Three up, three down (Caution over 200 pictures)

Well I’m happy to say that the owner(s) of these vehicles are regular customers. I consider them more then ‘customers’. I consider the owners friends, they do an incredible job at maintaining their vehicles and it’s a pleasure to detail their vehicles, I always enjoy my self when they bring their vehicles to me :thumb:

Well as the title says this is going to be a long winded thread as I’ll be combining all three details in to one thread, better get some :coffee: or some opcorn: or maybe even some :chips: because this thread is going to be a long thread. You have been warned.

Well on with the show, first up:

2007 Mazda Speed 3

The owner was kind enough to drive all the way across town to bring the vehicles to me, here is the vehicle upon arrival:

















When the vehicle was delivered it was raining outside so I didn’t see these spots till the next day, vehicle was covered with sap :shead:




The exhaust is always this filthy :shrug:

This vehicle is booked for a full interior along with a minor paint correction. I decided to start with the interior. Like all interiors, I always start with a thorough vacuum:


Wile vacuuming the interior the steamer was filled with RO water and set to worm up. Once it had warmed up to the appropriate temperature all surface was steamed, including door shuts:


Same went for the carpet:


All carpets:


Once all areas were appropriately steamed the interior was dressed with 303.

Well that about does it for the interior, the after pictures I’ll save for when the vehicle is completely done. Moving on to the exterior of the vehicle. First, the rims. Rims were in reasonable conditions, so I used Menzerna Gel on the rims. To reach inside the rims I used my EZ brush:

The face of the rims were agitated with a Zymol brush.

The wheel wells received a coat of P21S Total Auto Wash and agitated with a long handle brush:


Tires were scrubbed with a Meg’s brush:


Well this process was carried out to all rims, tires and wheel wells. Next, the vehicle was given a good rinse and I wanted to insure all previous LSP is removed, so I applied a good coat of P21S Total Auto Wash:


This was left to dwell for several minutes:


Wile Total Auto Wash was working it’s magic, I prepared the two bucket method:


Well once the entire vehicle was washed I gently clayed the vehicle to remove all tree sap, the clay of choice was yellow Riccardo. Once I was done claying the vehicle was rinsed once again and with the help of my 3M Sun Gun I inspected the surface and here is living proof of how well the owners takes care of his vehicle:








I was informed of this at the rear bumper:




Well other then the little bump on the rear the entire vehicles paint was just as I had left it on it’s prior paint correction :thumb:

Before I proceeded to varnishing the paint the owner requested to have his summer tires pampered :nod: yes you heard correctly winter tires, owner has been out of town and hasn’t replaced the winters to summer tires, that’s okay though because it gave me the opportunity to clean them up properly.

Here are the rims:









Oh look an itsy bitsy spider :devil:



Well you know how I always say the family gets together to support my detailing addiction. Well my little princess wanted to go watch the new Harry Potter and like all things in life we all have to earn it, so she got the pleasure of cleaning up the rims :thumb:

Rims received a coat of Red P21S as they really needed it, my little girl did not appreciate the smell, but she put up with it :giggle:

Wile the rims were being taken care off I proceeded to give the vehicle a quick finishing polish, for this I decided to use the following:

Scholl S40 partnered with a Blue 3M UK Finishing foam pad.

I kept checking on the rims as I polished along and here is how the rims looked like after their first wash:

Rims were covered in tar. Not that I was worried about tar as Tardis will make quick work of it, like so:








I did all the removal of the tar and here is how the rims finished off:






Rims received the following protection:


Well that takes care of the summer rims, I finished off polishing the vehicle and for protection it too received the DG combo:


The sealant was left over nigh to bond:


The door jams also received their share of protection:


Along with the winter rims oh and my little princes was once again in rim duty, she really wanted to see the movie:


The next day the sealant was removed with the help DG AquaWax and first up the summer rims:



Now that’s looking much, much better :thumb: My little princes did a great job on the rims.






Summer rims ready to go.



