand with some success, I tested the PC/4" black pad and continued to see even better results. If I had more time, I would have looked at a white or green pad.
04-06-2009, 02:52 PM
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Looks great Steve. Can't wait to get my Flex package in now! Going to be using it on my Jag and also have a friend's WS6 lined up, so I'll try and get some good pics.I'll have to look into the pre-wash concentrate you mentioned here also.
Do I even want to know how much the paint measurement tool costs?
