2003 Nighthawk Honda Accord

[imported_Calogero]

I have a buddy who has been saying now for two years he wanted me to detail his Honda Accord for him. He`s noticed the increase in scratches and after me explaining what swirls are, noticed those as well. There were parts of the car were you could see a good towel inflicted swirl. Some parts were really bad. He also had bird etching. After setting up two appointments, we finally figured out the best day and time to get her all cleaned up and to the best possible condition. Upon the drop off, we inspected the car to see how bad it truly was.



Some before notes:



* Owner is a really neat guy so never had to do interior but didn`t really take care of exterior and is going to begin now!!!

* Car has never been waxed since he got it from the dealer in 2003

* Car was apparently what he said `black`

* Car had bird etching in it

* The last wash was about 3-4 months ago and at one of those drive throughs (not touchless)

* Does not hand wash the car

* Wheels and Tires have never been fully cleaned/detailed/dressed. Only switched to ceramic brake pads to reduce brake dust but after years of not cleaning them, he was left with what you`ll see below

* Parked outside for a good part of 2-3 years through Canadian winter

* My longest and biggest write up as of yet. Lots of pics!!!

* Aaron stopped by after PMing me and asking to come see the PC in action since he lives relatively close. Great guy to meet and talk to. Thanks for the help!!!

* When I say I, I actually mean "we" as Aaron helped out as much as he would allow himself to do. Great learner!!!



Products Used:



Hyper Wash Car Wash soap with two bucket and Chenille Mit

2 Water Magnet

Blue Clay with Last Touch 1:1

M80

M83

M66

M07

M16

M21

2 x W - 8006 for M80

1 x W - 8006 for M83

1 x W - 8006 for M66

Foam Applicator for M07

Foam Applicator for M21

Foam Applicator for Black Wow

Supreme Shine Microfibre

Meguiars/ADS Glass Microfibre

Hyper Dressing 4:1 and 10:1

Wheel Brightener 4:1

APC 4:1

Safe D-Greaser 10:1

Rain-X

Black Wow



Process:



Wash with Hyper Wash Soap

Clay

M80 with W - 8006

M83 with W - 8006

M80 with W - 8006

M66 with W - 8006

M07 with foam applicator

M21 with foam applicator

Black exterior plastic dressed with Black Wow

Tires dressed with Endurance High Gloss x 2

Wheel Wells dressed with Hyper Dressing 4:1 x 2

Interior cleaned with #40 and then dressed with Natural Shine

Engine Cleaned with APC 10:1 and 4:1 and then dressed with Hyper Dressing 4:1 x 3

Engine Dressed with Black Wow (parts near the front)

All windows cleaned with Auto Gunk Window Cleaner with Meguiars/ADS Glass Towel and Supreme Shine Microfibre and topped with Rain-X



Start Time: 8:00 am

End Time: 7:30 pm



The end results were AMAZING!!!



It turned out that his car was not actually black but instead a Nighthawk colour that has blue metallic flakes. When I called to check with him, he didn`t remember this, but after sometime remember hearing the name Nighthawk and then remember what it actually looked like when he picked it up. So you see, it was covered in dirt and everything, to the point where its true colour wasn`t showing. It truly amazing to see this colour actually come through and I was amazed at it because I didn`t even know it was the true colour myself. I was going on what he told me as it was black.



And now, here`s your writeup and pics for you.



Step 1: Evaluate the paint and surface.



As you can see, that`s bird poop on the side door. When I asked my buddy how long it`d been there, he said a good few weeks or maybe a solid month. Wasn`t exactly sure. Either way it left an etching. Barely any reflection in the paint, its dull and not shiny.



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00663.JPG



Swirls, Swirls, Swirls and bird poop!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00664.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05926.JPG



Shot of the hood in direct sunlight and look at those SWIRLS!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00666.JPG



Back trunk lid covered in swirls!!!



Look how dirty it is!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00667.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC01644.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05928.JPG



Paint transfer, scuffs, scratches and swirls, ALL IN ONE!!! Oh did I mention more bird poop!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00668.JPG



Dead on shot. Covered in bugs, bugs, bugs, but nothing my Gold Class Bug And Tar Remover can`t handle!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05930.JPG





BUGS BUGS BUGS!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00675.JPG



Rear driver side pillar. Badly swirled!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00670.JPG



Look at what you can see!!! Or better yet, what do you NOT see here!!!



There is everything.



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC01642.JPG



More bird poop/etching!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05933.JPG



Tires and wheels!!! WOW!!! Worst I`ve seen or I should say worst I`ve had to clean!!!



