Greetings all,

I couldn't wait for my Mini to arrive so I could wash & shine it up and start driving around. I had loaded up on 303 and Klasse SG, etc. via Internet while waiting, and was wondering whether I'd screw up the Mini since I'd never used a synthetic wax before.

So, of course, I volunteered to wash & "wax" the wife's black Volvo S60. Then with no one looking, I clay barred it, wondering how a process that seemed sure to scratch a car would actually clean it. Holy cow, it worked. Then I applied & buffed the KSG and made weird swirly chemical marks all over the car. I was caught! Fortunately a NAM buddy told me to hit it with a slightly damp cloth and it all cleaned right up and left a great shine.

Does anyone else test new detailing products on the wife's/husband's car to make sure they're safe for the little car?

 

i use my commuter cars for testing purposes.

 

Hopefully if Santa is good to me thw wifes car will be my test subject

 

I used "Detailing her car" as an excuse to start buying all the stuff. It worked well except that I actually had to detail her car, and she drive an Expedition. Gawd that thing is huge, but I did get a PCDA out of the deal.

 

Yup, the company Explorer and my daughters old Mustang never looked so good, (and never will again) before I did "the little car"

 

I have done the same with beaters, rentals, and various friends cars. The MINI unfortunetly is not the first car I have ever wanted to care and wax on a constant basis. When I was a bit younger I did FNI for an auto-dealer and would frequently test my skills on the trade-ins. Boy I burned some paint.

 

Yep, I do that with my wife Nissan Murano, though not the perfect test bed due to the light gold color. One of my first rotary jobs was to restore a highly neglected and beaten Saturn. I wasn't even supposed to work on it--I originally went to buff out her roommates truck who is a member of my MINI club, but then I saw this car, and they were like--yeah go for it.

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Working on old cars that no one cars about is the best--doesn't hurt if you mess up, but if you perform a "miracle" everyone will notice! Plus it helps you make new friends!

 

Guilty! My GF has the shiniest 99 Civic around

 

I will admit to that.

 

We use my dog's car... a '96 Volvo wagon (turbo, of course!) with beat-up blue paint. It's almost the same as doing a spouse's car only better! The dog really doesn't take very good care of his car.

-Heather

 

I plan to get an orbital polisher & use it for the 1st time next spring. I figure I can practice on my truck (shown in the background) before I try it on the Mini. The truck is really going to look funny with a few shiney, clean spots on it

 

Yep. 2000 Town and Country dark green metallic van is gonna get one heckuva polish job with my new PC kit - it will take forever, but I bet I'll know how the PC and various polishes and pads work by the time it's done. Recently had a collision so it has new paint on the hood, front bumper and one front quarter. So I gotta try to make the rest match. May end up buying a rotary (!!!) before it's done, 'cause it has seen a LOT of action (and carwashes) in the past 7 years and NEVER had a proper polish job.

If it works out, and if I master the rotary and the PC, I might quit my day job and become the OctaneGuy of Holly Springs, NC.

Or the whole experience will BREAK me of that crazy fantasy and I'll sell all my stuff on the Marketplace and pay somebody else to do it from now on...

 

What if they both drive MINIs?

 

Well you are more than welcome to come over & practice on my truck but I think it would be quite a trek

 

I practice on my fiance's PW MC !! I can do that since I am the one who paid for it !

Kidding, of course. That wouldn't work because the waxes look a lot different on PW than they do CR.

I could practice on her Infiniti Q45, but that thing is so huge, it would take me a whole day just to clay bar the monstrous thing. I could practice on just one door panel but I'm pretty sure she might notice the difference.

 

Nice try.

 

Oh come on now if enough people practice on the truck I would have a nice shiney clean truck whilst providing a generous NAM community service