Well that completes the first vehicle, here are some after pictures:





















Oh yes, the exhaust tip was polished with Autosol and protected with the DG combo.












Sun was playing hard to get :shakehead:

Here is the interior:



























Door jams are looking great and they feel just as smooth as the paint of the vehicle :thumb:


Ah finally the sun decided to come out, well kinda




Engine bay was given a quick rinse and wash, it was jus a tad dusty. I dressed the engine bay with 303, sorry no before pictures :sorry:











Well one vehicle done two more to go.

Next up is a 1999 Pontiac Grand AM, this is the vehicle that I lost some pictures of mostly from the interior but interior was basically done with steam and dressed with 303 just like the rest of the vehicles. Well pictures begin during the washing process, so that’s where this detail will begin.

This vehicle was booked in for a full interior and exterior paint correction. But like I said the detail will begin at the exterior.
First the rims received a coat of Menzerna Gel:


To reach inside the rims I used the EZ brush:


Face of the rims with my Zymol brush:


Tires with Meg’s tire brush:


Wheel wells with my long handle brush:


Next, two bucket method was used with Gold Class Shampoo:


The clay of choice on this vehicle was Riccardo Blue:

I cut the big chunk of clay into four peaces.

Here is how the clay finished off:

Not sure if you can see it but it had it’s share of contamination.

Next I had to make sure the vehicle had sufficient clear coat for me to proceed with the paint correction. First up my PosiTector 6000:




Next, PosiTector 200:


Well as you can see plenty of clear coat for me to proceed with the paint correction. With the help of my 3M Sun Gun I inspected the surface:









Spoiler was quite bad.








Found this beauty on the front bumper.

Considering the age of the vehicle it had it’s share of deep scratches:




Well for the most part the vehicle was in reasonable shape. Now to find a combo that will deliver satisfying results. First combo was Menzerna Intensive Polish with a Black 3M UK Polishing foam pad. Here is a 50/50 of this combo:

Looked like a great combo to me :thumb:

So let the paint correction begin, before:


After:


Driver side fender before:


After:


Roof before:


After:


50/50 of the trunk area:


The lighting in my garage was sufficient to show the difference:


But I always use my 3M Sun Gun:

Well the trunk area was the worst area, lots of deep scratches so the trunk area required several passes to get it looking right.

Passenger door before:


After:


Passenger tail light before:


After:


Rear bumper before:


After:


Driver side pillars before:


After:


Well the paint correction pressed on and when I was finally done I removed all polish dust from the vehicle with the help of my Zymol duster. Then applied the DG combo:


I let the DG combo over night to bond properly:




Next day with the help of DG AquaWax the sealant was removed:


Well tires were dressed with Optimum Tire, windows were done with Stoners Invisible Glass, engine bay was dressed with 303, all exterior plastic trims received a coat of Black WOW. Regrettably no pictures of the interior work as I accidently deleted the pictures not to mention almost all the after pictures. I did manage to save the following after pictures though:






























Well no outdoor pictures because I lost a bunch of pictures but I learned a great deal about my Mac :nod:

Last but not least a:

2007 Subaru Legacy

Here is the vehicle as it was delivered to me:








































Like the previous vehicles, this was booked to receive an interior and exterior with paint correction as required.

First all floor mats removed and set aside to work on:


Steamer was filled up with RO water and set to worm up:


Like all interior I begin with a thorough vacuum. The seats also received a good vacuum:


Along with the ret of the vehicle:




Once I was done vacuuming the vehicle it was time to steam the interior. I love steaming the vents, steam goes in this vent:


Steam comes out of these vents

And these vents:


This pictures shows it better:


Well like all interior first steam:


Followed up with a wipe down:


Before getting to a head with the steaming, I decided to pre-treat the carpet:

A healthy coat of diluted Meg’s APC was applied.

Once I was done steaming all the vinyl trims the carpets were also steamed:


With different micro fiber towels the leather seats were also steamed:

And wiped clean:


Again the door jams were also steamed:


Summer floor mats were also steamed:


All vinyl trim received a coat of 303, wood trim received Zymol Detail wax applied by hand, leather received Zymol Treat:


Well that about completes the interior. Now for the exterior.