He told me he got ceramic brakes to help with the brake dust and although they reduce the amount of brake dust, if they`re not cleaned on a regular basis, that little brake dust builds up to become a lot and then continues to build up and this is what happens!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00665.JPG



A dirty engine that had never been touched since he got it from the dealer!!! Not once was it cleaned or wiped!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05934.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05935.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC00674.JPG



Step 2: Wash and clay the car!!!



Here is a shot post wash and post clay!!! Looking pretty good.



To bad it took me over 3 hours to wash engine, wash tires, wheels and wheel wells and car!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05938.JPG



Water from the tires and wheels!!! Much worse in person!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05939.JPG



Step 3: Prep and Test SPOT!!!



Once it was totally cleaned I pulled the Honda into the garage and began prepping it. I taped it up fully and set up my test spot. I was hoping that M80 would do the trick. But unforunately that was not the case here. The car had been neglected for far to long, taken through to many car washes for it to be M80 alone.



So with the test spot set up I went at with M80 with the W - 8006 pad to first see what I could achieve.



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC01645.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05941.JPG



Upon inspection I didn`t quite like the results. And so the next step was to go more aggressive and out came my M83 and the W - 8006 pad again.



A pass of M83 with the W - 8006 followed by a pass of M80 with W - 8006 was exactly what I was looking for.



The M83 removed the major swirls that were inflicted on this once lovely car, while the M80 helped in removing the hairlines and other light swirls which was evident not only by my eye but by Aaron`s as well.



Below is the completed test. M83 to M80!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC01646.JPG



Yes, unfortunately some scratches still remain, but that is exactly what they are: scratches and deep ones I might add.



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05942.JPG





Those side by side comparisons that we all love so much!!!



For your viewing pleasure!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05943.JPG



Step 4: Paint Clean



So once I established what I would be using in M83 followed by M80, I proceeded to complete the entire car. These two steps alone took a solid 3.5 - 4 hours. This car was heavily swirled.



Here is a shot of the hood under the halogens following the M80!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05949.JPG





That little white thing on the bottom right is a rock chip right down to the metal!!!



Unfortunately for my buddy I can`t fix those.





http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05950.JPG



Aaron hard at work.



Following M83 and M80, I took M66 to the whole car which is what Aaron below is applying to it right now. Reason. For those fine, micro scratches. Although this paint was really hard, the hardest one I`ve worked on to date, in some spots it didn`t feel as hard and was more susceptible to tiny little scratches and so in removing M80 by hand, I needed M66 to take care of that problem.



As is it did, it was also pointed out by Aaron that M66 helped remove some other finer scratches, which was awesome!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC059521.JPG



M66 waiting to dry!!!



Excellent job done by Aaron here in applying it!!!



Awesome overlap and small sections!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05954.JPG



Once I finished with M83, M80 and M66, I gave the whole car a coat of M07 by hand with an applicator pad, to help bring back that glossy finish and add to its shine.



Now this is where the true colour started to show. Upon drop off, and of all the years I`ve known my buddy, I`ve known and seen the car to be black. Mind you, I wasn`t looking at cars like I am now, but still, it should have been noticeable that the car is actually not Black, but instead Nighthawk, which is black with blue metallic flakes in it.



The M07 helped restore that colour and beautiful shine!!!



I was so impressed up to this point!!!



Can you see the blue here!!! I tried my best to capture it!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05959.JPG



I attempted to capture the blue metallic flakes in this pic!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05986.JPG

[imported_Calogero]

M21 waiting to dry!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05960.JPG



After a coat of M07 I applied a coat of M21 with an applicator pad for my final LSP!!!



And boy, what a difference. The shine! The colour! The wet look! The gloss!



BEAUTIFUL!!!



Here`s a shot off the hood into my product wall!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05956.JPG



Step 5: Enjoy the results!!!



Although all the scratches could not come out without a rotary, I`d say that the transformation was close to 95% give or take. It was a HUGE DIFFERENCE as you may be able to tell from when I got the car to when it left. Only some minor scratches there were fairly deep that the PC could not do, that I could not remove that are left. But the swirls are all gone.



I was very pleased with the outcome and the work put into it and it shows with the final results.



Seeing how it was Canada Day the next day here is a salute to the Great White North I call home.



Happy Canada Day!!!



Rear driver side door shot!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05962.JPG



Remember the dead on shot earlier!!!



Same shot, pretty much same angle!!!



Look at the difference!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05963.JPG



Hood shot in direct sunlight outdoors!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05964.JPG



Oh how bad was that trunk lid!!!



Well here`s that shot again just post Buff N Stuff Detailing!!!



All that is left on this lid is some fine scratches that need to be done with a rotary!!!



