Tweet
2008 GMC Sierra All-Terrain 4 X 4
Interior had been detailed by car dealership or the owner. Very nicely done!!
Bug and rock chip damage. Difficult or impossible to remove.
Bugs, rock chips and sandblast.
Parallel scratches - maybe rotary brush, maybe hand washing??
Chrome rims prior to polishing.
Chrome rims prior to polishing.
Chrome rims prior to polishing.
Rims not polished, tires not dressed.
Rims polished, tires not dressed.
Rims after 1st polish.
Rims polished and tires dressed with Endurance aerosol.
Rims polished, tires dressed with Endurance aerosol.
Entire surface of truck was covered with a red colored bonded contaminate. May have been pollen or
perhaps industrial pollution. Surface was very rough prior to claying twice.
In this photo you are standing at the front of the truck looking at the windshield looking over the hood.
The reflection is an overhead florescent light fixture. The area where the light is curved is a curved feature
in the hood. Note the swirls or scratches run parallel the length of the reflection indicating the may be
from the rotating brush of a tunnel car wash.
The scratches run the whole length of the truck from headlights to taillights.
Swirls on the curved feature of the hood.
Truck taped prior to polishing work.
Blue tape delineates the test spot. Using the tailgate may not have been the best area for a test spot.
The car wash rotating brush did minimal damage to the tailgate compared to the sides of the truck.
Furniture moving blanket used to protect bumper from M105 dust.
This photo is divided into thirds. Left is untouched, center is taped area and the right has been buffed
one pass of M105 on a yellow pad. Note clarity of the flashlight. While several passes of a 7" yellow pad
with M105 was sufficient on the tailgate, but not even close on the sides and hood of the truck.
Too much rotary brush damage to be removed so easily.
Note the swirls in the area illuminated by the flashlight.
These are the after shots.
These are the spray applied Endurance dressed tires.
The tires on the passenger's side of the truck were dressed with spray on Endurance. More work than the
aerosol Endurance. Each sprayed tire needed to be brushed out with a foam brush to even out the runs.
This is the aerosol dressed tires.
M40 dressed bumper, tailgate edge guard and pull handle.
M40 dressed bumper.
Rock chips and highway sandblasting
Products:
Mequiar's Super Soap
Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo
Mother's Tire and Wheel Cleaner
Meguiar's All-Purpose Cleaner Plus
Meguiar's All-Metal Polish
Mother's Chrome Polish
Meguiar's Spray and Aerosol Endurance Tire Dressings
Meguiar's Professional Mild Clay
Meguiar's Last Touch - Clay Lube Dilution
Meguiar's Tape
3M Tape
Meguiar's Ultimate Compound
Meguiar's ColorX
Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound
Meguiar's M205 Ultra Finishing Polish
Meguiar's Ultimate Polish
Meguiar's Yellow and Black Pads 4" and 7"
Lake Country Cyan Pad 4"
Meguiar's Ultimate Black
Meguiar's M40 Vinyl and Rubber Protectant
Stoner's Glass Cleaner
CarPro Eraser
Meguiar's Supreme Shine, Ultimate and other vendors' miscellaneous microfiber
Process:
Without seeing the truck, I told the owner I needed a minimum of three days. Well, I was pretty much wrong. My normal timeline melted with the heat and humidity of the recent weather.
The truck was delivered by dealership one afternoon after they completed some mechanical service and they may have detailed the interior. Due to the heat in the shop, we worked on the truck a few hours each of the first couple of evenings. Yes, my wife loaned a hand several different times in this process.
Evening number one was spent brush washing the wheels. wheel wells, side steps and the truck bed using spray APC+, spray Mother's, and Gold Class. After scrubbing, all was high pressure rinsed and weed eater dried.
Evening number two was spent hand washing the body of the truck. Using a Gilmour Foam Gun, Super Soap was sprayed on the car while hand washing with Gold Class. The rims were washed again with Super Soap mildly agitated with a soft brush. High pressure rinsed everything, weed eater dried and then hand dried most of the paint with an Absorber.
Moving from the evening shift to mornings, all the chrome rims, bumpers and side steps are polished using both the Mother's and the Meguiar's foam cones and both company's metal polishes. The tires were dressed using the spray Endurance on two tires (ran out) and two wheels with aerosol Endurance (ran out of that too). Moved from the wheels to claying the paint. There was a red colored contaminate bonded to the surface and required two sessions of clay-barring. Spray, clay, wipe, spray, clay and wipe again. Next, cracks, crevices and trims are taped off. Some textured plastics were then dressed as were the rubber side steps with Ultimate Black.
To complete this evening I grabbed a ladder and thought I would do a quick clean up of the roof. I had no intention of performing extensive corrective work on the roof. I noticed water spots, so I took some ColorX and gave the roof a work over. ColorX has been good for me and spot removal on other projects. Nope not to happen this time. The roof has reinforcing ribs, concave ribs. Each rib was filled with water spot etches. So I cleaned off the ColorX with CarPro Eraser and then soaked the roof with a vinegar solution and let it set for a several minutes and then worked it with a microfiber. The surface was then aggressively buffed with Ultimate Compound, cleaned again with CarPro Eraser and then gone over again with ColorX.
