Detailed: 1996 Ford Taurus

[Frugle]

Hello all,

So this is my third try, I've detailed detailed my mom's expedition and my camry and learned how to use my new PC/ Optimum Polish/Compound kit that I bought from autogeek.

This is completely a presale make crap look good detail. The car used to be in great shape, when I owned it, but then when I bought my camry, my sister drove this one, and now it looks like crap to me. It had pretty bad oxidation, and several large scratches that were not there when it was mine.

Up until this point, I have used liquid NXT as my LSP, but since I was selling it, I wanted it to look as good as possible, so I used zaino since I heard it did wonders on red.

Products Used
Dawn wash
PC 7424
Optimum polish
Optimum Compound
Wolfgang orange cutting pad
Wolfgang small profile orange cutting pad
Zaino ZFX
Zaino Z2 pro
Zaino Z8
Top Of The Line High temp tire cleaner
Amor all Extreme Tire shine Gel
Chemical guys VRT
Stoner invisible glass


The Mission
Make the car look good to sell

The Results
acceptable, not outstanding, but acceptable.


this is same as the Expedition and expedition, so this is basically a cut and paste.
The Process
Fill a main bucket with dawn and water
fill a secondary bucket with fresh water for rinsing
Wash the wheels using a designated microfiber(re) towel
Wash the tires using a tire brush, doused in the dawn water, and topped with Bon Ami (bars aid)
Empty said buckets and refill with same materials
Wash the car completely using a MF mit [for more bite than a lambswool]
Dry the car by first, blowing it with a leaf blower, and then using MF towels and the chase method.

Examine the car for any abnormalities and break out the PC.
Apply Optimum polish or Compound in a circle around the wolfgang orange cutting pad.
Spread polish on panel while turned off
turn on PC on speed 3 to work the polish in.
Turn PC to speed 5.5 and start polishing.
Move PC in a switchback pattern moving at about 1/2 to 1 inch per second.
After worked in completely, examine. If saticfied, move on.
Continue this method, periodically moving the car in and out of the garage to see if I am doing anything. (looking at the sun through the finish.

When done polishing,
QD the car using Zaino Z6 spray.
Create my Z2 pro concoction using the provided 2 ounce bottles, fill botlle 2/3s full, put 6 drops of ZFX, and 1 spray of Z8.
Apply to car using vertical storkes on all panels, and horizontal strokes on hood.
Apply z2 to wheels.
Let dry for 30 minutes, and then buff.
again, QD the car using Z6 and prepare for a second coat.
Apply second coat, including wheels.
Again wait 30 minutes, and buff.
again, QD the truck using z6.
Wait 30-40 minutes, and buff using a PC with microfiber[re] cover.
Apply a final coat of Zaino Z8 show car seal and gawk at your work.

Apply Chemical Guys VRT to all Vinyl, rubber, and (optionally) tires (VRT).
Opt to apply Armor All Extreme Tire Shine Gel to tires.

Vacuum all interior carpets

gawk at your work and pat yourself on the back for suffering through the arm pains.

​

Objects Learned

• Oxidation is a mess... clogs up your pads way to fast.
• this was my first time trying to get out larger scratches, and that was kind of annoying.
• didn't really learn a whole lot else.

Conclusion
I still take WAY to long... It took me all day to do what I got done... it didn't look great afterwards, but it looked okay.


Overall, I did okay. I enjoyed it... just like the camry, it's a tuarus, so no-one gives a crap anyways.

The car sold for $2300, mainly because it looked good... so that's a good thing.

Thank you autopia/autogeek for teaching me everything I know.


Now, on to the pictures.

Since I paid the $1400 to get it fixed, it had become my car again, so I had been keeping it cleaner... just havn't taking the time to detail it.

swirl marks and scratches

after 1 pass on the roof, which got rid of most of the big scratch

I changed the color on one of them so you can see the oxidation

after polishing the headlights

After detail, before wax.

 

[Frugle]

After wax

interior

sooooooo, here are some before and afters.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

and a pretty good underexposed shot showing the reflections

 

[Nuke33]

Looks awsome, i love your work! you write up are some of the best i have seen...

 

[RTexasF]

I think you did a fine job and someone bought a darn nice sedan for their money.

 

[Truls]

U made it like new again, great write up too.

 

[justin_murphy]

Very nice detail and write up!!!!

I appreciate you doing it!

 

[Meghan]

Nice turn around! Amazing how you can give a new life to a vehicle with a good detail!

 

[abrcrombe]

Nice work!! Your write up was very interesting to read as well. It was like you were in my house telling me what you did. I liked it. So you bought the car from your sister for 1400 and sold it for 2300?? That is a good sale then!

 

[Frugle]

Thanks for the comments..

Unfortuantly abrcrombe, no. I was always the one footing the bills.

The car was given to my by my parents in august of 2005 when my mom bought her expedition. during those months after the car was repeatedly in the shop getting fixed, probably a little over $2000 worth of stuff... so when it broke in in april of 2006, with a radiator problem, I said screw it, and bought my camry.

At that point, my dad paid the 450 dollars to get the radiator fixed, and then it reclaimed ownership of it... at that point he let my sister drive it, and that is how it got to look that way.

When she went back to school without the car, I assumed ownership again, and began to drive whenever it rained so I didn't have to get my new car wet.

then it broke, had to be towed, one repair shop quoted 2000 to fix it... so my dad said screw it, you pay it, and you can sell it and collect, or we will give it to a junk yard.

so, I took it to a ford dealership, had it fixed for 1400, (includeing tow bills etc) detailed it than sold it.

so all that to say, yeah, I made 900 bucks selling it, but I'm the one who spent the 3000 bucks keeping it running also. :\

so yeah, thanks for the comments!

 

[P1et]

That is some very fine work, the after pictures make the car look like it had a respray!

 

[ltoman]

Excellet work is right! I think that is the best anyone could have done. Give yourself credit!
I wanted to ask - unless I inadvertently missed it in your write up, what did you use on the headlights? And what process? I am very interested to hear, as they looked so much better, and we are going to sell our old van, but I can't clear the headlights!!! Suggestions?
You are the man today!!
Sorry about the expense. I know all about that. My fist car was a used K car - an '81 Plymouth Reliant! A bigger peice of crap has never been created. 10k and the brakes would go metal to metal, the timing chain blew at 40k, and I could go on and on, so I understand - for what that is worth. I paid for it too.
Lauren

 

[Nica]

Dude that is awesome work you did there. I love the write up, the write up was so good I'm keeping a record of it. I'm impressed with the headlights, they look really good what a difference.

I can totally relate to the sister thing, I too have a sister and I went through the same scenario. I feel you man but you did a great job at restoring it.

Those scratches on the roof looked mean but you did a great job removing them.

 

[Frugle]

BTW, the after shot of the scratches is only half the roof, I went and did the other half but forgot to take a picture...

thanks again for the comments!

 

[supercharged]

Very nice job! Looks like new again!:applause:

 

[sparkie]

Frugle, very nice write up. Outstanding job on the car.