How would you detail this car? ----> Barn Find - 1961 Plymouth Fury

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How would you detail this car? ----> Barn Find - 1961 Plymouth Fury


My good friend Jim Serra bought himself a Christmas present for himself from his wife. The funny part is he hasn't told his wife! Before she sees it in its current dirty and neglected condition I'm going to shine it up for him and then put a pretty Christmas ribbon and bow on it for the reveal.

This car is all original and a fresh barn find out of Minnesota. It has 56,545 miles on it. It's just now broken in!

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Here she is right off the car hauler from Minnesota!

The dealership told Jim that normally they wash the cars and have them detailed before they put them up for sale but for this car they just left her alone. (Good thing for Jim)

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:)
 
I'm not firm on all of my steps yet and I am thinking outside the box as to my approach.

The inside is all vinyl and dirty.

The engine compartment is a wreck.

The paint is shiny under the layer of dirt but I'm pretty sure the paint is in dire need of decontamination and correction.

All the metal work is dull, oxidized and stained.

The tires are ugly and the hubcaps need shining.

The glass is filthy inside and out.


So the question is....


How would you go about doing a proper detail on this car?


List your steps.


And all our newest forum members are absolutely encouraged to chime in!



:xyxthumbs:
 
Ill go first, Im not scared.

I would start with a PW and be VERY careful not to get too close. That would get the heavy stuff off and not introduce too much water.
Then RW including tires and wheels
Engine is probably pretty simple compared to newer cars so maybe a spray with some WW or even some degreaser and some old towels.
Iron X
Clay if needed
Interior would be vacuumed and cleaned with a damp MF first to see if that would get the dirt without using a chemical.
SS paint so I would use some Meguiar's 7 then Pinnacle Souveran as my LSP.
Windows would be my regular CG glass cleaner and MF
Trim I would try some P21S polishing soap first then if I had to I would use some metal polish and a MF.

I guess other than the wash (trying not to get too much water on the car) I would do everything else pretty much as I normally would with a car.
 
***Update***

I just spoke with Nick and he says there will be a prize for whoever come closest to list the steps I use on this car. Just be general you don't have to get into specifics.

Right now the car has no brakes. It runs great but doesn't stop too good. If it did I would start with a traditional engine detail. After Jim has the brakes all rebuilt I'll have the car back for a full engine detail and if the brakes are done in time for my January ACR 3-day detailing class then my class will get to do the traditional engine detail and learn how to do one at the same time.


Okay... lets see some guess?


:xyxthumbs:
 
dcjredline said:
Ill go first, Im not scared.

I would start with a PW and be VERY careful not to get too close. That would get the heavy stuff off and not introduce too much water.
Click to expand...

Feel free to revise your list.

I just posted the car has no brakes so I'm not going to move it outside for a regular wash or a power wash.

I could drive it out and stop it with a chunk of 4x4 wood like we used moving it in but I'm all on my own as everyone is packing in the warehouse today.


:)
 
I was originally going to list what I thought you would do but that started hurting my brain. So I listed how I would do it. Ill leave my answer, I dont need the prize but it looks like a cool contest!!!!! Can't wait to see everyone else's ideas of WWMPD!!!!!
 
I'm planning a similar project on a 2-owner 1970 Z28 that's been parked since the mid 80's, once the owner gets it running and stopping, so I can compare my plans to yours. I'm afraid it's gonna be a long,long list.
1)Do a serious foam wash, including jambs, wheelhouses and edges of trim pieces.
2)Degrease and wash engine compartment
3)Decontaminate with and iron removal product
4)Thoroughly dry with compressed air, as well as blowing out interior
5)Remove wheel covers and as much exterior trim as possible without damage and clean residual dirt with a WW product. Polish all parts.
6)Baggie test and clay if necessary.
7)Rub & soak with M07, then move to interior.
8)Attack interior & floor covering with appropriate cleaners, including an aggressive cleaner wax on painted metal interior surfaces.
9)Remove M07 after appropriate soak time and repeat if necessary.
10)Inspect the now-clean finish and machine polish with appropriate products and pads.
11)Open it all up, finish jambs, engine compartment, interior and trunk.
12)Apply chosen wax/sealant.
13)Reinstall the previously polished trim and wheel covers.
14)Clean glass and perform final inspection
15)Take pictures and enjoy an adult beverage.
16)Repeat the latter

BTW, 50's Chrysler products used a mechanical parking brake, with the drum just behind the transmission. I'm not sure it was continued into 1961. Give the the brake a try. There's a possibility it may still be functional, which would make moving that beast easier, even if the regular service brakes are inoperative.
After all the Virgil Exner finned designs of the late 50's, the '61 Plymouths were once considered an ugly disappointment, kinda like they were designed by a committee rather than a stylist. 50+ years later they look cool!

Bill
 
I Would start by..... Telling an employee or two to figure it out, then goto my office and play on Autogeek
 
exterior
pre soak with rinseless wash
rinseless wash
paint decon either clay or clay towel

paint
meguiars # 7 application
light polish
wax/sealant
polish chrome

Wheels & Tires
clean wheels/tires with rinseless wash
dress rubber

interior
pre treat vinyl with APC
steam clean vinyl seats and door panels
vacuum & extract carpets
clean windows
apply vinyl conditioner protectant
 
Here goes...

Waterless wash.
Clay (Nanoskin) everything, including glass and metal.
M7 (over and over and over and...)
Swirl Remover
Finishing Polish
Carnuba Wax
 
Ask owner on their expectations for the car and its expected use (daily or car shows)/storage (garage or not).

