First time detailing...do OK?

T

theeloved1

New member
I've been wanting to debadge/mold by Tahoe for some time, but have put it off due to the cleaning that had to be done afterwards to get rid of whats left of the 3M double sided tape. Finally got around to it, which means I finally got around to my first carcare that was more than wash/turle wax...I've been lurking around here for a couple months and have learned alot.



Here's what I did:



Debadged/molded

NXT wash

Meguiar's clay bar

NXT wash

3M Fine Cut rubbing compound - yellow pad on speed 4

3M Swirl Remover for dark cars - white pad speed 4

3M Glaze - white pad speed 4

NXT wax applied with gray pad speed 4 and buffed by hand with MF towels.

I also clayed the windows

Chrome polish on the bumpers/nerf bars

and uses GSR's interior method and then went back and did it again with a Bissel carpet shampooer...



This is my first time using any of these products including the PC...



Before:

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After:

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quick before/after of the interior:

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And a couple random reflection shots:



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That house is probably 700 feet away, if not more....



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Off the front quarter...note the pinstripe at the top



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Had to do all this in my non-heated garage cuz its awfully cold in the Chicago area to be outside. And I haven't seen the sun in about a month so the pics aren't as "bright" as could be I suppose. None the less I'm extremely happy with my first "learning" job in proper car care...:D
 
AWSEOME job...especially for a first go with a PC and some products!! :xyxthumbs I love the debadged/molding look as well...very clean indeed.



Now...all we have to do is get you to resize some photo's and you'll be good to go!! :D
 
Noticed that right away....whats the best size to have them at to post on this forum?



I'll get on it right away...





blubird00: I just took a flathead screwdriver and got a corner started, then grabbed and pulled...working my way down the side. After that you have to get the 3m double sided tape off. I took the ball and chains ;) hairdryer, heated it up as I went. What I found works best (as everybody complains about blisters) was taking a leather work glove...NOT putting my fingers in it, but instead grabbing one of the fingers and "rubbing" the tape off from one end to the other. Didn't have a single tender spot on my fingers when I was done.:up I then used goof off(was nervous at first, but tested it and didn't hurt paint) and terry towel to get the residue off. Then buffed/polished to get the hazing/shadowing out that is left behind by the tape. There was no paint fade or anything, but wherever there was tape you could tell. BTW, the badges are taped on WAY better than the molding.
 
Alright guys...which one of the interior pics is a better size for posting on the forum?...1st(smaller) or 2nd(little bigger)
 
Resized the photos on photobucket, don't know why the 2 are smaller than the rest...



what exactly does it take to be in that "extreme detail" deal? Can't hurt to try!
 
an extreme detail. More of a level of skill to transform pieces of crap into art (in a sense) take a look at it wouldnt hurt to try. Great job on the detail love that color.
 
Got so excited about the results I forgot to even mention how bad the paint was underneath all the dirt and grime. The thing was a poster boy for swirl marks. It looked like the previous owner waxed with sandpaper. There were many big scratches on the hood. Also, it had stick on fender flares when I got it, and when I took them off they left big marks "outlining" what was the top of the flares.



Each fender had lines like this over it:

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A couple befores of the hood:

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Hood After:

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It was tough to get pics of the swirls in the garage light...

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and after:

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When I first started I was pretty disappointed with how the 3M FC and PC were taking out the scratches (this should be easy and come right out ) After I calmed down and got patient....well I think the results speak for themselves. I'm very satisfied with all the products I have.
 
Wow, great results!! IMHO, process is more important than product. Once you get process down, product becomes more of a matter of preference.
 
Looks great!



How'd the carpet regimen work out for you?



Lovin the de-badged look...On that note, there is not 1 insignia on my teg letting you know its an Acura or Integra...I receieved a parking ticket at school the other day (which I'm having removed) and under make, they put "Pleasure"...Got a good kick out of it :)



Again, nice work :up
 
Carpet regimen worked pretty well. From my experience though it works MUCH better to use a carpet shampooer for extraction. The first day I used my big Craftsman wet/dry vac and had mixed results. Next day I decided to try again on the bigger spots and used my shampooer for extraction. Not only did I get much more of the stains out, but when I went over the "clean" areas there was a great deal of dirt that came out. I had to empty the thing twice in just doing my floorboards. I didn't even use the shampoo solution, I just did your process and used the attachment for extraction with plain wateras the rinse. I would HIGHLY recommend trying this Sean. The oxy clean when scrubbed with a brush = :bounce



Thanks again guys!
 
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