11 Year old truck, never detailed

[JeffM]

Hey guys, long time no see :dance



I came across a pretty good deal on a truck that has never been detailed. The truck is 11 years old and in pretty decent shape, but I dont know how to begin detailing it. Im not sure how to go about claying it, or polishing it? The paint is too embedded with dirt to clay, and too dirty to wash and polish.



I was thinking of hitting it with some KAIO( I still got 1/2 bottle of the original) and a black pad then claying it, then hitting it with something more aggressive?



Whats everyone`s opinions?

[Brad B]

I wouldn`t start with the KAIO. Start with a serious wash or two and then clay. It will work. Don`t bother to dry go straight to claying. Use car wash as the lube. Just keep using clean clay. Follow up with a polish. Use a speed 5-6 with a polishing pad. You mention black, but they are generally too soft. You really want orange or yellow.



What polishes do you have at home?

[Ron Ketcham]

I wouldn`t start with the KAIO. Start with a serious wash or two and then clay. It will work. Don`t bother to dry go straight to claying. Use car wash as the lube. Just keep using clean clay. Follow up with a polish. Use a speed 5-6 with a polishing pad. You mention black, but they are generally too soft. You really want orange or yellow.



What polishes do you have at home?

How about some simple information first?

What brand of truck, what model, what do you know about where the truck has set, been exposed to in it`s daily enviorment, etc.

11 years ago, depending on the brand, etc, it may still have a single stage 2k urethane, etc.

Here is the most important thing I can offer up---"ABC" it before making any decision regarding a process or product procedure, how to move on with corrections..

Until the paint is truly "cleaned down to and into the pores", all the IFO, the industrial acids, etc are removed, one may just be polishing "dirt, acids, etc".

A huge amount of very good "polishing/cutting/protective" products are available, however, just as treating a wound on a person`s body, "disinfect" it first.

No matter what is there, or if the paint surface is "etched", etc, the small amount of time and money spent to start with a clean, acid-IFO surface will pay off in the long run of things.

Get the "stuff" off and out of the paint surface and out of the pores, then observe what one see`s, then make the decisons of what to do.

Grumpy

[Darkstar752]

Don`t go straight to polishing, that`s just rubbing dirt into the car at high speeds. You may want to try some IronX first, which will make the claying go easier if there are iron particles embedded in the car. After that, just clay the crap out of it. Once smooth, polish the car and seal it and you`ll be good to go :thumb:



Clay the windows too.

[Ron Ketcham]

Iron-X is like using only the "B" of the "ABC" system, it does not address or remove the acids from the porisity of the paint flim.

The ABC removes much more than just ferrous particles, which is why so many vehicle manufacturers recommend, have it private labled under their brand or require it`s use in warranty situations.

Haven`t seen any documentations from any USA vehicle manufacturer or marketer that says such about the use of Iron-X.

Or, am I wrong?

Grumpy

[Bill D]

The lure of Iron X is its color changing property and that it`s availible in a spray form as well as a shampoo. Gimmicky but it is good for deconing wheels but also like you say it`s incomplete for paint decon especially chemically speaking since it`s only one part of the acid-alkaline-neutralize process.

[Ron Ketcham]

Oh YEAH!

Reminds me of more than a few years back, when I was asked why we didn`t put a "bubble gum" scent in tire dressings?

I had to wonder, hummm- so the dog that is going to whiz on the tire is a real fan of bubble gum?

It would not be hard to put such an "air activated dye" in the "B" product, but why?

Oh, I forgot, today`s buyers are really attacted to "whiz-bang-makes me feel like I am doing something even though I am not", products.

Sorry to some who read this, but as an old guy, with decades of working with vehicles, their manufacturers, doing bodywork, etc, etc, I am not impressed by "whiz-bang", what I expect is documented results that are not damaging, and reduce over-all labor and improve the finished product.

Grumpy

[Bill D]

I`ve never really been a fan of scented products although Iron X definitely needs one--and I hear the latest version is better scented. I don`t plan to use it to decon paint myself and now I do wonder if there`s possibility of unintentional and unforseen adverse effects later down the road. Time will tell I guess :nixweiss

[JeffM]

How about some simple information first?

What brand of truck, what model, what do you know about where the truck has set, been exposed to in it`s daily enviorment, etc.

11 years ago, depending on the brand, etc, it may still have a single stage 2k urethane, etc.

Here is the most important thing I can offer up---"ABC" it before making any decision regarding a process or product procedure, how to move on with corrections..

Until the paint is truly "cleaned down to and into the pores", all the IFO, the industrial acids, etc are removed, one may just be polishing "dirt, acids, etc".

A huge amount of very good "polishing/cutting/protective" products are available, however, just as treating a wound on a person`s body, "disinfect" it first.

No matter what is there, or if the paint surface is "etched", etc, the small amount of time and money spent to start with a clean, acid-IFO surface will pay off in the long run of things.

Get the "stuff" off and out of the paint surface and out of the pores, then observe what one see`s, then make the decisons of what to do.

Grumpy



Thanks for the tips guys. I will look into the ABC system. The truck is a 2000 chevy. Ive never "detailed" something old lol. I have been MIA from here for a couple year, I like what Dave is doing with the place :)

[Bill D]

I just got back in from maintenance- detailing my `89 de Ville and I never thought of that as that old, considering the folks who have classics. A 2000 is plenty recent vintage. Any way, good to have you back. The ABC wash system is very good to have hand no matter what vehicles you`re using it on especially if they`re beaters. I`d wash one with it at least once a year, bare minimum, even if the next step is just to add more LSP, given the acid rain and contaminants in the air practically, every where. You want to get that stuff out of the paint as often as you can.

[Scottwax]

Other than a good wash and claying, no one can tell you for sure what to do next without seeing the truck in front of them and finding out exactly what level you want the paint to be at.

[Ron Ketcham]

Scott, a real extra bonus when the ABC is used that it cleans all the grunge from around moldings and emblems.

On vehicles that are like this one, with no real work on it for years, I use a very soft bristle brush, 2 or 3 inch to agitate around all moldings, emblems, even the wheels.

It something I mentioned to Tim at AI when they did the new training video but it did not get included.

Saves a ton of time, and the last step, the "C" is that final wash one has to do anyway.

Grumpy

[Bill D]

It can be tricky to get the first two steps to dwell on wheels. Any pointers about those, Grumpy?

[Ron Ketcham]

They really don`t need that much dwell time on those parts like on the regular paint surfaces.

The A works like a surfactant cleaner to remove normal dirt, don`t necessarily use the B on wheels.

VG has Custom Wheel for that, it foams and stays there.

We usually sprayed it on after rinsing the A off, let it dwell while the B was being worked on the main body.

It does not harm any factory wheel, but should not be used on polished/uncoated wheels.

Once the B is ready to be rinsed off, agitate lightly the wheels and rinse them as well.

It`s a process, developed for high volume shops, dealers and port operations.

On really bad wheels a second shot of the Custom Wheel may be needed, with some more agitation.

After all, that stuff got on in layers, and each was baked by brake heat, so may have to be taken off in layers.

Back in late 96 I traveled across Canada, fir three weeks, training groups of Chrysler dealers detailers on the whole detailing process.

I think I trained around 300, from Newfoundland to Vancover.

Once I was set up in the wet bays, could do the whole exterior, including motor and door jams in aprox 30 minutes.

The vehicle was then ready for buffing and the interior cleaning.

For those guys, time is money, the product line was called Chrysler Master Prep.

Grumpy

Grumpy

[Bill D]

Okay Grumpy. Thanks for those tips. Also, please check your PM box.