Driven Auto Detail
New member
It's been a while since I've posted any of my work. Much has gone on in my life over the last 6 months.
Last August I attempted to move my mobile operation indoors. I had worked out a deal to move into a building that a guy was in the process of buying. Three weeks after moving into the building and after selling my trailer that I used when I was mobile, the guy let me know he was backing out of the deal and I would have to vacate. Unfortunately, right in the middle of all this I tragically lost my dad (Sept. 23). So at this point I had no trailer, no shop, and I was grieving the loss of my dad. On top of all this, I had been fighting a ruptured disc in my back that was progressively getting worse. At that point I was so over-whelmed by everything I decided to take some time off from work and everything else. In January, I underwent my 4th back surgery in the last 12 years (and I just turned 29).
It was at at that point that things started to turn around for me. On January 23rd, the 4-month anniversary of my dad's passing, my wife found out she was pregnant with our first child. As if the fact that we unexpectedly found out this news on this date wasn't good enough, later we found out that it is due Sept. 28, just days after the 1-yr. anniversary of my dad's passing. Say what you will, but we feel very strongly that this was more than just a coincidence.
The last bit of good news is that after I was released by my surgeon to start working again, I found another shop to move my business into. More info on that in this thread.
Back to last year though, there were a few jobs I never got around to posting with everything going on so I just wanted to share some of my work from last year.
First up, a black 2002 M3. Exterior received ONR wash, Optimum Tire Shine on the rubber, clay, SIP (Flex w/orange pad), and Opti-Seal. Interior received vac, shampooed carpets with Bio-Kleen TLC, plastic/vinyl/leather cleaned with Woolite & water (6:1) and then treated with Optimum Protectant Plus.
Next up is another 2002 BMW M3, but in silver. Exterior received ONR wash, DP Tire Gel on the rubber, clay, Poli-Seal (PC, white pad, speed 5), and then OCW v2. Interior received vac and a wipe-down with Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer.
Next up is a black Infiniti Q45. This received the same treatment as the black M3 above.
Here's a 2005 Lotus Elise. Didn't do much to the exterior because the guy was going to have it re-painted at some point. Whoever had it before him used it as a track car and it showed. None the less, pretty cool car. Exterior received an ONR wash, OTS on the rubber, and quick round of Poli-Seal on the Flex with a polishing pad. Interior got a quick vac and 303 wipe-down.
Next up is a blue 2006 C6. Just received a quick ONR wash, OTS on the rubber, and OCW. Interior received a vac and a wipe-down with Meg's Quik Interior Detailer.
The next two Vettes come from the same owner as the blue C6 above. After I cleaned up the blue one, he traded it in on a brand new C6 Indy 500 Edition, which I then gave the same treatment as the blue C6. This particular C6 escorted Emerson Fittipaldi around the track before the race. The other Vette is his prized position. It's a 1960 or '61. He had a full resto performed on it just months prior and I was introduced to him because the place doing the resto called me in to do the final polishing on it before they gave it back to him. The only catch to the whole deal was that it had to look like it just came from the factory (which back then wasn't that great). I just did some light polishing (3M Ultrafina) since it was sprayed with single-stage paint...enough to give it some shine. The reason for the factory look was because the shows he was entering judged on factory specifications. He ended up winning 3 "Top Flight" awards which apparently increased his resale value significantly. These pictures were taken at a local Corvette car show. He asked me to come and freshen up both Vettes for the showing that day.
Next up is a black 2007 Cadillac CTS. I spent about 15 hours just on the exterior. It received an ONR wash, clay, M105 (rotary + PFW), SIP (rotary + polishing pad), 106FA (rotary + finishing pad). It was then sealed with Duragloss #105. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day and the sun never came out.
Last August I attempted to move my mobile operation indoors. I had worked out a deal to move into a building that a guy was in the process of buying. Three weeks after moving into the building and after selling my trailer that I used when I was mobile, the guy let me know he was backing out of the deal and I would have to vacate. Unfortunately, right in the middle of all this I tragically lost my dad (Sept. 23). So at this point I had no trailer, no shop, and I was grieving the loss of my dad. On top of all this, I had been fighting a ruptured disc in my back that was progressively getting worse. At that point I was so over-whelmed by everything I decided to take some time off from work and everything else. In January, I underwent my 4th back surgery in the last 12 years (and I just turned 29).
It was at at that point that things started to turn around for me. On January 23rd, the 4-month anniversary of my dad's passing, my wife found out she was pregnant with our first child. As if the fact that we unexpectedly found out this news on this date wasn't good enough, later we found out that it is due Sept. 28, just days after the 1-yr. anniversary of my dad's passing. Say what you will, but we feel very strongly that this was more than just a coincidence.
The last bit of good news is that after I was released by my surgeon to start working again, I found another shop to move my business into. More info on that in this thread.
Back to last year though, there were a few jobs I never got around to posting with everything going on so I just wanted to share some of my work from last year.
First up, a black 2002 M3. Exterior received ONR wash, Optimum Tire Shine on the rubber, clay, SIP (Flex w/orange pad), and Opti-Seal. Interior received vac, shampooed carpets with Bio-Kleen TLC, plastic/vinyl/leather cleaned with Woolite & water (6:1) and then treated with Optimum Protectant Plus.
Next up is another 2002 BMW M3, but in silver. Exterior received ONR wash, DP Tire Gel on the rubber, clay, Poli-Seal (PC, white pad, speed 5), and then OCW v2. Interior received vac and a wipe-down with Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer.
Next up is a black Infiniti Q45. This received the same treatment as the black M3 above.
Here's a 2005 Lotus Elise. Didn't do much to the exterior because the guy was going to have it re-painted at some point. Whoever had it before him used it as a track car and it showed. None the less, pretty cool car. Exterior received an ONR wash, OTS on the rubber, and quick round of Poli-Seal on the Flex with a polishing pad. Interior got a quick vac and 303 wipe-down.
Next up is a blue 2006 C6. Just received a quick ONR wash, OTS on the rubber, and OCW. Interior received a vac and a wipe-down with Meg's Quik Interior Detailer.
The next two Vettes come from the same owner as the blue C6 above. After I cleaned up the blue one, he traded it in on a brand new C6 Indy 500 Edition, which I then gave the same treatment as the blue C6. This particular C6 escorted Emerson Fittipaldi around the track before the race. The other Vette is his prized position. It's a 1960 or '61. He had a full resto performed on it just months prior and I was introduced to him because the place doing the resto called me in to do the final polishing on it before they gave it back to him. The only catch to the whole deal was that it had to look like it just came from the factory (which back then wasn't that great). I just did some light polishing (3M Ultrafina) since it was sprayed with single-stage paint...enough to give it some shine. The reason for the factory look was because the shows he was entering judged on factory specifications. He ended up winning 3 "Top Flight" awards which apparently increased his resale value significantly. These pictures were taken at a local Corvette car show. He asked me to come and freshen up both Vettes for the showing that day.
Next up is a black 2007 Cadillac CTS. I spent about 15 hours just on the exterior. It received an ONR wash, clay, M105 (rotary + PFW), SIP (rotary + polishing pad), 106FA (rotary + finishing pad). It was then sealed with Duragloss #105. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day and the sun never came out.
