First time PC user: Black 740i makeover

[TwoTooBlack]

The night before the forum crashed I uploaded a bunch of photos and did a really clever, well written makeover article. You'll have to trust me on this because after seeing all that effort go out the window, down the drain and off to electronic Never Never Land, all you get now are the detailing steps and before and after photos. For anyone who is thinking about getting a PC, you should note that this was the first time I used one and it makes a WORLD of difference.

I used NXT wash, Quick Clay, #83, #82 and NXT. It's my wife's car and she loved the results. See what you think.

Unfortunately, I did not plan my photos far enough ahead, and I don't have the exact same angles, but I have tried to get the all important (and all revealing) sun in most shots.

Rear fender and pillar before:


and after (opposite side to capture the sun, but both sides suffered the same "before" swirls)


Roof before:

Roof after:


Trunk before:

Trunk after:


Hood before:


Hood after:



Reflection before:

Reflection after:

[Mike Phillips]

Wow!

Completely Awesome Makeover!

It's true, the PC can do so much more than your hand, best of all, it never gets tired or sore!

For everyone who reads this and can understand TwoTooBlack's disappointment after having lost his first write-up due to the sever crash, here's a tip...

Write everything in Microsoft Word and save it to your hard drive. Then when you're all finished, copy and paste into the message box on the forum.

I can't tell you how many times have lost something I have written in the message box on the forum when someone sends me a PM and I click the wrong response and my browser window opens up the PM only to lose everything I have written.

Sorry, about the hijack there....

Now back to your Extreme Makeover.... awesome job! especially for your first time using the PC!

One tip if I may... invest in some fuzzy wash mitts to wash and maintain all the hard work you put into this car's finish. As soon as they become tatty, replace with a new one.

A high quality, but inexpensive wash mitt is less costly than removing car washing scratches because you used an inexpensive wash mitt.

Mike

[Superior Shine]

BEAUTIFUL JOB! Nothing looks sweeter than a cherried out black ride.

[hirosh]

whoa! awesome job!

[zey]

Mike, I don't use any wash mitt nor sponge to apply shampoo, instead, I use a piece of folded chamois. May I know is this OK? I never apply heavy pressure, just glide the chamois effortlessly over the paint surface with Soft Wash Gel shampoo.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi TwoTooBlack,

First, you should always use what you think is best or you prefer.

That said, here are some tidbits of information on washing mitts.

Fuzzy wash mitts offer a nap, or a place for abrasive particles and dirt to bury into thus preventing them from being pushed against the surface of your car's finish. The fuzz, or fleecy fibers, have the ability to glide into cracks, crevices, body seams between panels, and other tight areas and therefore agitate, loosen and remove dirt that products with a flat surface, (like a sponge), cannot.

This helps you to more thoroughly clean your entire car. Also, when machine cleaning, polishing and waxing, especially with a rotary buffer, it is vitally important to remove all dirt from the car because the spinning action of the foam pad on a machine can create a tiny air-current that could potentially enter the buffing process and instill scratches.

Flat sheen washing products trap dirt between themselves and the surface, this could lead to swirls and scratches. Any washing product that offers some kind of nap will help to prevent this. This would even include a terry cloth towel.

The most important thing about using fuzzy wash mitts is that when they become tatty, delegate them to wheels, tires fender lips, exhaust tips, etc. and use a new, good condition wash mitt for your paint.

I think it’s safe to say that most people wash their cars more often than they perform any other car maintenance procedure, that being true, it is important to consider the quality of the products that come into contact with your car’s finish if you want to prevent instilling swirls and scratches.

Mike

[TwoTooBlack]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Hi TwoTooBlack,

First, you should always use what you think is best or you prefer.

TwoTooBlack ALWAYS uses a fuzzy wash mitt (a Meg's spun gold, in fact) and the two bucket system. That was "zey" you were replying to.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by TwoTooBlack
TwoTooBlack ALWAYS uses a fuzzy wash mitt (a Meg's spun gold, in fact) and the two bucket system. That was "zey" you were replying to.

Whoops!

typing to fast and thinking too slow....

Mike

[2000]

ahh! black car, bright sun.......love hate relations, after those pics it has to be a love relationship! good job.

[scrub]

NICE!!

[HotRodGuy]

the first car i'm gonna do after I finally pull the trigger on my PC is a land cruiser in very similiar condition. I can't wait