A dreaded detail with expertise needed...

R

racing2448

New member
My dad has a 2004 dodge sprinter for work(talk about paint area... holy **** this thing has a lot of paint, not to mention you need an 8' ladder to get on top of it) that is "piedmont red", which is not your torch red but is far from burgundy. There is NO CLEAR COAT applied to this vehicle, it seems to be a one step only paint. It gets washed about once a month, sometimes a longer time period in the winter months, and every time its washed just gets some spray wax, usually the dupont teflon spray wax i found to last the longest. I have only waxed it by hand once, and i was about ready to chop my arm off after one coat. I used Megs cleaner wax (not the step 1 cleaner, but the "all in one" so to say) and it did an alright job for a hand application, not to mention everything i owned was red afterward (no clear coat would do it!). I am awaiting the arrival of my flex and i want to do his sprinter for him, but i dont want to put more than two coats of wax on it because of the size of the vehicle, and i know washing it completely can take 4 hours. The vehicle is definitely swirled and has a few scuffs, but its a work vehicle. My goal is not to eliminate all the swirls and scuffs, but do my best to remove what I can and live with the diminishing.



A few questions as I prep for this:



1. What are some product choices i should be looking at keeping in mind that this vehicle doesnt have a clear coat? What are your thoughts on the xmt 360 (safety and performance)?



2. I am willing to do two coats... would it be better to do something a little more abrasive (again, i dont know if this is smart with no clear coat) or go the other direction and apply something over the all in one that will give longer protection?



3. As far as using the flex, should I keep the speed the same as if working on a clear coated vehicle or reduce the speed when working with abrasives?
 
First off, don't worry about the difference between single stage and clear coat. You already know the major difference with the colored pads afterward.



My recommendation is to use a AIO product and top with Collinite 845. This will make your future washes easier and a longer protection on the paint. I have no experience with the Flex, but you can keep the speed the same as any other DA machine. Just make sure to stop frequently to clean your pads.
 
any AIO products that have a decent cut and shine? If im going to do a second coat im not too worried about the protection. i have the IP and FPII from menzerna, but I dont want to get into that many coats, and its a work van, it will take me weeks doing 3+ coats! anyone have experience with the XMT 360 AIO? I was reading about it and it seemed like a good product with good results...
 
If you already have IP, FPII, and a Flex on the way, then you likely don't need another product to bring the paint to a satisfactory level. Just use what you have and top with a durable LSP. As Todd suggested, you can't go wrong with 845.



If time and effort are an issue, tackle a panel or two at a time over a few weeks.
 
etml12 said:
If time and effort are an issue, tackle a panel or two at a time over a few weeks.
Click to expand...



I like the above idea :xyxthumbs



As for products, I'd want something as user-friendly as it gets. I'd go with 1Z Paint Polish, hands-down my #1 choice for jobs like this.



I'd use Collinite too, but I'd go with their 476S/885 paste. It lasts a *lot* longer than 845 IME and isn't all that tough to use as long as you apply it thin.
 
Whatever I do for protection i want to stick to something easy and liquid, as there is a ton of paint area. I am going to do the whole truck at once, i dont want to see half of a clean, waxed, truck with 1/2 being all scuffed and swirled. Ill have to check out the 1Z paint polish, havent used or investigated it before.
 
racing2448- OK, I can understand that.



One of the nice things about the 1Z PP is that it leaves a bit of wax behind (good for both concealing and protection). So if you want to, you can just polish without LSPing and then apply the wax after the next wash if you find you're utterly exhausted.



