Detailing and paint restoration
 

Hola Peeps!
Since I am becoming a part of this forum, the least I can do is try to contribute. I set up and ran detailing shops for several years, and I still spin a pad on occasion. I'll be posting some "how-to's" and other information for buffing, oversprays, interior stains and general detailing, and I'll be happy to assist with any questions should they arise. To show some examples, I'll be posting pics of the wife's new toy, the 87 Supra in my shop.

Sounds great Jack! Thanks for giving back to the community! Cant wait to read your stuff!!
:bigthumb:

Detailing products and uses
 

Let’s start things off from scratch with the products that work best…sort of Detailing 101. I know most people don’t have access to a detail supply warehouse for professional grade products, so we’ll stick to things you can find at your local auto parts store or Walmart. If you know what you’re looking for, you can still get outstanding results without going broke to do it. Let’s begin with our first product, Castrol Super Clean.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y20...urbo/clean.jpg

This is what it looks like for those who don't know. For general detail cleaning, I buy this by the gallon and cut it 50/50 with water in quart-sized spray bottles.

Pros:
Works as well as higher priced degreasers for about $7.00-8.00 per gallon
Readily available, check your walmart vs parts stores for best price.
Cons:
It’s a degreaser, so it’s caustic. Don’t leave it on polished aluminum surfaces for extended periods of time, and keep it off your finished body paint.


Step 1. Pre-wash:
Take your spray bottle with you to your local self serve carwash. (unless you have a power washer) Spray wheels, tires, and fenderwells just enough to get them wet. Set the wand to soap, and clean them all. You’ll be surprised how much crap you can get out of fenderwells, so don’t be afraid to get in there. After cleaning them all set the wand to rinse and repeat the process, making sure to thoroughly rinse the surrounding body panels as you don’t want degreaser left on them.
If you’re cleaning the engine compartment, hit that as well, but make sure to leave the engine running. Nothing worse than drowning the car so it won’t start. That said, don’t spray anymore around ignition components or air intakes than you have to.

Can't bring up wheels and tires without touching on wheel acid. Plenty of brands out there, basically all about the same. I've always used pro grade products for this, cut 50/50 with water. If you have alloy wheels be very very careful using these products. You can ruin a set of expensive wheels in less than a minute's time...I'm not kidding. Wet the wheel (work one at a time) and spray it evenly, do a normal paced 10 count, then rinse thoroughly. Repeat as needed.



Step 2. Hand Washing:
Hand washing is the best way to clean your car, while doing the least amount of paint damage. Those “no touch” car washes are simply relying on a higher concentrate of butyl chemicals in the soap mix to eat the road film and dirt off your car, and it’s taking the wax with it.
This brings us to product number 2. Blue Coral Wash Soap
http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/p...5_front200.jpg
Here's your reference photo...

There are dozens of wash soaps available, and Blue Coral is one of the best. Maguiar's is also good. The butyl chemicals are not too harsh, and there are no bullshit additives you don’t need. (polymer or silicon wax) It has a good foaming agent, and rinse agent…so it’s easy to get off when you put the hose to it.
Put just enough wash soap in the bucket to cover the bottom, and fill it with water. Using a sheepskin wash mitt will do the best job of washing the car, while taking off the least amount of wax. Start in the same place on the car every time and move in the same direction…I personally start at the left rear body panel and go clockwise. This keeps you from missing spots that you’ll have to come back to. Wet the car first, then start washing. Keep your mitt wet and keep it moving…don’t be stingy with the soap and water, since you ARE trying to clean it. Move with the body lines of the car, and overlap your strokes twice. Yes, I realize it sounds like a bit much, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I know how to wash a car” and they never get it clean. Using these methods, I can wash over 25 cars an hour and never skip anything.




Step 3. Drying:
If you use a chamois to dry, buy the artificial variety. The natural chamois will mildew and rot, and it also strips more wax off. Personally, I use a leaf blower. It’s not only faster than a rubdown, but it also gets water out of rear view mirrors and trim mouldings where it likes to linger.

Next post, we'll take the car in the shop and get to work on the exterior...
Any questions, let me know

Hello Jack, i have recently worked in a detail shop and i have a Q about clear coat. The clear coat on my 89 has faded off on my front and rear bumper and thats the only place i have a problem with figured it was just a water base primer or lack of waxing from the previous owner. I was wondering if there is something that i can use to prevent this in the future.

Sorry about the delay...
 

