Hyundai Elantra Opti-Coat, Z06 auction prep, E320, Maxima

[Scottwax]

2012 Hyundai Elantra. Owner picked this up for his daughter, he'd bought her a Honda Pilot during her senior year in high school, deal was she gets good grades her first year in college she gets a new vehicle. The dealership tried hard to talk the owner into their sealant package but after he and I discussed it and he did some research online about Optimum Opti-Seal, he decided to go that route. He also declined dealer prep so the car was swirl free.



ONR wash

Clay Magic blue clay

Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber polishing pad and my PC 7424 XP on speed 5

ONR wash

Opti-Coat

Armor All on tires/fenderwells

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1997 Mercedes E320. The owner was referred to me by a long term customer. She told me she always admired how nice her friend's cars looked and asked what he did to keep them that way. Honestly, I was impressed at the overall condition of this E320. Interior was a bit grimey but I don't think its been really detailed in a long time. The paint was in really good shape and the headlights looked new. The paint could use a full correction but the owner has to be well into her 80s and really wasn't interested in going all out. This car reminded me how nice Mercedes paint used to be. Orange peel was very minimal and depth was excellent.



ONR wash

Clay Magic blue clay

Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC 7424 XP on speed 5

Opti-Seal

Armor All on tires/fenderwells

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2012 Nissan Maxima. The owner of this car works for Nissan here in Dallas. She was driving a similarly blue Altima that she got early this year. Unfortunately, their parking lot is right across the interstate from where the semi-trailers were being picked up and flipped by that tornado that hit Dallas in April. Every car on the lot was hammered by baseball sized hail. Normally they all get a new car every year but Nissan decided they couldn't have a parking lot full of heavily hail damaged cars. They moved the schedule up and everyone got Maximas regardless of what they had and this one was recently delivered. Much better shape than the Altima which showed up when the owner and her husband were on a cruise and it sat under a tree for a week. Other than the inside glass being a complete nightmare, the car looked really good.



ONR wash

Clay Magic blue clay

Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC 7424 XP on speed 5

Opti-Seal

Armor All on tires/fenderwells

 

[Scottwax]

2006 Chevy Corvette Z06. I've been taking care of this one since it was new. No, I am not a fan of the graphics but it isn't my car. I am however, a fan of the 570 hp it puts to the wheels. The owner recently purchased a 2013 427 Corvette Convertible and had decided to send this one through the Mecum Auction in Dallas in early September. He and his wife (the owner of the above Maxima) will be out of town much of this month so he had me go through the Z06 hard this time so all it needs is touching up when I go back at the end of the month to make sure it is ready. The only real swirls in the car are in the clear bra which is now 6 1/2 years old. He hasn't decided if he will remove it or not. Under florescent lighting (which is probably what the auction will have indoors) the swirls don't really show so he is on the fence about pulling the clear bra off. Polishing made zero difference.



Here is the listing on the car: 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 427/662 HP, 6-Speed for sale by Mecum Auction



We started by raising the car and going through the suspension and wheels. I take care of this car every month and since the first two years, it isn't driven much (less than 15,000 miles in 6 1/2 years), just an occasional weekend toy now so it was pretty clean anyway. Mostly an ONR wash down on the fenderwells and suspension, then dressing with Armor All. Wheels were cleaned with a combination of ONR and Optimum Power Clean, then sealed with Opti-Seal. Tires dresses on both sides with Armor All.

The engine is wiped down at least every other month, so that's all it needed this time. ONR at QD strength cleaned it right up.

The seats were recently redone in the black and yellow, along with the instrument pod, center stack, console, etc so all that just needed a good wipedown. The door panels were the dirtiest part of the interior, those were cleaned with Woolite/water at 20:1 dilution. Leather dressed with Duragloss #221 Leather Conditioner and vinyl with Optimum Protectant Plus.

The paint is in really good shape, even in the full sun there are only random light spider swirls here and there. Since the owner hasn't decided on what to do about the clear bra, he declined a correction on the paint. No point in swirl free paint if the clear bra is swirled. If he decides to remove it, then the whole car will be polished harder to get it as close to perfect as possible.



ONR wash (no need to clay, paint was glass smooth)

3M Ultrafina using a yellow Meguiars foam polishing pad and my PC

Optimum Car Wax

 

[Scottwax]

Figured I'd add this 2008 Corvette to this thread since it already has a Corvette in it.



Owner contacted me a couple weeks ago, he'd just picked up a lightly used 2008 Corvette and felt the paint could really use some claying and protection. Finally able to sync our schedules and I went out today to take care of it. The horizontal surfaces definitely felt rough but the paint was surprisingly swirl free. It technically could use two steps but it wasn't bad enough that two steps would make enough of a difference over a single step to justify the extra cost. Just a couple areas I had to lean into a bit harder with slower passes and go over again.



I went over with the owner how to properly care for the paint (that write-up about how I was cars I did here is a great thing to send to customers...and it exposes them to Autopia and a better way to take care of their cars) and let him know that next time I come out, if the paint looks like it does now, every time it gets polished like this time, it will look progressively better.



Optimum No Rinse Wash

Clay Magic blue clay

Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber polishing pad with my PC 7424 XP on speeds 5-6

Optimum Opti-Seal to protect

Meguiars #105 followed by Optimum Metal Polish to clean the exhaust tips (really should have done before and afters...)

Armor All on tires/fenderwells



The sun popped out soon after we got to the location and then clouds rolled in about 10 minutes before we finished. Really wish we had some sun, it really makes the metallic pop on this color.

 

[Driven Auto Detail]

Scott, they all look amazing. Love your work.

 

[imported_Larry A]

Scott, do you still use ONR on interior vinyl and leather and plastic.

 

[Scottwax]

Scott, they all look amazing. Love your work.

Thanks!

Scott, do you still use ONR on interior vinyl and leather and plastic.

If we aren't deep cleaning an interior, just doing a wipedown, then we use ONR dampened MF towels to wipe down the interior.

 

[Hey Moe!]

Thanks for the ONR tip on interiors. My Bimmer "never" gets dirty enough inside

for a full cleaning......

 

[Scottwax]

ONR at QD strength will even clean lightly soiled carpets and fabrics!

 

[maxepr1]

Scott, they all look great! I love customers that heed advice! As I can see your customers must be listening! Mercedes looks like new!