///NEM3SES
12-09-2008, 09:45 PM
The main reason I wanted to detail my car was because the swirl marks and scratches on my 03 paint were profound and while I couldn't get them all out..Nem looks much better than before!!!
I just wanna start off by saying that I have a new found respect for pro detailers such as Mike from Pro Mobile. The time and effort and skill it takes to properly and in an expert like manner detail a vehicle is profound!!!!!
I know now that detailing isn't something you can learn quickly, or the first time around; but that rather it is a learned skill that takes alot of effort and time to learn!
But I didn't let that deter me after seeing countless threads and examples of DIY details on the forums and on you tube I figured if they can do it why not myself lol!? Well 14 hrs later (over the course of 2 days) I finished my first exterior "detail" on my car, mostly attempting to cover my swirls and scratches ("paint correction"). Sorry ahead of time cuz I didn't take as much pics as other peeps that post detail jobs so...Let's break it down:
This was my "arsenal"
washing
-Maguiars Gold Class Shampoo/Conditioner
-Microfiber towels
-softest washmit i could find
-Maguiars claybar "kit"
-Maguiars Quick Detailer
-microfiber towels
-masking tape
polishing
-Menzerna Super Intensive Polish
-Menzerna Super Finish Polish
-Menzerna Final Gloss
-Porta Cable 7424
-Lake Country Orange/White/Red-polishing pads
-Maguiars Gold Class Liquid Wax/Sealant
-more microfiber towels
I washed using the highly talked about two bucket method ...(I wish I had a foam gun but that will come later I hope)... took my time washing the wheels first then working panel by panel being real careful to fully wash the mitt before continuing (which I hadn't done in the past)
After it was all washed I proceeded to wash using only microfiber to dry the whole car...after it was dry I then proceeded to use claybar and quick detailer on NEM3SES for the first time in his life probably lol. I didn't notice anything at first but once I got the hang of it and as I got closer to the lower panels I started noticing even more and more dirt on the clay! I dropped the bar a few times but I just picked it up and continued...
(LOL just kidding I didn't drop it haha!)
I was pretty tired after claying believe it or not and dreaded the fact that I was not nearly close to being even halfway lMao!!! But I just shrugged it off and went on the mask taping the car...
Masktaping is probably the most boring part of the detail but a few beers and a radio made this task go by quick haha! wish they sold precut pieces to cover all the door mouldings and emblems!
heres a pic for a visual, this is possibly the gayest step lol but necessary!!!
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=122
After mask taping I was pretty exhausted (I had to work before I started this detail so..) and I wanted to call it a night but figured I would attempt to apply the Menzerna SIP (1st coat) before I went to sleep....I choose to test my 1st attempt skills on the trunk and go from there.... I didn't expect the porta cable to be as heavy as it was and even those it was so heavy I persisted to add pressure to the machine (which I found out later was a big no no lol splashed everywhere haha). Here is a 50/50 once I got the hang of the porta cable and the polish. Big ups to Laidback for the tips as I was doing this, Chris kept telling me I needed to keep the panels moist because the polish was flaking/drying lol as I said, its a pita to learn how much polish to use/how much pressure/etc....heres the 50/50 trunk
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=123
heres a full pic of trunk after the SIP:
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=126
See that left over polish in that crevice!? Pain in the ass to take off!!!
after I saw this I was pretty optimistic about the rest of the car lol...boy was I ever wrong on how simple it would be haha! See after you work the polish you have to wipe it off till without leaving streaks lol impossible task for me haha! Also I wasn't aware of how bad the front end of my car was, alot of chips and scratches that I couldn't get off for the life of me!! After the trunk it was on to the rear quarter panels:
heres a before and after:
before
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=124
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=128
after
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=127
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=125
after the panels i did the roof and finall the front end of the car which was IMHO the worst panels to do!!!
Heres a few befores:
THE biggest PITA!! the hood/dome. IT had the worst scratch in the world, I must have done 3 passes with the SIP/orange cutting pad to get it halfway decent....ugh! My wrists r still killing me lol
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=130
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=129
And afters
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=133
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=132
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=131
I took most of my polishing hours applying the SIP before I called it a night the first night...The second day (again after work) I continued to finish the last two coats of finishing polish/glaze and lastly the wax...which made all the difference in the world and gave it that slippery great smelling feel and scent I wanted to finish it off with!!!
Heres some final pics, I've been working all week so I haven't been able to take NEM3SES out in the daylight but I think a photo session is in order haha
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=134
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=135
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=136
Well thats it gang...my first experience polishing my whiep! lol...Would I do it again?! lol Im vested lol, at least until the polish runs out haha... but I def. don't volunteer to do someone elses lol
Chris you werent kidding about needing tylenol after this! my wrists r still killing me!!!
Ill try to get some daylight pics...just been workin alot so he stays in his cave most of the time haha
Oh and BTW Nem3ses did suffer one minor injury..when taking the masking tape off the front hood roundel peeled off : (
Could have been worse I guess lol.... hope you guys like my write up..payce!
