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YOUR RESEARCHAfter a month of compounding/polishing...
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Use 6"
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Used the 6" on large areas, the 3" on the smaller spots.
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There are smaller dryers that are specifically used for automotive purposes.
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I use a blower now and a microfiber chamois for areas that have residual water.
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I don't have pics other than these but this gives you an idea on how something so simple, like a 3 step process, achieves this depth and for good measure I use a ceramic glaze from CG.
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Suggestion · Original poster
The secret to this process is "smearing" the paint, then letting it dry for a few mins, then using the "Sealact" along with the special rag to seal and smooth the repair.
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I don't have pics other than these but this gives you an idea on how something so simple, like a 3 step process, achieves this depth and for good measure I use a ceramic glaze from CG.
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Been working on my 03 C2 for over a month!
The car looks better than it ever has!
Oh, and I Leatherique'd the interior, ALL the interior! It has full leather.
A few pics for your viewing pleasure:
Very nice and your work really does justice to such a nice color.
If it were me - I would have a tough time getting it out of the garage and into the elements after all the efforts !
Car looks good, amazing what a difference paint correction can make. Its funny because I detail cars and I hate detailing my own cars anymore so my car is a mess. I did paint correction when I first bought 2 years ago and finally just did the hard top a few weeks ago. On the plus side its ceramic coated so when I do get motivated to clean it I can bang it out quickly.
Awesome work! I'm waiting for warmer days to do the same. Also curious what are the steps you took and what products you used. The end effect is clearly fantastic!
Here is my plan: Wash > iron remover > clay bar > compound using a microfiber pads on a DA polisher > polish using foam pads on a DA polisher > IPA wipe down > Avalon King ceramic coating. For the compound and polish I'm thinking of trying the Koch Chemie products that have been making their way to US from Germany.
It's definitely a lot of work but I think the end effect is well worth it and goes a long way in protecting the paint and making it easier to clean in the future. I find it very satisfying!
I was going to video the whole thing, but my son was using his Go-Pro. Here's the main points:
1. Washed car thoroughly using Griots Car wash.
2. Clayed
3. Removed all the old wax using Chemical Guys wipe out surface cleanser. (Note: after using 4 bottles of this stuff I finally made my own IPA spray, 6 ounces of 70% Isopropyl alcohol, distilled water up to 32 oz mark. My mix worked just fine)
4. Worked a panel at a time
5. Taped everything off, rubber, etc.
6. Each panel was a little different as there has been some respray by previous owners.
7. First pass, used either Meguiars Ultimate Compound, or Meguiars Ultra-Cut Compound (105), depending on the amounts of scratches/swirls. The ultra-cut being the harshest.
8. I have two DA's, one a 6", the other a 3". On the 6" I used a white COBRA pad. I don't like to be aggressive on the cuts. Used the 6" on large areas, the 3" on the smaller spots.
9. I did it in about 18" sections at a time. After each pass, I used the IPA spray to completely remove all compound residue. If you want a video, this video is what I followed almost to the letter:
You Tube
10. After I compounded a panel, there is a "haze" left. Next step is using the Meguiars Ultimate Polish to get the haze out. On the 6" DA, I went to a "lt. blue" pad. Doing small 18" sections and wiping w/IPA immediately after each 18" section.
11. Repeat for the WHOLE car!!! (I love typing this, but these steps took almost 3 weeks. Not 8 hours a day, I still have a normal job. Just evenings and weekends, and a few four day weekends over the holidays.)
12. Next step was touching up all the chips and scratches. There were a TON!!!
13. I used the Dr. Color Chip process. I've been touching up cars for 50 years and this system gives the best results. Here's a video showing the process:
You Tube
. Suggest you search YouTube, there's quite a few different well done videos. What I found the best is to just drop a bit of paint on my gloved finger, then "swiping" it over the chip/scratch. The secret to this process is "smearing" the paint, then letting it dry for a few mins, then using the "Sealact" along with the special rag to seal and smooth the repair. When finished, you can't see the chip/scratch! EDIT: Oh, and you need a LOT of Sealact and the special towels. I used over 3 oz. and 8 rags.
14. After fixing the chips, in some places I used the Meguiars Ultimate Polish with the 3" DA at high speed to give the final, gloss coat.
15. LIGHTING, LIGHTING!!! Important note, you need super bright LED lighting while doing all this.
16. Final step is a wax with Meguiars NXT 2.0. Put it on, let it dry for at least 30 mins, then buff of.
Oh, and before I did all this I used the Leatherique process on all the leather in the car. That took almost 2 weeks! Great results!
Love it! Get the 7,000 lb version, much sturdier, and you can lift a truck with it if necessary. I also haggled with the sales person and got the extra "SUV Lift kit" for $25. Bought it directly from the manufacturer, suggest you do the same.
Setting it up took quite a bit of time, and I ended up making my own lift blocks out of 2 X 6's. You will also need the "lift pucks" specially made for our cars.
Excellent and yes I was looking for the 7k kit because my daily is a 2015 VW Touareg TDI(tips the scale at 5k) so we're in the same boat. Do you store it flat or do you stand it up against the wall when not in use? Btw, I'm a sucker for detailing pics as I was a professional for Lexus back in the day. If you're ever looking to try different products, I've recently been using Chemical Guys and now use their polishing kits exclusively... it's so much easier.
Interior pics, as promised:
Notice the haze on the left tip buttons? The leatherique did that. Be careful and tape off places you can't keep the rejuvinator and cleaner from touching.
1. DON'T TOUCH IT!!!!
2. Just kidding - I've always done the two bucket wash method, with a VERY soft mit.
3. If car gets REAL dirty (very rare here in south Texas) I'll foam cannon it first.
3. One thing I will change is instead of using the waffle weave towels to dry, i'll use my Griots Terry Weave Towels. Hopefully that will not put any swirls in.
