what`s the worst mistake you`ve made while detailing?

[scottabir]

subaru WRX STI rocker panel. Rotary + finishing pad + menzerna FPII @ 1500 rpms = ouch

[racingbeat]

First time using(too much) Klasse Sealant Glaze and leaving it on for several hours. What was I thinking...2nd worst was not holding the PC by the handle. (nice ding on the fender).

[freedomguy]

As a kid, I used Rain Dance wax on my first car under the hot blazing summer sun. I could not get it off. I sent the can back to the folks at Rain Dance and complained about their product. They sent me a check for a refund. I still feel guilty. :nervous:

[lbls1]

Using dirty towels while detailing. Second to this was (very early in my experience) piling wax on for years without stripping the surface and polishing. How far we`ve come indeed.........

[TheHolyCobra]

My worst mistake was on my freshly repainted 94 chrysler concorde a while back. I was using a pressure washer to get all the dirt off the car (painter told me not to wash with anything but water) and came to a spot of dirt that wouldnt come off. What did I do? I turned the nozzle from a fan into a tight stream and got right up on the paint. When i backed up I had a nice 2 foot bare metal mark where the water had taken off the paint.

+1



I was fortunate when I did it because I stripped a pea size area of paint....on a plastic side scoop that cost me $35 to replace. Luckily it was not on a body panel or bumper.



THC

[92MX83]

Opening the hood while the wipers were pulled up from the windshield. More than once. There is nothing like the thin metallic grinding noise caused by wiper arms chewing into the hood`s trailing edge while you lift the hood. Touch-up required. Don`t try this at home.



Not wearing a set of vinyl medical gloves under the latex kitchen gloves while applying an acidic cleaner to remove baked on water spots... and finding out the kitchen gloves are porous. I could have embarked on a week-long crime spree afterward and not worried about leaving prints behind.



Using a warped aluminum stepladder to access the roof of a big SUV. When the ladder fell out from under me, I discovered how solidly bolted-on the roof-rack was. Very.



Getting whacked in the face by a fixed radio antenna while using the rotary on the A-pillar. Don`t ask.



Being proud of my pre-Autopian, waterspot removing, hologram-inducing skills with a rotary+wool pad+Megs #2. Being even prouder of my ability to hide said holograms with the appropriate cleaner wax.



Leaving white residue all over the black trim of my customers` cars using aforementioned cleaner wax.



Making fun of guys who used clay. I actually told people my rotary/wool pad combo would utterly smoke the results clay could achieve. Then I learned what clay was for.



Soaping down a car in the rain, then going inside to let Nature rinse the car clean. Nature could have learned a thing from Autopia that day. The next day, the sun is shining, hot, and I end up having to put my pre-Autopian rotary skills to work, since the soap seems reluctant to come off. Fortunately, this was my personal car. In retrospect, I probably could have used the cleaner wax, but I was infected with rotary madness.



Silicone tire dressing on everything in the interior. Even the vinyl seats. I thought it was cool, since everything was so nice and shiny. My friend asked me to not do it again.



All true. Most of it is in the distant past, but I`ve actually done the windshield wiper thing fairly recently, which chagrined me terribly.

[wannafbody]

i used to use silicone tire dressings

[SpoiledMan]

Opening the hood while the wipers were pulled up from the windshield. More than once. There is nothing like the thin metallic grinding noise caused by wiper arms chewing into the hood`s trailing edge while you lift the hood. Touch-up required. Don`t try this at home.



Not wearing a set of vinyl medical gloves under the latex kitchen gloves while applying an acidic cleaner to remove baked on water spots... and finding out the kitchen gloves are porous. I could have embarked on a week-long crime spree afterward and not worried about leaving prints behind.



Using a warped aluminum stepladder to access the roof of a big SUV. When the ladder fell out from under me, I discovered how solidly bolted-on the roof-rack was. Very.



Getting whacked in the face by a fixed radio antenna while using the rotary on the A-pillar. Don`t ask.



