Dirty Girl - Extreme Maserati Makeover!

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Parting shot, time to shut down Autogeek's Show Car Garage and set the alarm...

Cool car. The right color for this car too...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

@Mike, interesting applicator you made there. Is there a reason you prefer that over what most other coatings come with (suede over a foam block)?

Cheap.
Works well.
Fast.
Bubba-Proof.
I always have these types of foam pads around or with me.
Easy to use.

Million ways to skin a cat, I have nothing against any of the other methods.


Big Picture = get the coating on with uniform coverage and without marring (scratching) the paint.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

No, the battery won't fit. Each brand likes to have their own format.

That's correct.

Usually fits everything in the same brand but not always true.

I think that's also correct.

I'm thinking these Flex cordless polishers all use the same battery and if you buy multiple tools you got your multiple batteries that are interchangeable.

That's correct.

The company that owns FLEX also owns their own battery technology.

Chervon



The below is from my most recent Roadshow Car Detailing Class from page 2

Pictures: Autogeek’s Roadshow Class with PRAXIS Detailing in Auburn, Indiana



Power on the go!

Chris Metcalf from FLEX brought along this nifty device called,

EGO Nexus Power Station

Tech Specs

3000W Peak 2000Watt Continuous
3 120V A/C Outlets
4 USB Ports
Bright LED Display Shows Run Time
Robust Steel Handles
Battery Powered Alternative to Gas Generators
Quiet Clean Power for Indoor and Outdoor Use
4 Port Battery Charger (when plugged in)
Weather-Resistant Construction


This product is built and owned by the parent company to FLEX

FLEX battery technology is top shelf.

 

[DMW]

Do you normally compound the whole car like that? Isn't it like cement by the time you're done with the whole car? My method is to do a panel, and get the compound off asap so it's not a pita to remove. I then polish that same panel before I move to the next panel. That way I don't have to keep moving my lights around.

BTW, I REALLY hate cords of any kind and this really sells me on the new cordless Flex.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Do you normally compound the whole car like that? Isn't it like cement by the time you're done with the whole car? My method is to do a panel, and get the compound off asap so it's not a pita to remove. I then polish that same panel before I move to the next panel. That way I don't have to keep moving my lights around.

Good question.

The answer is "yes" normally wipe off compounds and polishes after each panel is buffed.

Because I was taking and sharing videos and pictures on both this forum and my FB page simultaneously and also under tight time constraints, I broke the car into 3 sections determined by battery life. Top of car and glass, hood, front of car and driver's side then passenger side and back of car.

So in this case I just suffered a little. Really, the compound wasn't that hard to wipe off with good towels, I used the Forrest Green Edgeless I like. And I turned the air conditioning down to 74 degrees to bust this project out.

BTW, I REALLY hate cords of any kind and this really sells me on the new cordless Flex.

Here's the deal and I'm being really honest. I've also posted this before on this forum and share this personal insight in my classes.

If I'm trying to buff out a car as fast as I can then I use the corded FLEX 3401.

If I don't have to knock the car out as fast as humanly possible, then I choose and prefer the cordless FLEX just for the freedom of not having to hassle with a cord. It's a huge difference. You could say huge connivence and even blessing.

Never having to maintain the cord over your shoulder when buffing out the roof, hood and trunk lid.

Never having to string an extension cord down one side of the car and then manage it as you move from one end of the vertical panels on the side of the car to the other end of the car.

Nice.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Wow?

No comments?

:dunno:

Maybe people don’t want to interrupt the posting/documenting you’re doing, guessing that’s why there’s a lack of comments right now... or maybe we’re all speechless as to how fast you’re knocking this out, Mike!!

I get it.

I just thought more people, regular members, new members, etc. would be interested in this. I don't ever see detail work posted in a blow-by-blow manner like I did this car today and share it simultaneously on both the forum and Facebook, not a big deal, just never see it.


Also - and I hate to date myself, but I've been posting how-to info to the Internet as long as some detailers and in most cases longer and PEOPLE, that's you and I), have been ASKING for CORDLESS BUFFERS for years. No DECADES.

Now they're here.

So I was thinking there would be more passion and excitement from the detailing world?

And if you want to go deeper - think of this question.