I watched this video a bunch before I used it.
You Tube
1. Wear a latex glove when applying the rejuvinator
2. I think it is next to impossible to apply this stuff outside in the winter. You need to have it in a heated facility, with the windows open. It took me almost two weeks of work
3. Apply and rub in the rejuvinator with a terry cloth towel
4. Let it soak in for a day, apply it again.
5. How many times you need to repeat this process will depend on the condition of the leather. The goal is that after a day, all the leather is the same "color", no shiny spots.
6. Once you're done with the rejuvinator, it's time to use the cleaner. This is a one day process.
7. BE CAREFUL TO TAPE OF PLASTIC!!! I hosed up my tip buttons on the steering wheel.
8. Once you've cleaned it all off, you'll probably want to leave the windows down and in the heated facility for a week, the rejuvinator takes a while to do it's job.
Bottom line, great stuff! A bear to apply...
I've had some black cars with soft paint and if I may throw my 2 cents in your hat. I've always foam cannoned no matter what - apply foam, allow to dwell, and then spray away with the 40 deg nozzle. I then spray the remaining foam on the car for lubrication. Adam's Car Shampoo has been my absolute favorite. I've tried various brands, but keep coming back to Adams. I think the best tip I can offer is learn to dry your car with water. I think that most swirls will come from drying, not from washing since you have a lubricant if you're using a good quality soap. Since you have a very hydrophobic ceramic coating, you can use the surface tension of water to your advantage. I can dry 90%+ of my my car using water, and then I use an electric leaf blower to finish it off. Like you said, minimizing how much you touch it is key. I've had a Berlina Black S2000 scar me for life.
Here is an example of the drying method using water:
How to dry your car with water. The Car Carer Detailing - YouTube
Hm, very interesting! I will try that! On the leaf blower, tried that many moons ago and the air from the blower seemed to have something in it. Not sure what it was but I did it once and never tried again. Maybe if I got a Ryobi blower, that would solve my problem. The one I used was a 2-stroke engine.
I will make a recommendation for washing. If your car stays relatively clean I would try rinseless wash but even if you prefer traditional washes this tip will help. Get a bunch of microfiber towels suitable for washing. Soak them in your wash, fold into quarters and then starting from the top wash. Flip when that section of towel becomes dirty. You will always have a clean side ready to go and won't be dragging around as much dirt and debris. For drying if you have some sort of protection on there sheet the water off with a hose and then blow the rest off with air or a leaf blower.
I'm invested in the Milwaukee cordless system, so this is the small leaf blower I use for drying the car. It's really compact and gets the job done. I haven't had any issues with debris or contamination.
Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Compact Blower (Tool-Only)-0884-20 - The Home Depot
Wow, that was a serious time commitment but your car looks excellent. BTW, I really love the look of the Carrera II wheels on your car.
I've never done serious paint correction work on any of my high-end cars. I'm always worried about removing too much clear coat so I live with minor swirls and imperfections but seeing your car makes me second guess my approach. Although I couldn't make that kind of time commitment, I'd need to use the services of a pro detailer.
I wouldn't worry too much unless you car has lived its entire life outside or has been compounded and polished multiple times already. You can get good results without being with going right to the most aggressive combo.
A simple hand application of P21S Paintwork Cleanser is as aggressive as I get on my high-end cars. I wash carefully and they are always garage kept so I get good results...I just live with the minor swirls.
As long as your happy with it that is all that matters. Worst case scenario you can get the paint depth checked if you wanna have some correction done.
Using proper products and techniques, you would have to do polish your car at this level on a weekly basis to ever remove enough to clear coat to be measurable.
HAHA I'm sure you're kidding but you may be on to something. Blow drying an old car in this manner may also help in rust prevention.
Really? I was under the impression that using an orbital and compound regularly on clear coat to remove scratches and swirls was a bad idea. I guess I just know of too many horror stories of overzealous detailers who either burned through their clear in areas or removed so much clear that a paint meter now shows that they have very little clear left, leaving them unable to do any more paint "corrections". Although these stories are fairly rare, I guess they just stick with me. I'm sure many other 996 owners can understand my line of thought here...
It really depends the depth of the swirls you're routinely removing. I clay, fine polish and wax about once a year and maintain the wax every 3 months. It's pretty difficult to burn paint with a DA but very very easy to do it with a straight drive polisher. Swirls are a slippery slope because unless you do a paint correction the correct way the first time... you'll end up trying to fix the problem for the entire life of the car due to the fact that you could be adding swirls by regular washing or didn't remove them correctly the first time. As for using the blower to dry your car, most blowers are just air movers without real filtration so the air it brings in... will come out with all the debris in the air. Secondly your drying area will make or break how many contaminates you blow into the air. There are smaller dryers that are specifically used for automotive purposes. I dry my car in my garage which is tiled and mopped regularyly so I really don't have suspended debris in the air. I use a blower now and a microfiber chamois for areas that have residual water. For washing I use a foam cannon, a boar's hair brush and two bucket rinse with liners. Should probably get a paint gauge already but since I don't use heavy compounds... really haven't had a reason to.
Here's my 2015 Touareg pre fender flares and post. People with white cars who routinely detail them know how difficult it is to get real depth out of white. I don't have pics other than these but this gives you an idea on how something so simple, like a 3 step process, achieves this depth and for good measure I use a ceramic glaze from CG. There is zero swirls on this car and the 996 will be getting her spa day once I step foot back in Miami.
Added the last one in case you guys were wondering what it looks like now... it's dirty in the last pic.
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