2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

[mr.haributo]

Here's part of my first major detail. I'll add steps and pictures to this thread once I get around to it in no particular order. First up...

Window Correction:

• Tools and Products
  • Dewalt DW849
  • M04 Heavy-Cut Cleaner
  • D120 Glass Cleaner Concentrate, 10:1
  • Buff & Shine 3" Backing Plate 5/8" Thread Rotary
  • Buff & Shine 3" Wool Cutting Pad
  • 3M blue painter's tape
  • Microfiber (mf)
  • Red Craftsman cart
  • Canon G6
  
  
• Process
  • Clean windows with D120 and mf.
  • Mask window trim w/ blue tape. Add strip for 50/50 assessment.
  • Apply M04 to wool pad.
  • Work M04 to window using DW849 until product breaks down waterspots. You can actually see after 1-2 passes.
  • Wipe off with mf.
  • If all is well, continue to work entire window.
  • Clean windows with D120 and mf.
  • Take pictures here and there throughout process to document results to post online.
  
  

Now for the results.

Figure 1: Tools and Products.


Figures 2 and 3: Before shots of waterspots.



Figures 4-6: 50/50 shots




Figures 7-9: Final shots and reflection.

[TimG]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

That looks absolutely great. Good job.

[Carfire]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Looks Great!!!
Huge Improvement!!
Nice Work!!
Now they can see out of the GLASS!!

[christian6984]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

nice work, that looks brilliant.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Excellent write-up and you show really horrible water spots and how M04 ws able to remove them without scratching the glass. Anyone reading this note that mr.haributo used blue painter's tape to tape off all the edges surrounding the glass. If you don't do this you will get M04 Heavy Cut Cleaner splatter residue onto the rubber, plastic and felt trim surrounding the glass and into the cracks and crevices in these areas and this residue will be messy and difficult to completely remove. It's so worth the extra time and expense to thoroughly tape off around the glass before machine buffing the glass. It's even a good idea to do this if you're working by hand because chances are good you'll still get residue onto the rubber gaskets surrounding the glass and taping off saves you from having to come back and clean these ares.

Good job!

The water spots on the glass in these pictures looks a lot like the water spots on many of my customer's cars when I lived in Oregon and you can't polish out the paint on a customer's car and leave the windows covered in water spots, it doesn't look good and takes away from the "wow" factor you want your customer to experience when you return their car back to them after the job is finished.

Also just to note, if the glass has water spots like this then chances are very good the paint has the same kind of water spotting too...

We're going to modify the title to this thread and place it in the How To Articles forum as a guide for others to follow should they have water spots this bad on the paint. Just to note, the M04 can also be used by hand to do the same thing but it will take longer and you'll have to put a little passion behind your applicator pad.

The DA Polisher can be used but in most cases to remove water spots this bad on glass you'll end up trying to apply so much pressure to the had of the polisher that your pad will tend to stop rotating and thus it's not as effective as working by hand or with a rotary buffer.

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

I need to add that I couldn't get the entire surface of glass w/ the 3" wool pad so I switched over to applying a minute amount of M04 (about the size of a pea) on my mf and rubbed it into those areas. There wasn't a whole lot of "passion" needed to work the product in but that would vary from person to person.

Also, there were waterspots on the paint but those were removed w/ M83. I don't recall if I was able to capture the water marks on the painted surface. I do know that they are no longer there.

When I get a chance, I'll be adding to this thread on the other aspects of this detail.

Unfortunately, I did not have the correct products at the time to detail the engine, so that won't be included. Maybe next time, I work on this truck, I'll start w/ the engine bay.

BTW, Mike YGPM.

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

So it begins...here's the full writeup.

Before Condition:
I drove it up to the snow for boarding and fun during the Christmas break. I was able to keep it in my possession for some badly needed detailing. I had in my mind to detail the engine but it wasn't in the cards. Maybe next time I get it, I'll start with the engine.

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Wheels and Wheel Wells:

• Tools and Products
  • Campbell Hausfeld Pressure Washer
  • All Purpose Cleaner + 10:1 and 4:1
  • Brush
  • Hyper Dressing 3:1 for Satin Finish
  • All Season Dressing
  • Vroom Tire Applicator
  
  
• Process
  • Pressure wash.
  • Spray APC+ 4:1 on wheel wells, let soak, then brush.
  • Spray APC+ 10:1 on wheels, let soak, then brush.
  • Pressure wash.
  • There was some time between when I washed and dressed the wheels.
  • Spray down wheel wells w/ HD.
  • Apply ASD w/ tire applicator.
  
  

Here's the only picture I had of the APC+ before working on the wheels.


Here's a shot of the wheels and wells.

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Wash:

• Tools and Products
  • Gilmour Foamaster II
  • NXT Car Wash Soap
  • Deep Crystal Car Wash Soap
  • Two 5-gallon buckets
  • Grit Guards
  • Microfiber wash mitt
  • Meguiar's Water Magnet
  
  
• Process
  • Pre-soak entire vehicle w/ Foamaster and NXT soap.
  • Two bucket wash w/ Grit Guards using DC soap.
  • Section by section. Top to bottom. Front to back.
  • Dry w/ WM.
  • Pull into garage for next step.
  
  

Didn't have any pictures during the wash but the next few are priceless.

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Clay:

• Tools and Products
  • Smooth Surface Clay Kit
  • Quik Detailer
  • NeoPro gloves
  • Microfiber
  
  
• Process
  • Knead clay and form into patty.
  • Spray area w/ QD.
  • Clay surface.
  • Wipe dry w/ mf.
  • Repeat process for entire vehicle.
  
  

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Assess Paint:

• Tools and Products
  • Brinkmann Dual Xenon
  • Canon G6
  
  
• Process
  • Try to capture paint condition.
  
  

Didn't quite capture swirls when I took these pictures but believe me, they were there.

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Paint Correction:

• Tools and Products
  • Porter Cable 7424
  • Backing Plate
  • M83 DACP
  • D151 PRC
  • W8006
  • 3M Blue Tape
  • Supreme Shine Microfiber
  
  
• Process
  • Tape off trim and area for 50/50 assessment.
  • M83/W8006/Speed 5/ 2-3 passes
  • D151/W8006/Speed 5/ 1 pass w/ light pressure
  • This was the process I used since I didn't have a pad available for M80.
  • Wipe off residue w/ SS mf.
  
  

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Last Step Product:

• Tools and Products
  • Porter Cable 7424
  • Backing Plate
  • NXT Tech Wax 2.0
  • W9006
  • W7006
  • Supreme Shine Microfiber
  • Ultimate Microfiber DA Bonnet
  
  
• Process
  • NXT 2.0/W9006/Speed 3
  • Wait 30 minutes
  • Swipe Test
  • Removed using W7006/MF bonnet/Speed 4
  • Repeat steps above for second coat.
  
  

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Window Correction - see first post in this thread.

Remove all tape. Enjoy work, almost there.

[mr.haributo]

Re: 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche

Dressing:

• Tools and Products
  • Natural Shine Vinyl & Rubber Protectant
  • Microfiber
• Process
  • Spray NS on mf and rub into cladding
  • Repeat process for entire cladding surface.
  • Dress tires and wheel wells as described in an earlier post.

No pictures available during dressing step. See next post for After pictures.