Pair of 'Sixty-Nine American Muscle Classics, presented by AutoLavish
- Thread starter jlb85
- Start date
PAR Detailing
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- Oct 19, 2009
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Amazing job on those classics. I loved the writeup too! I loved how you got into those concave portions with a soft pad and smaller backing plate.
Jon
Jon
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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Great work and awesome write-up...
For everyone reading this, not only does doing this type of show car detailing take a lot of time but it takes even more time to stop what you're doing, frame-up your shots and then take the pictures you see in this thread.
Then, after all the hard work is done, go back through all the pictures, pick out the best ones that tell the story, pick out the shots that are in focus, crop them, resize them, watermark them then upload them to your gallery somewhere, (In this case Photobucket), and then insert them into the thread and add the words.
Not only does this showcase your work, but it give others an idea as to how to duplicate your success...
So thank you Marc and Jacob from AutoLavish Exotic, Specialty, & Luxury Car Detailing.
:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
For anyone new to starting their detailing business, this thread is an excellent example of an article in our Business and Promotion forum called,
Tips for using a discussion forum to reach more customers...
And also,
The power in the after shots is created in the before shots
Both Marc and Jacob have stellar reputations for exceptional work in the real world and in the online world and they had to build their reputation one car at a time and part of how they've done this is by taking the extra time to take great pictures and share their process.
Thanks for sharing this with our forum community...
:dblthumb2:
For everyone reading this, not only does doing this type of show car detailing take a lot of time but it takes even more time to stop what you're doing, frame-up your shots and then take the pictures you see in this thread.
Then, after all the hard work is done, go back through all the pictures, pick out the best ones that tell the story, pick out the shots that are in focus, crop them, resize them, watermark them then upload them to your gallery somewhere, (In this case Photobucket), and then insert them into the thread and add the words.
Not only does this showcase your work, but it give others an idea as to how to duplicate your success...
So thank you Marc and Jacob from AutoLavish Exotic, Specialty, & Luxury Car Detailing.
:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
For anyone new to starting their detailing business, this thread is an excellent example of an article in our Business and Promotion forum called,
Tips for using a discussion forum to reach more customers...
And also,
The power in the after shots is created in the before shots
Both Marc and Jacob have stellar reputations for exceptional work in the real world and in the online world and they had to build their reputation one car at a time and part of how they've done this is by taking the extra time to take great pictures and share their process.
Thanks for sharing this with our forum community...
:dblthumb2:
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
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Couple of comments...
Usually cool cars look cool, just like these...
But Professional Detailers look at them and know and see how much potential exists for a true show car finish....
One questions that comes up all the time on discussion forums goes like this,
"I was at a car show and all the cars had swirls in them?" How come?
The reason why is because the owners don't know how to properly polish paint and most of the time they won't trust anyone else to "touch their baby".
So that's why most of the cars you see at cars show are all swirled out. In order to buff out a show car you first have to earn the trust of the car owner and that can be hard to do with out a "Warm Welcome" from someone that knows the car owner and already has their trust and of course knows you and can vouch for your skills and abilities. This circles back around to having a great reputation and that circles back around to documenting what you can do "somehow" and discussion forums are one of the "somehows" for a medium to share you skill and ability.
Usually cool cars look cool, just like these...
But Professional Detailers look at them and know and see how much potential exists for a true show car finish....
One questions that comes up all the time on discussion forums goes like this,
"I was at a car show and all the cars had swirls in them?" How come?
The reason why is because the owners don't know how to properly polish paint and most of the time they won't trust anyone else to "touch their baby".
So that's why most of the cars you see at cars show are all swirled out. In order to buff out a show car you first have to earn the trust of the car owner and that can be hard to do with out a "Warm Welcome" from someone that knows the car owner and already has their trust and of course knows you and can vouch for your skills and abilities. This circles back around to having a great reputation and that circles back around to documenting what you can do "somehow" and discussion forums are one of the "somehows" for a medium to share you skill and ability.
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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Nice job taping off both of these cars... there was recently a discussion about this on our forum and some people prefer to tape off their cars before buffing while other's don't or only do limited taping-off...