But the transformation I`d leave that open to you all!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05965.JPG



Side reflection shot and removal of bird etching!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05966.JPG



More trunk lid!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05970.JPG



So the wheels!!!



I tried Multi Piece but although that product could have probably done the job with a lot more passion, I pulled out my Wheel Brightener (WB) which was diluted 4:1 and went at it. The tires were cleaned with NXT Tire Cleaner.



I first hosed done the wheels/tires really good for a good solid minute or so including the wheel wells. Once I had this done, I sprayed WB on them and watched the brake dust disappear before my eyes. A little help from a wheel face brush and I was good to go.



Afterwards, I clayed them with Meguiars Blue Clay and some Last Touch 1:1 to help get out those stubborn brake dust stains. Worked AWESOME!!!



Very impressed!!!



And come to think of, my buddy didn`t think they`d turn out like they did!!!



How about these bad boys now H?



Topped with a coat of M26!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05968.JPG



Two coats of Endurance High Gloss Gel, while the wheel wells got a spray of Hyper Dressing 4:1 and these tires and wheels look brand new!!! :D



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05980.JPG



The entire exterior trim and one part of the engine was coated with Black Wow!!!



You do know its available in Canada right!!!



:D :D :D





http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC059811.JPG



Ah the engine. She purrs once again!!!



It was cleaned with some soap and water, APC 4:1 and 10:1 and then sprayed with Hyper Dressing 4:1 x 2.



The part of the engine cleaned with Black Wow is the front part that is the same as the black plastic exterior trim!!!



Worked awesome!!!



Sorry about that glare. It was just to clean I guess !!! Being it was silver, I guess the sun caught it as I was snapping away!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05984.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05987.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05988.JPG



Although he doesn`t look like it, he was extremely happy with the final result!!!



Customer happy = Me happy = BUFF N STUFF DETAILING VERY HAPPY!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05992.JPG



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05994.JPG



Another hood shot that I couldn`t resist!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05996.JPG



The send off in one very clean, shiny and beautiful 2003 NIGHTHAWK Honda Accord!!!



http://insoundsoft.mine.nu/kaoss/uploaded_images/Detailing/2003%20Honda%20Accord/DSC05997.JPG







The End,



Thanks for looking,



Buff N Stuff Detailing

Calogero

[Redbird74]

Looks great! I hope your client takes care of that finish now! Great example of what the PC is capable of. Good looking assistant, too. :waxing:

[gmblack3]

Nice recovery!

[CHAOS]

looks awesome!

[danponjican]

Great job! Very impressive work!

[coupe]

I would have went all rotary on that for sure. Definately would have wooled it as the first step.



Dont you have a rotary? I thought you did?

[White_07_G6_GT]

Nice work!! I did a silver 03 Accord this weekend as a pre lease return. The wheels were my biggest problem she had never cleaned them and the dust had etched the surface. Other than that a nice car with great paint.



Next time you have a big project I`d be happy to lend a hand. If there are enough of us in southern Ontario maybe we could organize a meet?

[VTechFan02]

Great Job on that one! Very thorough detail and writeup. Amazing final result!!

[imported_DieselMDX]

great write up the engine looked brand new

[imported_Calogero]

I would have went all rotary on that for sure. Definately would have wooled it as the first step.



Dont you have a rotary? I thought you did?



Yes I do have a rotary but I didn`t use it.



Two reasons. I had a friend come up so I can show him how to properly use a PC and second the customer did not want a rotary to be used. So with the PC those were the best results and I`d say they`re pretty good. But either way I wanted to do least aggressive first and the results with the PC were awesome.



At the same time had I been able to use the rotary I would have went W- 7006 and M84 most likely or M86.



Thanks to everyone for the compliments/comments. Very much appreciated.



My favourite part/recovery were the wheels and engine. What a huge difference.



3 years and they`d never been cleaned once. He was going on the hopes that since he put on ceramic brakes that they wouldn`t produce that much brake dust. He learnt his lesson now.



Thanks everyone!!!



:D :D :D

[Mr.Cool]

Absolutely amazing. :bigups

[mose]

Great turnaround!!! The wife drives an `01 that I have done once....seeing your work makes me want to hit it again!! So I take it you like Meg`s products? LOL!! Seriously.....fantastic work!!

[imported_Calogero]

Great turnaround!!! The wife drives an `01 that I have done once....seeing your work makes me want to hit it again!! So I take it you like Meg`s products? LOL!! Seriously.....fantastic work!!



Thank you for the comments.



Yes currently meguiars products have not given me any problems.



In the near future I reckon I`ll be switching to Prima and Meguiars.



Do it up and post some pics please!!!

[J.J.]

You did a great job with that one. That`s one to be proud of!