The Detailing Thread

Started by giant_mtb, July 06, 2010, 09:58:16 PM

afty

My daughter opened the car door into a concrete pillar  :rage:



There's a small chip in the paint there.  How do I fix it? 

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: afty on December 07, 2019, 11:02:35 AM
My daughter opened the car door into a concrete pillar  :rage:



There's a small chip in the paint there.  How do I fix it?

Looks like black paint.  A Sharpie is close enough :lol:
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Morris Minor

tiny, tiny, dollops of paint on the end of a toothpick. Build them up allowing to cure between each, until they're just above the paint level - as they cure they'll shrink back down.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

CaminoRacer

I use a water color brush to touch up spots on the El Camino.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

giant_mtb

2000 grit wetsand. Cutting pad and Meg's Diamond Cut. Polishing pad and Wizard's Finish Cut. Hand wax.

Badda bing badda boom.




Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: giant_mtb on March 04, 2020, 04:40:45 PM
2000 grit wetsand. Cutting pad and Meg's Diamond Cut. Polishing pad and Wizard's Finish Cut. Hand wax.

Badda bing badda boom.





I was looking at the paint, thinking you did a turrrrible job.
Oh, the headlight. :lol:

2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

giant_mtb

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on March 04, 2020, 04:47:00 PM
I was looking at the paint, thinking you did a turrrrible job.
Oh, the headlight. :lol:



Yeah, this was just an interior detail plus headlight restoration. No washin or anything on da paint.

Headlights are an easy $25. Start to finish...maybe 20 minutes taking my sweet time.

FoMoJo

Quote from: giant_mtb on March 04, 2020, 04:49:48 PM
Yeah, this was just an interior detail plus headlight restoration. No washin or anything on da paint.

Headlights are an easy $25. Start to finish...maybe 20 minutes taking my sweet time.
Hmmm, 75 bucks an hour.  Not bad. :ohyeah:

It does make an amazing difference to the appearance, as well as the function I would guess.
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

giant_mtb

Quote from: FoMoJo on March 04, 2020, 05:21:37 PM
Hmmm, 75 bucks an hour.  Not bad. :ohyeah:

It does make an amazing difference to the appearance, as well as the function I would guess.

I think the function is most people's concern, indeed. Foggy/faded headlights is like wearing really dirty glasses...doesn't work well.

FoMoJo

Quote from: giant_mtb on March 04, 2020, 05:25:48 PM
I think the function is most people's concern, indeed. Foggy/faded headlights is like wearing really dirty glasses...doesn't work well.
Do you promote it on your facebook?  Seems that it would be a popular service if some words about safety, etc. were used.  A shop/winter special?  Maybe some pictures.
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

giant_mtb

Quote from: FoMoJo on March 04, 2020, 06:02:35 PM
Do you promote it on your facebook?  Seems that it would be a popular service if some words about safety, etc. were used.  A shop/winter special?  Maybe some pictures.

It's on my website. It's not something that is terribly necessary or often sought after, but yeah. It's still a thing. The safety angle is a good idea, though...might have to promote it. Like I said, easy $25.

giant_mtb

Spray-on ceramic coatings are really starting to annoy me. There are wayyyyy too many companies making the shit and now it's just a scramble for people on YouTube to keep doing side-by-side hood durability tests.

And guess what...almost none of them can actually make it through a few washes or some chemical cleaner.

Ceramic has never been and never will be the end all be all that everybody thinks it is. So tired of it.

Rant over. :lol:

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: giant_mtb on March 23, 2020, 08:51:24 AM
Spray-on ceramic coatings are really starting to annoy me. There are wayyyyy too many companies making the shit and now it's just a scramble for people on YouTube to keep doing side-by-side hood durability tests.

And guess what...almost none of them can actually make it through a few washes or some chemical cleaner.

Ceramic has never been and never will be the end all be all that everybody thinks it is. So tired of it.

Rant over. :lol:

I like silicone. Nu Finish, or what have you. Turtle Wax Ice spray, whatever that is. Cheap and easy.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Morris Minor

About two months ago I drove off to work with a travel mug full of coffee still on the roof of the car.  I made it  2/10 mile (impressive balancing act) before it fell off - rolling back &  splashing some coffee on the roof, rear window & trunk lid.  Finally yesterday, after all the crappy weather & having been sick, I got around to cleaning it.

Lessoned learned: spilled coffee & half & half should be cleaned off ASAP, because it was a real struggle to get it off; the fat & protein in the half & half attach like superglue.