Being proud of my pre-Autopian, waterspot removing, hologram-inducing skills with a rotary+wool pad+Megs #2. Being even prouder of my ability to hide said holograms with the appropriate cleaner wax.



Leaving white residue all over the black trim of my customers` cars using aforementioned cleaner wax.



Making fun of guys who used clay. I actually told people my rotary/wool pad combo would utterly smoke the results clay could achieve. Then I learned what clay was for.



Soaping down a car in the rain, then going inside to let Nature rinse the car clean. Nature could have learned a thing from Autopia that day. The next day, the sun is shining, hot, and I end up having to put my pre-Autopian rotary skills to work, since the soap seems reluctant to come off. Fortunately, this was my personal car. In retrospect, I probably could have used the cleaner wax, but I was infected with rotary madness.



Silicone tire dressing on everything in the interior. Even the vinyl seats. I thought it was cool, since everything was so nice and shiny. My friend asked me to not do it again.



All true. Most of it is in the distant past, but I`ve actually done the windshield wiper thing fairly recently, which chagrined me terribly.

Man, you made my day! This stuff is Three Stooges hilarious!

[BigAl3]

Opening the hood while the wipers were pulled up from the windshield. More than once. There is nothing like the thin metallic grinding noise caused by wiper arms chewing into the hood`s trailing edge while you lift the hood.

i`m guilty of this as well :nervous:

[imported_Reflections]

Pre-Autopian: On the black Porsche 944 I used to own, I went over the rock chips along the bottom panels with rubber rockguard. It looked great for about a week until it faded to a nice medium grey.



On an unrelated note: this car had the funniest problem. The hatch kept opening up at random, often when I came to a stop. It had strong cylinders and as soon as it unlocked it would just push itself open. I would always get out and pretend to be getting something out of the trunk, as though I did it on purpose! I finally figured out that the electronic box right by the hatch had come loose, and was swinging around by the wires. When it touched the frame, it would ground itself, and open the hatch!



Post autopian: lifting my PC off the surface loaded with polish at speed 6. What a fricken mess that makes! Oh yes and tripping on my extention cord last week after bringing home my brand new work truck, sending my dual 500W halogen fixture tumbling on to said truck. I don`t know why it didn`t do any damage. Must be the power of FMJ!! :LOLOL

[swirlmarks]

One time I was polishind a Viper, and ther is a small panel on the side of the car just below the hood which covers the motor. It`s onlt attached on the front two corners not the outside edge. Touched it with the buffer and "SNAP" right in half. New piece was $975.00. That does not include paint. Very important lesson I learned abou being careful.



Joe

[yankees1]

so im curious.... what`s the worst mistake you`ve made while detailing and learned from it?

Driving my car through an auto car wash and forgetting to put the vert top up! Just kidding! Putting too much Klasse SG on before attempting to buff!

[Flat-6]

Here`s a good one, I jump in my friends 700whp Supra, which he has just gotten a new custom fiberglass hood put on, since it was custom they could not get the safety latch to mount right and just left the D-ring for it to lock down with, we hit the road and I proceed to get in to the gas...40,50,60,70 80, and about 4 seconds into it and 95mph we both notice that the hood was not secured down and that it has just slapped back against the windshield!! He didnt let me drive it again for a while, and installed hood pins. Those didnt help either since 2 months later he did the same thing.



My worst mistake grabbing the mothers interior detailer thats in the same shape bottle as the QD, I was wondering where the cinnamon smell was?

[BigAl3]

i cringe everytime i see nice cars (bmw, lexus, mercedes, etc..) at the car wash (just the other day) with the employees gently installing swirls with the red shop rags they`ve used on the other hundred cars before.

[AndyA6]

Dropping my PC on the roof of my car in a moment of being spaced out, nice little dent.......



Using (pre-Autopia) Turtle wax rubbing compound and beind kinda disaappointed with the result = swirls and no shine, doh!!



The windshieldwiper thing happened to me, too!



Going to the car wash, `nough said.....