Detailed my daily driver - my first ever detail :-)

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I have a lot more details on my blog post (see link in my signature at bottom), so I will keep this post to necessary pics and details. I detailed my 4-month old 2012 Nissan Altima (daily driver) today. I just completed a road trip, so the car is filthy. Once the dealer glaze wore off, I could see tons of scratches and swirls in the car.. the pics below explain it better than any words.

Before Pics:
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Products Used

Wash & Dry:
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Claying:
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Compounding:
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Polishing:
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Sealing/Waxing:
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After Pics:
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Laundry for tonight:
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What next?
It is best to have two layer of wax or sealant. Some people top the sealant with a Carnauba wax, while some top it of with another sealant. My goal is to get the best durability, which rules out Carnauba. I decided to top off with Collinite 845 – a highly durable hybrid liquid (i.e. sealant + wax mix). FK1000p has a cure time of 3 days for best looks, so I have decided to wait a full week and top off with #845 next weekend. Stay tuned for an update
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My blog post has a lot more detail and pics from each step. Follow the link in my signature if you are interested.
Thanks for looking!
 
That's a 4 month old car:eek:

You did a great job on the car for sure but where in the heck did you find the Big White hi-temp wax, that belongs in the thread I started about old waxes, never even heard of it and it looks real old, maybe its only available on Amity Island during the 4th of July weekend, ask the counter guy for it, I think his name is Quint but he's been gone for a while they say, something about a permanent vacation!

Seeing that its black, I'd add another coat of something on there to protect it but whatever you do, don't let it get that bad again, ok:nomore:
 
That paint looked 10+ years old before your correction. Had to re-read the 2012 Altima a few times just to make sure. Car looks fantastic now!
 
The Hi-Temp wax is sold through AG. It's kind of hard to find. It used to listed in the Marine products, but I don't see it there any more. You have to go to the Products By Name link and then click on the Finish Kare product line link and look for it. It's pretty hidden. Anyway, here's the link. Cheap too.

Finish Kare 1000P Hi-Temp Paste Wax, high melt polymer car wax, Finish care auto wax


Klasse Act said:
That's a 4 month old car:eek:

You did a great job on the car for sure but where in the heck did you find the Big White hi-temp wax, that belongs in the thread I started about old waxes, never even heard of it and it looks real old, maybe its only available on Amity Island during the 4th of July weekend, ask the counter guy for it, I think his name is Quint but he's been gone for a while they say, something about a permanent vacation!

Seeing that its black, I'd add another coat of something on there to protect it but whatever you do, don't let it get that bad again, ok:nomore:
Click to expand...
 
Awesome job there! How long did it take you from start to finish?

And ew, bugs.
 
Very nice for your first time! I would apply another coat to ensure even coverage.
 
john b said:
nice job
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Jughead said:
Awesome work walletless :dblthumb2:
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Thanks John & Jughead :-)

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
I agree!

For being only a few months old that paint was horrific looking and now it looks better than new!

Nice work and great pictures...



:dblthumb2:
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TimmyG said:
That paint looked 10+ years old before your correction. Had to re-read the 2012 Altima a few times just to make sure. Car looks fantastic now!
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike & Tim.. Yes, it was in pretty bad shape.. its tough the maintain the finish when the car is parked outside in direct sunlight and lots of trees around (bird droppings galore) about 10 hours everyday.. My work place does not have covered parking, and to top it, there is lots of construction going on that make things worse :-(

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Checked out your blog and THANK YOU for the kind words and mention of our forum and down the page a ways a reference to some of our videos...





Very cool...


:dblthumb2:
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AGO is a wonderful place for sure! I have gone through SEVERAL of your articles and videos before gathering the courage to touch that paint! Hopefully some n00b like me will find that post useful since I have collated the most useful videos in one place.

Klasse Act said:
That's a 4 month old car:eek:

You did a great job on the car for sure but where in the heck did you find the Big White hi-temp wax, that belongs in the thread I started about old waxes, never even heard of it and it looks real old, maybe its only available on Amity Island during the 4th of July weekend, ask the counter guy for it, I think his name is Quint but he's been gone for a while they say, something about a permanent vacation!

Seeing that its black, I'd add another coat of something on there to protect it but whatever you do, don't let it get that bad again, ok:nomore:
Click to expand...

lokerola said:
The Hi-Temp wax is sold through AG. It's kind of hard to find. It used to listed in the Marine products, but I don't see it there any more. You have to go to the Products By Name link and then click on the Finish Kare product line link and look for it. It's pretty hidden. Anyway, here's the link. Cheap too.

Finish Kare 1000P Hi-Temp Paste Wax, high melt polymer car wax, Finish care auto wax
Click to expand...

Haha! Yes, AGO still sells FK1000p.. if you just go to the store and search for fk1000p it shows up. A fellow AGO'er sent me the tin, along with several goodies for free. I was not sure if he wants his name to be disclosed, but he sent me TONS of stuff for free that was put to good use when detailing this car :-)
 
Mustang81 said:
Awesome job there! How long did it take you from start to finish?

And ew, bugs.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mustang81. This was my first time, so I took plenty of time and did things very slowly. Washing/drying and claying took about an hour each. I spent about an hour on the test spot to ensure that I am using a product that will be effective. UC worked great, but I also tried SwirlX and M101. SwirlX did not give me enough correction, and M101 gave me great correction but left behind a lot of powdery/dusty mess, so UC seemed like the best product. Compound an polishing took about 2-3 hours each!!! After compounding, I took a break and resumed next day (I washed the entire car with ONR QD strength before starting next day - so another 45 minutes spent there). Yes, I was THAT slow. I am sure things will be faster when I do this next time, but I wanted to be as careful as I can for the first time. Waxing was the EASIEST - took about 15-20 minutes to put on, another 15 minutes to take off..

Overall, start to finish, I spent about 10 hours between 2 days.

rider9195 said:
Very nice for your first time! I would apply another coat to ensure even coverage.
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Yes, Collinite 845 next weekend :-)
Like I said, the car literally bakes in sunlight, bird dropping, rain, and construction about 10 hours everyday.. so even with fk1000p + 845, I am looking at having to rewax after 3 months or so. I'll be maintaining with regular ONR wash with Megs Quick wax.
 
I have to ask - have you ever considered opti coat for this vehicle? Sounds like it'd be the perfect car for it imo.
 
TimmyG said:
I have to ask - have you ever considered opti coat for this vehicle? Sounds like it'd be the perfect car for it imo.
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Yes... but I already have so much wax and sealant.. I gotta get through that before I drop more $$ for any LSP.
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^^ The pic above is missing several paste wax.. I have Megs Ultimate Paste wax, the FK1000p, and one more (don't remember the name) :-)
 
Now this is a great thread including a beautiful first detail and some accolades to boot! :props:
 
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