My First full detail...

J

J.L.Auto

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On my '01 Vette... Actually, this is my first time to clay,clean, and seal any of my cars.... I've always kept them washed and waxed with just regular store bought products, but after finding AG and lurking around here for a bit I decided I wanted to try and step up and learn how to really detail my vehicles, learn how to correct paint imperfections, and keep the paint looking great...

I did the following:
2 bucket wash w micro fiber wash mit.
Pinnacle clay and lube kit
Pinnacle paintwork lotion
Wolfgang DGPS 3.0 - 2 coats
All items were applied by hand and removed w cobra microfiber towels.

Now I must say that i did not do everything perfect.... I had to do the sealant twice cuz the first time I used too much product as well as I wiped it off way too quickly.So it never really set up and dry like it was supposed to. Plus,after finishing I can still see that there are some swirls and/or very fine marring in the paint from previous owners/dealerships, but with the pewter metallic paint, they are very hard to see unless you are looking at it in the right angles. I have never waxed this car since I bought it last Oct. But WOW! The Pewter Metallic has so much more metal flake "pop" to it, I couldn't believe how much of a difference this made. Not to mention how much smoother and glassy the paint looks and feels on the car.... It just makes this color look sooo good...

I gotta say I'm really excited now about learning about detaling cars and looking forward to learning how to use the new Porter Cable i bought with this order...

First 3 pics are from the day I finished it, no clouds
The rest for from today.
detail3.jpg

detail5.jpg

detail1.jpg

vette4.jpg

vette3.jpg

vette1.jpg
 
Beautiful car and detail, and I bet you were pleasently surprised with the feel of the paint after the first use of clay and lube. I've become a big believer in the use of clay in the detail process and wish it had been around years ago when I was in my teens and twenties (I'm 60 now). Again nice work and thanks for sharing the pics with us.
 
J.L.Auto said:
Plus,after finishing I can still see that there are some swirls and/or very fine marring in the paint from previous owners/dealerships, but with the pewter metallic paint, they are very hard to see unless you are looking at it in the right angles.
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You are off to a great start. I have not seen many Vettes with that color. You took the first step. As you become more aware of what is possible, you will likely find those swirls will annoy you so eventually you will decide to get DA to remove them to get the paint looking even better. It is the natural evolution of the process and lure of that great looking shine.
 
J.L.Auto said:

....after finishing I can still see that there are some swirls and/or very fine marring in the paint from previous owners/dealerships, but with the pewter metallic paint, they are very hard to see unless you are looking at it in the right angles. .....Not to mention how much smoother and glassy the paint looks and feels on the car.... It just makes this color look sooo good...

vette4.jpg


Same Pewter Metallic color on our 2002 convertible....You made an excellent color choice:dblthumb2:

Although you mention the swirls and/or fine marring, it seems the processes that you applied for your initial 'full detail' brought to you a feeling of: "Eureka....I Have Found It"!!!

Now that you have recognized and isolated what the remaining paint blemishes probably are....I can only envision the total feeling of Euphoria that will overwhelm you when those remaining blemishes are no more! Stay tuned to this station for further detailing info-gathering in order to complete that mission. :)

(Although there still remains some paint "blemishes" on our vehicles, I'm still enthralled with the results that come from: Using clay, the DA, some pads, some polishing/waxing/sealing media, has brought to my detailing efforts....and not to overlook a most important aspect: Proper washing/drying methods, also.)

BTW...Nice work on a nice vehicle!!


Side Bar:That blue chair looks quite comfy....some would say that it doesn't quite fit the color scheme, though....Sam's Club has good selection for co-ordination (silver,gray,black). I found this out from the wife...:D

Bob
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Nice work on your Corvette. Really nice gloss and reflections. Love the picture of the trunk.
 
Nice job! I love that colour

Is the folding chair there for you to sit back and admire your work?
 
Thanks for all the kind words everyone. I'm so glad I picked this color when I was buying my vette, as I love it even more now. I'm definitely hooked on detailing and I can't wait to get started on my Carbon Grey Metallic Tiburon GT.. It's in desperate need for a full detail as well. Not to mention I have the porter cable sitting there in the box waiting to be used... Time to do the test spot and see what I can do w it. BTW- The chair was there because my fiance thought I was nuts spending 4 hrs from wash to seal until I brought her outside to see the car in the sun after the first coat of WDGPS... She couldn't believe how much different it looked! She sat in the chair the rest of the time watching me put on the 2nd coat and just staring at it... Lol. The Tiburon is here DD so now she's waiting for it to get done.. More pics to come when I finish that one.- Joel
 
J.L.Auto said:
Thanks for all the kind words everyone. I'm so glad I picked this color when I was buying my vette, as I love it even more now. I'm definitely hooked on detailing and I can't wait to get started on my Carbon Grey Metallic Tiburon GT.. It's in desperate need for a full detail as well. Not to mention I have the porter cable sitting there in the box waiting to be used... Time to do the test spot and see what I can do w it. BTW- The chair was there because my fiance thought I was nuts spending 4 hrs from wash to seal until I brought her outside to see the car in the sun after the first coat of WDGPS... She couldn't believe how much different it looked! She sat in the chair the rest of the time watching me put on the 2nd coat and just staring at it... Lol. The Tiburon is here DD so now she's waiting for it to get done.. More pics to come when I finish that one.- Joel
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I knew the chair was there for someone to admire the work ;)

Look forward to the Tiburon. I've always thought those cars have had a very sexy body design
 
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