2006 Toyota Sequoia - Comet Wash - Extreme Makeover - BLACKFIRE One Step

[crg001]

Agree.





For some cars, where the paint inside the emblems is dirty, oxidized and neglected, I use the Horse Hair Brush on the Nano to machine scrub this area.

• Sometimes with soap and water.
• Sometimes with an APC and waterless wash
• Sometimes with Glass Cleaner.

And sometimes, (and that would be this instance), I use a one-step cleaner/wax i.e. BLACKFIRE One Step. I just plaster some One Step into and around the emblem and then go nuts on the emblem with the Nano and Horse Hair Brush in rotary mode.

It cleans the hell out of the paint and the emblem.

Then I take the Tornador Black Air Blow Out Gun and blow and wipe and blow and wipe and blow and wipe.


By the time I'm done - it looks brand new again.

Again - apologies for no pictures. So often I do a lot of complicated and/or out of the box type work and take pictures and after investing the time to take the pictures and then create a detailed write-up - zero comments. So sometimes I become disheartened and just don't care to take pictures.

Thanks for sharing, Mike! That seems like a pretty efficient way to get the emblems cleaned out! I always struggle with those. Usually I wash them with APC and a hand brush during the pre-wash but it's so hard to get all the crud out between the small spaces.

Recently I tried something new on them that worked pretty well. I used 3D's Eraser water spot remover gel on a brush and scrubbed inside those things, then rinsed immediately after. Got the hard water stains out pretty effectively. I'll have to try the One Step method!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks for sharing, Mike! That seems like a pretty efficient way to get the emblems cleaned out!

It works really good in the context of the project. I wouldn't use this approach on a new car with a basecoat/clearcoat paint system as it would likely scratch the hell out of the paint inside the emblem and outside the emblem.

This was a NEGLECTED car for 7-8 years. Whatever I did couldn't be any worse than it already was. So in context, this brush on a rotary polisher worked great.


Here's something similar I did about 6 years ago... I broke a lot of conventional rules with this project.


Before & After - 1961 Plymouth Fury Barn Find


Sprayed an iron remover on the paint around a chrome emblem...

Blasted and agitated with the Tornador Blow Out Gun

Resprayed area with a waterless wash and then blasted again and also agitated paint with brush bristles...

Just like new...

I detailed the above car in December of 2015 - I don't believe the RUPES Nano had been invented yet or I would have used it in conjunction with the Tornador Blow Out Gun.

 

[Me Time]

White definitely does not shine or look as deep as the darker colors, but it does seem to stay clean longer. I have had 3 black vehicles, and each time I said never again. But IMO nothing looks as good as a black car all shine up.
Or, even some of the dark reds and blues of today.

 

[IH8SPM]

One of the biggest reason I have so much respect for @Mike Phillips is he's not afraid to tell you how he got here..... Most detailers or influencers always hype the newest and cringe at the past.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[ducksfan]

One thing for sure, with a modern URETHANE single stage paint system like Toyota uses, (not old school lacquer or enamel paints), your car will NEVER get clearcoat failure.

There's no secondary layer of paint to fail or disintegrate. The single stage Toyota urethane paint system will OXIDIZE - but ALL of us can fix oxidation.

None of us can fix clearcoat failure. When a basecoat/clearcoat paint system fails or disintegrates - the only true and honest fix is to repaint the car.

For this reason - a single stage paint system trumps the basecoat/clearcoat paint system.





That is a great question and knowing what I know now? I would opt for a single stage urethane paint system, probably in orange.



Great questions... thank you for asking.


Are you the guy in Eugene, Oregon?

Naw, different Ducks (Ice hockey). I'm in SoCal.

Thanks for the insight. For someone who likes to work on paint, I wondered if there was a good reason to avoid the new urethanes in place of BC/CC. Good to know going forward. This opens up new opportunities.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I was curious of your take on single stage paint vs. base coat/clear coat in our present times.

Are you the guy in Eugene, Oregon?

Naw, different Ducks (Ice hockey).

I'm in SoCal.

Copy that. There was a guy that lived in Albany, Oregon that had me detail his Corvette, later he moved to Eugene, Oregon and I thought I remembered he was a member of this forum or the Meguiar's forum and I have/had been conversiong with him for years.

