November Exterior Entry #1; '98 Neon

boywonder

New member
'98 Neon:



This particular Neon belongs to my friend who owns the Makita 9227c. I've christened this car the "guinea pig" because it's going to be a practice bed for us to get comfy with the Makita and how to use different polishes. Currently, his father drives it as a daily beater. The situation for this particular car is that it has not been washed for several months and NEVER been clayed or polished since it was new.



Our plan of attack for this particular vehicle is the following:



- Wash with Dawn

- Clay with Clay Magic Clay Bar

- Polished with PB or Menzerrna IP & FP

- Seal with Menzerna FMJ

- Top with S100



We are going to take the pictures of this car before, during, and after the detail. This should jump off later this week.
 
.......and now presenting......The "Guinea Pig"



540guineapigdetailbefore001.jpg




540guineapigdetailbefore002.jpg




540guineapigdetailbefore003.jpg
 
that looks like a great car to start with. i would recommend going with the Poorboy's polishes, they seem to be easier to use and still give great results



Vernon
 
I have to add one more thing to the mix. I am going to try to use PI III to get that scratch (and others) out of the car. I will be using the Makita 9227c with a 3M Compounding Pad.
 
Neon headlights are famous for getting dull and cloudy with pits. While you are in the experimental mode, you might want to test some products and the rotary on them as well.

Good luck with your project.
 
bunker: That's not a bad idea. I'll do that.



Everyone else: I was told that the pics don't show how bad this car really is. I was advised that there are more scratches thatn what's seen in the pics.
 
bunker said:
Neon headlights are famous for getting dull and cloudy with pits. While you are in the experimental mode, you might want to test some products and the rotary on them as well.

Good luck with your project.



Those Neon lights clean up pretty easy...here are some that I cleaned up by hand with metal polish:



before

53.jpg




after

54.jpg




Good luck, it looks like a big job!
 
PrinzII said:
bunker: That's not a bad idea. I'll do that.



Everyone else: I was told that the pics don't show how bad this car really is. I was advised that there are more scratches thatn what's seen in the pics.



That's part of the problem with using a White car. Scratches, dirt and other blemishes just don't seem to show up as much (which is one reason many people buy white cars).
 
Well, things changed after I saw the car. This particular vehicle had a lot of tar on the lower panels, unusual stains from adhesives on the trunk, and a myriad of scratches on the surface.



Method of attack:



a) We washed the car with Palmolive to strip any waxes on the finish.



b) Clayed lower panels to remove tar



c) Removed scratches using PI III and a 3M Compound pad. The one shown in one of the pictures was too deep for removal by the Makita.



d) Ran Makita/3M combo on lower panels to remove tar that clay could not get. Also ran the machine on the textured bumpers.



e) Used DACP and a Meguiar's Pad to remove imperfections. Followed that with a 3M Compounding Pad and PB SSR 2.5.



f) Used PB SSR1 and a 3M Finishing Pad. Noticed that swirls were gone.



g) Topped with S100 and treated trim with Lexol Vinylex.



Pictures forthcoming.
 
One outcome from this is that there are two new potential customers out of the deal. There's a girl with a 2000 Grand Am GT that wants my friend and I to detail it.



In addition to the Neon, we did my friend's black Maxima and did some defect removal on a '98 Maxima SE.



The pics for the other 2 will be in Click & Brag. Just waiting for my friend to upload them.
 
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