Wolfeman

Wife's Volvo; Ceramic Coated May 27th, washed on Friday October 6th, rain shower this morning, Sunday October 8th.
Hood:

Roof:

My Malibu; Ceramic Coated September 2nd, washed Thursday October 5th, Waterless Wash wipe down Friday October 6th, rain shower this morning, Sunday October 8th.
Hood:

Rear Deck Lid:

Glad to hear the APC took care of the problem! Just remember not to let it dry onto the paint since it's a fairly strong degreaser, and make sure to reapply some sealant or wax protection to that area afterwards as well.

So I've been reading write ups for paint corrections for about a month or two and after finally getting the courage to purchase a Swirl Killer kit, yesterday I decided to give my car a run for its money.
I had washed and clayed the car about 2 weeks ago and I had layered it with H2O G&G and Americana Paste Wax. 
To start here's what I used: Adam's Strip Wash, Wash Bucket, Wash Pad, Clay Bar (Not Adam's), Swirl Killer, MF pad, Blue, Orange and White pad, Heavy correcting compound, Correcting polish, finishing polish, Swirl Finder, and pad brush. MF towels (Not Adam's because I didn't wash those yet, but still similar quality)
I didn't want to do the whole car for lack of time and I know I probably shouldn't have done the exact spots that I did, but either way it's done...
 
So to start I on the actual detail I filled up a bucket part way with some strip wash a wash pad and water. Because I was only going to do the driver side doors, and half, yes half, of the trunk I didn't do a two bucket wash. I then dried with a blue waffle weave towel and then went on to clay bar using detail spray (Pumpkin ) and then proceeded to dry the left over detail spray and move on to paint correction.
 
On the left side of my trunk I started with the blue foam pad, because the paint wasn't badly swirled, with the heavy correcting compound. Using the swirl finder I noticed it's not really swirled. After about 4 passes I moved on to the side doors but instead used the microfiber pad because they were very swirled. 
Using about 4 passes on each door in a crosshatch pattern.
 
After step 1 I then proceeded to do the same routes using the orange pad and the correcting polish on the trunk and the doors and then the finishing polish. My final step was a dry application with H2O G&G because I did't have LPS.
Here are some before and afters.

Got home tonight and found my SK Mini had been delivered.  One spot on the truck that I was waiting to tackle with the Mini are the B-pillars on the truck.  I used the orange pad and the orange polish and went after them.  They look fantastic.  I am going to post a before and after picture as well but this definitely makes it worth having the mini for tighter spots like this.
 

 

I got up this morning and decided to spend a little time on my truck before going to work.  I focused mostly on the hood and also spent a little time on the rear fender/bedside before having to get ready for work.  The hood looks much better and so does the rear driver's side fender.  It really wasn't terribly difficult at all, even for a novice detailer.  There are a few scratches that I couldn't really get out and I might just let them be.  You really have to look hard for them, but once you find them, you know they are there.  I will post a pic of one of them (very hard to get a pic because of the light changing on me and the fact that it is really smaller than about a quarter or so).
 
 
 
What I learned today -
 
1. A little bit of polish goes further than I thought it would.  
2. Adding a little detail spray to the pad is good to bring back some of the polish in the pad but you don't want to overdo it.
3. The Swirl Killer is a solid machine.  I don't have anything to compare it to, but it feels good in the hand and gets the job done.  
4. If you are on the fence about getting a swirl killer or other machine polisher - do it.  
 
Here is the pic of the scratch that I'm a little hesitant to try to correct.  I just think that it may be too deep to get without taking away too much paint.  Kind of a risk/reward thing - I'm not sure there's enough reward to risk burning through the clear coat.
 

I want to be friends with your dealer, too!  That's a sweet deal!
 
 
 
That is correct, the New Blue Microfiber Cutting Pads are more aggressive than the New Blue Foam Cutting Pads.

Got home tonight and found my SK Mini had been delivered.  One spot on the truck that I was waiting to tackle with the Mini are the B-pillars on the truck.  I used the orange pad and the orange polish and went after them.  They look fantastic.  I am going to post a before and after picture as well but this definitely makes it worth having the mini for tighter spots like this.
 