The following day a test area was set up on the tailgate. After some experimentation, M105 was needed to remove the quantity of swirls and random scratches in the clear coat. However after several panels with a yellow 7" pad running at speed 5 - 6 and heavy pressure was not getting out all the defects, I started using a 7" for a few cleanup passes and followed with a yellow 4" pad also running at speed 5 and heavy pressure. After completing a couple of panels and still not happy with the amount of scratches being removed, I decided to switch to a cyan colored 4" pad (not sure this is a Lake Country pad, but it's a shade of blue and very hard foam). For a final process, I would go 7" to remove most of swirls, then 4" to remove the random and parallel scratches and then 7" again for a couple of passes hoping to even out the hazing as much as possible. The dusting was as to be expected and due to the heat it was necessary to work in small areas so the M105 wouldn't dry out too fast.
The next day, a yellow pad with M205 was worked very aggressively over the surface to remove the extensive hazing from the M105. After the M205 and after removing the remaining tape, I chose to use Ultimate Polish with a black finishing pad. I did two quick runs with Ultimate Polish, once heavily and speed 5 and a second run with light pressure at speed 4. My desire was to remove any remaining hazing and leave some oils on the surface.
To end the day, coat of Ultimate Wax was laid down. It went on fine and come off fine.
After a day of rest and recuperation from the heat, it was time to finish up some details. My beloved started by cleaning and waxing the door edges and door jambs, while I laid down a second coat of Ultimate Wax on the entire truck. After she finished the doors, I asked that she wipe down the rims again as I wanted to polish them a second time to get them as clean and bright as possible. While she did the wipe down I worked on the textured plastic of the front bumper using Ultimate Black. Everything in the front of the car had been highway sand blasted and rock chipped. I did what I could with the faux chrome plastic grill and waxed it.
My beloved took a foam brush and coated the textured plastic of the rear bumper, mirrors and tailgate end guard with M40. After completing the rims as second time, I moved on to using Ultimate Compound on the headlights and taillights and then coated them with Headlight Protectant.
We removed the last of the tape and my beloved started the glass while I made sure we had everything else was as tip-top as possible. When she finished what she could reach of the glass, I climbed the ladder again and cleaned off the M105 dust, clayed the glass and polished the windshield with glass cleaner.
Special thanks to the better half.
Interior had been detailed by car dealership or the owner. Very nicely done!!
Bug and rock chip damage. Difficult or impossible to remove.
Bugs, rock chips and sandblast.
Parallel scratches - maybe rotary brush, maybe hand washing??
Chrome rims prior to polishing.
Chrome rims prior to polishing.
Chrome rims prior to polishing.
Rims not polished, tires not dressed.
Rims polished, tires not dressed.
Rims after 1st polish.
Rims polished and tires dressed with Endurance aerosol.
Rims polished, tires dressed with Endurance aerosol.
Entire surface of truck was covered with a red colored bonded contaminate. May have been pollen or
perhaps industrial pollution. Surface was very rough prior to claying twice.
In this photo you are standing at the front of the truck looking at the windshield looking over the hood.
The reflection is an overhead florescent light fixture. The area where the light is curved is a curved feature
in the hood. Note the swirls or scratches run parallel the length of the reflection indicating the may be
from the rotating brush of a tunnel car wash.
The scratches run the whole length of the truck from headlights to taillights.
Swirls on the curved feature of the hood.
Truck taped prior to polishing work.
Blue tape delineates the test spot. Using the tailgate may not have been the best area for a test spot.
The car wash rotating brush did minimal damage to the tailgate compared to the sides of the truck.
Furniture moving blanket used to protect bumper from M105 dust.
This photo is divided into thirds. Left is untouched, center is taped area and the right has been buffed
one pass of M105 on a yellow pad. Note clarity of the flashlight. While several passes of a 7" yellow pad
with M105 was sufficient on the tailgate, but not even close on the sides and hood of the truck.
Too much rotary brush damage to be removed so easily.
Note the swirls in the area illuminated by the flashlight.
These are the after shots.
These are the spray applied Endurance dressed tires.
The tires on the passenger's side of the truck were dressed with spray on Endurance. More work than the
aerosol Endurance. Each sprayed tire needed to be brushed out with a foam brush to even out the runs.
This is the aerosol dressed tires.
M40 dressed bumper, tailgate edge guard and pull handle.
M40 dressed bumper.