I just wanna start off by saying that I have a new found respect for pro detailers such as Mike from Pro Mobile. The time and effort and skill it takes to properly and in an expert like manner detail a vehicle is profound!!!!!
I know now that detailing isn't something you can learn quickly, or the first time around; but that rather it is a learned skill that takes alot of effort and time to learn!
But I didn't let that deter me after seeing countless threads and examples of DIY details on the forums and on you tube I figured if they can do it why not myself lol!? Well 14 hrs later (over the course of 2 days) I finished my first exterior "detail" on my car, mostly attempting to cover my swirls and scratches ("paint correction"). Sorry ahead of time cuz I didn't take as much pics as other peeps that post detail jobs so...Let's break it down:
This was my "arsenal"
washing
-Maguiars Gold Class Shampoo/Conditioner
-Microfiber towels
-softest washmit i could find
-Maguiars claybar "kit"
-Maguiars Quick Detailer
-microfiber towels
-masking tape
polishing
-Menzerna Super Intensive Polish
-Menzerna Super Finish Polish
-Menzerna Final Gloss
-Porta Cable 7424
-Lake Country Orange/White/Red-polishing pads
-Maguiars Gold Class Liquid Wax/Sealant
-more microfiber towels
I washed using the highly talked about two bucket method ...(I wish I had a foam gun but that will come later I hope)... took my time washing the wheels first then working panel by panel being real careful to fully wash the mitt before continuing (which I hadn't done in the past)
After it was all washed I proceeded to wash using only microfiber to dry the whole car...after it was dry I then proceeded to use claybar and quick detailer on NEM3SES for the first time in his life probably lol. I didn't notice anything at first but once I got the hang of it and as I got closer to the lower panels I started noticing even more and more dirt on the clay! I dropped the bar a few times but I just picked it up and continued...
(LOL just kidding I didn't drop it haha!)
I was pretty tired after claying believe it or not and dreaded the fact that I was not nearly close to being even halfway lMao!!! But I just shrugged it off and went on the mask taping the car...
Masktaping is probably the most boring part of the detail but a few beers and a radio made this task go by quick haha! wish they sold precut pieces to cover all the door mouldings and emblems!
heres a pic for a visual, this is possibly the gayest step lol but necessary!!!
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=122
After mask taping I was pretty exhausted (I had to work before I started this detail so..) and I wanted to call it a night but figured I would attempt to apply the Menzerna SIP (1st coat) before I went to sleep....I choose to test my 1st attempt skills on the trunk and go from there.... I didn't expect the porta cable to be as heavy as it was and even those it was so heavy I persisted to add pressure to the machine (which I found out later was a big no no lol splashed everywhere haha). Here is a 50/50 once I got the hang of the porta cable and the polish. Big ups to Laidback for the tips as I was doing this, Chris kept telling me I needed to keep the panels moist because the polish was flaking/drying lol as I said, its a pita to learn how much polish to use/how much pressure/etc....heres the 50/50 trunk
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=123
heres a full pic of trunk after the SIP:
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=126
See that left over polish in that crevice!? Pain in the ass to take off!!!
after I saw this I was pretty optimistic about the rest of the car lol...boy was I ever wrong on how simple it would be haha! See after you work the polish you have to wipe it off till without leaving streaks lol impossible task for me haha! Also I wasn't aware of how bad the front end of my car was, alot of chips and scratches that I couldn't get off for the life of me!! After the trunk it was on to the rear quarter panels:
heres a before and after:
before
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=124
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=128
after
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=127
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=125
after the panels i did the roof and finall the front end of the car which was IMHO the worst panels to do!!!
Heres a few befores:
THE biggest PITA!! the hood/dome. IT had the worst scratch in the world, I must have done 3 passes with the SIP/orange cutting pad to get it halfway decent....ugh! My wrists r still killing me lol
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=130
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=129
And afters
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=133
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=132
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=131
I took most of my polishing hours applying the SIP before I called it a night the first night...The second day (again after work) I continued to finish the last two coats of finishing polish/glaze and lastly the wax...which made all the difference in the world and gave it that slippery great smelling feel and scent I wanted to finish it off with!!!
Heres some final pics, I've been working all week so I haven't been able to take NEM3SES out in the daylight but I think a photo session is in order haha
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=134
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=135
http://www.mfestforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=136
Well thats it gang...my first experience polishing my whiep! lol...Would I do it again?! lol Im vested lol, at least until the polish runs out haha... but I def. don't volunteer to do someone elses lol
Chris you werent kidding about needing tylenol after this! my wrists r still killing me!!!
Ill try to get some daylight pics...just been workin alot so he stays in his cave most of the time haha
Oh and BTW Nem3ses did suffer one minor injury..when taking the masking tape off the front hood roundel peeled off : (
Could have been worse I guess lol.... hope you guys like my write up..payce!