Newbie With Amazing Results On 2002 Duramax (Black) !

02Duramax

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Hey all Members,


I bought a 2002 Duramax about 8 months ago. Black with Black leather. Always wanted a black truck. Well finally found one. Now i always like to baby my trucks and this is one of my favorite trucks ive owned.

So i have been washing it every weekend and it always looked great in the shade but whenever i brought it out in the sun it would look horrible. Swirls and Buffer Trails from the dealership. Really didnt look black to me. More of a grey as you can see in the pictures.

Looking for a solution, i found the Adams forum. I was not impressed. Since it is them selling their own products. Of course they would rate it good. So i had to find another option. I found Autogeek and i knew i was in the right place :dblthumb2:

After seeing many 50/50 shots on here i knew there was help for my truck. Now many of the detailers around here just mask the problem. The best rated one around my area told me " Think of your truck as a cake, we will use glaze like a frosting and you will have to repeat this 4 times a year. I knew this was wrong from what i read on here and also seen

So i talked to a few members on here that really seemed to help me put together a first order from AG that would get me to where i needed to go. I was told at Adams that the PC7424XP would not be strong enough to correct a black truck. A member " BuckSkinColt...Yale " Told me this was false. Said it had more than enough power and he also was nice enough to show his results from the wolfgang combo that he used on a Chevy Yukon. I saw his before and after pictures and knew he would know what was best for my duramax since he worked with gms. Said the clearcoat is not that hard and the wolfgang would be perfect. I also took his suggestion and went with the flat pads. Cyan for the correction, Tangerine for the Polish Glaze, then the Blue for the sealant. He also said that the Four Star UUP would be perfect for the black. He was not kidding. If you look at the after pictures the truck looks amazing i think. The Sealant made it look so wet afterwords. I did the wolfgang duo and he said that i will say to myself why do i need the sealant. Very true but once i put the sealant.....WOW

I must say i am hooked. Now that i have the truck looking right, i tell everyone to stay away. When they ask why, i say it was this guy that was sweating in the garage all weekend :buffing: Stay away ! Took me 16 Hours to do the entire job. I took many breaks and did it over the course of a weekend. I am already planning my next order at AG. I must say i am hooked for sure. I can see where the Flex would help and save time. Then again that would make me try to move faster and possibly miss something. Though the extra power would be nice. I plan on getting something to bring back the black of my rhino liner if anyone has any suggestions. Also need some exterior trim stuff to bring back the pop of the trim since it looks weathered now that the truck looks like glass.

In closing i want to thanks a few people for sure or this would not be possible. First off thank you AG for having the best supplies to get the job done correct. I want to thank BobbyG for his recommendation and also when i asked do i really need to put sealant on and his response was " last thing you want to do after spending that time on your truck is leave it naked " hahaha i love that statement. I already plan on adding another coat of sealant. Why not right haha. I also want to thank Laura for showing me serious results on that black BMW 545 with the wolfgang combo and PC. Last but not least, i have to give a huge thanks to Yale. He helped me for a few weeks finalize my first AG order. Recommend pads and sealants and also is sending me a package with Samples to try. The guy is the best ! With everyones help as well as watching Mike Phillips videos for weeks to get the technique down. Without you all i would have never wanted to drive my truck out in the sun again. Now i find myself looking at other peoples car saying, I can fix that !

Thanks again everyone and i plan on being apart of this forum for a long time. Now i hope to be able to help another newbie out for their first time !

Please feel free to comment on the pictures.

Thanks guys

Keith

By the way all the pictures will not fit on here with the attachments so i will put the rest in another thread.
 
Keith,

The truck looks amazing! This shows how easy it really is for someone new to machine polishing to create that glossy swirl free finish.

The people here are no doubt very helpful and friendly. It's always nice to know there is help a click away and many videos by Mike as well!
 
That looks fantastic!:righton: Yes folks this is someone who has never corrected paint before! He really studied his process, made sure he understood what the goal was then went for it!Im the MAN I just Tried to impress on him to take his time and he will get the results he desired, it's clear he did just that!

Keith,
Your sample selection will be going out USPS Piority mail tomorrow. You did great work there bud! :props:
I've got some Pb Trim Restorer in the sample pack, it will make the plastic trim look great (for a while) not the longest lasting stuff but it will work until you get something else!