Guide to taping off a car
It's personal preference but one thing for sure, no one like wax in the cracks, especially the owner of the cars you're working on....
Here Marc and Jacob documented wax or polish residue left by the other guy, that is the guy that wasn't a Pro that buffed the car before they got their hands on it..
As a Pro Detailer, it's a good idea to document this and also point it out to the owner who usually doesn't even know it exists. By doing this you show them that,
A. You didn't do it
B. You pay attention to all the detailes
C. You'll do your best to remove it during your process
Although the acynom for this is kind of lame, I always call this,
TOGW = The Other Guy's Wax
By taping off the car and doing your best to remove the other guys wax residue you also,
Tape it off and avoid a lifetime of ugly...
:xyxthumbs:
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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Here's an excellent tip...
This would result is straining the paint at the edges and not reaching the paint in the concave. A softer pad with a small backing plate permits some flexibility and much better surface contact. It would take many more passes, but well worth it. Notice how Marc preps the pad for polishing by priming the edges as well.
One I also use...
If it has paint... it gets polished...
This would result is straining the paint at the edges and not reaching the paint in the concave. A softer pad with a small backing plate permits some flexibility and much better surface contact. It would take many more passes, but well worth it. Notice how Marc preps the pad for polishing by priming the edges as well.
One I also use...
If it has paint... it gets polished...
Here's a little tip, anytime you're buffing next to an adjacent panel and it's possible you could run the vertical or side edge of your pad into the paint, lubricate it by working some of the product you're using on the face of the pad onto and into the foam. This will help to keep from generating too much heat and burning the paint and also in the case of these lower panels, help me to remove some of the sanding marks on the angled section.
It's this little long thin section I'm trying to improve and protect.
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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This write-up from AutoLavish is so full of great tips... here's another one...
Note how Marc is holding the rotary buffer...
He has a firm grip of the head of the unit where he has the most leverage over the rotary buffer, not the hoop handle that's 5-6 inches away from the head of the polisher.
Note how he's holding the rotary buffer close to his body instead of extended away from him, this gives him more leverage over the rotary buffer and insures maximum control and this is important when working on show cars and complicated areas to buff where you really need to be careful.
Nice technique, nice picture.
:xyxthumbs:
Note how Marc is holding the rotary buffer...
He has a firm grip of the head of the unit where he has the most leverage over the rotary buffer, not the hoop handle that's 5-6 inches away from the head of the polisher.
Note how he's holding the rotary buffer close to his body instead of extended away from him, this gives him more leverage over the rotary buffer and insures maximum control and this is important when working on show cars and complicated areas to buff where you really need to be careful.
Nice technique, nice picture.
:xyxthumbs:
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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Here's real attention to detail... older, classic cars have a rain gutter that runs across the top of the car, the edge is thin and sharp and often times if you look closely at it you'll find places where "the other guy" burned through the paint.
Here Mark and Jacob have carefully taped off all the risky areas and are now polishing the paint inside the rain gutter which is usually filled with "the other guys wax".
~~~~~~~~
:dblthumb2:
Here Mark and Jacob have carefully taped off all the risky areas and are now polishing the paint inside the rain gutter which is usually filled with "the other guys wax".
~~~~~~~~
Jacob said:The rain gutters needed polishing as well. Marc applied both M105 and M205 to foam applicators and squeezed it into the gutter to polish.
:dblthumb2:
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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Wax creates a sacrificial barrier coating over the paint but it also insures a uniform appearance and as long as you've done a great job of prepping the paint, a premium quality wax will be like frosting on the cake, that is it will take all your hard work to an even higher level for gloss, depth, reflectivity, richness of color and a deep, wet shine, which is what the owners of cars like these are looking for.
Besides those important features to a wax or paint sealant, here's something to think about, most professional grade compounds and polishes are water-soluble, that means when it rains or when you wash the car, or even continually wipe the car with a spray detailer, the polishing oils used to buffer and lubricate any polishing action will wash off and leave just the bare paint.
