First Time using PC with lots of Pics, Please comment!

[Classiks]

Hi,



I`m a new member, have not been lurking around much as I just heard about the forum.



I have always like to keep my car clean, but lots of reading into detailing has taken me to the next level.



I suffered from Machine Polishing Phobia for a long time (sort of still do) but I came over it and decided to do it!



Luckily, my friend had this really bad shape 1998 Dodge Intrepid he wanted to sell, and he let me practice on it.



This is what did and used.



2 Bucket Car Wash using Mr.Clean car wash

Meguires Clay Bar

Optimum Polish with Orange mild cutting pad

Menzerna Intensive Polish with White Polishing Pad

Klasse Sealent Glaze applied by hand

Souveran Liquid Carnuba Wax with Blue Finesse Pad



It took my about 8 hours to do, and I will admit I got lazy and did larger sections and less time on each section on the right side of the car (hence it didn`t turn out as well as the left side).



Most of the time was spent on the Optimum Polish stage. I really don`t know how much time to spend on each section there as the polish doesn`t really fade, you could go on forever it seems and it would still have the same type of haze!



Also since my first time I was doing lots of different motions and pressure etc.



Last of all, big thanks to Chris at eshine.ca who hooked me up with all the product!!

Highly recommend Chris @ eshine, a great person to deal with!



On to the pics, hope to hear some advice and comments.



Side Before

http://i31.tinypic.com/j6muth.jpg



Side After

http://i30.tinypic.com/246jl9x.jpg



Hood Before

http://i29.tinypic.com/11b8d45.jpg



Hood After

http://i30.tinypic.com/i4fxas.jpg



Rear Before

http://i27.tinypic.com/167tv76.jpg



Rear After

http://i32.tinypic.com/24d4eme.jpg



Trunk Before

http://i27.tinypic.com/qo6iw0.jpg



Trunk After

http://i28.tinypic.com/qpkl0y.jpg



Up Close Before

http://i27.tinypic.com/1fiq6u.jpg



Up Close After

http://i32.tinypic.com/n2zvk1.jpg



Up Close Drivers Door Before

http://i32.tinypic.com/fyhe94.jpg



Up Close Drivers Door After

http://i26.tinypic.com/ka5uu9.jpg



Left Side Before

http://i29.tinypic.com/5akh1i.jpg



Left Side After

http://i29.tinypic.com/33a9u1w.jpg



Thanks for looking



-Karl

[superchargedg]

Looks like you did one hell of a job for your first.

[Atlantic Euro]

Yea - great job!



(now cut your grass! :) :) )

[imported_Denzil]

Looks pretty good from what I can see. Now just get some sun shots and you`ll really see what you have, hehe.

[steck]

good job noob.





stick around and learn lots.





i looked at your neighbourhood, and said "hey, that looks like Ontario !!"

[Classiks]

Thanks for all the comments.



Ya it was a very cool day, and it was cloudy but very bright. It was cooler outside than it was in the garage so I did it outside. There were very short periods of sun.



I hope to get some sun shots, it was very bright outside but no direct sun light shots.



I realize I could have done better with a hard cutting pad and a more abrasive compound, as the paint was in really bad condition and had really bad scratches.



The Optimum and medium pad didn`t quite do it but definitely did remove a lot of scratches.



I will definitely stick around to learn.

[jswift2000]

1st time? Darn great job!!!!

[03SilverDak]

looks alot better than what it was before. I hope my first time goes that good. as I am going to use my wifes 2000 malibu as the test subject. as she has never cleaned it. she just dont know I am thinking about doing it. its so bad that it will prob be a weekender job for the inside and exterior. its in really bad shape. I odnt know if I should even do the before pics. as its so bad some on here might have a heart attack just veiwing it lol



great job hope mine goes as good.

[thesacrifice]

whatever program you used to import and save those images......you used too much compression as evident by the color dithering

[Classiks]

yes compression kills quality of pictures.



I didn`t shoot in Raw, and my DSLR is quite budget. I imported with PSP7



I think it`s good enough to show what I want to show for now.

[Jscort98]

Looks good even if it wasn`t your first time. Did you restore the headlights too?

[SOCALEXO]

Great work, looks real good. Advice: start saving $5 a week because soon you`ll be so over your phobia that you`re going to start eyeballing rotaries LOL :laugh:

[Classiks]

Looks good even if it wasn`t your first time. Did you restore the headlights too?



Yes I did actually, it was just a test though. Not sure if it`d work but it turned out good.



I used some Meguires Plastic X on an orange cutting pad on the head lights.



Here`s pic. The picture really does not do justice, but the difference is worlds apart.



Left side restored, right side not. However to really do them well, I`d have to wet sand them.



http://i31.tinypic.com/2q23kb4.jpg




Great work, looks real good. Advice: start saving $5 a week because soon you`ll be so over your phobia that you`re going to start eyeballing rotaries LOL :laugh:



haha, I think my rotary phobia is still kickin at full. We`ll see though :)

[Holden_C04]

Yes I did actually, it was just a test though. Not sure if it`d work but it turned out good.



I used some Meguires Plastic X on an orange cutting pad on the head lights.



Here`s pic. The picture really does not do justice, but the difference is worlds apart.



Left side restored, right side not. However to really do them well, I`d have to wet sand them.



Wetsanding is a relatively easy process and it will restore them to full clarity. If you`re not too far away, you can bring it by.



About the job, excellent work. It`s impressive to get those results on your first try and I think it helped that you had good products with a good sense of what you were doing. I imagine you`ve been reading a lot on Autopia. ;) :goodjob

[Classiks]

Hi,



Thanks for the comments.



It would be great to come by someday, I`m from Niagara but I am in Toronto nearly every days-off I have from work.



The car is basically sold however, so I can`t bring this car in particular but I do have some old headlights from my old car I could bring. I would not mind coming to visit you if you could give me a 101 on wet sanding.



If you do not mind perhaps you can PM me some details?



Thanks in advance