I was contacted by a gentleman in Tulsa looking to set up a detail and Optimum Coating (the pro version) for his ZR-1 Corvette. Originally he'd thought about bringing it down here but driving it back and getting bugs all over it right after a detail would kind of suck. We decided it would be best if I went up to Tulsa (its a little more than 4 hours away) and he'd have at least two days of work, maybe three. Turned out the other car he wanted done (that belongs to a friend) was involved in an accident and is currently in the body shop for repairs. So the plan was to take care of his ZR-1 and Tacoma and maybe his late 80's 4-Runner, which later turned out to be a no go (wet weather forecast the following day and the pinstripe removal he inquired about is going to be a huge job).
Doesn't look too bad, right?
Uh...
Half and half shot during compounding shows how bad it was, probably spent close to 2 hours just compounding the hood the marring, swirls and RIDS were so deep.
Second compounding step was 3 dots of Meguiars M100 and 1 dot of 3D HD Polish using an Optimum foam orange cutting pad
Cleaned up the hazing from the white foamed wool/M100 step:
Working on the exhaust tips, Optimum Metal Polish and an MF towel:
Quick shot after the final polishing and Optimum Coating:
Full process:
ONR Wash (customer had already clayed the car)
Meguiars M100 Compound using an American Buffing white foamed wool pad and Rupes 21 DA
Meguiars M100 (3 dots) and 3D HD Polish (1 dot) using an Optimum orange foam cutting pad and Rupes
3D HD Polish using a Meguiars yellow foam polishing pad and Rupes
ONR wash
Optimum Coating (pro version) on the paint
Optimum Lens Coating on the headlights
Optimum Opti-Glass on the windshield
Armor All on tires/wheel wells
I started on the car at 9 am, didn't finish until after 7:30 (30 minute lunch break), probably 75-80% of that time was compounding and polishing. Its probably around 90% swirl/defect free. It would have needed another full day and at least some wet sanding to get it closer to 95% corrected. The owner decided that with how hard the car had already been hammered at least once (tons of buffer swirls) and the extra cost, it just wasn't worth thinning the clear even more and doubling the cost of the detail. And he's right in saying that the average person would look at the paint and think it looks amazing.
I had hoped to get some pictures of the car the next day when I returned to detail the Tacoma but based on the forecast, he'd already taken the ZR-1 to the garage he keeps it in, leaving me an empty garage to work on the Tacoma in case it started to rain. Hopefully he can take some and forward them to me.
The Tacoma was a simply wash, clay, polish and wax. The owner had already gone over the truck with IronX (he has a good understanding of detailing just feels the polishing is best left to someone else) to take care of a rail dust issue, so mild clay was enough.
ONR wash, Opti-Clay yellow (mild)
Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum MF cutting pad and my Rupes
Optimum Opti-Seal to protect
Armor All on tires/wheel wells
Optimum Opti-Glass on the windshield
Optimum Lens Coating on the headlights.
I've got more pics on my digital camera (of the Corvette too) which I'll resize and upload later so here is the shot from my cellphone:
Overall, it was a good trip, drive isn't too bad, hotels are cheap in Tulsa. Plus his location is right off the freeway. Probably go back in a couple months to take care of the Audi RS6 that had been planned along with the previously mentioned late 80's 4 Runner.
Oh, and look how cheap gas is in Tulsa...
Doesn't look too bad, right?
Uh...
Half and half shot during compounding shows how bad it was, probably spent close to 2 hours just compounding the hood the marring, swirls and RIDS were so deep.
Second compounding step was 3 dots of Meguiars M100 and 1 dot of 3D HD Polish using an Optimum foam orange cutting pad
Cleaned up the hazing from the white foamed wool/M100 step:
Working on the exhaust tips, Optimum Metal Polish and an MF towel:
Quick shot after the final polishing and Optimum Coating:
Full process:
ONR Wash (customer had already clayed the car)
Meguiars M100 Compound using an American Buffing white foamed wool pad and Rupes 21 DA
Meguiars M100 (3 dots) and 3D HD Polish (1 dot) using an Optimum orange foam cutting pad and Rupes
3D HD Polish using a Meguiars yellow foam polishing pad and Rupes
ONR wash
Optimum Coating (pro version) on the paint
Optimum Lens Coating on the headlights
Optimum Opti-Glass on the windshield
Armor All on tires/wheel wells
I started on the car at 9 am, didn't finish until after 7:30 (30 minute lunch break), probably 75-80% of that time was compounding and polishing. Its probably around 90% swirl/defect free. It would have needed another full day and at least some wet sanding to get it closer to 95% corrected. The owner decided that with how hard the car had already been hammered at least once (tons of buffer swirls) and the extra cost, it just wasn't worth thinning the clear even more and doubling the cost of the detail. And he's right in saying that the average person would look at the paint and think it looks amazing.
I had hoped to get some pictures of the car the next day when I returned to detail the Tacoma but based on the forecast, he'd already taken the ZR-1 to the garage he keeps it in, leaving me an empty garage to work on the Tacoma in case it started to rain. Hopefully he can take some and forward them to me.
The Tacoma was a simply wash, clay, polish and wax. The owner had already gone over the truck with IronX (he has a good understanding of detailing just feels the polishing is best left to someone else) to take care of a rail dust issue, so mild clay was enough.
ONR wash, Opti-Clay yellow (mild)
Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum MF cutting pad and my Rupes
Optimum Opti-Seal to protect
Armor All on tires/wheel wells
Optimum Opti-Glass on the windshield
Optimum Lens Coating on the headlights.
I've got more pics on my digital camera (of the Corvette too) which I'll resize and upload later so here is the shot from my cellphone:
Overall, it was a good trip, drive isn't too bad, hotels are cheap in Tulsa. Plus his location is right off the freeway. Probably go back in a couple months to take care of the Audi RS6 that had been planned along with the previously mentioned late 80's 4 Runner.
Oh, and look how cheap gas is in Tulsa...