Meguiars Wax Cleaner did it, but it was touch & go whether to go for something stronger.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

Submariner

Quote from: giant_mtb on March 04, 2020, 04:49:48 PM
Yeah, this was just an interior detail plus headlight restoration. No washin or anything on da paint.

Headlights are an easy $25. Start to finish...maybe 20 minutes taking my sweet time.

Do you use any kind of breathing/eye protection while on the job?
2010 G-550  //  2019 GLS-550

giant_mtb

Quote from: Submariner on March 31, 2020, 01:49:16 PM
Do you use any kind of breathing/eye protection while on the job?

I do not, even though I probably should. I wear prescription glasses so safety glasses are super annoying...never had an issue, though.

Probably should wear a mask or something when using some of the harsher chemicals like wheel cleaner and carpet cleaner, but I just stay conscious of the fumes/vapors and not breathe them in as best I can.

giant_mtb

Yesterday, I detailed this Durango. Might be the last vehicle I do for a while. My Monday job canceled. Another person I had scheduled for later this month canceled because they winter in Flordia and will have to isolate when they return, which was when I was gonna do their car.

Plus, I'm not a life/death business, and I would hate for some bitchass to tattle on me. Sigh. Gotta follow the rules, gotta flatten da curve.

White paint...tons of rail dust. Spent 2.5 hours on the wash alone getting it off. That was the customer's biggest concern. She happily paid full price despite my offered Covid discount.


shp4man

Quote from: giant_mtb on April 03, 2020, 11:10:12 AM
Yesterday, I detailed this Durango. Might be the last vehicle I do for a while. My Monday job canceled. Another person I had scheduled for later this month canceled because they winter in Flordia and will have to isolate when they return, which was when I was gonna do their car.

Plus, I'm not a life/death business, and I would hate for some bitchass to tattle on me. Sigh. Gotta follow the rules, gotta flatten da curve.

White paint...tons of rail dust. Spent 2.5 hours on the wash alone getting it off. That was the customer's biggest concern. She happily paid full price despite my offered Covid discount.



Ya, no more white cars for me.

CaminoRacer

I still love white on the right cars. Sometimes I wish I did a satin/flat white on my El Camino instead of the satin black.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

giant_mtb

Oof. Check out the orange peel on this brand new (3,000 miles) Ram.  Owner was driving in the woods, went to grab a beer from his cooler in the back, and slid a couple branches down the passenger side, so I'm doing a wash n wax and taking care of the scratches. But holy frickin' orange peel.


giant_mtb

Also, I cannot recommend the Flex 3401 VRG buffer unit enough. It's a fixed-drive random-orbit. Best of both worlds. The power of a rotary when you need it, and the gentle RO for finishing for the finishing/waxing. It has been my daily for at least 6-7 years and it still rips.

giant_mtb

Collinite Insulator Wax #845 is the best wax I have ever used. Granted, this paint only has 3k miles on it, but. Fuck.


CaminoRacer

I don't have a hose spigot at my town house, so I think I'll get one of these:

https://www.worx.com/20v-hydroshot-portable-power-cleaner-wg620.html

It's not nearly as much pressure as a real pressure washer, but I don't need high pressure to wash the cars. Low pressure is preferable, really.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

Bird pooped on my car on like Friday, cleaned it off today but it left residue. Not sure how to get it off. Might have to buff the paint? All of my detail spray, wax, clay bar didn't work
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

Well I can't find the spot this evening now that it's cloudy instead of direct sunlight...
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

giant_mtb

Try soaking and wiping with rubbing alcohol.  Since it's relatively fresh it might be the ticket.  Otherwise, yeah, a buffjob should take care of it no problem.

Laconian

Do you do fiberglass repair? What are your favorite tools for that?
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

giant_mtb

Quote from: Laconian on May 22, 2022, 10:36:41 PM
Do you do fiberglass repair? What are your favorite tools for that?

Never done fiberglass before.  I've detailed a handful of boats in my day, but never been asked to repair anything, and I'd say "no" anyways because I don't do repairs/body work and have no experience in it. :lol:

From what I've seen, though, you want some squeegees like you'd use for Bondo to spread the resin and some rollers (like roller paintbrushes, but the roller's just plastic or metal) to pack down and form it.  Beyond that...no idea.


giant_mtb

#1018
Autotragic LS1 Boomer mobile.


Eye of the Tiger

I would rock that as a winter beater. Don't want my Jeep to get rusty.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)