First up rims received a coat of Menzerna Gel:




Bucket for rims, tires and wheel wells:


Prior to starting the rims I applied a healthy coat of P21S Total Auto Wash:

Let it work it’s magic.

Rims were taken care with the EZ brush:


Face of the rims were done with Zymol brush:


Tires with Meg’s brush:


Wheel wells with long handle brush:


Here is how all that scrubbing looked like:


This process was done to all rims, tires and wheel wells. Next it was time to wash the rest of the vehicle, for this Meg’s Gold Class Shampoo was used with the two bucket method:


Now as I washed this vehicle I couldn’t help but notice that the surface felt quite rough, so rough that I had to clay it. The clay of choice is:

I normally cut the bars in three.

Well this is how the clay bar finished off:

A closer look:

Like I said I was quite shocked to see all this contamination on the vehicle. It was as though the vehicle had no protection what’s so ever :shead: Well for this vehicle I made it a priority to protected the surface. More of this later on.

Well vehicle had some minor, minor micro marring. Some were most likely induced while I clayed the vehicle here is what I had to polish:



Well as you can see not much to correct, so I decided to go with Menzerna 85RD partnered up with a Blue 3M UK Finishing pad. I didn’t take many pictures during the polishing process because the difference was difficult to capture with the camera. I did manage to get this one though:

Not sure if it’s possible to see it but the left side still has some swirls the right side is clean and clear.

The polishing took a few hours, once done polishing I removed all dust with the help of my Zymol duster:

Followed up with a final wipe down with Menzerna Top Inspection.

Now the protection process begins. First up:

I made sure to cover every inch of this vehicle, including door jams.

Next I put a nice thick coat of:

I say thick because I wanted to make sure I covered the entire vehicle :nod: yes including door jams as well:



The sealant was left to bond over night.

Rims also received a healthy coat of DG:


The next day I buffed off the sealant on all areas and followed up with yet another coat of DG#105. I should note I have never put two coats of sealants on a car, not even the fire trucks get two coats of sealants but like I said I wanted to make sure this vehicle was well protected, I shouldn’t have to clay the vehicle every time it comes to me, specially how well the owner cares for his vehicles.

The second coat of sealant was once again left over nigh to cure and bond, I made sure I allowed enough time for the sealant to bond and cure. The owner was more then happy to leave the vehicle in my garage as long as I required it, he was in no rush to get the vehicle back, that’s good news for me as I hate rushing through any of my details.

Any who, I still had other things to attend to on the vehicle, such as the exhaust tips:




With the help of Autosol this is how the exhaust tips finished off:


The missus volunteered (mandatory ) to help with the windows, she used Invisible Glass with a glass micro fiber towel. Engine bay received a coat of 303.

Well the next day I buffed off the second coat of sealant and followed it up with a coat of:

:nod: I’ve been experimenting with this wax and I found the application process quite easy. The first coat was applied early in the morning:

After I came home from work I buffed off the first coat and applied a second coat. Second coat was buffed off after about 4hrs.

Here is how the vehicle finished off:




































Here is the engine bay:








































Last but not least:




Well like I said I wanted to insure this vehicle was well protected and this is the first time I go through such a protection process, I made a request to the owner to keep an eye on how well this protection holds up. I’m expecting this protection to last a very long time but our winters here are a bit harsh, so I offered to put another coat of Collinite’s No.845 before winter comes.

Like I said I was quite shocked to have to clay this vehicle again as I’ve been fortunate to be able to maintain this vehicle for the owner. So next time I see this vehicle I don’t want to have to clay it but I’m very curious how well this protection will hold up aranoia:

Well that concludes these details, this is by far the longest thread I have ever posted loaded with so many pictures. Hope you guys enjoyed all the details, I know I did :thumb:

 

Carlos all 3 are just fantastic. What is even better then the details themselves is the family there helping you

 

all the cars look great. You do great work.

