Cross Country Clean-up - 2003 Honda Pilot Edition

G35stilez

G35stilez

Ari Gold
I did this Honda Pilot on Friday and took the first weekend off I've had in a very long time :).

This family (husband, wife, 2 young children, and a dog) just took a cross country trip (I believe to/from Texas) and the vehicle needed a nice once-over to bring it back to 'new' condition.

Overall condition was not that bad. The vehicle is a 2003 with 34,xxx miles and minor swirling. The interior had some dirty mats, scattered snacks, and some milk in the leather perforation (yum!). Other than that, nothing crazy. My interior finals were:


-Vacuum
-Oxi mix / steam on interior
-Z16 on vinyl, rubber, plastic
-Z10 on leather
-Z12 on wood
-Gliptone Glass Cleaner on glass
-Z6 in jams


Before
IMG_4009.jpg


After
IMG_4015.jpg



Before
IMG_4012.jpg


After
IMG_4019.jpg


IMG_4022.jpg


IMG_4024.jpg


IMG_4021.jpg




The exterior finals were:

-Optimum No Rinse
-Zaino Z18 Clay with Optimum No Rinse as lube
-Valu-Gard New Car Prep (solvent) on entire exterior to remove tree debris (sap, grime)
-Optimum Polish / CK RMG (50/50) via rotary and LC Finessing Pad @ 1200 rpm
-Zaino Z6 wipedown
-Zaino Z2 Pro (ZFX'd) by hand on paint, glass, wheels

-Zaino Z16 on tires/trim x 2
-CD-2 Engine Detailer in wells/undercarriage


Before
IMG_4014.jpg


After
IMG_4026.jpg


IMG_4036.jpg


IMG_4037.jpg


IMG_4032.jpg



Questions, Comments, Advice, feel free.


Cheers!
 
thw white speckles of paint on the right hand front mudflap would come off using elbow grease and laquer thinner or carbosol. So would the ground in dirt on the front leather seats with leather cleaner or mild or diluted APC. Was the customer happy? If so thats what matters!

Other then those things, it looks great!
 
DKKNE: I tried hi-strength laquer thinner which made ZERO difference in the white specs. I'm not sure what the base of the white paint is, but nothing I carry was touching it. I can't find any good info on Carbosol, can you elaborate?


I used a light dilution of Oxy on the seat which is already a little more aggressive than I like to go. I was trying to look out for the long run of the vehicle.


Yep, the customer was very happy.
 
For cleaning the leather woolite mixed 10/1 with water is killer

I used that on my car over the weekend and it really dose a great job
 
Great Job Sean! I have those white specs in my front wheel wells. I would love to get it off but I cant ever find a product that will do so. Again excellent Job!

Greg
 
GregCavi said:
Great Job Sean! I have those white specs in my front wheel wells. I would love to get it off but I cant ever find a product that will do so. Again excellent Job!

Greg
Click to expand...

While you are washing the car use some lacquer thinner on an old rag that will take it right off no problem...I just used that on a BMW that had run over some paint...it took a little work but it all came off
 
Beemerboy said:
While you are washing the car use some lacquer thinner on an old rag that will take it right off no problem...I just used that on a BMW that had run over some paint...it took a little work but it all came off
Click to expand...

does it matter if you are washing the car or not?

Greg
 
GregCavi said:
does it matter if you are washing the car or not?

Greg
Click to expand...

Well it might not I just like to soap and rince that area right after in case I get some on the paint...it really won't hurt the paint either as long as you wash it right off and then polish out...in the wells I wouldn't worry about it
 
Another restored SUV from the 'Master'. :)

You've been detailing with Zaino products since early this year.

A few questions:

-Do you notice a difference in cost, Zaino vs. brand 'x'?
-Are you spending additional time using Zaino?
-Have you re-visited any vehicles detailed with Zaino earlier this year? If so, how are they holding up?

A few things that I've used that work on the 'white spots':

Paint: GM Tar Remover and/or a plastic razor blade.

