papawheelie
New member
Hello all.
Job done, for this Spring. This was a learning experience for me every step of the way. It was slow and at times, frustrating. I'm embarrassed to say how many hours (and beers consumed) I spent on my car the past couple weeks as I taught myself the techniques. My neighbors all think I'm a little insane now. In the end, it is very rewarding and I look forward to even better results when I do it again this Fall (Oct/Nov) when the Arizona heat is gone.
By the way, thank you to a couple guys from autopia.org for helping me out with a few of my issues and questions: http://www.autopia.org/forum/machine-polishing/134731-help-noob-polish-drying-super-fast.html.
My results are far from perfection. That is painfully obvious when I move the car out to the direct sun. That black paint, in direct sunlight shows every single little imperfection. I felt like I could have polished forever. Has to be good enough for now. The car clearly looks a TON better than when I started, despite its remaining imperfections.
It's a 2006 Nissan Murano S. Base model. I've owned it since it was new, five-and-a-half years (and 50,000 miles) ago. In that time, it has been washed irregularily (usually through gas station car washes), and waxed twice with good ol' Turtle Wax.
Needless to say, the paint surface was in very poor condition when I started, with mild oxidation, lots of light scratches, and very bad swirls. It's a good car and will be paid off soon. I figured if I can keep it looking tip-top, I'll be happier keeping it another five or more years after it is paid in full.
I bought all my products online in the past month. I started from scratch with all my products and supplies, since I had never done this before. I now own:
A decent selections of applicators, foam pads, 70 (yes, seventy) microfiber detail cloths, detail brushes, etc.
Griot's Garage Speed Shine detailing spray/lubricant.
Griot's Garage paint cleaning clay.
Griot's Garage 6" random orbit polisher.
Griot's Garage Polish #2 and #3.
Forever Black Tire Gel.
Forever Black Trim Reconditioner.
Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze.
I know there are many, many different opinions about which products and techniques are best. I'm open to all of those opinions and suggestions. My initial products worked just fine once I learned how to use them.
My process:
De-badeged rear hatch.
Washed using two-bucket method.
Clayed.
Removed all wheels. Scrubbed both sides of tires and wheels, and wheel wells. Dressed tires and wells.
Removed tar.
Washed and clayed again.
Polished #2, then #3.
Washed again.
Dressed plastic trim.
KSG Sealant. I ended up with only two coats of the KSG. I would have liked to have done more, but simply ran out of time for now.
Interior.
Lots and lots of MGD throughout the process.
Pics and comments (below the pics) for your viewing pleasure: https://picasaweb.google.com/113293484265156261578
Take it easy, all.
Job done, for this Spring. This was a learning experience for me every step of the way. It was slow and at times, frustrating. I'm embarrassed to say how many hours (and beers consumed) I spent on my car the past couple weeks as I taught myself the techniques. My neighbors all think I'm a little insane now. In the end, it is very rewarding and I look forward to even better results when I do it again this Fall (Oct/Nov) when the Arizona heat is gone.
By the way, thank you to a couple guys from autopia.org for helping me out with a few of my issues and questions: http://www.autopia.org/forum/machine-polishing/134731-help-noob-polish-drying-super-fast.html.
My results are far from perfection. That is painfully obvious when I move the car out to the direct sun. That black paint, in direct sunlight shows every single little imperfection. I felt like I could have polished forever. Has to be good enough for now. The car clearly looks a TON better than when I started, despite its remaining imperfections.
It's a 2006 Nissan Murano S. Base model. I've owned it since it was new, five-and-a-half years (and 50,000 miles) ago. In that time, it has been washed irregularily (usually through gas station car washes), and waxed twice with good ol' Turtle Wax.
Needless to say, the paint surface was in very poor condition when I started, with mild oxidation, lots of light scratches, and very bad swirls. It's a good car and will be paid off soon. I figured if I can keep it looking tip-top, I'll be happier keeping it another five or more years after it is paid in full.
I bought all my products online in the past month. I started from scratch with all my products and supplies, since I had never done this before. I now own:
A decent selections of applicators, foam pads, 70 (yes, seventy) microfiber detail cloths, detail brushes, etc.
Griot's Garage Speed Shine detailing spray/lubricant.
Griot's Garage paint cleaning clay.
Griot's Garage 6" random orbit polisher.
Griot's Garage Polish #2 and #3.
Forever Black Tire Gel.
Forever Black Trim Reconditioner.
Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze.
I know there are many, many different opinions about which products and techniques are best. I'm open to all of those opinions and suggestions. My initial products worked just fine once I learned how to use them.
My process:
De-badeged rear hatch.
Washed using two-bucket method.
Clayed.
Removed all wheels. Scrubbed both sides of tires and wheels, and wheel wells. Dressed tires and wells.
Removed tar.
Washed and clayed again.
Polished #2, then #3.
Washed again.
Dressed plastic trim.
KSG Sealant. I ended up with only two coats of the KSG. I would have liked to have done more, but simply ran out of time for now.
Interior.
Lots and lots of MGD throughout the process.
Pics and comments (below the pics) for your viewing pleasure: https://picasaweb.google.com/113293484265156261578
Take it easy, all.
