mikenap
New member
This month hit me like a ton of bricks. Everything piled on at once and for the first time since I decided to start detailing as a side business, I've been forced to schedule clients 4 and 5 weeks out. Part of the blame (not that I'm complaining, mind you) has been the crazy influx of FR-S/BRZ twins hitting the streets clamoring for OptiGuard/OptiCoat application. I've done 4 of these so far, with 3 more scheduled in August. Honestly, if I detail any more of these, I might feel compelled to buy one! :madgrin:
First up, if you've ever wondered what it feels like to polish a house, this is as close as you'll probably come. This beast belongs to a repeat client who wanted a simple one-step polish to remove some pretty severe waterspots. Oddly enough, I had to use two different polishes for each side of the truck because once I got to the passenger side, I kept having issues with the combo that worked well for me on the drivers side.:think:
Washed with Meg's Shampoo Plus
Clayed....yeah right. No clay for this monster. Speedy Prep towel all the way, or else I'd probably still be at it.
Polished with HD Unov3 on orange B&S pad/M86 on orange B&S pad
Sealed with Opti-Seal
Most of the chrome was plated plastic so I didn't use an abrasive metal polish. Wolfgang's Paintwork Polish Enhancer did an incredible job of cleaning up all plastic chrome pieces. Even though it's essentially a cleaner/glaze, those cleaners are impressive.
Most of the FR-Ss I've seen have been in very good shape from their respective dealers. This one was not. At some point the hood had been repainted and the owner was completely unaware. Under fluorescent lights, the hood was clearly hazy and lighter than the rest of the car. The color match was good, but the finishing from the dealership body shop was absolutely horrible. DA pigtails everywhere, sanding scratches that looked untouched in some areas, etc. Thanks to David Strum (weekendwarrior) for stopping by to lend a hand.
Hood compounded with MF/105
Car polished with HD Polish/green B&S pad
Wipedown with Carpro Eraser
OptiGuard applied to paint wheels and glass
After
This FR-S was in much better shape. Less than 500 miles, and so far the only silver FR-S that I've seen. Client bought silver because this is to be his daily driver....smart man!
Polished with Optimum Polish II/green B&S pad
Wipedown with ONR at QD dilution (checked with Chris@Optimum, this works...)
Optiguard applied to paint, wheels and glass
This Spa Yellow NSX some might recognize from an earlier write-up two years ago, here.
I was contacted by a certain ex-Army Ranger to let me know that his client had recently moved to the Charlotte area and would need a detailer here that he could trust. I can't express how floored I was to be asked to care for this car that had already been touched by two of the best in the business. It's quite an honor! Thank you Marc for trusting your client to me, it means a lot!:usa2:
In the two years since this car was detailed by Marc and Jacob, it had picked up VERY slight wash marring and swirl marks. This owner knows how to take care of his car better than 99% of car owners out there. Still, there was a little room for improvement and this is one discerning owner so I came prepared. Chris Michalski (Michakaveli) drove 2 hours from Columbia, SC to lend a hand on this beautiful car. Thanks again for the help Chris!
Washed with Optimum Car Wash
Polished with HD Polish/green B&S pad
Wipedown done with Richard Wright's "homebrew" paint cleaning solution
Sealed with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
Wheel lips and exhaust polished with Meg's NXT metal polish
This was really the only good before/after pic I got. Everyone knows how quickly these handles get marred up. The color of the car made it hard to capture the small amount of defects in the paint.
Thanks for looking!
First up, if you've ever wondered what it feels like to polish a house, this is as close as you'll probably come. This beast belongs to a repeat client who wanted a simple one-step polish to remove some pretty severe waterspots. Oddly enough, I had to use two different polishes for each side of the truck because once I got to the passenger side, I kept having issues with the combo that worked well for me on the drivers side.:think:
Washed with Meg's Shampoo Plus
Clayed....yeah right. No clay for this monster. Speedy Prep towel all the way, or else I'd probably still be at it.
Polished with HD Unov3 on orange B&S pad/M86 on orange B&S pad
Sealed with Opti-Seal
Most of the chrome was plated plastic so I didn't use an abrasive metal polish. Wolfgang's Paintwork Polish Enhancer did an incredible job of cleaning up all plastic chrome pieces. Even though it's essentially a cleaner/glaze, those cleaners are impressive.
Most of the FR-Ss I've seen have been in very good shape from their respective dealers. This one was not. At some point the hood had been repainted and the owner was completely unaware. Under fluorescent lights, the hood was clearly hazy and lighter than the rest of the car. The color match was good, but the finishing from the dealership body shop was absolutely horrible. DA pigtails everywhere, sanding scratches that looked untouched in some areas, etc. Thanks to David Strum (weekendwarrior) for stopping by to lend a hand.
Hood compounded with MF/105
Car polished with HD Polish/green B&S pad
Wipedown with Carpro Eraser
OptiGuard applied to paint wheels and glass
After
This FR-S was in much better shape. Less than 500 miles, and so far the only silver FR-S that I've seen. Client bought silver because this is to be his daily driver....smart man!
Polished with Optimum Polish II/green B&S pad
Wipedown with ONR at QD dilution (checked with Chris@Optimum, this works...)
Optiguard applied to paint, wheels and glass
This Spa Yellow NSX some might recognize from an earlier write-up two years ago, here.
I was contacted by a certain ex-Army Ranger to let me know that his client had recently moved to the Charlotte area and would need a detailer here that he could trust. I can't express how floored I was to be asked to care for this car that had already been touched by two of the best in the business. It's quite an honor! Thank you Marc for trusting your client to me, it means a lot!:usa2:
In the two years since this car was detailed by Marc and Jacob, it had picked up VERY slight wash marring and swirl marks. This owner knows how to take care of his car better than 99% of car owners out there. Still, there was a little room for improvement and this is one discerning owner so I came prepared. Chris Michalski (Michakaveli) drove 2 hours from Columbia, SC to lend a hand on this beautiful car. Thanks again for the help Chris!
Washed with Optimum Car Wash
Polished with HD Polish/green B&S pad
Wipedown done with Richard Wright's "homebrew" paint cleaning solution
Sealed with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
Wheel lips and exhaust polished with Meg's NXT metal polish
This was really the only good before/after pic I got. Everyone knows how quickly these handles get marred up. The color of the car made it hard to capture the small amount of defects in the paint.
Thanks for looking!