Bare or stripped paint doesn't tend to look as good as freshly and professionally waxed paint as the polishing oils wash off or are wiped-off, especially in the "Car World" .
:xyxthumbs:
Besides those important features to a wax or paint sealant, here's something to think about, most professional grade compounds and polishes are water-soluble, that means when it rains or when you wash the car, or even continually wipe the car with a spray detailer, the polishing oils used to buffer and lubricate any polishing action will wash off and leave just the bare paint.
Bare or stripped paint doesn't tend to look as good as freshly and professionally waxed paint as the polishing oils wash off or are wiped-off, especially in the "Car World" .
Jacob said:For the Camaro we opted to use a wax appropriate for the vehicle:
:xyxthumbs:
Mike Phillips
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jlb85 said:The flat black trim was dressed with Meg’s Spray Trim Detailer and a soft brush, then buffed even. Mike Phillips from Meguiar’s (now at AutoGeek) recommended me to use this product on flat back a few years ago and it never fails. It evens out even more as it dries further.
Applied to the bumper trim as well:
I have a few articles on the topic of dressing flat black paint and flat black plastic, suffice to say these types of surfaces need to be addressed carefully because if you use the wrong product on them you can turn them chalky white.
I've used the Trim Detailer lotion in a bottle and the aerosol for as long as they've been around for flat black paint and plastic and before the M4216 Rubber Bumper Treatment and they've never let me down.
Here's a thread that talks about this....
How to take care of the flat black paint on a 1969 Mach 1
The trick is to work these products in well and then carefully and gently wipe off any excess using a clean, soft microfiber towel. Also, this will need to be repeated to maintain the deep, dark black sheen it creates.
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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Attention to detail...
Not only does covering the wheels and the vinyl top protect them from any kind of splatter, (important when using a rotary buffer), but what the owner sees or ANY potential customer in the area is that you really take detailing to a higher level in your careful approach and this is what the owners of "Special Interest" cars are looking for even though sometimes they don't even know what they're looking for because most detailers don't go to this depth.
It's called... presentation...
These guys are Pros and everything their customer sees or potential customer's see looks professional and over the top in the details and remember, while we all know polishing paint is an art form... most of your customers know generically as detailing...
Pros like Marc and Jacob help bring recognition to this craft to a higher level just by doing their normal work and this helps all of us.
:dblthumb2:
Not only does covering the wheels and the vinyl top protect them from any kind of splatter, (important when using a rotary buffer), but what the owner sees or ANY potential customer in the area is that you really take detailing to a higher level in your careful approach and this is what the owners of "Special Interest" cars are looking for even though sometimes they don't even know what they're looking for because most detailers don't go to this depth.
It's called... presentation...
These guys are Pros and everything their customer sees or potential customer's see looks professional and over the top in the details and remember, while we all know polishing paint is an art form... most of your customers know generically as detailing...
Pros like Marc and Jacob help bring recognition to this craft to a higher level just by doing their normal work and this helps all of us.
:dblthumb2:
Kristopher1129
New member
- Jan 3, 2011
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I agree with Mike. I always look forward to these Auto Lavish posts. :dblthumb2:
The work is great, but they always take really nice pictures too! I'm a sucker for some nice shots!
The work is great, but they always take really nice pictures too! I'm a sucker for some nice shots!
Crazy Amos
New member
- Oct 20, 2010
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Excellent work as usual and very inspiring. Thanks for taking the time to create a "detailed" post. I find these types extremely inspiring because it really does show what the detailing craft truly is.........."Art".
Thanks again guys.
Thanks again guys.
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
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And a huge welcome to you Stu for joining our forum and posting to this thread for our cars.
:welcome:
Man you have a couple of really sweet cars and now they're perfected!
Maybe we'll be in your neck of the woods for a second season of What's in the Garage?
One thing for sure, it's really nice and super cool when the owner of some cars detailed by our forum members takes the time to register with our forum and then post to a thread for the write-up of their car.
Very cool indeed!
:dblthumb2:
gofast908z
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- Feb 5, 2009
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Absolutely incredible