If the paint is *really* trashed, you might even want to look into 1z Ultra/Extra Polish. It has a bit more cut than PP but doesn't finish out 100% LSP-ready in most cases. It might finish out well enough for this application, and going over it a second time with the PP (if necessary) is *so* easy that it's almost just a matter of spending time, not effort. Last time I did a service loaner, I did 1Z Ultra, then 1Z Paint Polish, then Collinite....and believe me, I wasn't gonna knock myself out on a loaner that was just *too* nasty for me to drive as-is ;)
 
i would start with a layer of Poli Seal then follow it up with a Collinite paste. Apply the paste by hand then remove it with your DA and a wool pad covered by a microfiber bonnet. the bonnet will make it almost effortless
 
Im trying to stay away from hand application with this vehicle because its huge. I was looking for a really good AIO (still dont know about the XMT 360, doesnt seem like many have used it?) with a little more cut, and if needed follow it up with a lsp or some kind of protectant. I dont want to go more than 2 coats on the vehicle as it is a construction work vehicle, just want to get some of the swirls out and restore the finish a little. For a topper the Collinite 845 seems to be a good recommendation... i have done a few searches on here to see some results as well as some searches on the internet, and its definitely reasonably priced! The vehicle is the exact vehcile pictured below, color and everything.



A little off topic, but if anyone is looking for a mobile detailing vehicle, i would recommend one of these in a second. it gets 24-25 mpg on the highway, it has 68000 miles on it and have never had to replace the tires yet, brakes were just done 3000 miles ago, the high roof version allows a 6' tall person to stand up inside, lots of storage (some steel cabinets and shelving in ours is awesome with a ton of space), and hold lots of weight.



sprinter.jpg
 
racing2448- Yeah, that looks about like what I'd expected. I can see a whole lot of utility in a vehicle like that.



To keep this quick and simple, I'd still say 1Z PP/Collinite.



As Seankf1105 noted, using MF bonnets can make these sort of jobs a *lot* easier. I even use them to remove the 1Z polish, but it'd take a zillion bonnets to do the Sprinter.



You could try using regular towels (preferably MF) by putting a cutting pad on your machine and draping the towel over the pad (if that didn't make sense I can try explaining it better). People did that with Cyclos and bath towels for decades when polishing out big stuff like motorhomes and airplanes and it works fairly well with PCs so I bet it'll work well by Flex.
 
i have draped mf's over the yellow cutting pad before when detailing with my friend and his pc and it does work well... i have torn apart a few microfibers this way though :)
 
just a side note also... I have not posted much on this forum but i have learned A TON. I never realized how many professional and superior products there were out there other than whats on the shelves. I am in charge of taking care of my family's vehicles because no one else, other than my dad, seems to care. The arsenal consists of a 2007 Dodge Charger SRT-8 in TorRed (bright red) which is mine, a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 QC Laramie (dark red/burgundy)which my dad and I split, a 2008 Black Escalade which is my dads, a 2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (light khaki), the 2004 Sprinter, a 2000 24' Mitsubishi Fuso Box Truck (dear god i will never do anything but wash this thing with a pressure washer and pole), and now my cousin just purchased a 2008 Black Jeep Liberty that I washed for her once and she loved the way it looked, so now I see it weekly. So, needless to say, taking care of these vehicles is a full time job to get them to my standards, not including the fact that I go to college full time.



Anyway, i just wanted to thank you guys for posting all your success stories, product reviews, and equipment recommendations because it has made my life a lot more fun when detailing cars!
 
racing2448- Sounds like all those vehicles are gonna be keeping you busy :D



Your Charger sounds nice...sorta a modern (and much faster!) version of the '79 Magnum GT I had, also in Toreador red.
 
I have yet to touch the charger with a machine... I keep it under 8 fluorescent lights and have had halogens on it multiple times and i dont notice any swirls. I put a coat of zaino on it every other wash though :). I did the whole recommended zaino system when i first got the car along with a very mild polish bc of some of the stealership marks and swirls that were on it, but since then i just put the z2 on it every 2 weeks. I guess you gotta love when a car doesnt need to see rain! here is a pic from back in the summer... unfortunately it wasnt a very sunny day



IMG_1784.jpg
 
In the UK and Europe those vans are badged Mercedes Benz Sprinters, i dont envy the amount of polishing required! I hope you can post the finishes results in the click and brag section!



Geoff
 
they are in the US as Dodge Sprinters, Freightliner Sprinters, and Mercedes Benz Sprinters. The keys have mercedes emblems on it, the engine says mercedes benz on the cover, and the glass etching all says mercedes benz :)
 
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