• If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

2006 Altima on fire!

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • #1

    2006 Altima on fire!








    My process in a nutshell:

    clay paint, windows, lenses and wheels with mild clay and Last Touch
    rotary work:
    M84 burgandy washable pad (up to 3 passes where the previous owner slid things off the roof!!!)
    M83 yellow washable pad
    M82 black washable pad

    - Nxt 2.0 x 2 coats with the DA and a black washable pad, wiping off with the microfiber bonnet
    - PlastX on the lenses
    - Gold Class Trim Detailer on exterior trim to get the wax off from the dealership
    - NXT Insane Shine tire spray (I normally slightly prefer the Endurance high gloss, but these tires have a lot of deeper grooves)
    - glass cleaner from Detailer line

    I tried using a lot less wax on my pad, but I'm still getting some smearing. What looks like buffer swirls in a couple of the pics is actually wax; if I rub my finger across it, the "swirls" change directions. I didn't get any sun shots of the right side where I used the least amount of wax, so it might have been better there. It seems that the excess usually comes off after a wash or two.

    With how popular the DA polisher is on this forum, some might think it strange I didn't finish with it. I tried M82/finishing pad with the DA and it left very slight micro-marring. I also get slightly better reflections finishing with the rotary. I've been trying for a few years to get results I'm happy with using the DA for my final step, but it always looks slightly hazy or milky to me compared to the rotary finish. If anyone is in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis that knows how to avoid the micro-marring, can you show me??? I've watched the video of the black corvette and read posts until I'm blu in the face and I can't seem to get it right.
    "Do the job right, or don't do it!" - Dad
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

    NICE!
    The only reason some people get lost in thought... is because it is unfamiliar territory for them.
    --VoicesInMyHead--
    0101011101100101001000000100000101110010011001010010000001000111011001010110010101101011

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

      Beautiful!!!

      I really miss my Altima. That year like yours and the year before I think were about the best look of the Altima.

      They put the grooves on the hood. Love that. Plus, they put the red signal indicators in the back instead of amber. Love that too.

      I really miss my 2005!

      Your paint is gorgeous. Good work!

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

        Great Work!
        SYDSTER

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

          Your not kidding the Altima is on fire. Great work. Your car looks fantastic.
          quality creates its own demand

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

            Very Nice job!
            If its fast, loud, and runs on a flammable liquid...count me in.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

              Great work!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                Great job.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                  Originally posted by dnoraker View Post
                  With how popular the DA polisher is on this forum, some might think it strange I didn't finish with it. I tried M82/finishing pad with the DA and it left very slight micro-marring. I also get slightly better reflections finishing with the rotary.
                  The rotary buffer usually always leaves a more clear, more perfect finish except for the buffers swirls or buffer trails, or holograms, (whatever term you like to refer to them), the more refined your process the better you are with the rotary the lighter and slighter the swirls and in some cases no swirls at all, that usually depends more on the type of paint than you and your process.

                  The DA Polisher because it changes the action on the surface from rotating to oscillating will remove these but in some cases it will diminish the clarity the rotary produced, so it's a trade-off for no swirls over a little diminished clarity which can often times be made up with your LSP

                  Nice work!

                  Mike Phillips
                  760-515-0444
                  showcargarage@gmail.com
                  "Find something you like and use it often"

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                    Thanks for the clarification on that. I had wondered if I was doing something wrong with the DA for quite awhile.

                    I've been fortunate to get near hologram-free finishes when I use a finishing pad on the rotary with M82 Swirl Free Polish or M66 Cleaner Wax. Occasionally, after washing a few times, I will see very slight holograms, but it depends on the paint and how careful I was with my buffing.

                    Having used the DA extensively before I bought my rotary, one certainly can't complain about that finish when buffed properly with the right products. Some cars there was almost no difference between the two machines finishing with M82, so a person not wanting the risk of the rotary can still achieve great results!

                    Is it possible to get the best of both worlds by working by hand, with Scratch X, for instance? Before I bought my rotary, I noticed that when I got micro-marring from the DA that if I followed it with Scratch-X that I was able to bring the clarity back up again. It was on a very scratch-sensitive finish on a '97 S-10. Is it possible that the most perfect finish would be rotary followed by Scratch-X or Color-X by hand to get rid of the holograms? (Time no object, or course!)
                    "Do the job right, or don't do it!" - Dad

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                      Great job the car looks really good

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                        Originally posted by dnoraker View Post
                        Thanks for the clarification on that. I had wondered if I was doing something wrong with the DA for quite awhile.

                        I've been fortunate to get near hologram-free finishes when I use a finishing pad on the rotary with M82 Swirl Free Polish or M66 Cleaner Wax. Occasionally, after washing a few times, I will see very slight holograms, but it depends on the paint and how careful I was with my buffing.

                        Having used the DA extensively before I bought my rotary, one certainly can't complain about that finish when buffed properly with the right products. Some cars there was almost no difference between the two machines finishing with M82, so a person not wanting the risk of the rotary can still achieve great results!

                        Is it possible to get the best of both worlds by working by hand, with Scratch X, for instance? Before I bought my rotary, I noticed that when I got micro-marring from the DA that if I followed it with Scratch-X that I was able to bring the clarity back up again. It was on a very scratch-sensitive finish on a '97 S-10. Is it possible that the most perfect finish would be rotary followed by Scratch-X or Color-X by hand to get rid of the holograms? (Time no object, or course!)
                        Actually I've been discovering that following up by scratch X by hand will product the most crystal clear finish, I belive that is right!

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                          Sorry, in my last post I meant to say scratch-X by hand will produce the most crystal clear finish.

                          Another thing I'd like to add is that I've also been finding out that scratch-X by PC always has finished out to a beautiful crystal clear finish, mabey 95% as well as scratch-X by hand, and this is even on paints that will turn hazy with #80

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                            I've been wondering if that's possible! I remember early on in my forum reading, I saw a couple people using Scratch-X with the DA, even before it was formulated for it, and were getting these crystal-clear finishes. I may have to try that! Unfortunately, I have two bottles of the old formula that isn't meant for DA. Maybe I can give them to my friends to get their swirls out! I never use it anymore, except for the hard-to-reach areas like under door handles.

                            It's strange that if it gets that good of a finish that we don't hear about it used that way much. Maybe Color-X has a similar effect and people gravitate toward that one instead.
                            "Do the job right, or don't do it!" - Dad

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: 2006 Altima on fire!

                              HTML Code:
                              http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24799&highlight=scratch
                              I searched the DA section of the forum for Scratch X and found this.
                              "Do the job right, or don't do it!" - Dad

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 template Next
                              Working...
                              X
                              gtag('config', 'UA-161993-8');