Best and worst vehicles to buff

R

RAG

New member
I was curios as to what vehicles others have found to be condusive and non conducive to buffing - some vehicles just turn out to be a real PITA to polish (especially with a rotary). Vehicles with lots of unpainted plastic (requiring lots of expensive tape), broken up body lines, lots of exposed rubber weather striping, protruding fenders, protuding door handles, complex areas around license plates, and even protruding door ding guards really spell PITA for machine polishing.



Vehicles I have found particularly difficult to perform thorough machine polishing on are the H2 (plastic requires lots of taping and contours present a nightmare), the Escalade, and Navigator(pre 2006) (side panneling and fenders really block smooth rotary buffing on both). Big vehicles in general usually prove to be difficult for intensive buff jobs, but when the body lines, nooks, and crannies make it even more difficult...forget about it.



Vehicles that I have detailed and found to be smooth sailing include the new mustang (nice flat body lines and minimal unpainted plastic), the new Tahoe (also night flat lines and requires very little taping), and I just did a Lincoln Zephyr that proved very simple. Also, it looks like the new navigator will have great lines and very little plastic (even chrome along the bottom of the windows).



I know there are many more, so I'd be interested in hearing what vehicles "stand out" as difficult or easy for others...
 
My '00 Grand Am GT is a PITA. If you know what they look like, you know they have "ribs" around the bottom half of the entire car. Plus, the front & rear bumpers have so many different indentions & ribs it just about makes me never polish it...haha.



On the other hand, my '05 Mazda3 hatchback is pretty easy to work on. Smooth skin and not too many areas that are hard to reach.
 
I find most BMW's to be a pain. The pre-bangle designs have too much crap around the front/rear bumpers, and the paint is finiky as well. The newer ones has busyer body lines, but less trim to hassle with. I think the X5 stands out as being a pain. I find Saabs to be pretty easy, though.
 
I too hate Navigators and anythig else big. Avalanches can be a PITA, so can Trans Ams--too many "bulges", nooks, expopsed moldings, weather stripping, etc.



Maximas are pretty easy, 00 and up Accords are super easy(no moldings, smooth flat panels), I love buffing Mustangs--smooth, flat panels, no moldings, etc. The new Solaras are the same way, very easy to buff.



The other day I was in traffic an saw a Dodge "Caliber" I think it is--these are going to be a hug PITA to buff. Next time you see one, check it out...
 
my '04 Saturn Vue is a freaking nightmare... lots of compound curves, creases, ribs, raw plastic bumpers & rockers... you name it, it's got it... metal roof & tailgate, polymer body panels on the side, & I think the hood is composite (SMC maybe).



It's put together like an SSP smashup derby car... all the dent resistant polymer panels are just bolted on. Its weekly bath is a 2 to 3 hour ordeal to get all the nooks, crannies, & crevices dried out.



The last time I polished it, it took over 2 hours just to get everything taped off.



Wish I still had my Lincoln. I had a '98 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC that was an absolute dream to wash & detail... fluid, aerodynamic lines, gentle curves, tight body seams, just a lot of smooth, unbroken sheetmetal.
 
ebpcivicsi said:
I too hate Navigators and anythig else big. Avalanches can be a PITA, so can Trans Ams--too many "bulges", nooks, expopsed moldings, weather stripping, etc.



Maximas are pretty easy, 00 and up Accords are super easy(no moldings, smooth flat panels), I love buffing Mustangs--smooth, flat panels, no moldings, etc. The new Solaras are the same way, very easy to buff.



The other day I was in traffic an saw a Dodge "Caliber" I think it is--these are going to be a hug PITA to buff. Next time you see one, check it out...
Click to expand...





That's funny - I can't even remember the last time I saw a Trans Am - it's just a different vehicle "set" here in SoCal than most other regions of the country...it's even quite a bit different than where I moved from in Nor Cal.



And yes on the Accords - my mom had an 01 and I had an 04 - both were very detailer friendly.



Regarding big vehicles in general...I was going to start another thread on that subject - my $/hour always goes way down on bigger vehicels, as you just can't charge enough extra and expect people to go for it.
 
Hondas in general seem to be very detail-friendly. I've also had pleasant experiences detailing 1st- and 2nd-gen LS400s; the car is egg-smooth with tight gaps.
 
Anything with a Carbon fiber body like the F50 and Enzo is a pain, anything fiberglass is a pain also. Humvys are the worst, as they have pop-rivets all along the body, and are easy to burn if not careful.
 
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