Good timing killa, I just got back yesterday. Wife's mom was having surgery over in Europe, so I've been gone a bit. I'll get on the rest of the detail stuff later today.

Now, for the clearcoat problem:

You could be right on both accounts. Nothing protects your finish like regular quality waxing, but if the paint/clearcoat was applied poorly then it's only a matter of time... I'm lucky here, I have access to some very good touch-up guys. No, not the kind that use the little bottles with nail polish brushes, I mean real painters. Contact your high-end dealers locally, because somebody knows a similar crew in your area. Last time I did it, we had a Mustang GT that had been scrubbed over so many parking lot twinkies you could see a lot of rubbermaid yellow on the bottom of the nose cap. They blended it so well, you couldn't find it afterward, for about $75.oo USD. That's extremely affordable if you care about your car, right? Afterwards, keep a quality carnuba wax on it for maximum longevity. Let me know if this helps...

I'll get into exterior finishing later today...

Exterior Work...
 

Now that the car is clean and dry, let's take it inside to do our exterior work.
You NEVER want to wax or buff hot paint…period.

Fenderwells:

How many times have you seen a car all buffed out, wheels shined up and tires dressed out…only to have nasty dirty fenderwells? I promise you’ll recognize it now. This is the cheapest way to take 10 years off the appearance of your car, and most people never touch it.
Back at Walmart, pick up a few cans of ColorPlace Flat Black spray paint. Don’t worry, it’s only about .95 cents a can. I know what you’re thinking…why not gloss paint? Trust me, flat is best for this application.
Go into your fenderwells with your spray paint and get to it. Get a coat on everything in there that should be black. You can pull a tire if you need to, but usually turning the wheels to one side or the other is sufficient to cover it. You don’t need to go too heavy…no need for paint drooling onto your garage floor, just get it black. If you’re worried about getting something on the surrounding body, just put a bit of paste wax on the fenders about 4 inches out. (Spray paint won’t get through the wax to the body, you can just wipe it off after.) Once you’ve painted them all, hit it with some tire shine and leave it. For this purpose, I recommend No Touch Tire Care. Here’s what it looks like:


http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/p...8_front500.jpg

I use this product because it doesn't leave that snotty, greasy look on your tires. Black with a low sheen finish always looks better, unless you're 19 and stupid.

Taking the time to hit your fenderwells is essential for a truly clean appearance. Take the time to treat the exposed areas of your frame and suspension as well, just like we did the fenderwells. You'll typically only need to do this about once a year. This makes a huge difference, try it and see for yourself.

Wax on...wax off
 

Waxing:

NEVER WAX OR BUFF HOT PAINT...PERIOD!

I could give you a plethera of horror stories here...suffice it to say you don't need to apply half a can of wax and leave it on your car for 3 days.

Yes, I've actually seen it done....

Stay away from any products made by Simoniz or TurtleWax. You'd be better off pissing on the paint after you wash it. They are full of gorilla snot (silicone) and other additives that do no good for your car. The same goes for Colorback 2000, and all those other "once a year" products. If you care about your car so little, call me and I'll come get it...

Here's what I recommend, Malco Imperial Paste Wax:

http://flashwax.com/product%20pictur...6-07%20027.jpg

Simply the best product I've ever used for waxing a car. You may have to go online to buy it, and it costs a bit more per can, but this one can of wax will last you 10 years with your personal car. Yes, I know I said these were products that you could buy almost anywhere, but the fact is nothing on the store shelf comes close.

Application:
Keep a small container full of warm water. About the size of a coffee can should do. Wet your applicator by submerging it and squeezing 2-3 times, pull it out of the water and squeeze it twice. Now you're ready to apply the wax. After each body panel or two, re-wet and re-squeeze it for best results. Start in the same place on the car every time, and go in the same direction. Swipe the applicator in the wax, and wipe it on the paint in a straight side to side manner. One swipe through the wax should get you a body panel or two...it doesn't take much. Follow the body lines of the car to keep from skipping spots.

Once you've made it all the way around, remove the wax with very soft terrycloth or microfiber towels. If it's your first time with this wax, repeat the process a second time...wax on, wax off. The Malco Imperial wax should last you a month or two, depending on how much you wash the car. It won't build up on your paint even if you use it every week. Feel free to use it on your chrome and your exterior windows too.

Tomorrow, we're gonna start buffing....

:bow:more , more . Yesss this is like a porn movie lol , the more you see the more you want it!!! lol THANKS MAN !!!!!!:bigthumb:

Buffing 101
 

Thanks Fantasma...love the enthusiasm.