Rock chips and highway sandblasting
Products:
Mequiar's Super Soap
Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo
Mother's Tire and Wheel Cleaner
Meguiar's All-Purpose Cleaner Plus
Meguiar's All-Metal Polish
Mother's Chrome Polish
Meguiar's Spray and Aerosol Endurance Tire Dressings
Meguiar's Professional Mild Clay
Meguiar's Last Touch - Clay Lube Dilution
Meguiar's Tape
3M Tape
Meguiar's Ultimate Compound
Meguiar's ColorX
Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound
Meguiar's M205 Ultra Finishing Polish
Meguiar's Ultimate Polish
Meguiar's Yellow and Black Pads 4" and 7"
Lake Country Cyan Pad 4"
Meguiar's Ultimate Black
Meguiar's M40 Vinyl and Rubber Protectant
Stoner's Glass Cleaner
CarPro Eraser
Meguiar's Supreme Shine, Ultimate and other vendors' miscellaneous microfiber
Process:
Without seeing the truck, I told the owner I needed a minimum of three days. Well, I was pretty much wrong. My normal timeline melted with the heat and humidity of the recent weather.
The truck was delivered by dealership one afternoon after they completed some mechanical service and they may have detailed the interior. Due to the heat in the shop, we worked on the truck a few hours each of the first couple of evenings. Yes, my wife loaned a hand several different times in this process.
Evening number one was spent brush washing the wheels. wheel wells, side steps and the truck bed using spray APC+, spray Mother's, and Gold Class. After scrubbing, all was high pressure rinsed and weed eater dried.
Evening number two was spent hand washing the body of the truck. Using a Gilmour Foam Gun, Super Soap was sprayed on the car while hand washing with Gold Class. The rims were washed again with Super Soap mildly agitated with a soft brush. High pressure rinsed everything, weed eater dried and then hand dried most of the paint with an Absorber.
Moving from the evening shift to mornings, all the chrome rims, bumpers and side steps are polished using both the Mother's and the Meguiar's foam cones and both company's metal polishes. The tires were dressed using the spray Endurance on two tires (ran out) and two wheels with aerosol Endurance (ran out of that too). Moved from the wheels to claying the paint. There was a red colored contaminate bonded to the surface and required two sessions of clay-barring. Spray, clay, wipe, spray, clay and wipe again. Next, cracks, crevices and trims are taped off. Some textured plastics were then dressed as were the rubber side steps with Ultimate Black.
To complete this evening I grabbed a ladder and thought I would do a quick clean up of the roof. I had no intention of performing extensive corrective work on the roof. I noticed water spots, so I took some ColorX and gave the roof a work over. ColorX has been good for me and spot removal on other projects. Nope not to happen this time. The roof has reinforcing ribs, concave ribs. Each rib was filled with water spot etches. So I cleaned off the ColorX with CarPro Eraser and then soaked the roof with a vinegar solution and let it set for a several minutes and then worked it with a microfiber. The surface was then aggressively buffed with Ultimate Compound, cleaned again with CarPro Eraser and then gone over again with ColorX.
The following day a test area was set up on the tailgate. After some experimentation, M105 was needed to remove the quantity of swirls and random scratches in the clear coat. However after several panels with a yellow 7" pad running at speed 5 - 6 and heavy pressure was not getting out all the defects, I started using a 7" for a few cleanup passes and followed with a yellow 4" pad also running at speed 5 and heavy pressure. After completing a couple of panels and still not happy with the amount of scratches being removed, I decided to switch to a cyan colored 4" pad (not sure this is a Lake Country pad, but it's a shade of blue and very hard foam). For a final process, I would go 7" to remove most of swirls, then 4" to remove the random and parallel scratches and then 7" again for a couple of passes hoping to even out the hazing as much as possible. The dusting was as to be expected and due to the heat it was necessary to work in small areas so the M105 wouldn't dry out too fast.
The next day, a yellow pad with M205 was worked very aggressively over the surface to remove the extensive hazing from the M105. After the M205 and after removing the remaining tape, I chose to use Ultimate Polish with a black finishing pad. I did two quick runs with Ultimate Polish, once heavily and speed 5 and a second run with light pressure at speed 4. My desire was to remove any remaining hazing and leave some oils on the surface.
To end the day, coat of Ultimate Wax was laid down. It went on fine and come off fine.
After a day of rest and recuperation from the heat, it was time to finish up some details. My beloved started by cleaning and waxing the door edges and door jambs, while I laid down a second coat of Ultimate Wax on the entire truck. After she finished the doors, I asked that she wipe down the rims again as I wanted to polish them a second time to get them as clean and bright as possible. While she did the wipe down I worked on the textured plastic of the front bumper using Ultimate Black. Everything in the front of the car had been highway sand blasted and rock chipped. I did what I could with the faux chrome plastic grill and waxed it.
My beloved took a foam brush and coated the textured plastic of the rear bumper, mirrors and tailgate end guard with M40. After completing the rims as second time, I moved on to using Ultimate Compound on the headlights and taillights and then coated them with Headlight Protectant.
We removed the last of the tape and my beloved started the glass while I made sure we had everything else was as tip-top as possible. When she finished what she could reach of the glass, I climbed the ladder again and cleaned off the M105 dust, clayed the glass and polished the windshield with glass cleaner.
Special thanks to the better half.
Comment