vinci

I sold this truck about a month after I made this original post. I ran it past two dealer appraisers before selling it myself for more $. The first question I got from both appraisers was "Did you just get a new paint job on this truck?" If that's not a testament, I don't know what is!

Hey folks, Just got done with the Adam's PC kit on a truck that was so bad even the Junkman would be impressed (in a bad way!). Most of the cars I have owned have been kept in excellent condition, but that was not the case for my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Just after buying it new, I started a business, we had two children, moved into a new community with constant construction (and dust), and my daily commute took me past a working limestone quarry! Between the kids and the business, something had to go, and as an engineer, it wasn't going to be powertrain maintenance, so washing and cleaning the Sport Trac dropped off the list, especially since the other circumstances would have required washing more than once/week. I washed it maybe 4-5 times a year over 7 years, and many of those were in an automated car wash. It was also the company utility vehicle until we bought a new Sprinter last year, and the kids were constantly banging into it with something when it was at home.... So, now I have a shiny new G8 GXP and once again a reason to keep the car clean & shiny, and the Sport Trac will soon be up for sale, so I thought I would take the opportunity to learn on the ST and maybe help its value a bit in the process. After I did the research and homed in on Adam's (thanks to Dylan for putting me onto this stuff!), like a good noob, I watched all the videos and read posts until my eyes hurt. Well, first of all, after a thorough washing with original blue Dawn and a claying, I could see that the hood was worse than I realized. Clear coat failure all over it. No amount of SHR, FMP and OP time did much other than make it shine between the CC cracks. Oh well, on to the rest of the truck. First, the ugly pictures: This is the cab & bed on the pass side: About the same place on the driver's side: Back of the bed on the pass side: Tailgate: Now the good stuff: Pass side cab-bed Driver's side cab-bed - only one of the many scratches visible on the Before shot remains, and you need a halogen to see it: Tailgate: Is that funhouse mirror effect in the last pic flattering or what?! The Adam's products worked great, and I have to say that it took some patience and playing around to get everything right, but it was worth it - now I won't be learning on the GXP! Funny thing is, I was impressed by the polishes and wax more than enough, but the real cool part was when I tried APC in desperation on a couple of things that would not come off on both the exterior and interior plastic & rubber - took it right off! Now I wouldn't recommend that for most things, but my truck was an extreme example if there ever was one! Great stuff Adam!

Thanks for the answers folks! That gives me a lot more confidence in taking on this sad paint job Saturday morning. Some of the worst scratches are on the SMC panels, especially right below the gas filler.

Hey folks, Has anyone on here had experience with using the PC on the SMC body panels of an Explorer Sport Trac (basically, the bed of the truck)? I would assume that you would need to keep the PC moving a little faster and with less pressure like you would on plastic fascias and the like. I am also in the process of reading whatever I can find on Corvettes, since I'm guessing that the SMC panels would require treatment similiar to how you would polish and paint correct a Vette's body. Having said that, I'd hate to be surprised in finding out that the SMC builds up heat faster or something like that. I am getting back into this after a 20 year hiatus from doing much more than washing and a basic wax, and I'd hate to screw up on the 1st vehicle that I'm going to do, even if it is my old DD that is about to be sold! The truck does need some significant paint correction, and it's black to boot, so I plan to start with an orange pad and Swirl & Haze Remover. Your thoughts?

Hey folks, I found out about Adams on the G8 board, and just got my PC kit in. The kit will be getting its first workout this weekend on my old Sport Trac that I am getting ready to sell since the G8 is taking its spot in the driveway! I have a lot of learning to do since the last car that I truly put a lot of effort into detailing was my '67 Firebird convertible that last left my garage nearly 20 years ago! Things have changed just a little in the detailing world since then! But, the more things change, sometimes the more they remain the same...20 years ago, I was driving a blue, stick shift 400+ HP Pontiac, and now I'm driving a blue, stick shift 400+ HP Pontiac! :banana: Looking forward to absorbing all the great info on here.... Rob