Buffing:

This is the most complex part of auto care, period. To give it it's due attention, this will probably require multiple posts over the next few days, so please bear with me. Machine buffing can make a dramatic difference in your paint's appearance, both good and bad. If this is your first time handling a buffer, I strongly suggest you attempt glazing first which I'll cover as we go along here. So let's get started with equipment first.

Tools you will need:

First off you will need a buffer, so let's talk about brands and features. The buffer you want to use is a variable speed model like the Makita shown below with a white foam pad attached. This is a glazing pad, more on that later...

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/every...otive/mak.jpeg

Makita makes a good buffer. It's relatively light-weight, so it's easier to handle than say a Milwaukee, shown here wearing a white wool pad. This is a cutting pad.

http://www.detailking.com/images/sto...kee_buffer.jpg

What's the difference? Price for one. The Makita can be picked up for around $200 USD, while the Milwaukee will run $300+. Weight is also a factor. The Makita comes in at about 6.5 pounds, while the Milwaukee tips the scales at a hefty 9 pounds. This may not sound like a lot, but believe me it will beat your ass over the course of a day. Now don't get me wrong, I own a Milwaukee myself...it's the buffer I learned on many years ago, and it's a tough machine to beat. It's an extremely reliable bullet-proof piece of equipment, and the extra weight is a plus when you have to do heavy compounding jobs. The Makita motor produces about 10 amps, while the Milwaukee runs a wrist snapping 12 amp motor.

The Milwaukee is probably the most common machine among professionals, but you're not likely to see one in the detail shop at your local auto dealer. There's a couple of reasons for this...first, I said it was common among professionals, not the lot porters you find spinning pads at a dealership. Most importantly, it's a theft issue. High-end Milwaukee buffers have the best resale value in their class, so a lot of them found their way into pawn shops. (Good place to buy one) For this reason, you'll find lower end equipment in dealer's shops. Here's a good example made by Chicago tools:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...image_2513.jpg
This machine retails for about $30-40 USD, so you can see why dealers buy them for their shops. It claims a 10 amp motor, but it's no Makita. It does feature variable speed, but it takes a while to spool up to 3000 rpm...trust me, I have one. Why? It's a good lower speed buffer for glazing at 1800 rpm.

If you're a first time buffer, buy the Chicago. If you'll only buff one car in your life, buy the Chicago. If you're looking for a glazing machine to keep on hand so you don't have to keep swapping out heads and pads, buy the Chicago. It won't break your budget...at this price, you can afford to keep it on the shelf for 10 years. It's got enough power to buff a car, but not enough to get you into trouble like the Milwaukee.

Oh, and before I forget....

http://www.autotrucktoys.com/ram/images/WMRW50054.jpg

For purposes of this discussion, this IS NOT a buffer. This is a plastic child's toy, and you can do a better job by hand. Don't waste your money.

Let's move on to pad selection...

There are several varieties available, but we'll start by breaking it down into two groups. Wool and foam pads.

Wool Pads:

These are agressive cutting pads. You will hear me use the terms "hard" or "soft" pads. This refers to their cutting power, or abrasive levels. How do you tell the difference? By color. Your most aggressive pad is a white wool pad, shown here with a velcro backing.

http://images.bizrate.com/resize?sq=500&uid=1806792154
This is your most common form of attachment. You will use a 7" rubber backing plate on your machine with the male side of the velcro. These typically come with a new machine. The female velcro side will be on the back of the pad itself. That's hook and loop fastener for you military types. Your white wool pad gives you your best cutting power. That means it removes more oxidation and scratches. For most applications, this is where you start. This is also the pad you will use with heavier compounds.

Next is your yellow wool pad, shown here.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg
This is a softer wool blend, used as a finish pad. Simply put, this shines more than a white pad does when used with the same products. So let's review...White pad = cut...Yellow pad = shine


Here's a typical kit from buff and shine...probably the best pads you can buy.
http://www.tooltopia.com/_img/BUF/BUFTP2.jpg
This kit comes with a white wool pad, yellow wool pad, a black foam pad and the backing plate for all 3. At $32.oo USD, it's a bargain. I'll add the link here for anybody shopping.
http://www.tooltopia.com/buff-and-sh...n=shopzilla_r1

Use and cleaning for wool pads:

One of the next products you'll need for your wool pads is a buffer spur.

http://www.3dproducts.com/memberfiles/Product/K-14.jpg
This is what you use to clean your wool pads while you're buffing. You can pick one up for about $5.oo-6.oo USD, so there's no excuse for stabbing the pad with a screwdriver to clean it out. This is a quick way to destroy some pads, and downright dangerous. Watch how fast a wool pad spinning at 3000 rpm on a high-torque motor can sling something, and you'll understand.

