One Panel Per Day?

y8s

y8s

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This may be a naive question but humor me because it may be the best I can do.

I have a 5 week old and limited daylight and weather left this season. I can NOT take an 8 hour break from being dad to detail something.

Is it feasible or even a good idea to simply tackle a car one panel at a time?

here are the parameters:

I have no garage so this is done outside.
I have ONR and all the supplies I need to do the job.
I have limited skills so far.
I want to minimize time and maximize results (ha!)

I've got two cars that need some work.
First is a black miata. It's small so shouldn't take long but it needs some pretty heavy compounding to remove oxidation and swirls and moderate scratches. That's a pass with a compound and a pass with poli-seal and a layer of opti-seal on top of it. I've done the hood and front fenders and it took A LONG TIME. The car has been clayed recently and doesn't get too dirty so a quick ONR should be sufficient to clean it before I get started.

Second car is a brand new MINI Countryman. It's bigger but still relatively small. It only needs a quick horizontal surface claying and a light going-over with the poli-seal to bring out the gloss back and then a seal and wax job. Again, not too dirty for ONR I think.

Is it possible? Am I crazy? Will I end up screwing myself because of adjacent panels being less than perfect?

(I think I already know about crazy)

Thanks!
Matt
 
Hey Matt, I too have done this. I did couple a panels a day for couple of days. Each day I would use a waterless wash on the panel I am working on.
 
Ive been in your situation and my suggestion is if you want to minimize time and maximize results, get a pro on here to do it. Zero time and maximum results!

Or you can wait until your kid gets into daycare, and take a day off to detail your car. Thats what I do and my youngest is almost 3.

Otherwise you may piss off your significant other, which isnt good in the long run.
 
KneeDragr said:
Ive been in your situation and my suggestion is if you want to minimize time and maximize results, get a pro on here to do it. Zero time and maximum results!

Or you can wait until your kid gets into daycare, and take a day off to detail your car. Thats what I do and my youngest is almost 3.

Otherwise you may piss off your significant other, which isnt good in the long run.
Click to expand...

As they say: time is money... which means money is time ;)

I'm more of a DIYer so sending it out is not an option--especially since I've invested some coin in the products and tools to do it myself.

I have tried to tell my wife to help me detail but for whatever reason, she's not into it! Must be like how I am not into watching Sex and the City.
 
Sure, as long as the working surfaces are prepped at the start of each session, break it into as many parts as you need. The only real downside is if you are masking/covering parts to avoid splatter or avoid hitting some parts, you may have to unmask/remask multiple times in some areas of overlap.

Also, since you don't have an enclosed garage you may get dust from nearby panels picked up by the air from the tool, so you may want to pre-clean (waterless wash or whatever) more than just the section you plan to work on, and hit nearby panels as well. All depends on how small you have to break your sections into.

Maybe try to do all horizontal surfaces in one session (but including A, B, C pillars), then left side vertical and front in another, right side vertical and rear in another (this is for a 4-dr sedan; a truck or hatchback might need some tweaks).
 
I understand the time constraints and your desire for end resuts. I believe that you are progressing well and learning in the process. However, there is nothing wrong will not reaching desired goal and sealing up where you are now. If it were me, I'd do the Countryman first, then proceed with the others.

Use less product, lower your speed and let the OPS do its job.

I'm willing to let you use the 9227 and a couple of 6.5 MF pads if you think it would help you achieve your goal on the others in a timely manner. The key is to not overload the MF pads and keep the rpms around 900-1000. I've become accustomed to turning 1200...but it may be a bit much if inexperienced with a rotary.

If you do decide on the rotary, maybe order 2 - 6.5" foam pads instead of using the MF's, and finish out with the Griot's. I'm leaving back out tonight so hit me up with a pm (shows in email) and I'll leave the buffer in the case near the foyer where the old lady can find it.

OAN: is the dullness that you are seeing early stage clear coat failure?
Just a thought...I get compliments weekly on the Sebring, but no one sees the CC failure starting on the vertical surfaces. And being silver, it doesn't show in photos.
 
Vegas, thanks for the offer but I'm going to give it the college try with the Griots and see how it goes.

I also agree on the MINI first since it's going to take a LOT less work to get it where I want it. Also it'll be harder to screw up since I'm not using anything aggressive.