 

Just thought I'd share some exciting news.  As I've mentioned before on the forums I've been detailing for select clients.  This has always been a very informal deal for cash that I'd split with my partner that works with me.  After talking to my wife a lot, and having a neighbor who is a small business & advertising consultant (his own company)...I've been pushed into the realm of making it a legal entity.  This weekend the LLC was filed, this week I'll be registering with the IRS and State of Connecticut Department of Revenue and become a legal business!  I'm still waiting on some insurance quotes to come back since I know that's a major part of the whole deal.  
 
Now it's just a game of patience as I learn the legal accounting back end of the business and start to actively try to make it grow.  Detailing is not something that will ever replace my career, but it is something I enjoy and if it can make me a few dollars along the way...great.  My partner will still be working with me since he's my one and only "employee." Not to mention that he does great work.
 
For now, it'll still be a mobile business or out of my garage at home.  When/if the time comes that I have enough clientele and the numbers work, I'd love to have a location somewhere.  In the meantime, we will still put out a quality product and use the majority of Adam's Products for our detailing.  While they aren't the cheapest, the certainly are among the very best!
 
Just thought I'd share this little bit of exciting (and overwhelming for me) news.  Never thought the day would come that I'd actually own a small business!  You never know what life brings.

It's exposed to sun just like the exterior. Also to food, drinks and people sitting on the seats over and over.

Got home tonight and found my SK Mini had been delivered.  One spot on the truck that I was waiting to tackle with the Mini are the B-pillars on the truck.  I used the orange pad and the orange polish and went after them.  They look fantastic.  I am going to post a before and after picture as well but this definitely makes it worth having the mini for tighter spots like this.
 

 

I apologize if I gave off the impression of taking it back and being a jerk to the dealer. By any means i am not suggesting that. For my dealership personally I know that they foot the bill for any damage done to vehicles as far as paint defects. Sometimes they can get it covered through GM just all depends on the situation. (it makes me happy when its covered through GM cause i get paid lol)
 
But having that good relationship could very well work out in your favor. And wow, you got lucky! There is a ford dealer down the street from me and ive been told that people are paying MSRP and some have even paid several thousands over.

First off, beautiful truck! Very jealous. In regards to the heavy scratch. Obviously as stated above try the least aggresive methods first. But if its yields no results here are 2 options id recommend. 1: Take it back to the dealer and point it out to them. It pains me to say that for several reasons (especially as a painter cause it drives me crazy when i have to fix things like that because i dont get paid for it) But you just spent a lot of money on a brand new truck and it came damaged in a way. If youre lucky, Maybe they will have it painted for you.
 
2: If all else fails after trying to polish it out, you could try wet sanding it if you're comfortable doing that. Adams has a video on YouTube somewhere showing how to do this. I saw it couple years ago. Just things to keep in mind about that. The clear on those truck is thin. I believe medic001918 mentioned in something he posted that he measured the clear thickness and it wasnt stellar (sorry if that wasnt you or i miss quoted you) If you consider wet sanding option i can give you further detail on how to do it. Its simple you just have to be very careful with it. Again this is an absolute last resort!! Im in no ways recommending you do this now, just something to consider.
 
I should have reversed the order of those options. Again truck looks awesome, great work!

Worked on the whole truck today using the orange polish and orange foam pads.  I got the truck to about where I want it to be.  I am waiting on my mini to work some on the b-pillars that are soft and plan on taking the truck and having some type of clear bra put on there as they tend to scratch so easy.  After the polish, I had just enough time to put on some Adam's Paint Sealant before having to pick up my kids from school.  I'm very happy with my purchase and look forward to helping other friends and family members get their cars as near to perfection as possible.  I thought I would post some general pictures that I took of the truck after finishing today.
 

