Gotta love the world of autogeek, met an autogeek fraternity brother today.

L

lj993

New member
Mar 15, 2014
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La Jolla, Calif.
I flew out to Boston for the holidays. My daughter and her husband are attending grad school out here. My daughter has a 2003 4Runner. The headlights had clouded over pretty badly. I didn’t want to lug a polisher from San Diego.

When I got to Boston I decided to check on Craigslist. I found a flex 3401 and a box full of pads listed for a great price just a twenty minute drive from campus. Turns out the seller is an autogeek detail fest graduate! He recently bought a Rupes and decided to part with the flex. He let me interrupt his Christmas afternoon to drive down and pick up the polisher and pads He could not have been more hospitable He even gave me some McKee’s 360 for the headlights! Terrific guy. Small world. I hope to return the favor.

Found an electrical outlet in the school housing parking structure and went to work on the headlights. They turned out great. The paint is going to take some work. Hood feels like sand paper. I need to pick up some clay tomorrow and get to work. Thankfully the parking structure is enclosed and the temperatures inside is pretty nice. Outside temp is about 30’.

I am am planning to Polish out the truck and then catch some historic sites. Thank you sir! Merry Christmas. Phil

Ps the McKee’s 360 worked nicely on the headlights. I tried it on some moderate swirl marks on the hood. I wasn’t too imptressed. Although I couldn’t do a side by side comparison, the 360 didn’t seem to cut and correct as well as hd speed or Blackfire One Step. I will try again after I have a chance to Clay it tomorrow. how I wish that there was an autogeek outlet here in Boston! Sadly I don’t have time to wait for shipment from Florida.
 
Cool story. I once did the same in Northern Virginia purchasing equipment from a hand that upgraded. Also got a lot of freebies in the deal. But my most memorable AGO experiences has been those where I stopped somewhere along my travels to meet fellow AGO members and break bread with them and their families. AGO is a wonderful Brotherhood.
 
You will find other fellow Autogeek brothers here in the Boston area. Definitely look up Justin at Final Inspection next time you are in the area. You can also stop by Taunton and use your Flex on my truck. :laughing:
Maybe during my next trip to San Diego, we can catch the races at Del Mar.
 
Well I completed my first ever hoseless detail. I found a power outlet but no hose bib in the parking structure. Did a Home Depot fun for a “homer” bucket, a spray bottle and a 50 foot extension cord. Then hit Autozone for a mother’s pack of yellow clay/detail spray, a wheel brush, some WD-40 and a bottle of interior cleaner/protectant. Filled the Homer Home Depot bucket in the kitchen sink, I forgot what a minimalist life grad students live. Lugged the 3/4 full bucket of water down the elevator, across the quad and through two security-card required doors and down into the parking structure. Campus is pretty empty due to the Christmas break.

(I was going to go to a quickee car wash and get the 4runner cleaned up before I started the detail. I found a drive through wash about a mile down the road from campus, $14.95 for a drive through non-full serve car wash. Whoa! I passed, just couldn’t do it). Boston/Cambridge is a tough town, no cheap car washes and the 7/11s dont have diet dr. Pepper on tap!

I proceeded to wipe down the 4runner panel by panel with a damp rag, wipe, dip in the bucket of water, wring it out and wipe the next panel. No Two bucket wash for me!

The yellow Mother’s yellow clay was meh. Not nearly aggressive enough and it tended to fall apart. I have never used clay like that before. This would have been the perfect time to use a clay mitt. With some work, It did take off the rough surface contaminants. Surface came out nice and smooth.

I used the McKee’s 37 360 panel by panel. A little goes a long way. I used an orange lake country pad for the most part. I also got a firmer yellow pad with the flex purchase, thank you again! I don’t want to mention the guys name from whom I purchased the flex and pads but he was terrific. He even took a photo of my earlier post and texted it to me. Ha! He is regular autogeek forum reader.

The 360/pad combo left a very slick finish. I didn’t get the desired overall correction results with the 360 that I was hoping. I did have unrealistic expectations. I was using limited tools/product, working under unforgiving strong overhead lighting the showed every flaw and scratch.

Any AIO product, whether it be 360, HD Speed or One Step, really isn’t meant for what I was doing. The 4runner finish really needed a solid three-step detail. That said, it looks really good.

We all jumped in the 4runner last night and drove around downtown Boston. What a cool city. Can’t wait to see more of it in the daylight.

(I need to brag just a bit, my daughter and son-in-law are both getting their MBAs and just completed the fall semesters of their second year. Two and a half weeks ago my daughter had her last day of class, took a final, an hour later her water broke and she had a baby 18 hours later. She still had one final to complete. She took It yesterday, (they gave her an extra week to complete it due to the new baby). The car detailing was my excuse for staying out of their apartment for 4 hours to let her finish her exam. Pretty amazing young lady, beautiful new baby and a great husband too!)

The 4runner has not been detailed in at least 5 years since the kids moved from Utah to Chicago and then to Boston. It’s looked good but needed some serious detailing love.

Under the lights, it looks pretty good. Nobody but an ”autogeek”would notice the light scratches. The finish came out super slick and very shiny. The type of finish you just want to run the back of your hand over! I can’t wait to see it out in the sun. The added bonus of the extra coating protection that the 360 provides over HD Speed or One Step is a plus.

It is supposed to snow tomorrow so we will check out the beading power!

I had to resist not ordering a bunch of detailing products from autogeek to be delivered here in Boston for the kids. The current 20% off sale is pretty tempting. I did order a gift certificate at 20% off earlier this week so any new order would almost be like getting it for free!

Okay. Now off to see the new grand Baby! Phil
 
So I got the 4Runner out in the sun this morning. WOW. I am very impressed with the McKee’s 37 360. It looks terrific. Color, silver, is bright and deep. I need to do a side by side with HD Speed And One Step to compare correction abilities. Very happy with the results. Phil
 
lj993 said:
I flew out to Boston for the holidays. When I got to Boston I decided to check on Craigslist. I found a flex 3401 and a box full of pads listed for a great price just a twenty minute drive from campus.

Turns out the seller is an autogeek detail fest graduate!

He recently bought a Rupes and decided to part with the flex.
Click to expand...


Good story, thanks for sharing.


In my life, I think this is the third time I can remember where someone from "a" forum sold their FLEX 3401 polisher. The other two times both people regretted it and then re-purchased brand new units.

Hope this guy is happy with this RUPES polisher.


You scored! I RARELY see the FLEX 3401 for sale used.


:)
 
Cool story.

I purchased my Flex 3401 and a set of Autogeek buckets with roller from a guy on Craigslist earlier this year. He had specifically bought them to detail his Porsche a couple years ago. That car was totaled in a wreck and he lost interest. I was reluctant to purchase new since I already had a Porter Cable, but for the price, I went for it.

Fast forward a few months and I've done a LOT of paint correction since then and it has paid for itself 10x already. Definitely a wise investment.
 
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