Great Job!:dblthumb2: Next weekend is your wife's ride .... Right?
Yale
 
That looks fantastic!:righton: Yes folks this is someone who has never corrected paint before! He really studied his process, made sure he understood what the goal was then went for it!Im the MAN I just Tried to impress on him to take his time and he will get the results he desired, it's clear he did just that!

Keith,
Your sample selection will be going out USPS Piority mail tomorrow. You did great work there bud! :props:
I've got some Pb Trim Restorer in the sample pack, it will make the plastic trim look great (for a while) not the longest lasting stuff but it will work until you get something else!

Great Job!:dblthumb2: Next weekend is your wife's ride .... Right?
Yale

:props: :props:

:bump: for a great job and a helpful member! :applause:
 
That looks fantastic!:righton: Yes folks this is someone who has never corrected paint before! He really studied his process, made sure he understood what the goal was then went for it!Im the MAN I just Tried to impress on him to take his time and he will get the results he desired, it's clear he did just that!

Keith,
Your sample selection will be going out USPS Piority mail tomorrow. You did great work there bud! :props:
I've got some Pb Trim Restorer in the sample pack, it will make the plastic trim look great (for a while) not the longest lasting stuff but it will work until you get something else!

Great Job!:dblthumb2: Next weekend is your wife's ride .... Right?
Yale


Hey thanks Yale. I swear i was sketchy when i first started but when i did that test spot and pulled the tape away. WOW. I washed it for the first time since waxing it this weekend and i just stood back and said hell ya it was worth the 16 hours or work.

Your right boss. Never corrected paint before. Never even picked up a polisher. I will say to other newbies like myself. I would not say its very hard work, but i will say it is very time consuming. I planned on 8 hours tops. Wow was i wrong. 16 hours and that was just 2 bucket wash, clay and correction with sealant. I did the interior this weekend. I will say Optimum is killer for leather. Did mine this weekend the leather is nice soft and the way leather is supposed to feel.

I have to say thank you again for the help as well as a big thanks for the sample pack. Please let me return the favor some how or at least give ya some cash bud !

Next project is the wifes for sure ! I taught her the 2 bucket wash method this weekend. She said wow this takes longer. Too funny. Told her we can do her car. You think i can get away with a finishing glaze and sealant ? Ill have to get some pictures of her car for ya.

My next project is to start my undercoating project now. Have the paint looking right but the under side needs a pick me up

Thanks again Yale :dblthumb2: You continue to be a huge help !

Keith
 
Great work!! Glad you found this place and people that put you in the right direction.
 
There's no other color that gives such a reward for 16 hours of work. Well done! The before/after is impressive. You can be glad the dealership didn't detail it for you. AG is empowering!!
 
Awesome job. Truck looks great. Now to hurry up an get my PCXP.
 
Great work! I remember my first time with the machine, and after I finished the entire car, I was amazed I was so "timid" to use a random orbital, when it really was more just time consuming in the end than anything else!
 
There's no other color that gives such a reward for 16 hours of work. Well done! The before/after is impressive. You can be glad the dealership didn't detail it for you. AG is empowering!!

I will agree with ya there. I landscape and figured this would be a walk in the park. 16 hours later I was done but you hit the nail on the head, it was very rewarding to see the finished results.

AG rocks !
 
Awesome job. Truck looks great. Now to hurry up an get my PCXP.

Thanks ! You need to get your PC soon for sure. I held off pulling the trigger now my only regret was not doing it sooner. I swear I must have looked at that test spot i first did for 20 mins just in amazement.

Get yourself a PC and let's see some pictures !
 
Great work! I remember my first time with the machine, and after I finished the entire car, I was amazed I was so "timid" to use a random orbital, when it really was more just time consuming in the end than anything else!

No kidding. I was nervous as well when I first started. Main reason I didn't get the flex right away. But after I did the first test spot, I couldn't wait to keep going. :buffing:

Now I have to just find some magic juice to bring my rhino liner back to life !
 
He used cyan and Tangerine 5.5" Lake Country Hydro Tech pads. I know this because I helped him pick them out!:props: they finish awesome!

That is correct. They do finish great and they keep that PC spinning. I have to admit though Yale, I should have gotten the GG instead. Main reason is the handle is on the top not the side. I started using the pc with the side handle and quickly hated it and just put my hand on top of the unit instead. Much nicer that way.

Eventually I can see a flex in my future !
 
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