 

 

 

Worked on the whole truck today using the orange polish and orange foam pads.  I got the truck to about where I want it to be.  I am waiting on my mini to work some on the b-pillars that are soft and plan on taking the truck and having some type of clear bra put on there as they tend to scratch so easy.  After the polish, I had just enough time to put on some Adam's Paint Sealant before having to pick up my kids from school.  I'm very happy with my purchase and look forward to helping other friends and family members get their cars as near to perfection as possible.  I thought I would post some general pictures that I took of the truck after finishing today.
 

 

 

 

Worked on the whole truck today using the orange polish and orange foam pads.  I got the truck to about where I want it to be.  I am waiting on my mini to work some on the b-pillars that are soft and plan on taking the truck and having some type of clear bra put on there as they tend to scratch so easy.  After the polish, I had just enough time to put on some Adam's Paint Sealant before having to pick up my kids from school.  I'm very happy with my purchase and look forward to helping other friends and family members get their cars as near to perfection as possible.  I thought I would post some general pictures that I took of the truck after finishing today.
 

 

 

 

Worked on the whole truck today using the orange polish and orange foam pads.  I got the truck to about where I want it to be.  I am waiting on my mini to work some on the b-pillars that are soft and plan on taking the truck and having some type of clear bra put on there as they tend to scratch so easy.  After the polish, I had just enough time to put on some Adam's Paint Sealant before having to pick up my kids from school.  I'm very happy with my purchase and look forward to helping other friends and family members get their cars as near to perfection as possible.  I thought I would post some general pictures that I took of the truck after finishing today.
 

 

 

 

Just one step, finished down great.

Take the tailgate off. Flat horizontal panels are much easier to polish IMO.

A discussion over private messages last night got me thinking about some things. It seems it's not uncommon here to find people who want to get into polishing or try polishing for their vehicles. One of the biggest barriers to them taking the leap is a bit of uncertainty of the process. There's a lot of concern about "what if I do it wrong?" or "am I doing it right?"
 
My thought to help ease the jump to the next level for some people was to have a list of people that were willing to take the time to show someone the ropes a bit. The list could be organized by area so you can look up your area and see who's around that's willing. There would be no fee involved obviously for the mentor or mentee. Although I would say it would be nice if after you've worked with someone...they offered to at least buy you a drink. But that's just courtesy.
 
At worst, you spend some time doing a good deed and helping someone. At best, you make a new friend and get to maybe see some cool cars.
 
Anyway, just a thought...and a very rough idea at that.

Wheel Well Coating
 
To provide better protection on the plastic wheel wells, and to make cleaning easier, I applied Ceramic Trim Coating while the wheels were off the truck.
 
The Ceramic Trim Coating Kit comes with everything you need for the application.
 

 
 
I started by washing the truck in the driveway, spending extra time scrubbing the plastic wheel wells and plastic mud flaps with Tire & Rubber Cleaner, then rinsing good with the pressure washer.
 
This photo shows the rear splash liner after the regular wash.
 

 
 
Moving the truck into the garage, and removing all four wheels, I gave the plastic liners and the plastic mud flaps another scrubbing with Tire & Rubber Cleaner and a small dish brush.
 

 

 
 
Next, I rinsed with distilled water in the Pressurized Spray Bottle, with a plastic tub underneath to catch the runoff.
 

 
 
This scrubbing and rinsing process was repeated for the front liners, with the addition of a piece of cardboard on the floor to soak up some of the rinse that did not make it into the tub.
 

 
 
I used the Blaster Sidekick to get most of the water off the plastics, then followed up with a clean Utility Towel.
 
To prepare the surfaces for coating, I used the Coating Prep by spraying the plastic, while being careful not to overspray the paint, then wiped thoroughly with a clean Utility Towel.
 

 
 
Using the provided applicator pad, I applied the Trim Coating to the plastic surfaces, first applying in a vertical pattern, then going right back and applying in a horizontal pattern to ensure even coverage.
 

 
 
On the larger front wells, I applied the product to about ¼ of the area, vertical then horizontal, before moving on to the next area. This was done to ensure that the product did not start to cure before I could go back over it in the opposing direction.
 

 
 
After letting the coating cure in the heated garage for 24 hours, I then sprayed the plastic wheel well surfaces with Ceramic Boost and wiped down with a clean Utility Towel.
 