How often are NEW tools introduced? In context of car detailing tools the answer is not very often. Next up is the UDOS and whatever is shared at SEMA in a few months.


So yeah, I thought there would be more action but alas - forums are dead. Or at least that's what those around me say.


Maybe it's time to start posting garbled texts with no sentence structure or formatting with lumped together pictures to a FB group and accept that's just how the online world has devolved.


:dunno:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Y

>> I noticed that you basically only taped the sunroof and the side mirrors, why was that? <<

Those were the only areas I felt I needed to protect so I could work fast and sloppy.


Good question.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Starting work at noon Mike? Are you a banker?

The clock shows noon but it was 11:something am.

I took the clock down our of my office and set the hands to NOON to document battery and process time, that's all.

The clock does not indicate "real time". I'm using it to time this project as I work through it.

 

[mbkite]

Out standing work as always. And great internet teacher. Thanks for your time and effort.
You make autogeekonline what it is.....

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Only way I have found to show road film is on white paint.

When you clean and decontaminate white paint, the before and after are quite revealing. Some of my clients have said to me they did not understand how I can make their white paint so white Well, when you normally go to a car wash, you can't expect miracles

Copy that. This is actually the deeper point of one of my oldest articles.

The Lesson White Paint Teaches Us

Only worked on a Maserati once, and it was for debadging and scratch removal. How thick and hard is the paint on the one you are working on? The one I did had soft paint if I remember correctly. It was pretty thick too, which is nice to see when you are there to remove scratches

I'd put his in the medium range. It's not so hard that it's a pain in the butt to buff out but not so soft that it scratches when you wipe compound off.

I've done 2-3 just like this one this year, all the same paint hardness.

 

[Justin at Final Inspection]

Man Mike what a great demo! Also a beautiful blue paint color too!

 

[57Rambler]

Maybe it's time to start posting garbled texts with no sentence structure or formatting with lumped together pictures to a FB group and accept that's just how the online world has devolved.


:dunno:

I've been on-line since the days when the 'Net consisted of only email and newsgroups and you accessed via a 14.4K modem and Ripterm software. I have watched the 'Net's rise and subsequent decline. One of the most disappointing things has been the regression in to what you describe above, and this is one of the reasons I avoid most "social media" like the plague, excepting forums like this one.

You clearly take pride not only in your detailing work and instruction, but also in the way you present it for others' consumption. To dumb down the presentation to today's social media "standards" would be a mistake IMHO because getting across the important details of detailing requires detail.

I better stop before I am cited for excessive use of the word "detail", especially in one sentence ...

 

[Calendyr]

The clock shows noon but it was 11:something am.

I took the clock down our of my office and set the hands to NOON to document battery and process time, that's all.

The clock does not indicate "real time". I'm using it to time this project as I work through it.

I know, was just teasing you. You mentioned in one of the posts that you set it that way to show time taken.

 

[Calendyr]

I've been on-line since the days when the 'Net consisted of only email and newsgroups and you accessed via a 14.4K modem and Ripterm software. I have watched the 'Net's rise and subsequent decline. One of the most disappointing things has been the regression in to what you describe above, and this is one of the reasons I avoid most "social media" like the plague, excepting forums like this one.

You clearly take pride not only in your detailing work and instruction, but also in the way you present it for others' consumption. To dumb down the presentation to today's social media "standards" would be a mistake IMHO because getting across the important details of detailing requires detail.

I better stop before I am cited for excessive use of the word "detail", especially in one sentence ...

I started with a 300 baud modem using an acoustic coupler on Coco-1 computer At that time the Internet was years away. We were using BBS (bulletin board systems) ran by individuals on their personal computers. Things have evolved quite a bit since then

 

[Dr Oldz]

I really am interested in and will get the Cordless Beast. Honestly this thread answered some of my questions for sure and I thank you for that!

I assume it comes with a 5 inch backing plate to kinda keep the strain off the battery some? I ask because I often use the 6 inch BP for my 3401.

I also plan on getting the new Super Beast when it comes out! Mike, my question to you about that is.... does The finisher, the Cordless finisher, the CBeast and the Super Beast all use the same backing plate or are they machine specific? They all look similar to me. Thank you


PS..... the car looks fantastic!!

 

[SWETM]

Wow Mike that is working fast and with amazing results!

Thanks so much for shareing your work and the knowledge you have!

