Do you remember your first?

mcmmotorsports

New member
What was the first car you detailed, personally or professionally? Do you remember what you used on it?



For me it was my Red '91 Mustang. Paint was sooo oxidized. Used some ol' faithfull TurtleWax paste and the car looked AWESOME................ for 3 days. :sadwavey:
 
My 1994 GMC Jimmy, I would always keep up with washing it, but I wanted to get serious and got the Mother's 3 step process. I was pretty happy with the results at the time, I can't imagine how many swirls where on it though. :nervous2:



The good ol' days when I didn't know what swirls were, nor did I care. :grinno:
 
Personally, a friend's tricked out Sonoma. We gave it the Mother's Claybar Kit treatment and boy it turned out great, and then it rained the next day... :(



"Professionally", I did a neighbor of a friend's C230K and it was pretty much the all out treatment that I could give it at the time. GC wash, scrub tires, clean wheels (the car was used to showcase a brand new tire for a comapny so it was important to have the lower parts clean), wipe down interior, top with GC wax. Looked great and was worth the $50 :D
 
I remember washing and detailing my family station wagon for my senior prom.



Products used.



Dupont Rain Dance car wax

Armor All on tires



I ended up scraping the car that night into a concrete pillar in the parking garage :)
 
I bought a '79 Trans Am, new, my own special order. I washed it a lot, once three times in one day (washed in the AM, it rained in the afternoon, another wash, I went out for pizza in the evening, someone threw something on it, washed by moonlight). I can't remember the wax, but for sure it was OTC.



Stage Two came when my local body body shop (decent body shop) recommended 3M's Finesse-It Show Car Wax in the mid-90's. I got a PC and some Griot's polishes that Christmas, and so, things kicked up another (large) notch. By then, I understood how to get rid of swirls, but I didn't realize that I was inadvertently adding more, because of wash/dry techniques.



Armed with Autopian info, a foam gun, the two-bucket method, clay and good polishes, and quality WWs, I am ready for Stage Three. That's taking care of the very minor marring on my car when spring hits, and working on some "projects" (girlfriend's minivan, brother's Tahoe).



So, I guess I "detailed" the first time back in 1979. However, that work is nothing like the work I intend to do this spring.



You can always learn something new, can't you? That's the fun of hanging around here.
 
1982 - my best friend's wife's '76 Nova sedan. We spent the entire day on that car. Seems we used Turtle Wax Cleaner Wax on it. It looked so nice when we were done. Two days later a guy ran a red light, smashed into the side of it and totaled the car. The insurance guy said they got more money for it because it looked so well taken care of.



Who says Turtle Wax sucks?
 
First thing I actually detailed was my bike. I had an all chrome Redline RL-20B (some of you guys who grew up in the 80's may remember the pimp factor). I used TW chrome polish and windex--I polished every spoke. I always kept my bikes clean, washing them after each ride. I also use to keep my matchbox cars clean, but that is another story.



The car that I remember was my mom's malibu station wagon. I used a TW product called "color back." The solvent smell almost made me faint.



In 87 my dad bought a new civic, I moved up and started using Meguiars cleaner wax. :D
 
ebpcivicsi said:
First thing I actually detailed was my bike. I had an all chrome Redline RL-20B (some of you guys who grew up in the 80's may remember the pimp factor).



:lol I had the BMX Mongoose with blue tires and the checkerboard cushions. I used Noxon metal polish on it all the time.



I am drawing a complete blank on what was in my dad's tool room years ago. I just remember stuff in metal tins. I don't remember the brand although I do recall a white tin from Blue Coral.



I then went to Meguiar's Cleaner Wax in the 80's and then the 3 step system.
 
First started to Detail in 1969 37 years ago when I was 12 years old I washed cars for my Dad in his Gas station. And my first car a 1967 Black SS Chevelle

Pro 3 years ago friends, family cars
 
ebpcivicsi said:
First thing I actually detailed was my bike. I had an all chrome Redline RL-20B (some of you guys who grew up in the 80's may remember the pimp factor).



Forgive the graininess, took pictures of my pictures



MCM Motorsports

Circa 1986:
 

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The first time, I helped my dad wax the family's '92 Corolla. We used a wax called Blue Diamond, which was already many years old.



First time I did a car all by myself, that was probably in the mid 1990s when I got my first car : a '89 Tercel (which I still have). I finished the Blue Diamond bottle and then bought Simoniz Pure Canauba wax. I don't really remember how good it looked, but it sure was smelling good. I used it for a few years, then Nanowax (a single bottle), Zymol cleaner wax (a single bottle).



I only became interested in getting better results when I got my first new car last year. Since then, I discovered clay and my wax of choice for the moment is NXT.
 
My first wax job was on my parents 1985 chevy caprice station wagon. I believe I used turtle wax on it. That was the car I took my prom date in, what I used to race people with in high school, and what I went cruising in. Ah, the memories......
 
The first car I remember washing and waxing was my grandmas mid to late 80's model Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. She would always tell me it was going to be mine so of course I had to take care of it. :)



I probably used dishwashing soap to wash it with either a t-shirt or old rag and I am pretty sure it was Turtle Wax paste removed with an old shirt. Regardless of what I used she always thought it was great and loved it!



Good thread :xyxthumbs
 
mcmmotorsports said:
Forgive the graininess, took pictures of my pictures



MCM Motorsports

Circa 1986:



First off, props for posting these pictures that blew me right back to the days of Garbage Pail Kids and Colecovision.



Anyway, the first car I drove/detailed was a 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (coupe). Total pimp mobile, but I used to wax it up with Meg's CleanerWax and a bunch of some crappy clear protectant all over the dash. I guess I wanted to have a very clean ride for my high school peers to laugh at!
 
mcmmotorsports said:
Forgive the graininess, took pictures of my pictures



MCM Motorsports

Circa 1986:



Oh snap, before the days of the ACS rotor, or the odysee gyro, huh? Had to have the laid back seat post. :)
 
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