3 Details, 5 Days, 30+hours...LOOOOONG POST (LOTS oF PICS) (56K NO!)

Great work! Now I see why you took so long to post--great detailed writeup and pics (especially the family portrait). Those Acura wheels like to get that black pitting on the inside, huh? I am going to have a go at mine pretty soon. What's the main reason you are switching from Menzerna to Optimum on the polishes?
 
Thomas...the metro va I ordered from Top of the Line. They were the cheapest that i found. I think it was $155 plus 18 shipping. The dolley was $15. Thanks for the kind words!



Scott, if you want to know anything more about what I reviewed let me know...those were short and basic.



Setec... I love Menzerna, dont get me wrong, but the optimum polishes are cheaper to purchase, does the same quality of polishing as the Menzerna (so far) and lot less dusting.
 
The details all look terrific--very wet on all three cars. :drool:

And your picture-taking talents are pretty spiffy, too!
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tdekany said:
Where did the vac come from and how much?
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01bluecls said:
Thomas...the metro va I ordered from Top of the Line. They were the cheapest that i found. I think it was $155 plus 18 shipping. The dolley was $15.
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You can also try Autogeek, they sell theres for $179.99 + shipping so you might be able to save a few dollars. Hope it helps! :2thumbs:



http://www.autogeek.net/vacnbloporva.html





By the way GREATTT job on the details man! I know how hard it is to make a silver car "pop" but you did a really great job on them. Keep it up, shame to see it go next year. :spot
 
Chris - ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Love the write-up and pics.





A couple things piqued my interest...Care to comment?



-Greased Lightning... Can you compare that to other APCs in terms of effectiveness on engines? I am looking for something cheap to do a nice job.

-ZPC/OCP...very cool combo. Did this make ZPC easier to work with? Have you ever used ZPC alone? Have you tried this on the rotary?

-Flitz has mild abrasives in it and does a stellar job on metal...Glad you liked it.

-CK RMG on the trim? Can you do this on all trim?

-Metro VacNBlo...Can you compare to your previous shop vac? I don't use my shopvac for anything other than dry extracting, so I think it would fit. Any downfalls to it?





Thanks!
 
details look fantastic,



I feel your pain with the g/f's car. be happy that you were able to attack it for 4-5 hours for a detail. Just washed my girls last week and it seems like i did not have enough time for that.



her car needs it bad, inside and out.



:o
 
Chris, looks amazing. You weren't kidding when you left me that voice mail that it was going to take all day. Awsome results, I now only wish I can make my 98 CL look that good.
 
That's 30 hours well spent! Your dad's car looks fantastic, and your car, pretty much perfect. Paint looks super deep and wet, and not a swirl or mar to be seen. Awesome work.
 
G35stilez said:
Chris - ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Love the write-up and pics.





A couple things piqued my interest...Care to comment?



-Greased Lightning... Can you compare that to other APCs in terms of effectiveness on engines? I am looking for something cheap to do a nice job.

-ZPC/OCP...very cool combo. Did this make ZPC easier to work with? Have you ever used ZPC alone? Have you tried this on the rotary?

-Flitz has mild abrasives in it and does a stellar job on metal...Glad you liked it.

-CK RMG on the trim? Can you do this on all trim?

-Metro VacNBlo...Can you compare to your previous shop vac? I don't use my shopvac for anything other than dry extracting, so I think it would fit. Any downfalls to it?





Thanks!
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Greased Lightning is my new go to APC for Heavily soiled or greased areas. Remember how Eagle One A2Z foamed and turned brown from lifting dirt and grime off of wheels and tires, this does the same action. It seems to "PULL" grease and when rinsed leaves a nice finish. I have used something called Oil Eater APC, 303 APC, Costco APC, and some other stuff, this seems to have the best "Spary on, rinse off" effectiveness of them all IMO. I used straight from the spray bottle it came in, so I didnt dilute it at all. It does "foam spray" which i like!



I have used ZPC via PC and rotary alone. I used it with rotary and polishing pad and it breaks down to a nice finish and quickly! Havent had much luck with it via PC, especially darker vehicles like mine. My gf's silver TC I used ZPC via PC and polish pad and it cleaned the surface very well!. I added the ZPC to OP to provide a "finer" finish. I feel ZPC leaves no oils behind. For some reason the Optimum polishes leave some lubricants behind after polishing with PC. ZPC alone can leave the finish "squeeky" clean. I think adding the ZPC/OP gave me OP workability and finish with ZPC oil free finish better. That is probably all clear as mud!



Flitz :2thumbs:



I used RMG on the front grill and side view mirrors where there was black plastic, and used it on the surrounding window trim. It seems to love deepening the finish on "flat and NON-Porous" finishes. It worked well on the porous finishes, but it took two to three applications to make it look "even" Have yet to determine durability of the look. Will have to report back when the car has been washed and gone through rain.