Your buffer spur is also essential to breaking in a new pad when you buy it. You can't use them right out of the box or you, your car, and everything nearby will look like a chia pet. The yarn on a new pad is very thick and fluffy, and it will throw copius amounts of fuzz everywhere. you'll need to wash and spur the pad several times before you can buff with it.

Spurring the pad:

Place the buffer against your leg with the pad facing away from you. With your machine set at 3000 rpm, pull the trigger and place the spur against the face of the pad so the wheels spin with the pad itself. This should basically look like the needle arm on a record player, for those of you old enough to remember what they looked like. Run your spur across the pad face from inside to outside edge until the pad stops throwing dust. Your pad will get gummed up with your polishing products while you use it, so you'll do this several times while buffing a car. Now you know how it's done...

You can wash your pads in the washing machine on the gentle cycle with normal detergent, but it has a tendency to warp them. A warped pad doesn't stay on the backing plate very well. For this reason, I hand wash pads in the driveway. Use your hose, a stiff brush and a bucket of soapy water. Dunk the pad, scrub it and rinse it well. Repeat a few times when breaking in a new pad. Let's say you've buffed with it already on a red car. Now your white wool pad is pink. Spray it down while it's still dry with your 50/50 degreaser mix, then wash it.

Drying pads is the fun part, cause they hold a lot of water. Start by tossing the pad (wool side up) like a frisbee up and down your driveway. This knocks out excess water. Do this until it quits leaving wet rings on the pavement. Now attach it back onto your buffer and spur the pad to remove the remaining water. Yes, you'll get a little wet doing this...suck it up. Once the pad stops misting, set it out in the sun to finish drying. On a warm day this should only take about an hour. This is why you want to have at least 2 of each pad type you use.

NEVER put a buffer pad in the dryer...EVER.

Foam Pads:

These are glazing pads. They are also color-coded to reflect their abrasive levels, but pay attention because the colors are reversed here.

Yellow foam pads are more abrasive "cutting pads".
http://www.autodetailingwarehouse.co...&bw=743&bh=600

White foam is a fine finish pad.
http://toolsandmore.us/productimages/cts/51750.jpg
Now you'll notice on the back of this white pad they put a color-coding chart on here. This is why I chose this photo. This is supposed to be the standard, but it's not always accurate. The white and yellow foam pads are consistent in their cut ratings, but the other colors are not. It's always a good bet to check the packaging and talk to the sales rep when buying blue, green or black pads.

You see here that the black pad is rated for "heavy cut" from this manufacturer. I have 2 black pads in my shop that are softer than my white ones. See my point?

Cleaning foam pads is also different. Toss them in a sink of warm soapy water and massage them. Don't use hot water or get too violent with them...the velcro is attached to the foam with adhesive. They can be a bit fragile. Rinse them in cold water, squeeze out the excess and set them out to dry.

Instead of spurring them like your wool pads while you're buffing, use a damp terrycloth towel on the pad face while you spin it at 1800 rpm.

Buffing VS Glazing
 

Now that we've talked about the pad types, let's discuss how to use them. Yes, there is a big difference between buffing and glazing, and you don't always need to do both. For basic principles, let's define them both.

Buffing:
Here we're spinning a wool pad with a more aggressive product to remove oxidation and scratches from the paint at higher rpms. Normally 3000. Buffing products have different levels of silicates (sand) in them to accomplish this. Heavy compounds will feel gritty between your fingers like toothpaste, while products like Malco's Lite Finish will have more of a hand lotion type consistency.

Glazing:
Now we're spinning a foam pad at lower rpms, around 1800, with a wax or polymer based product to seal the paint, remove swirl marks and/or enhance the shine on the car's finish.

The buffer speed combined with the material of the pad produces heat that's used to break down the product and push it into the paint. Buffing products break down at higher heat than the glazing products do, which is why we glaze at lower speed settings.

When to buff or glaze?

Let's say your paint feels dry to the touch. You put your hand on the hood palm down and pull it to you and it sounds like this...eeeeeeeeeeeeeee. But the paint isn't oxidized or scratched up. Glazing it will do. Glazed and waxed paint will feel soft, warm and smooth.

If you have oxidation(chalky appearance) and scratches in the paint, it's time to buff. The standard rule of thumb is this...if you can prick the scratch with your fingernail, you won't get all of it out. I've compounded deep scratches out of cars before, but you're gonna burn through some layers of paint to do it. Not something for an inexperienced person to attempt. Buffing creates a lot of heat and friction, so burning the paint is easy to do. You can destroy a car's finish quickly if you don't know what you're doing, which is why I recommend you start by glazing until you get the hang of it. Everybody burns cars while buffing. Anybody who says they haven't has never buffed.

Two types of burns:

Working burns- These occur due to failing paint or clearcoat, or around sharp body panels where the paint is extremely thin. One simple pass can do it, and you won't notice it until the damage is done. Oops, now you gotta fix it...

Neglect burns- These occur due to an idiot with the buffer who stays too long in one place, or grinds the edge of the pad against the paint. An example would be buffing around a spoiler and bumping the pillar with the edge of the pad. That's why we do those areas by hand, and you always mask rubber body trim. Now it's time to fire somebody...

Now here's where it gets complex. Let's say we've got a dark green Chevy truck to work on. Fairly common color for them, right? It's got some oxidation and a few fine scratches. We can buff this out with Lite Finish and a wool pad, wax it, and be done.

Next we have a dark green Nissan truck with the same problem. Once we buff it out with Lite Finish and a wool pad, we'll have to glaze it with a foam pad and Phase II glazing product before we can wax it.

Why? Because GM uses a harder clearcoat than Nissan and other auto makers do. Softer clearcoats are prone to swirl marks after you use a wool pad on them, especially with darker colors. Lexus black is a bitch.
We'll cover that more later...

Tomorrow I'll start covering buffing and glazing products...

Buffing Products:

There are hundreds of products out there making all kinds of claims, so let's boil off the fat and use what really works. From a professional standpoint I use Malco products like Lite Finish:
http://www.tcpglobal.com/detailsuppl.../MAL110101.JPG

Lite Finish is the product I use on most buffing jobs. Combined with a wool pad, this will whack out most paint imperfections like oxidation and scratches. You can buy this stuff in several sizes, so I don't recommend the gallon unless you have a shop. You can get pints and quarts. A pint will do most cars used corerctly. (with an applicator)

CAUTION! Do NOT store buffing products in a cold garage! Once they freeze, they separate...then the shit is worthless. Protect your investment by keeping them in a warm place.

Ok, so you may not have access to Malco products, what then?

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/imagesEdp/p84836z.jpg

Meguiars makes some pretty good stuff as well, and you can get it anywhere. They also make heavier compounds, but this is the one we'll compare to Malco's Lite Finish.

If you have to go heavier because Lite Finish or Meguiars isn't pulling it out of your paint, then these are our options...

Meguiars Heavy Cut Cleaner:

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/imagesEdp/p84839z.jpg


Or what I use myself, Malco's Tru-Grit:

http://www.pacer.com.au/SiteMedia/w3...L%20120001.jpg

Also available in several sizes...gallons are for shops. Honestly, I'm almost reluctant to advise on these products to anyone without buffing experience, but we'll cover more on that as we go. Suffice it to say this shit can do some serious damage to paint if you use it incorrectly, but it pulls out shit you would not believe.

OMG this is like the bible for detailing. can wait to get back home and start on mine.:bow:

By far the best detailing advise ive ever read up on. i worked at a detail shop for a year, but never got to do much with exterior. thank you again for this awesome contribution.

You're welcome...just trying to help guys. So much bullshit info out there makes it hard for people to get the right stuff...

Scroll back guys, I'm finishing out the post on buffing products above...

Let's start using your buffer....

Remember wetting and wringing out our applicator pad for waxing? Same process here. Wet and squeeze your applicator for applying your buffing product. It's also a good idea to shake up your products too...not just when you buff, but you want to agitate it a bit whenever you walk past it on the shelf. Keep it from settling or separating on ya...

Area coverage:

You can only work a 2ft x 2ft (approximate)area on the car at one time. to give you a better idea, let's use a Supra hood as an example. You have 3 distinct areas from one side to the other divided roughly in 3rds. Your 2 lower laying sides and the raised section in the center, right? Now take each one of those and cut it in half from the hood's front edge at the nosecap to the base of the windshield. That "1/6th" of the hood is all the area you can manage at once.
(Let me know if you need pics here to demonstrate)

Buffing products are designed to be applied wet, and worked while wet. Don't let them dry like you do wax.
Don't delay once you apply product to the hood. If your pad needs cleaned, spur it first...have the buffer ready to go once you put the product on...