 

Wow, great job. That last photo is my favorite.

 

Thank you for the feed back eace: Like I said, I'm very fortunate to have a very, very understanding wife. She actually encourages the detailing bug, besides she's got nothing to complain we are home together and we spend quality time :thumb:

 

That looks AMAZING!!!!!

 

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it :chest:

Glad you enjoyed the pictures, I too liked the last one :thumb:

 

Glad you enjoyed it Phil :chest: I got to keep up with some of you guys

 

Great job on all 3 cars! Nice to see that they take care of there cars to make your job just a little easier and more appreciated.

I guess you daughter really wanted to see that movie, mmmm you may be breaking some child labor laws there...I do take bribes. :tiptoe:

 

lol yea my little girl really wanted to see the movie, I didn't mind it, but found it just 'ok'. Child labor, lol yea but it doesn't count when she's your daughter :giggle:

Owners of these vehicles take extremely good care of their vehicles and i enjoy chatting with them every single time. It's always fun chatting with someone that understands and appreciates a nice clean vehicle.

 

Awesome job Carlos! My fav was the Grand Am.

 

:yikes:Wow those were some dirty cars.They all look Tremendous Carlos :applause:

My favorite was the legacy, that Steamer looks like alot of fun opcorn:

:shead:Man that Clay was Filthy, You do Know your suppose to wash the car before Claying, right :giggle: >>> J/K (I'm yankin your chain)

Thanks for Posting, I'm sure many will learn alot from this Thread :chips:

 

Great job Carlos.

 

Damn..you must be tired after those three! I'm tired just looking at the pics. You are rivaling me for being a devoted 601/105 user..good for you. What a great thing to do for your customers by giving them that good protection! I loved the bags for the summer wheels, very cool. The Mazda turned out great, the close ups even show the factory OP showing..very good. The Grand Am is lovely especially considering its age. In all 3 cases, you made the wheels outstanding and it REALLY makes a difference. Carlos, you have heard me harping on the importance of wheels since the days I first met you on Autogeek online! Your work shows the importance of them on all 3 of those cars; well done. Finally the Subaru is awesome. I know they have gone up-market with them and it shows; the leather, the wood..it's really nice inside. If they were just a little nicer, I would consider one. I loved this pic by the way (although most of them were great) but it was so cool how the street lamp seems to bend....
Edit//I was amazed the yellow Riccardo was able to get rid of that sap!!

 

Glad you enjoyed it, I agree the Grand AM looked really good at the end :thumb:

The steamer is loads of fun most of all it makes quick work of interiors :thumb: Yea, I was stumped with the clay. I couldn't believe how contaminated it was the owner takes really good care of his vehicles, washes it every time..ect..ect. So I wanted to make sure this vehicle was well protected, I'm quite curious about this combo, I'm expecting remarkable results but will see.

Thank you Rocket, glad you enjoyed it eace:

 

Thank you richy for the kind words my friend, very much appreciated eace:

I agree with you, rims make the vehicle and on all of these rims I made sure to protect them well. Thanks to you and a few other members I'm a huge fan of this DG combo, it's an incredible combo :cheerl: Like I've said I'm very curious about it's performance, I expect remarkable things out it. I'll see all these vehicles again before winter so I'll be able to see how well the protection will last.

Again thank you for the feed back richy, I know what I know thanks to many, many detailers like you :worship2:
Glad you enjoyed the pictures, as you can see I had fun taking pictures :whistle:

 

As usual, Stunning job Carlos! That steamer looks like it makes life much easier :mounty:

 

Wow, absolutely fantastic Carlos!

 

amazing work, Carlos! You have done 3 details, man you must be tired! All came out beautiful, looks like DG #601/#105 combo is your favorite! I like it too, love that I don't have to wipe #601 off.

 

Awesome job Carlos. It is great that you include your little one to help you. My six year old daughter absolutely loves spending time with daddy detailing cars. It is a great way for us to become collectors of experiences which will become meaningful and cherished permanent memories for our kids. :thumb: