The Big Fall Detail (BFD)

[MLPearson79]

I'm mentally preparing for my big day tomorrow. Right now the plan is:

1. Wash w/P21s Total Wash (2 cups wash in 5 gallon bucket). Rinse.
2. Clean tires and wheels, dry and dress.
3. Clean engine bay w/Griot's Engine Degreaser. Rinse. Dress w/Engine Gloss.
4. Clay w/ either 4-Star clay (got it on sale somewhere, figured it was worth a try) or Meguiar's blue clay, and Glide.
5. Heavily coat trim w/some cheap dressing I'm trying to use up. Tape over stripes/decals.
6. Polish w/Swirl and orange CCS pad. Please God let it only require one pass. The PC really is not fun on my bad elbow.
7. Finish w/Amigo and white CCS pad. See above.
8. Wax w/Epic, probably by hand because by then the elbow is usually making me homicidal.
9. Clean windows w/Clarity and Aquapel them.
10. Polish all metal w/NXT Metal Polish.
11. Black WOW all exterior plastic.
12. Vacuum interior.
13. Clean interior glass w/Clarity
14. PlastX lens faces.
15. Nero all interior vinyl.
16. Polish Whalen.
17. Remove Epic haze w/Monster Fluffy.
18. Have a martini.

Seems like I'm missing something...

[kenchan]

are you going to remove the wheels and clean the inner rim?

how about the brake calipers?

or even the suspension arms?

how about under the hood?

or better yet, cleaning out the honey comb on the grills?

i think you need to also polish the exhaust tip(s).

and how about the ceiling? any smears there?

talk about the bugs stuck in the radiator... yuk...

oh my, wat is that in the boot? are you going to vac that too?

ever think about dressing up the inner tire sidewalls?

man, i still cant get over the grime under the panels... those need
to be cleaned too.

oh wait, there's more crap on the... <continued>

[MLPearson79]

See, that's the stuff I was talking about.

I should take off the wheels and do that, although I did do it maybe a month ago when it looked like rainy season was going to start and I switched to winter wheels. I'll probably just brush back in there.

The Meg's wheel cleaner gets the calipers.

I talked about getting under the hood.

I have spray for the honeycomb.

I need to lint roller the headliner (thanks to my dogs).

Vacuuming the boot is included in vacuuming the interior.

Bugs in the radiator...mannnn....

[Scouser]

This is far too complicated. I'd go straight to #18

[kenchan]

bugs in the radiator is a pita to clean... i use masking tape or even
duct tape (before the wash) and stick them to the tape.

[Modnar]

#18 should also be #0. Or maybe you could just start off slowly with a gin & tonic.

[Darkness]

I've got two details like this back to back, and then the next weekend I'm doing our Mini's back to back.

My back is not going to like me after all that done

Also when I detail my own cars step #18 is actualy step #1, #3, #5, #7, #9, #11, #13, #15, #17, #19, and #21 usually. On a clients car it's step #21 - 36

[kenchan]

^^ now you're starting to sound like zaino products... all numbers and all confusion.

[Darkness]

How about Dos equis, Dos equis, Dos equis, St. pauli girl, St. pauli girl, becks, becks, becks, budlight, budlight, budlight, irish car bomb, irish car bomb, jager bomb?

[Modnar]

+Hurl

[MLPearson79]

Well its done, except 3, 10, 14 and 16. I ran out of time and I had to get ready for a basketball game. The rest will get done Sunday.

[lotsie]

Seems we are all rushing to get that list done.

I'm pretty much done with exterior stuff on ours, have a couple of other cars to do next week. Then get the interiors of ours done, and the soft top.

I got this today, and it helps getting the Black Wow on as much as the beer does


Mark

[OctaneGuy]

Oh that's a great addition to the garage. I got one for my shop, and it's a must have for polishing side panels and saving your knees. Too often I stop polishing not because I'm done, but because I'm tired of kneeling and keeping my balance, lol.


Richard

Originally Posted by lotsie

Seems we are all rushing to get that list done.

I'm pretty much done with exterior stuff on ours, have a couple of other cars to do next week. Then get the interiors of ours done, and the soft top.

I got this today, and it helps getting the Black Wow on as much as the beer does


Mark

[lotsie]

Originally Posted by OctaneGuy

Oh that's a great addition to the garage. I got one for my shop, and it's a must have for polishing side panels and saving your knees. Too often I stop polishing not because I'm done, but because I'm tired of kneeling and keeping my balance, lol.


Richard

Richard, I don't kneel anymore, not even to you. My knees are shot

Mark

[MLPearson79]

I need one of those too. But with a back on it. I think Griot's has one...

They do! I want one:



Edited to add: Amigo was really my miracle product for today. Swirl did its job but after Amigo it looked just awesome.

[kenchan]

mine looks like this (from sears) and has a optima yellow top on the
lower tray with a cigarette adapter on it with other small PDR stuff.

[MiniMaybee]

I was thinking about one of those - with a cooler full of beer and a color TV.

[rockridge]

Originally Posted by MLWagner79

I'm mentally preparing for my big day tomorrow. Right now the plan is:

1. Clean tires and wheels, dry and dress.

Seems like I'm missing something...

What are you using for tire dressing?

[kenchan]

ML- we see all sorts of picts of off these little seat creepers.... where the hecks a pict of your
freshly BFD car?

[MLPearson79]

It rained. Needs a re-wash tomorrow.

For tire dressing I use 4-Star Tire Gel.

[Prima Car Care]

Originally Posted by MLWagner79

Seems like I'm missing something...

The only thing I think you were missing was #19... a second martini!

-Heather

PS- where are the after pics?

[Prima Car Care]

Originally Posted by lotsie

I got this today, and it helps getting the Black Wow on as much as the beer does


Mark

I COMPLETELY agree... this is an essential tool for all sorts of car care processes (dressing application, PC polishing, etc!). Well, that AND the beer of course. Both are essential.

I have the kind with the back, which I do like. That said though, I think even the most rinky-dink basic version is better than nothing. The back is nice but not essential.

So, for those thinking about getting this kind of seat gadgetry but with a very limited budget- my advice is to at least get a cheap one for now. You'll love it until it breaks and it'll be worth it.

-Heather

[lotsie]

My seat gadgetry (I love that term) was $15 at the local Harbor Freight.

Mark

[JeffreyC]

Bought one at Costco last week. It has a seatback, nice rugged frame, and lots of places to hold bottles, towels, etc. $86.00 and change.

[Modnar]

Great, another thing to buy!

Wait a minute...I don't even have a garage!