check me out Detailing Dude

[karsc5]

10 steps to detailing

Here are the steps I am going to take to detail my 2002 Black C5 convertible once the weather breaks here in beautiful central PA.

1. Take it for a ride(need a reason for all this work)

2. Wash with Zaino Z7 car wash and 100% cotton (Cannon) hand towel.

3. Dry with Big Blue Drying Towel.

4. Clay bar with Zaino Z18 bar and Zaino Z7 and water mixture. Refer to "ultimate Clay Bar Guide" for correct steps.

5. Wipe down with 3M Adhesive Cleaner and 100% cotton (Cannon) hand towel.

6. Inspect paint in different light at different angles for swirls and scratches.

7. I would like to remove swirls and scratches so I am going to use Griot's #3 machine polish with their orange application pad and Porta Cable Random polisher until I am satisfied.
(I decided to do this "BEFORE" I read Detailing Dudes Swirl Eliminator Guide.)

8. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 5

9. Apply 2 coats of Zaino Z5 with ZFX accelerator using Z6 enhancer between coats. Removing all product with separate 100% (Cannon) bath size towels.

10. Apply 2 coats of Zaino Z2 with ZFX accelerator using Z6 enhancer between coats. Removing all product with separate 100% (Cannon) bath size towels.

There you have it. any thoughts, comments or criticisms would be appreciated.

 

[DetailingDude]

Here are the steps I am going to take to detail my 2002 Black C5 convertible once the weather breaks here in beautiful central PA.
Schweet!!! I want pix for my website! (I want everybody's pix!!!)

1. Take if for a ride(need a reason for all this work)
You anywhere near Orlando? LOL

2. Wash with Zaino Z7 car wash and 100% cotton (Cannon) hand towel.
Great Start! Zaino Z-7 is pH balanced and is preferred over a "Dawn Wash" as it won't attack your trim.

3. Dry with Big Blue Drying Towel.
I didn't like the towel the first time I tried it but now that I have learned how to best use it I have turned into a huge fan. I'll send you the video of "How To Dry Your Car With Water" so that you can get the best useage out of the towel. The video should be ready by Mar 5. (That segment anyway).

4. Clay bar with Zaino Z18 bar and Zaino Z7 and water mixture. Refer to "ultimate Clay Bar Guide" for correct steps.
Try not to use soap and water as the even the most mild car wash soap seems to break down the clay bar.

5. Wipe down with 3M Adhesive Cleaner and 100% cotton (Cannon) hand towel.
Excellent! Your paint is now 'Naked' and you can see its true condition. You won't need to press down hard at all. On the lower parts of your 'Vette you may notice a bit of additional dirt. If you do I suggest a paint cleanser like Lusso Paint Revitalizing Creme, or Pinnacle Paintwork Cleanser, P21S's Paintwork Cleanser.

6. Inspect paint in different light at different angles for swirls and scratches.

7. I would like to remove swirls and scratches so I am going to use Griot's #3 machine polish with their orange application pad and Porta Cable Random polisher until I am satisfied.
(I decided to do this "BEFORE" I read Detailing Dudes Swirl Eliminator Guide.)
The guide is designed to eliminate the introduction of 'Swirls". I'll only issue this caution:

With Zaino and many waxes you can hide those surface scratches, if you have any. In step 6 if you don't actually see any then consider this to be an extraneous step.

I should also point out that often times once you dewax, as he's chosen to do in step 5, the light surface scratching is eliminated. (I should show you my inbox that has probably 30 letters from pople thanking me for letting them know about this step.)

8. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 5
Yup. Zaino won't properly bond with your paint if there is anything oils on there so it is important you remove the oils again by repeating step 5. If you can get away without redoing step 5 that is always preferrable though.

9. Apply 2 coats of Zaino Z5 with ZFX accelerator using Z6 enhancer between coats. Removing all product with separate 100% (Cannon) bath size towels.
Yup. You're looking at a 12 hour block that your 'Vette will be sitting around for (6 hrs for each of the coats of the Z5 to cure) so make sure that in that time there is as little airflow around the car as possible. This will keep little dirt particles from landing on your paint without you knowing about it.

10. Apply 2 coats of Zaino Z2 with ZFX accelerator using Z6 enhancer between coats. Removing all product with separate 100% (Cannon) bath size towels.
Same comment as above.

Well, if I were giving 10 pts per step you'd be sitting right on 90 (another 10 if you dropped by Orlando and gave me a ride (see step 1), LOL! I'd like some pix of your car for my website if possible.

 

[karsc5]

Thanks DD :BOW .
Since this is my first detailing experience on a 50k vehicle I am intimidated. I noticed you are not to far away from me so I will probably be bringing my vette to you to fix my mistakes. How much do you charge?:L

 

[DetailingDude]

Thanks DD :BOW .
Since this is my first detailing experience on a 50k vehicle I am intimidated. I noticed you are not to far away from me so I will probably be bringing my vette to you to fix my mistakes. How much do you charge?:L

Dude, you'll be just fine! Remember, take it slow and easy. You should not need to excert any force on your paint. And send me pix when you're done!

 

[karsc5]

I just sent you pix of the b4

 

[DetailingDude]

I just sent you pix of the b4

When are you starting?

 

[karsc5]

Well, it is only about 30 here today and raining. And if you consider the ground hog a great weather man, we still have about 3 more weeks of this weather. So to answer the question, as soon as the weather breaks.

 

[karsc5]

I forgot to mention that I hope the shoot goes well this weekend.