EBPcivicsi
GOT PREP?
Today I detailed a 1994 Honda Prelude. The paint and interior both needed attention.
The paint on the car was showing signs of clear coat failure so I decided that heavy polishing with a rotary buffer would compromise the integrity of the paint. With proper care, it can last a few more years, if I start removing a lot of clear�it will only cause it to fail sooner.
I then needed to map out a plan to remove as many swirls as possible WITHOUT using the rotary. I would need to complete this detail with my cyclo polisher and my porter cable 7424. I knew the machines to use, but then needed to decide on a product combo. After trying several combos I decided that 3M Perfect-III rubbing compound via cyclo with orange pads would be the best for defect removal. As I started, I noticed that the 3M was having a difficult time *cleaning* the paint. The defects were being removed, but the pads were gumming up really quickly and some parts of the paint were “blotchy� after polishing. I knew exactly what this meant�I would have to clean the paint BEFORE doing the defect removal. I switched to the PC and used Meguiars medallion paint cleaner with a Meguiars polishing pad. This proved to be a necessary step and actually saved me a bit of time.
So the final process looked this:
Wash
Clay
Meguiars medallion paint cleaner via PC and a Meguiars polishing pad @speed 5
3M PI_III RC via cyclo and orange pads
Menzerna final polish via PC and a blue SM Arnold finishing pad
2 thin coats of Meguiars gold class (new formula)
One application of Optimum [polymer technologies spray wax
The interior process was:
Vacuum
Steam/degrease panels, cracks, crevices, etc
Carpet was cleaned/extracted with Costco APC 10:1
The vinyl was dressed with vinylex
All leather was dressed with Lexol
The glass was cleaned with NXT glass cleaner
Tires wear Meguiars all-season dressing
The motor was degreased, then dressed with Meguiars Hyper dressing 1:1
Here is what the paint looked like before:
under the lights:
full car before:
Engine before:
wheels were covered in brake dust:
The paint on the car was showing signs of clear coat failure so I decided that heavy polishing with a rotary buffer would compromise the integrity of the paint. With proper care, it can last a few more years, if I start removing a lot of clear�it will only cause it to fail sooner.
I then needed to map out a plan to remove as many swirls as possible WITHOUT using the rotary. I would need to complete this detail with my cyclo polisher and my porter cable 7424. I knew the machines to use, but then needed to decide on a product combo. After trying several combos I decided that 3M Perfect-III rubbing compound via cyclo with orange pads would be the best for defect removal. As I started, I noticed that the 3M was having a difficult time *cleaning* the paint. The defects were being removed, but the pads were gumming up really quickly and some parts of the paint were “blotchy� after polishing. I knew exactly what this meant�I would have to clean the paint BEFORE doing the defect removal. I switched to the PC and used Meguiars medallion paint cleaner with a Meguiars polishing pad. This proved to be a necessary step and actually saved me a bit of time.
So the final process looked this:
Wash
Clay
Meguiars medallion paint cleaner via PC and a Meguiars polishing pad @speed 5
3M PI_III RC via cyclo and orange pads
Menzerna final polish via PC and a blue SM Arnold finishing pad
2 thin coats of Meguiars gold class (new formula)
One application of Optimum [polymer technologies spray wax
The interior process was:
Vacuum
Steam/degrease panels, cracks, crevices, etc
Carpet was cleaned/extracted with Costco APC 10:1
The vinyl was dressed with vinylex
All leather was dressed with Lexol
The glass was cleaned with NXT glass cleaner
Tires wear Meguiars all-season dressing
The motor was degreased, then dressed with Meguiars Hyper dressing 1:1
Here is what the paint looked like before:
under the lights:
full car before:
Engine before:
wheels were covered in brake dust:
