With only 1 week and 400 miles on the clock, we set out to get the very good factory finish that much better.

1. Presoak - Presoaked the car to remove any initial dirt or residue that might have accumulated in the week I've been driving. We used a Gilmour Foam Gun with Tropi-Care Sparkle soap.
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00908.JPG

2. Debadge: Removed the GM badge off the side:
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00910.JPG
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00915.JPG

Also, the word Pontiac off the rear:
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00912.JPG
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00913.JPG
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00914.JPG


3. Clay bar. The factory finish is good, but there is some mild contamination (almost a grit like feel) that almost EVERY new car is going to have. The clay bar does a nice job removing this. We used a Clay Magic Grey (mild).


4. Followed up the clay with a buffing compound. We used Menzerna "Super Intensive Polish" with an orange pad. This did a fantastic job removing any of the swirls or other light scratches that the car had (even as new).
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00917.JPG
Video: http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Videos/MOV00922.AVI
Video: http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Videos/MOV00920.AVI
Video: http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Videos/MOV00923.AVI

5. Sealant. We used Tropi-Care Sealant xP to provide long term protection and shine. Applied this by hand and used a buffer with a microfiber bonnet on a foam pad to remove.
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00924.JPG
Video (Removal): http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Videos/MOV00926.AVI

6. Wax. Tropi-Care Ivory Liquid Carbnuba Wax finished everything up with an amazing shine! Once again applied by hand with the buffer to remove.
Removal:
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00925.JPG

Final Clean-up:
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00927.JPG

I, like many of you, use to use Zaino religiously. I started using Trop-Care with my last car and I am not going back. For those of you that have used Zaino in the past, Tropi-Care blows Zaino out of the water and gives it an amazing finish. You can get it at www.tropi-care.com incase you want to make your car look as great as mine does now!

Adam

Final Results:
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00930.JPG
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00931.JPG
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00933.JPG

You should add to the topic " NOT 56K FRIENDLY!!!!!! AT ALL!!!!!!!"

by the way i have DSL and it took a good 2 full minutes....

BY THE WAY GREAT JOB!!!!! GREAT LOOKING CAR....

Very nice job

I personally do not like the tropi-care. I prefer the Zaino, but who cares as long as it works! lol

question, how long and what did u use to tint your front amber reflectors? I may be pickin up a red one in a week or 2 and wanted to do that also. did you use nightshade? then I am guessing you just taped and covered up all surrounding areas? just curious to know how hard, how long, and how did you apply it. Thanks!

Nice Job! How long did it take you to do that?

You should add to the topic " NOT 56K FRIENDLY!!!!!! AT ALL!!!!!!!"

Done

question, how long and what did u use to tint your front amber reflectors? I may be pickin up a red one in a week or 2 and wanted to do that also. did you use nightshade? then I am guessing you just taped and covered up all surrounding areas? just curious to know how hard, how long, and how did you apply it. Thanks!

It was a special vinyl-based tint that my tiny guy had used to tint reflectors before and it turned out pretty well. Applies just like vinyl or tint. lay it over and trim off the excess.

I have had painted tails/lights before and recommend www.jonstintedtails.com over nightshade anyday.

Nice Job! How long did it take you to do that?
Including a few breaks, about 6 or 7 hours start to finish.

Thanks for the info. My friend just recommended that I purchase a clay bar too. I plan to do that tomorrow.

Final Results:
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00930.JPG
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00931.JPG
http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00933.JPG

:drool:

http://g8gt.gtxgp.com/detail/Pictures/DSC00914.JPG




Hey an FOP member, I'm active out of NY lodge #103.

Nice write up, your car shines.

Great stuff thanks for sharing. Whats with the 2 holes in the bumper?

Also why the PT cruiser with Tropicare on the window?

Great stuff thanks for sharing. Whats with the 2 holes in the bumper?

Front plate bracket removed.

Amazing detail! Car looks awesome!

how much do you charge to detail!?

Great stuff thanks for sharing. Whats with the 2 holes in the bumper?

Also why the PT cruiser with Tropicare on the window?

Not trying to be an ass, but I believe he may be a sponsor of tropi-care or advertise for them and they give him stuff because he believes very strongly in them and has their advertisment on his window. I may be wrong, that is just a guess. Not tryin to offend you:pir_flag:

The PT Cruiser is not my car. The PT Cruiser belongs to the person I bought the products from, hence the Tropi-Care in the window.

Car looks great though, I'm sure ours will look the same as soon as I can get around to it.....weekends are always busy and weather hasn't been cooperating.

Only question I have is.......why was this done in the sun? Typically that dries out the polish prematurely.

I do all my detailing in a garage and I use 500w flood lights at a distance so they don't warm up the paint surface.

We did the initial presoak & clay bar in the shade before the sun came up (started at 7am) since it is important that doesn't dry out. However, the sealant and polish are perfectly fine in the sun as long as it is not over 75-80*. It happened to be a cool day on Sunday so there weren't any problems in the sun.

any wax/polish I have ever used, they all say to apply in cool, shaded area (under trees, in shade, garage). Puttin wax or polish on in the sun just bakes it onto the paint and makes it that much tougher to get off. Just from what I have read/learned. Car still looks awesome though. Gotta love red:driving:

Looks great! Liquid Red is the best!

I want i want i want!

hey gtxgp, couple of ?'s

1. what is the clay bar for, and where can you get it?
2. how did you remove the emblems, gm and pontiac, just with a heat gun then pull off?
3. where can i get that wash and wax you used?

car looks great, i have the same one

Nice write up. Looks like you got all the right tools.

hey gtxgp, couple of ?'s

1. what is the clay bar for, and where can you get it?
2. how did you remove the emblems, gm and pontiac, just with a heat gun then pull off?
3. where can i get that wash and wax you used?

car looks great, i have the same one

1. Have you ever run your hand over your car and feels gritty? Like little bumps? Maybe tree sap on the car? A clay bar removes all the impurities in the paint, like the little bumps. You can hear it working too which is cool. You just spray some detailer spray on, then work that area. You can pick them up in Pep boys or Napa. It is the BEST product you can buy for your car.

2. A lot of people are removing the emblems with dental floss because it wont hur the paint. Heat gun is used to soften the glue.

3. You can order the tropi-care stuff from their website. I prefer Zaino but I have tropi-care as well.

Nice work. Now just get rid of the Neon and TP Cruiser!

Luckily they aren't mine :p ....but if you saw what was under the car covers next to the Neon you wouldn't make fun ;)

Luckily they aren't mine :p ....but if you saw what was under the car covers next to the Neon you wouldn't make fun ;)

It is kind of hard to tell, but because of the TP and Neon, I'll say it is probably a Chrysler product.

Hmm....it doesn't look like a Grand Caravan....maybe a Sebring convertible?!?!

Naw, it looks like you have a nice place, so I'm sure you have a few other nice toys. I like brick houses, but there aren't too many in my earthquake-happenin' area.

So what are under the covers?

So once you use the heat gun and floss to get the emblems off what how do you remove the left over adhesive? I might take my emblems off this weekend :)

It is kind of hard to tell, but because of the TP and Neon, I'll say it is probably a Chrysler product.

Hmm....it doesn't look like a Grand Caravan....maybe a Sebring convertible?!?!

So what are under the covers?

One is a '95 Viper RT/10 and the other is a '97 Viper GTS :driving:

So once you use the heat gun and floss to get the emblems off what how do you remove the left over adhesive? I might take my emblems off this weekend :)
Just some 3M Adhesive Remover and patience :)

Very results and nicely explained! Good job!!

I just wanted to say thanks for showing me how easy this was to accomplish, I did it myself this afternoon and it looks fabulous. OP ftdubz!

You'd be surprised how many mods are easy to do if you just try :wink2:

nice mate.

what was your paint like when you got it??

Steve has some fantastic stuff!! I am in the process of going nearly 100% TC!! I love his stuff so much!!

Good to see more people turning from the deaded Z... oooopps.... I didnt say that:)

nice mate.

what was your paint like when you got it??

Steve has some fantastic stuff!! I am in the process of going nearly 100% TC!! I love his stuff so much!!

Good to see more people turning from the deaded Z... oooopps.... I didnt say that:)

It was just the typical new-car grit. Only way to even tell it was there was using the ole plastic bag test. :) Otherwise it wasn't that bad really.

Looks great, lets hope she stays clean!

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread, it's been helpful. It's the first time I saw the foam gun, and since I had a $25 gift cert to Amazon.com, I ordered it up for the total of about $15 bucks. I went with the variable mix foam gun since it had the most flexibility.

I tried it out the first time and didn't have the best of results. So today while I was at AutoZone buying some cleaning supplies, I spotted some Rain-X high foaming concentrate in a big jug. I figured what the heck, I'll try it. Well it turns out that on mix level C, the foam output is excellent. It really clings to the car and made washing it go a whole lot faster. I was able to foam the car, wash it completely, rinse, and shoot it with deionized water from the Mr. Clean hand held unit in about 25 minutes.

My next purchase is going to be a large capacity deionizing filter so that I can rinse the car a whole lot faster. However for a small unit, it does really work well with the water I have in this area, albiet slow.

http://www.rainx.com/Products/Washes/Foaming.aspx

YMMV, but I figured I'd share for those considering a foaming gun by Gilmour.

Geeez, how gay. Grown man posting pictures of how he washed and waxed his car and you all drooling like it was a beach bunny running naked and screeming out loud, look at me look at me.....buy this stuff....buy this stuff....

Man, i need to post a few pics and start advertising.....just not sure of what.... i'm too lazy to wash my baby....got 500 miles on the clock, been a week and no bath.....

anybody wanna wash my baby for me...i'll post the pics....

Why don't you drive it into a lake, that might get it nice and clean for you. :whine:

Very nice, car looks great.