It could be early clearcoat issues, but the paint did come clean and looks great on the hood and fenders so I think it's just a matter of 12 years of damage to overcome. Maybe half of those are outdoor full time exposure.
 
10-04.
Like I said, you're progressing well...with great results.:props:
Rome was not built in a day.

y8s said:
Little update on the Miata situation.

Here are a couple of before shots. This car has never been detailed or corrected, just the occasional clay and wax. It's 11 years old and the victim of many performance modification projects that require me to lean over and hang various objects on the fender. That has taken its toll pretty clearly:

DSC_5773.JPG


DSC_5774.JPG


DSC_5775.JPG


The hood wasn't too bad, mostly just small rock chips, swirls, and water spot etching. Some of the etching was too deep to bother fixing on a daily so I hit it a few times and moved on.

First round test spot:

DSC_5780.JPG


You can see there's still a lot of dullness. The above was done with Optimum Compound II, an orange LC Flat Pad, and a GG on speed 5. I went over it a second time and followed with Polish II / White pad and had satisfactory results.

DSC_5783.JPG


Here's that front fender again:
DSC_5786.JPG


DSC_5787.JPG


DSC_5791.JPG


I'm fairly happy though I only did the fenders/hood due to time and baby constraints.

Matt
Click to expand...

*Keep a bottle of ONR or water to spray on hot panels to help lubricate the compound.
*If you remove the pad from the machine and place both out of the sun, this will allow them to cool somewhat while buffing off product with MF.
 
I may also get an EZ-up to provide temporary shade.
 
@OP:

-Many great suggestions (and encouragement), from your fellow AGO forum members.
Being attentive to their posts, IMHO, would be wise.

-I'm encouraged by your family-attentiveness.:props:

Further encouragements(?): RE: "One Panel Per Day?"...

Nowadays...I'm lucky if I get that far!

:)

Bob
 
FUNX725 said:
@OP:

-Many great suggestions (and encouragement), from your fellow AGO forum members.
Being attentive to their posts, IMHO, would be wise.

-I'm encouraged by your family-attentiveness.:props:

Further encouragements(?): RE: "One Panel Per Day?"...

Nowadays...I'm lucky if I get that far!

:)

Bob
Click to expand...

Thanks Bob.

It's tough to be all things to all people (including myself) so I have to sometimes compromise and it's the hobbies like detailing that are first on the chopping block.

I have a full time job and now the new kid so while this is a new and fun experiment, it doesn't always get as much time as I'd like to give it.

Thankfully photography is another hobby I've picked up that I can continue and involve everyone in.
 
I buffed and opti-coated my truck 1 or 2 panels at a time. Almost all done just have the roof to do yet. Why did I leave the hardest for last?!?! lol

Keep us posted on your progress!
 
Doing this to my Firebird as we "speak" its been like 4 days and I have only the hood & drivers front fender DONE and just 105 on the drivers door so far. I just get out there and take a few mins whenever. I do have a garage and it is not a black car but you shouldnt see any negative effects doing it piece by piece.
 
OK so I managed to squeeze in a few panels on my MINI Countryman.

I'm pretty happy with the results. This is a daily driver. I went over the hood and roof with a white LC flat pad and Poli-Seal. There are still some defects, but it looks as good or better than new.

No real before shots but here's a telling "after" shot (camera flash in daylight):

DSC_6135.JPG


Some more:
DSC_6121.JPG


Sun went behind a tree:
DSC_6122.JPG


DSC_6129.JPG


Factory paint isn't very level...
DSC_6131.JPG


DSC_6130.JPG


DSC_6136.JPG


DSC_6138.JPG


DSC_6143.JPG


DSC_6140.JPG


GG 6" with 5.5 inch white LC flat pad
Pinnacle clay + ONR
Poli-Seal
Opti-Seal
Optimum Car Wax
Opti-Bond Tire gel

Matt
 
Looks very good for a daily driver. Shame about the orange peel, my Vette has it like that as well. Someday Im going to get it re-cleared and then wet sand it.
 
Interesting sidenote:

This model MINI is actually built in Graz, Austria alongside the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG (or was). I read here somewhere that MB lays down a super thick clear coat on those. I wonder why they couldn't lay down a simple flat coat on mine. :)
 
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