1 - Full review of exterior paint/trim/wheels for any particular problematic areas (holes/cracks/etc.).
2 - Full review of interior surfaces/carpets/under the seats for any holes/tears/mice droppings/mice themselves.
3 - Depending on the findings on steps one and two - try a remove any large items/debris by hand or a dry soft MF towel.
4 - Using a steam machine (similar to that used by Larry Kosilla in the Porsche barn find) to remove as much dirt as possible. on the exterior. Unclear if I would do the same on the general interior surfaces.
5 - Using waterless washes (huge amounts) I would try and remove the bulk of the exterior surface dirt, on the paint and wheels, with MF towels (huge amounts.)
6 - I would then determine if I could safely decontaminate the paint with IronX and clay (trying to figure out best lubricant.)
7 - Assess the level of swirls/scratches/marring with a light across the entire car and document them.
8 - I would take paint measurements to determine amount of paint left (under the assumption it was single stage.)
8 - Using a DA and a variety of backing plates/pad sizes I would do a test spot with a mild polish. I would use an IPA solution to remove the polish oils. If it got the results I would continue. If it did not create the results I would step it up to a compound.
9 - I would then use a huge number of pads (with the huge selection of pads that AG has I would not scrimp on the number of pads used) to ensure no buildup on the pad surfaces.
10 - On the interior I would have to determine the best cleaner/conditioner pairing for that Vinyl material and go over the entire interior.
11 - The Chrome surfaces would require a special cleaner and would use that for those surfaces.
12 - I would use Stoners for the glass.
13 - I would be hesitant to use a heavy wheel cleaner/cream until I could assess the integrity of the tires. If they seemed to be ok then I would use a waterless wash (possibly after a steam clean) and then apply a conditioner to rehydrate the rubber.
14 - Then I would review the car and determine if the results met the owner's expectations and continue on any particular areas as desired.
 
This looks better than the 66 Fury I did a couple months back, and it had just come back from the paint shop too...Haha

My process would depend on trying a few different products but at a minimum I would do;

Rinse less or waterless wash.
Hit all the door jambs and recesses.
Tuff Shine the tires.
Polish the center caps while I'm there.
Clay all surfaces including glass.
Wipe down with waterless ( helps me get to know the car more)
Eat a protein bar and drink a caffeinated beverage to prepare for M7.

Meguiars #7 application. Take an aspirin...Wait 12 hours to remove and see what I'm working with. Do a second application of M7.

Address the interior. Vacuum. Most likely a mild APC.
I've been liking HD Protect for vinyl surfaces so I'd do a test spot with that.
Perform the usual cleaning around gauges and dials.

Chemical decon the chrome bumper then polish chrome and trim including mirrors, door handles, and emblems.
Polish glass according to the water spots it has. Coat the glass to be fancy.

Address the paints needs and polish with a finishing pad.
Seal the paint with whichever LSP I find to look best.
Wipe off any prints or smudges during final inspection out in the sun.
 
Great guesses so far!

Remember.... the car does not have working brakes. The car hauler dropped the car off here so I could detail it to make it pretty before Jim's wife sees it. She doesn't know he bought it yet. :D

He's going to have the entire brake system rebuilt but not till after Christmas. So my point is I couldn't wash it or pressure wash it because it's inside our garage.

Make sense?

No washing with any type of water hose.

That said... she really came out clean! So if that helps anyone to guess on how I got her clean... there was no water hose involved.


:)
 
For the exterior, I would use the new WG Uber Rinseless Wash product; give it a good pre-soak at the waterless dilution. Then follow up with a thorough rinseless wash. I wouldn't want to use too much water where it may get into areas I can't reach. These old cars love to rust, and I don't want to add to it.

Once fully cleaned, I'd try removing some of those emblems and start taping. Then I'd give it a thorough application of Megs #7, as this will double as the claying process, followed a heavy overnight soak.

After wiping down move onto testing out a light polish in lieu of a compound. Machine polish the paint and glass. Then focus on the chrome trim pieces.

For the interior, I would remove the bench seats and blow out all that old barn dust w/ a Tornador; then thoroughly vacuum the carpets and shampoo or steam clean them. Clean all the windows. Door jambs could be done now or during the exterior wash. Vinyl seats can be steam cleaned too and then treated with one of the Pinnacle products. Same with the dash and headliner.

I wouldn't touch the engine bay, other than a quick wipe-down, until it's been gone through mechanically. Not sure if the owner would want to do a complete overhaul 1st. If so, then you can coordinate and thoroughly clean the bay.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Feel free to revise your list.

I just posted the car has no brakes so I'm not going to move it outside for a regular wash or a power wash.

I could drive it out and stop it with a chunk of 4x4 wood like we used moving it in but I'm all on my own as everyone is packing in the warehouse today.


:)
Click to expand...

Sometimes its best to wait for the right time to do things instead of doing things forcefully
 
That was one of the ugliest cars ever produced. Detailing that car would be like putting lipstick on a pig. Lol. Merry Christmas
 
My Steps would be:

1. Call Mike
2. Tell him I have this amazing barn find he can use for training
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Great guesses so far!

No washing with any type of water hose.

That said... she really came out clean! So if that helps anyone to guess on how I got her clean... there was no water hose involved.
:)
Click to expand...

Did you do a trial with the new DG Waterless?

Bill
 
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