Since we've already mentioned the hood, let's start there. This is one of the easier parts of a car to buff. I recommend starting on one of the outside "3rds" of it here for easier control. (Once you've practiced a bit, you'll typically start at the center section and work out to avoid touching the same area twice.) Be sure to drape your buffer's cord over your shoulder so you're not dragging it on fenders, etc. While I'm on that, never wear anything harder than sweats when you buff a car. No brass rivots on your jeans, no belt buckles, NOTHING that can scratch the car! Sweats are always your safest bet. Trust me, you're gonna be getting intimate with your car here and leaning all over it.

Buffing the Hood
 

You have your dampened applicator and buffing product in hand. Place about a quarter-sized dollop on the applicator, and wipe it on the 1/6th area we talked about earlier. Set your applicator aside (face up) and grab your buffer. (wool pad attached, 3000 rpm) Pull your trigger and set the buffer down flat on the surface you're buffing...moving side to side with the body lines of the hood, then back and forth to cross your patterns like a big "T". Keep your buffer moving at all times. Work this area until the surface comes out clean. Don't overdo it. You may leave a couple of small smut marks where you didn't get all the polish off...that's ok. Better to leave a couple of spots than attempting to grind them out.

Be particularly careful around windshield wipers, washer jets, trim, antennas, etc. the edges of your wool pad can snag one in a heartbeat and sling it across your shop. I'm not kidding. I've seen fuel doors, trim, rearview mirrors and hood ornaments ripped off of cars before. It happens in a nanosecond, so always be aware of your pad's proximity to hazards.

Practice that for a bit, and we'll pick up again later...

Ok, so here it is...the wife's "new" car. The body was straight as a pin and I was able to pick it up for $300.oo (minus the motor). This is what the paint looked like after the trailer ride home. The grasshopper on the hood came with the car...actually made the whole trip home with us.

http://img121.imagevenue.com/aAfkjfp..._122_448lo.jpg
Kinda nasty looking huh?


http://img254.imagevenue.com/aAfkjfp...2_122_87lo.jpg
You can see here where I started on the passenger side of the hood with a wool pad and Lite Finish. Look at the same image below with our coverage areas I mentioned earlier drawn out on the hood...

http://img168.imagevenue.com/aAfkjfp...122_1107lo.JPG
These sections are not numbered in the order you need to do them, it's just to show how many areas you need to break the hood down into for buffing one section at a time.

http://img165.imagevenue.com/aAfkjfp..._122_574lo.jpg
And this is what the hood looks like after the first pass with Lite Finish. That's 23 year old paint you're looking at. Hell of a difference isn't it?

Black is one of the most difficult colors to buff out, because it shows EVERYTHING you didn't get right. White is also a pain in the ass, since you can't see the product you apply to the paint. This makes it hard to tell what you're doing and where you have or haven't been. To solve this, I always keep a few "ketchup" bottles in the shop. You'll notice one in section 5 of the layout picture above. If you're buffing white paint, put some of your product in the ketchup bottle along with a little food coloring. Blue or red works best. Don't worry...it won't stain your paint, but it will make your polish stand out for better visibility.

So it may be a bit more difficult to work on, but black is also a high payoff color. Get it right and it looks like new money. The only color that pays off better is red. This is why I always kept my little red sport coupe parked in front of the shop. Buffed out red glows like nothing else can, and red is also a very forgiving color to buff.

Oh, in case you were wondering...

http://img162.imagevenue.com/aAfkjfp..._122_571lo.jpg

The grasshopper is doing just fine. He stayed to watch me buff out the first half of the hood, now he's taken up residence in my yard somewhere.

Awesome stuff. Are you also going to give some of your experience on interior care, and engine decorating?

Sure will crazy...I'm working from the outside in. I always do this because buffing leaves all that residue in your door jambs and I like to clean things once when doing a car. We'll get there in the next few posts, I promise you.

Thanks for all the info.

Question for you: have you ever heard or used a product called System One and what are your thoughts about it?

Sorry, its been a while doing engine work
 

Thanks, sounds like a good plan. Also on those darker color paints ive learned Collonite Insulator wax works very well!!! Annually follow washes with a nice detailing spray and this single waxing will last you at minimum 6 months (if your one to take care of your paint that is)