1941 Buick Super Convertible Detail with Pinnacle

FrankS

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I got the opportunity to detail this beautiful 1941 Buick. My main product of choice for this detail was the Pinnacle brand.

Here's a picture of the car at a car show before I worked on it. This picture may have been taken a few years ago.

The owner wanted to get it ready for another upcoming car show.
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Car was washed with Pinnacle LC Waterless Wash and then clayed using Pinnacle Clay Lube and Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Bar.

Overall the car was in pretty good shape but had some light to moderate swirls throughout. I was under time constraints on this project and wasn't able to capture a good picture of the swirls using my phone but here's a shot of what a section looked like after a 1-step using the Flex 3401, white Hybrid pad and Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover.
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Taping up some areas before polishing.
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The fabric/canvas convertible top was in excellent condition, didn't want to stain it with polish while polishing.
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Some of the tools of the trade. This car had a little bit of everything, large panels, curved panels, narrow panels, etc. Having a variety of tools makes the job easier. A section of the hood was wetsanded with 3000 grit and then compounded with the Flex 3401, orange Hybrid pad and Pinnacle Advanced compounded. It was a pleasure working with the Pinnacle polish and compound...long working time and no dusting.
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Here's the Flex PE8 with a 2" backing plate and pad. The 1" BP & 3" BP with their respective pads were also used to get into those tight areas.
It's either the machine or by hand.
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The tires needed some attention. Here's some build-up of dirt and grime. Each one of these "grooves" was tediously cleaned using a microfiber utility towel wrapped around my finger along with some Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner. Using a brush caused too much splatter.
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The whitewalls also needed some attention. I found Duragloss White Wall Cleaner to work very good. The left side is cleaned. Picture is not that great but they came out looking good.
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The convertible top was carefully vacuumed as well as the interior. The interior was already in great condition so it was wiped down with Pinnacle Leather & Vinyl Cleaner and a MF towel. Glass was cleaned with Pinnacle Crystal Clear Glass Cleaner. I may become addicted to the Pinnacle line, since they all have a pleasant aroma :xyxthumbs:.

Finally, Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Car Wax was applied as the last step by machine (Porter Cable) and by hand with a foam applicator pad.

Here are the final beauty shots.
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I put the pictures on Photobucket, it should work now.

I got the opportunity to detail this beautiful 1941 Buick. My main product of choice for this detail was the Pinnacle brand.

Here's a picture of the car at a car show before I worked on it. This picture may have been taken a few years ago.

The owner wanted to get it ready for another upcoming car show.
800_007_zpscu2uqu8i.jpg


Car was washed with Pinnacle LC Waterless Wash and then clayed using Pinnacle Clay Lube and Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Bar.

Overall the car was in pretty good shape but had some light to moderate swirls throughout. I was under time constraints on this project and wasn't able to capture a good picture of the swirls using my phone but here's a shot of what a section looked like after a 1-step using the Flex 3401, white Hybrid pad and Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover.
800_022_zpskxgbhm0g.jpg


Taping up some areas before polishing.
800_025_zpskmfjwvbc.jpg


The fabric/canvas convertible top was in excellent condition, didn't want to stain it with polish while polishing.
800_026_zpslvi3jjrx.jpg


800_027_zpsfolnuxfx.jpg


Some of the tools of the trade. This car had a little bit of everything, large panels, curved panels, narrow panels, etc. Having a variety of tools makes the job easier. A section of the hood was wetsanded with 3000 grit and then compounded with the Flex 3401, orange Hybrid pad and Pinnacle Advanced compounded. It was a pleasure working with the Pinnacle polish and compound...long working time and no dusting.
800_028_zpswlclau4d.jpg


Here's the Flex PE8 with a 2" backing plate and pad. The 1" BP & 3" BP with their respective pads were also used to get into those tight areas.
It's either the machine or by hand.
800_024_zpsgnvmv5za.jpg


The tires needed some attention. Here's some build-up of dirt and grime. Each one of these "grooves" was tediously cleaned using a microfiber utility towel wrapped around my finger along with some Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner. Using a brush caused too much splatter.
800_030_zpsvxjtmyhf.jpg


The whitewalls also needed some attention. I found Duragloss White Wall Cleaner to work very good. The left side is cleaned. Picture is not that great but they came out looking good.
800_031_zpstt85rp8s.jpg


The convertible top was carefully vacuumed as well as the interior. The interior was already in great condition so it was wiped down with Pinnacle Leather & Vinyl Cleaner and a MF towel. Glass was cleaned with Pinnacle Crystal Clear Glass Cleaner. I may become addicted to the Pinnacle line, since they all have a pleasant aroma.

Finally, Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Car Wax was applied as the last step by machine (Porter Cable) and by hand with a foam applicator pad.

Here are the final beauty shots.
800_049_zpsdgxdrnhl.jpg


800_056_zpsqmlb7m4w.jpg


800_055_zpsux3ruxww.jpg


800_054_zpsgkio5x3f.jpg


800_053_zpsmkvef2ng.jpg


800_052_zpsvf9ecfbj.jpg


800_051_zpstenbtkhe.jpg


800_050_zpskvaefzyn.jpg
 
Amazing... Did this car have clear coat instead of single stage?
How long did the detail event take? (lots of sheet metal on this car).

The car had clear coat except for the trunk lid which was single stage.

The complete detail took me two days. The owner paid for a 1-step polish but I over delivered and did a 2-step where needed.

This was a first time client so I really wanted to give him a good deal and he has more cars in his collection :).
 
Frank, that Classic looks great now! I'm not surprised the Duragloss product worked well for you..I haven't found one I didn't like yet. Love the trick to keep the top up to do the upper support.
 
Nicely done.

Thank you.

Great work Frank, stunning car

Thanks Vargas.

Frank, that Classic looks great now! I'm not surprised the Duragloss product worked well for you..I haven't found one I didn't like yet. Love the trick to keep the top up to do the upper support.

Thanks Richy, I heard good things about the Duragloss so I thought I would give it a try, I wasn't disappointed.

It was actually the owner's idea to use the block of wood to keep the top up. To do it, we had to unsnap some of the buttons of the convertible top from the metal frame. The guy knows his cars, he's been restoring and rebuilding cars most of his life :xyxthumbs:.
 
Pristine work, very, very, very nice job, Frank!

What a stunning result you got on whitewalls, congrats.

Thanks a lot for sharing,

Best Wishes.
 
Pristine work, very, very, very nice job, Frank!

What a stunning result you got on whitewalls, congrats.

Thanks a lot for sharing,

Best Wishes.

Thanks Tato!
 
Frank - amazing work!! Really stunning!!! P.S. Question for you -> is there a secret behind using the PC7424 versus the Flex 3401 for the last step wax application? Just curious

ScottH
 
Frank - amazing work!! Really stunning!!! P.S. Question for you -> is there a secret behind using the PC7424 versus the Flex 3401 for the last step wax application? Just curious

ScottH

I like using the PC for applying the last step wax or sealant because of its shape and size. I usually use it with one hand as I'm spreading the wax. Just personal preference.
 
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