Using what I learned from Kevin at our detail learning day this is what my car looks like after clay bar and polish only. I can see heaven from my car.

 

looks great Eric, Black always looks so sweet after a good detailing. Post up some more pics.
I agree that detailing day was a very instructive meet, Kevin knows his stuff.

 

I guess it paid off. Looks AMAZING!

 

Yh I took my sweet time on the baby, Friday night I washed the car 3 times, once with soap and water, next per Kevin's advice 50/50 rubbing alcohol and water to get rid of the old wax, once more wash. Then clay bar the whole car, using a mixture of soap and water in a spray bottle. When that was done wahed the car again.

Next morning 10am(sat.) started polish the car with Meguire's dual action medium compond. Man my wrist hurts after oh i say 8 hours of polish (8 hours because I was chatting on the phone drinking etc) I suggest don't drink because it slows you down

After all that was done I washed the car again and sprayed my mixture of rubbing alcohol to get rid of the polish per Kevin.

Then I started to apply Ziano Z1 which I guess is the sealent to the whole car and wiped down. Next Z2 to the whole car and I am in the process of putting some canuba ex to give it that wet look.

Kevin if you see this post let me know what I used is okay. Don't have the fancy product you got but I still managed to get pretty good result.

The only advice I have for people who want to do this themselves is that just because it says remove swirls and scratches does not mean it will remove 100%. I learned that the polish especially on a dark car the goal is to remove a good portion of the swirls and scratches. The rest is as Kevin say the filler etc. The picture of my car looks wet and all but if you look close to the paint like almost your nose touching it you will still see the imperfection.

Lighter cars are more forgiveable but a black car forget it.

 

Looks really good bro. But that sounds like a science project with all those steps and products you gotta use. I'm tired just reading how long it took you.

My car is due for its annual and complete detail but I'm too lazy to do it myself. I rather watch people work on it.

 

... +1

 

Thanks Chico, I like to do things myself and what i did might be too extreme, I guess no need to do like 4 to 5 washes but I rather made sure I got all the impurities out. But I must say after the final wash I was amazed with myself.

 

This thread makes me so proud. You did an awesome job - the car looks fantastic. You're right about not removing all the imperfections too - it's unrealistic and sometimes impossible with black cars. It's best to get them as good as you can within reason, then use a combo of products with some filling ability to hide what's left.

Your process sounds good. I want to ask about the polishing though. It sounds like you used DACP (megs #83). Which pad did you use, and did you follow with a less aggressive combo? I only ask because #83 on an orange or yellow can give you some hazing.

Once again, great job!

Kevin

10% off!

 

I used the orange and white pad, orange to get the deeper swirls and scratch. I mostly used the white pad since my car did not have that much of swirls marks. But I learned so much from you.

Question now, I have Mother's premium carnuba wax how should I allpy it with the orter cable or by hand. I know is not like the expensive wax you used but I figure I used up this before i go to the nicer one. And I guess tips you have on how to apply it.

Also I use some ziano on my rims is that okay?

 

Good job with the polish - the white should have cleared up any hazing the orange put in. Nice work!

Is the mothers liquid or paste? Liquid I apply with the PC at speed 2 or 3 and a black pad, helps put it on nice and thin. Paste I apply by hand. Remember after you carnauba over the Zaino you won't be able to apply more zaino, just more carnauba until you strip it all.

Zaino on rims is fine - it'll help keep em clean.

 

Eric, looks awsome. Looks like you were taking notes . I'm going to take a stab at laying another coat of wax on today( the blue yummy smelling stuff). I picked up my supplies from Kevin yesterday. Thanks Kevin for all your efforts for us. Especially for showing me how scratch x works when some AH marks the car in a parking lot.Relief is spelled KEVIN ( an old commmercial for Rolaids).

 

Hey Sam, just fyi if you want to take another stab at those remaining marks from the buttmunch who nailed you, get a foam or terry applicator (or even an mf), shake that clearkote vanilla moose up really well (really really well), put a little on the mf and rub it into the area (us a little elbow grease), that should work a lot like the scratchX.

Have fun with that nattys! Remember, keep the applicator damp and apply *very* thin (so thin you almost can't see it). And when removing remember it helps to spritz with a quick detailer (in your case the quickshine you got).

Cheers.

 

Rememeber Sam, you are supposed to put it on the car , you don't snort it or eat it. LOL

 

2 days of hard work on the car gone, had to step out yesterday in the rain grrrrrr.

Kevin in case like this should I wash the car again to get rid of the water spot or just quick detail spray

 

Wash it - a quick detailer, even spray and wipe, doesn't have enough lubricity to lift off the dirt that will collect in the rain and dry on the car. I know, it's a huge bummer; since I like my car clean for customer visits I end up washing it almost every night. I only use S&W for dust removal (if it's getting dustry sitting in the garage).

I use the rinseless washes 99% of the time on my car (optimum no rinse or QEW), they make washing a lot quicker and use less water.