/ Tony

 

[Aaryn NZ]

. . . . Well that was an enjoyable thread!

Thank you Mike. rops:

I spotted this this morning but knew it would distract me if I kept an eye on it, so was patient, got my work done, spent time with the family & here I am. :dblthumb2:

I have said it before & I believe it’s actually a thing - not having a cord around certainly makes you aware of how taxing (okay, I’m not talking running a marathon type taxing but taxing nonetheless) it is keeping the cord away from the paint, over the shoulder etc. I love working with the cordless PE 150 & XFE, they’re so well balanced & a real joy to work with. I agree with Mike, if I was working on a time frame I’d go corded for sure but for a more relaxed detail & for the pleasure experience, man, I’m reaching for the Flex Cordless tools all day. I can only imagine how awesome the CBEAST is in hand. :buffing:

So, battery life is IMO quite impressive. I had wondered what the CBEAST would be like in comparison to the XFE & PE as I have found the batteries last a touch longer on the PE as apposed to the XFE & figured the action of the tool played a part in that.

Results! Well, the Maserati looks incredible Mike! rops: So we know it works. You knocked it out in great time & managed to create an extremely well documented article/thread about it at the same time . . . :bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

I didn’t need any convincing prior to reading this that I want this tool (& it’s corded sibling) but you’ve left no doubts in my mind - here, take my money. :buffing:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Mike, my question to you about that is.... does The finisher, the Cordless finisher, the CBeast and the Super Beast all use the same backing plate or are they machine specific? They all look similar to me. Thank you

Great question. rops:


Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I've been on-line since the days when the 'Net consisted of only email and newsgroups and you accessed via a 14.4K modem and Ripterm software.

Me to. I got my start posting to

rec.autos.misc
rec.autos.tech


Here's the link to one of my how-to articles posted to rec.autos.misc dated

1994

You can see by the attributes it's an article I posted to rec.autos.misc but someone way back then, snagged it and put it on the | International MR2 Owners Club website.

Chances are, no one that runs the mr2.com website even knows it's there. It's probably in some file directory on the server and on the actual website there's no longer a link to it. I found it via Google somehow.

It's been there for 25 years now. I don't know off hand of anyone that can document a car detailing how-to article that's still around older than this.

I'm embarrassed to say back then I had ZERO writing style. The article is filled with spelling errors and grammar mistakes. But also note, I wrote this before Microsoft Word was invented. I probably wrote it "in" the Usenet Newsgroup interface and it didn't have a spell check. Not that I cannot spell, it's just I type faster than I think.

I have watched the 'Net's rise and subsequent decline. One of the most disappointing things has been the regression in to what you describe above, and this is one of the reasons I avoid most "social media" like the plague, excepting forums like this one.

Copy that.

You clearly take pride not only in your detailing work and instruction, but also in the way you present it for others' consumption.

I do. My mom and dad instilled a strong work ethic in my when I was young. Thank you Mom and Dad.

When I read anything on Facebook or in YouTube comments or on Instagram, there's simply no substance. There's also no formatting. And this simply means it's difficult for anyone to display meaty content in a way that most people can absorb and then actually learn from and just as important put to use. I get it that it's "convenient" but that doesn't make it good.

To dumb down the presentation to today's social media "standards" would be a mistake IMHO because getting across the important details of detailing requires detail.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience in the cyber-world. Lifted my spirits.


:dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I really am interested in and will get the Cordless Beast. Honestly this thread answered some of my questions for sure and I thank you for that!

I assume it comes with a 5 inch backing plate to kinda keep the strain off the battery some? I ask because I often use the 6 inch BP for my 3401.

Yes. The

I also plan on getting the new Super Beast when it comes out!

I like that name for the new style of corded 3401 aka The Super Beast.

Mike, my question to you about that is....

does The finisher, the Cordless finisher, the CBeast and the Super Beast all use the same backing plate or are they machine specific?

They all look similar to me.

Thank you

I just got off the phone with Chris at FLEX and he says "yes", the new design tools will all use the same new design backing plate. Both 5" and 6" backing plates will be available. WE as in Autogeek, just received the first shipment of the new design backing plates. I will get them next week, take some pictures and write a new article to showcase the new design and answer any further questions.



So hang tight until next week.