Had a similar forum name if I remember correctly - and I probably don't. :bolt:


It's all good...

:cheers:

 

[Desertnate]

Amazing transformation on the car. I would never have thought to use Comet on a car...heck I haven't used Comet in decades since I haven't lived anywhere with ceramic tubs/sinks.

Mike: I noticed you said Comet is a secret weapon you use on single stage paint. Do you use it only on white or would you use it on other colors as well. I'm sure the abrasion would be pretty frightening to see on a darker color...even if you know it will be polished out. Also noticed you coated the vehicle after using One Step. Won't the sealants in the One Step cause issues with the coating you applied afterwards?

 

[RTexasF]

Your results are really quite remarkable. Having dealt with the Toyota single stage white in the past I admire your perseverance to get the job done in a single day. The one I dealt with with was a Corolla not the monster you brought back to life. Your work turned out far better than mine as I only had a PC to work with back then and Comet was never heard of for SS white paint. You indeed brought new life to that big 'Yota in every aspect. Your friend is in your debt.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

One of the biggest reason I have so much respect for @Mike Phillips is he's not afraid to tell you how he got here.....

Most detailers or influencers always hype the newest and cringe at the past.

Thank you for the compliment. My mom and dad instilled a good/strong work ethic in me from an early age, that is picking strawberrys and beans to pay for my own school clothes starting at the age of 5 or 6 if memory serves me correctly. I didn't miss a year, (picking berries and beans), until I turned 15, got a work permit, (don't even remember what that was about back then?), and then got a job at a full service Mobile Gas Station. I rode my bike to work until I got my driver's permit.

I think it's harder for kids to get jobs like I had when I was a kid due to automation and progress.

 

[Azure]

The Comet wash was intriguing to me. Do you think Comet washing headlights are a good idea if you are planning to restore them? I suppose the sanding step kind of nullifies this possibly..?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

The Comet wash was intriguing to me. Do you think Comet washing headlights are a good idea if you are planning to restore them?

I suppose the sanding step kind of nullifies this possibly..?

Washing oxidized headlights with Comet will chew or abrade "some" of the dead, oxidized plastic off but you're correct - if you're already planning on sanding them then washing first with Comet would be redundant.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike: I noticed you said Comet is a secret weapon you use on single stage paint.

Do you use it only on white or would you use it on other colors as well. I'm sure the abrasion would be pretty frightening to see on a darker color...even if you know it will be polished out.

Good questions. "Yes" I have used it on colored cars but ALL were SINGLE STAGE. It's important that everyone understands this.

Here's my article on this topic.

The COMET Technique by Mike Phillips - 1965 Cadillac - Original Single Stage Paint - Slam job by Mike Phillips


Yancy and I show the technique in this video,

Also noticed you coated the vehicle after using One Step. Won't the sealants in the One Step cause issues with the coating you applied afterwards?

That is the conventional wisdom and consensus. I never tell anyone else to do this, but it works for me. Here's my article on this topic,

BLACKFIRE One Step Topped with PBL Surface Coating - 2019 Chevy Impala

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

More...


I "think" I'm the first guy to ever teach and document the Comet Technique in a formal detailing class?



This last September, we had a RECORD BREAKING class for all kinds of new records. One of the records we broke was how many cars detailed over 3 days. For the September class,

17 cars detailed in 3 days!



Another record we broke was this class was able to detail 3 cars with single stage paint and 2 of the cars had the ORIGINAL paint. The students dug it.

Here's a dedicated article from that class besides the pictures and comments write-up.


1968 Cadillac Original Paint Detailing Class - September 2020


Here's the class using COMET during the Prep Wash.

Find any other class that is photo-documented showing this technique? Bueller?

Final results...

Here's a couple of BEFORE pictures...

For everyone that will read this into the future, (I always type for the future, not the moment), PLEASE read the entire write-up before using the Comet Technique. There's a lot more involved and this class was under my direction and supervision the entire time. I point this out because I've been there and done this a number of times with single stage paint. It's not for the faint of heart.

1968 Cadillac Original Paint Detailing Class - September 2020