 
The Trim Coating did darken the plastics nicely, especially on the front liners.
 
Note that for each step/product, I used clean Utility Towels. You do not want to re-use any towels for the different steps.

The solvent in the BG cuts any nasty stuff on the glass.  Seems new glass is the worst, but once I use Brilliant Glaze on the interior, it's a breeze to clean!

This is great input, and we are listening....  New Glass Cleaner is coming.... And I must say, treating the glass first is what I do on every car I clean. 
 
1. Brilliant Glaze on interior glass.
2. Clay and Glass Sealant on Exterior Glass.
3. Easy time cleaning with a mist of Waterless Wash and a Waterless Wash Towel on all glass, once treated.
 
Time for a video!

So today was the day to start installing a full ceramic kit on a 2017 Ford Raptor. So far everything looks fantastic. Tomorrow I'll finish up with some ceramic boost.
 
Anyway, on with it. Started with a strip wash and clay bar to remove contamination. Surprisingly the finish on the truck isn't too bad from the factory. The truck is only a couple of weeks old, so the paint was in great shape to begin with. After it was cleaned and clayed, there were no real blemishes to speak of that required polishing. That alone presented a huge time savings.
 
The owner has new wheels that he's going to mount up, so since they were off it was easy to coat them. I took care of the tires with tire and rubber cleaner and then dried with a MBR. Once sufficiently clean, I hit them with ceramic prep prior to coating. The coating process was simple, but on the matte black wheels it was a bit harder to really see the rainbow effect. This could have been a lighting issue as well. The wheels immediately had a nice clean, deep look to them. Score doe the wheel kit. Takeaways on the wheel ceramic is a little goes a long way. And with the cooler temperature of the garage, it allowed time to cover a decent bit of wheel before buffing off. All in all, pretty simple.
 
After the wheels were done, it was on to trim coating. Again, a simple enough process. Clean all the trim with tire and rubber cleaner. Follow up with coating prep and apply coating. Again, a little goes a long way. The product was straight forward and easy to level. A quick look with an LED light and seeing any spots that weren't level or that didn't get covered was a breeze.
 
After trim, it was on to paint. Coating prep and wipe off to ensure a clean surface. Applying the coating in two directions and the rainbow effect on the light paint was easily seen. Again, the cooler temps allowed a good work area. I also had the benefit of working with some else. One applied. The other took off. This was where I was most surprised by how far a little bit of product went. Despite being a large vehicle, there's plenty of coating left for another vehicle. There's plenty of coating left and plenty of prep. There will also be a good bit of boost after completion tomorrow. When I left the vehicle was curing and it definitely had a slightly rough feel to it. This will level off tomorrow with the boost and really bring out the shine!
 
The takeaways. A little goes further than you think. Toss your applicators and towels used to buff off the coating when you're done so you don't mix them up. Keep the cap on the coating. Two people is was easier than one!
 
So far I like the product. Looking forward to seeing it tomorrow when it's complete. And then again in the sun.
 
Here are some garage photos for now.

More recently, I have used Tire and Rubber Cleaner instead of APC. They come out looking NICE.
 
Side thought. Wonder how Ceramic Trim Coating would work on Weathertechs....

Dan:
 
You're probably right.  I know my buddy is active on the forums over there.  He's a great guy and super into his truck and his toys.  I can't wait to see how it comes out for him.  Luckily I have high standards for myself, since he has high standards.  He did a bunch of research about coatings before he decided to go for it.  
 
The good news is that when this truck comes out awesome (I'm confident it will), I stand to pick up some more work from people he knows which will be a nice thing to have!  I think he said there's three or four people already that want to see his truck and then do it as long as it looks as great as everyone says.  Here's hoping I can catch at least a few jobs (ceramic or not) out of doing this truck.
 
I just need to remember to take during photos.  I'm usually pretty good about before & after, but during I just get in the zone of working and don't think to stop and document the progress or the story of how it's done.  I'm planning on writing a good write up of the whole thing once it's done and I've digested the process myself.