I have a 5-6 HP wet/dry shop vac, cant remember the brand right now, but the thing is so d@mn big and bulky. I dont have any attachments so it basically just a big 4inch hose. I cant cant near ANY tight spaces. I guess the only downfall is that the shop vac does have more suction and larger hose diameter if you are sucking up large crumbs, paper etc. For the size of the metro vac and its portability, it sure as h3ll surprized me with the power it does have. Another downfall, the thing is a round cylinder...without the wheel dolley, you will have to set it on the ground which at that point it rolls around a little and gets scratched up.



Hope this helps Sean!
 
To all...I appreciate the comments! Makes me feel great when others know the work it takes to get the cars to a certain point. I have told other people around hear that I spent this much time on my car, and other cars, they all look at me like I have a infectious disease!
 
Ah Chris, so you have experienced the look most of us get! The huh, are you nuts? look. Most people just can't comprehend that we enjoy this and take pride in our work. Kudos to you, all of the fleet looks amazing. I may have to come down to see you next year to take your CL off your hands, it's beautiful. Fantastic writeup, thanks for taking the time to do it and take the great photos. :2thumbs:
 
Agean Blue right? For my first car I wanted an Acura TL-S in that color. Incredible color in person, probally my favorite blue of all time.
 
Yeah Its Aegean Blue Pearl. The color I always wanted...yea like I said I will be selling her next summer to get some money back. I payed the loan off and it makes more sense for me to get cash back for emergencies just in case. I will probably buy a cheap Honda civic or something similiar for like 3g's and drive that for a year. Havent totally made my mind up...it depends how much my next job after college will pay.
 
01bluecls said:
MINI-REVIEW OF NEW STUFF:



Flitz Polishing Ball: Little disappointed with it. It looks like strips of cloth, looks pretty durable though. When I used it on the inside of the wheels it was pretty good but not great. I could seeing this tool being useful more for chromed surfaces for some reason. IMO its not worth it and if and when this one wears out I will not be repurchasing.



Mother’s MINI Power Ball: Very Impressed! Pretty small hence the Mini part but seems like it would be very durable. The foam strips are nice and thick and closely and tightly compacted. I used this on the valve cover and inside the wheels with the 10inch extender it came with. VERY effective cleaning and polishing capabilities because of its composition. I haven’t tried the regular size yet btw.



MetroVac N Blo: Freaking amazing! Very compact and powerful! Comes with a variety of attachments for detailing. The blowing power is awesome and I used it to blow crevices and wheels dry after each details wash. Also used it to blow the engine bay dry after washing. The suction is great for the inside. The tools made it easy to get into hard to reach areas. I also got the wheel dolly which I recommend, otherwise the vac, if rested on the floor will easily get scratched. I have a Shop Vac now and I don’t think I will have to use it again. Since the MetroVac is portable it will be great for those guys doing mobile details!! Best investment since the PC and Rotary!



Bissel Little Mean Green Machine with Heater: Another amazing tool! I haven’t used it in any cars YET, but I did get to use it on the house carpet with some stains. I payed 90 bucks from Target and it came with the built in heater, and “Turbo Brush� I wish the container were bigger but again its only 90 bucks and its meant to be portable. The turbo brush actually works very well and has a built in sprayer. I used the Bissel cleaning solution it came with which worked well. Be careful of what solution you use, it doesn’t seem to like heavy foaming solution. The extractor works well considering its size and price. The heater is awesome for keeping the cleaning solution very warm to increase its effectiveness! Overall another great purchase I can use around the house and cars!



Z5 PRO: I have Z2, Z5, and Z2 PRO, and Z5 PRO blows them out of the water. I noticed the difference immediately in the application and appearance afterwards. Applying was MUCH EASIER then the other versions, spreads easily. The only downfall and this is probably due to the environmental conditions, is the curing was taking a while. Probably took about 2-3 hours to cure fully due to the humidity. Appearance is VERY WET and DEEP!! Used it on the two silver cars and my blue CLS. The silver never shimmered so wet and the blue looked like a clear lake! Keep up the good work SAL!



OHC, OC, OP: Very short review, as many have already read. Great polishes! They are replacing my Menzerna Line up officially. (Except for Power Gloss) My only gripe I guess the loooong working time when used with PC. Hard to tell when the polishing step is done so I probably spent more time breaking down the polish then necessary. Wasn’t use to that. Via Rotary it broke down quickly enough to where it was great. All leave a great finish. OHC did leave micro marring on my finish but OC cleared it up and my OP/ZPC mix gave the finish an LSP ready look.



Flitz Metal and Fiberglass Polish: After reading G35Stilez using it I tried it for myself. I don’t think its have many if any abrasives but it removes hazing, TAR BITS!, and oxidation like a champ. Finally found a metal polish I love! Used it on my chrome tips, wheels, valve cover, and polished strut bar. All cleaned up VERY well!



Thanks to all to who took the time to read this LOOOOOONG POST! Comments, questions welcomed as always….Any questions about more details in my processes and/or review please don’t hesitate!
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Where did you get the metro vac from? Does anyone know how this compares to the Rigid portable vac?
 
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