GM.jpg




On Wells (Plastic), Goof off & a plastic razor blade will take it off.

I usually re-spray unfinished wells with black paint if they are a mess and don't clean up with APC & a dressing.
 
Wow! Look incredible. Your camera has a way of making you think you're there.

How come you did not use the 3M + P21S combo?:lmfao
 
The ground in dirt on the front leather seats. I would use Mr.Clean Magic Eraser with Woolite mixed 10/1. That’s take care of leather seats for me.
 
joyriide1113 said:
Wow! Look incredible. Your camera has a way of making you think you're there.
Click to expand...

I could not agree more with your statement, joyride1113. Sean' details have been nice as long as I have been perusing them, Sean. I have said this before but your pictures are really getting so real. Very professional looking. Just like Joyride said!!

There are a lot of detailed and critical eyes looking at your post. Non of which is mine. Guess I am getting old. Nice thread, good process and great pictures.
 
Thanks for the kind words everyone.


Regarding the leather, like stated above, I choose not to step in harder because I know how delicate the coating can be. Therefore, I think I will begin to implement a soft brush to tackle rough leather. FWIW, the leather really wasn't too dirty, it just has that appearance due to it's 'natural' color.

I will be picking up some Goof OFF (ran out). It always worked nice on those road paint situations. I really don't know why Hi-Strength Lacquer Thinner didn't touch it.


John - Regarding Zaino...


1) My value of using Zaino products vs. others has probably gone up. Not only are my jobs getting faster due to my strict routine, but as you get more familiar with a line, you get better with application. Currently, each layer of Z2/Z5 Pro with ZFX enabled is still running me under $1.00. This will easily yield them 5 months of protection, not 1-2 with many other products.

2 - I am spending less time. I have a really nice routine going with what I am using. For instance, this Honda Pilot took me 3 hours, 40 minutes to complete.

3 - The only vehicles I have seen again were those of family members. One specific time I remember was when my (future) mother-in-law hadn't washed her black Volvo in 3-months. Black wheels, a deep haze over the paint, and dog prints all over, the car was a disaster. Fed up, she ran it through a $8 automatic special. As she pulled in, I nearly fell over. It had that Zaino look to it and upon further inspection, revealed 'decent' slickness. I will try to get in contact with some select customers to see how everything is holding up.


joyride: I ran out of glaze to hide it all :D.


Sparkie: Good point...the magic eraser does do a great job.


Thanks again.
 
Carbosol is a high evaporating solvent used in the dry cleanign business. I like it becaseu its as stong as acetone, yet evaportaes quickly so reduce the chance of damage. I never ever soak anythign with it, it will eat plastic if left on it too long. I use it in a towel so I do not have to worry about that. Always test an area first. It works awesome on impossible grease stains, impossible black mark on platic etc.. kind of a last ditch effort product , becasue it works.
Also if you have a headliner with greasey fingerprints, this product works great as a spot cleaner..
 
it comes in half gallon containers and can be purchased at Menards ( a local building supply store like Home Depot ) . Its usually buy the paint solvents, like mineral spirits, Laquer thinner etc..

Otherwise try a larger Handware store. Its difficult to find, so if you liek it, pick up a couple cans..
 
Ok. As we all know, light colored vehicles like the one you just detailed here don't show swirls as bad as dark colors. But have you noticed because they're light colored, you don't need to do much heavy cutting to get it to look good?

Reason I ask is because for the majority of your details that I have been tracking, the dark colors are the ones you do 2 step cutting/polishing and your light colored vehicles get more of a final polish type product...

Which again leads me to ask my main question. Do you get the same high gloss from a final polish after you've done some cutting before than you do from a vehicle which has swirling but you decided to just hit it with just a final polish? Obviously on a dark vehicle, swirling would still be present and result in a bad look, but on a light vehicle it should still look great.

Sorry if I'm leading your showcase offtopic.
 
The before pics look just like my wife's Pilot!!!!!! She refuses to let me detail it for her. She would rather I spend the 4 hours with the family. Oh well.
 
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