Today I did some detailing...

MetzgerMeister · 20-03-2014 10:59PM

It looks better before you went near it :pac:

You should have just sanded down the marks and then got the D/A at it. With regard to what you said about people underestimating the damage a low grit sandpaper can do, you seem to be forgetting your bonnet :P

When it comes to that lip, you don't just move the masking over because the lip will always be there. What you do is use 2000 wet and dry sandpaper and plenty of water and sand down the lip so you feather it in.

Also, it's in the wrong thread...

20-03-2014 11:16PM

vectra wrote: »

Just paint the whole bloody bumper and be done with it

That'd require taking it off, though (I wouldn't have a notion, though Im sure there's a youtube video out there somewhere for it).

And I probably will do that very thing, but i'd like to 'sample' it on a smaller area first anyway, just to see what kind of finish I get.

To be honest, I'm still mildly hopeful that an aggressive D/A polish might help me out a fair bit.

20-03-2014 11:36PM

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

It looks better before you went near it :pac:

You should have just sanded down the marks and then got the D/A at it. With regard to what you said about people underestimating the damage a low grit sandpaper can do, you seem to be forgetting your bonnet :P

When it comes to that lip, you don't just move the masking over because the lip will always be there. What you do is use 2000 wet and dry sandpaper and plenty of water and sand down the lip so you feather it in.

Also, it's in the wrong thread...

Ah my bonnet was grand almost immediately, to be fair. I posted up the 'after' photos for that the day after I think? Well, it's not as good as I wanted, but I got rid of the sandpaper marks fairly swiftly.

I did sand the 'lip', as I said in my post. It's visible but cant be felt any more.

What thread would you suggest?

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 12:56AM

Pre detail

Wheels ware very dirty

Moss and algae growing and the window trims

Moss growingon to roof trim

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 12:56AM

During Detail

Engine bay detailing

Pre engine detail

Post engine detail

I removed both number plinths so the paint could be polished and to clean the plinths

Cleaning the plinths

R1NE by Reflectology R-Series Car Care was used for both foam and wash shampoo.

Making sure intricate areas get a good clean

Clay bar after the drivers door

The exterior was dried ready for the next step, machine polishing

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 12:56AM

During Detail

Interior

Removing all dust

Extracting dirt from the floor mats

The leather was hiding dirt which needed to be removed

After steam clean and cleaning with DR. Leather

Left side clean right side after cleaning the leather

The leather was protected with Gtechniq L1

This was from just from cleaning the leather

The foot pedals got cleaned with Autosmart International G101

Then Steam cleaned

The finished result

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 12:56AM

Interior finished I removed the wheels to clean the arches and wheel drums

After cleaning and caliper restore

Iron contamination being removed, I used Orchard Autocare iron cleanse

After detailing the wheel drums

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 12:56AM

Before machine polishing we tape off all trim

Oxidized pillar trims before polishing

After

I removed the exhaust tips to clean and polish them

50/50 of trim restoration

Macro

After trim restoration

The number plates needed changing for new ones

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 12:56AM

Finished

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 12:59AM

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 01:02AM

randy hickey · 21-03-2014 01:17AM

Fair play to you James - on a professional level you have really stepped up to the plate and achieved a high standard.

Proud of you my son!

Hareton · 21-03-2014 01:21AM

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

James what steam cleaner do you use?

Ded_Zebra · 21-03-2014 01:22AM

Really really high standard of work there! Is it your car or a customers?

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 01:25AM

I have a fair bit to go yet, Thanks Randy.

Colash · 21-03-2014 01:25AM

Your a genius at the detailing James . Fair play man
Real quality in your work

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 01:26AM

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

Really really high standard of work there! Is it your car or a customers?

It's a friends

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 01:26AM

Hareton wrote: »

James what steam cleaner do you use?

Vax S6

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 01:28AM

Colash wrote: »

Your a genius at the detailing James . Fair play man
Real quality in your work

Thanks so much

But as i have said i am no genius or professional, i am like everyone here a Learner.

Noccy_Mondy · 21-03-2014 01:33AM

Far from a learner you are James, an expert would be more like it!! You go into such detail, love looking at your posts! Keep up the brilliant work!!

vectra · 21-03-2014 02:14AM

Happy customer there I'd say.
How long did that take?

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 10:12AM

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Far from a learner you are James, an expert would be more like it!! You go into such detail, love looking at your posts! Keep up the brilliant work!!

Thanks a lot

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 10:15AM

vectra wrote: »

Happy customer there I'd say.
How long did that take?

They ware happy alright, I had it for a week and spent some 30+ hours on it.

BillJ · 21-03-2014 10:46AM

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

They ware happy alright, I had it for a week and spent some 30+ hours on it.

You can see it took 30 hours, looks like new.

Fair play!

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 10:55AM

BillJ wrote: »

You can see it took 30 hours, looks like new.

Fair play!

Thanks Bill.

Few stone chips and scrapes around it but that's expected from a road car.

CNTRLR · 21-03-2014 10:58AM

savage cleaning session, mini looks better than new... i will say from experience that the black trim on mini's is a pain, they just seem to be magnets for wax and polish, and if it dries in, its an even bigger pain to clean them..

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 11:08AM

CNTRLR wrote: »

savage cleaning session, mini looks better than new... i will say from experience that the black trim on mini's is a pain, they just seem to be magnets for wax and polish, and if it dries in, its an even bigger pain to clean them..

Thanks.

It's a right PITA no question but masking has to be done.

agfasfos · 21-03-2014 11:10AM

One hell of a fine job, car looks as good as new, fair play.

JAMES VTI S · 21-03-2014 11:11AM

agfasfos wrote: »

One hell of a fine job, car looks as good as new, fair play.

:-) thanks a lot.

IK09 · 21-03-2014 11:13AM

Quick question for you James is you dont mind.

How did you clean the algae? Steam Cleaner would kill the bacteria I understand, but how did you get all the actual green Algae out? I have used a tooth brush before with "limited" success.

Today I did some detailing...

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