RayS

For the times that you need an item quickly or a single bottle, contact your local Chevy or Buick dealer - I have found several that have some stock, especially if they move Vette's. 

For the times that you need an item quickly or a single bottle, contact your local Chevy or Buick dealer - I have found several that have some stock, especially if they move Vette's. 

@ZMAN024 I was able to spend some time with truck today and tried your recommendation of using Ceramic Boost 1.0 on the running boards and it worked great.  They look sharp and the color distribution is even.   Thanks for passing on the recommendation.

Washed and waxed this 300. 

My wife's Jeep and really excited about doing my neighbors Cadillac CTS tomorrow.

I use the Brilliant Glaze on the inside of my windows, Glass Sealant and boost on the outside. I very seldom have to use my wipers.  Only bad thing is I have water sensitive wipers that come on automatically, other wise, I probably wouldn't have to use the wipers at all!! 

I have one daughter who has a degree as a Chef and the other daughter with a Chemistry degree. I'm willing to bet that between them they could "cook" up something and we won't know if we should eat, drink or put it on a car, especially if it smelled like Bacon, tasted like Pizza and had the consistency of a smoothie.
 
 

If you did not get any of the Glass Boost, it does make the Glass Sealant last longer.  I also use the Glass Boost on the outside mirrors after I clean then with Glass Cleaner.  I have found that using the Glass Boost on the mirrors cuts down on the headlight reflections at night and any overnight dew rolls off them easier.

Im going to agree that a good soaking foam bath or 4 and then a gentle wash to start with, before getting a bit rough is a good way to start, yeah you are bringing it back and minor damage can be fixed but always use the least aggressive first. 
 
That said, I would wonder about a paint gauge....maybe that could shed some light. @shane@detailedreflections has always said check a doorjamb or similar area that usually gets thin paint and is not overly worked to get a good idea of what might be there. 
 
I would also think that after the wash, a lot of the crud will come off and you should get an idea if there is any shine left in her. Even still I might spend the time to look into the paint gauge if you are going to do this type of thing more than once, or if you dont want to deal with the potential of a repaint. 
 
If you dont have the paint gauge and are not planning to get one, I might honestly start with a little area and decon it with clay and iron remover of some sort. Honestly slap a finishing pad on it and see if it shines. IF it does, there is a good chance that there is at least somewhat of a clear left on there. If it wont even show anything you know where you are without wasting DAYS of time. 

@shane@detailedreflections It so nice having people like you on this forum and in this world.  Not only are you friendly, willing to share, but also caring.  Between the advise you give the members, to your diplomacy in your articles and what you, your wife and daughter our doing for her cousin's children - it shows that you are good person and someone I look forward to meeting in person some day.
 
Thank You.

Once my Ceramic Boost 2.0 arrives, I have a test planned.  Being that nice father that I am, I take care of my children's cars and the Range Rover is terrible when it comes to brake dust.  My plan is to do one side with the old Ceramic Boost and the other side with CB 2.0.  Not only should I be able to see if there is a difference in how much brake dust sticks, I should be able to find out how much of a difference there is in longevity.
 
I have one bottle of the old Ceramic Boost left that is 3/4's full and there are plenty of uses for it.  For anyone with a lawn mower, not only does it help with the underside of the mower deck, it also helps on the outside.  The grass and dust seems to come off the mower much easier after I did them with the old Ceramic Boost and I wasn't worried about perfection in application like the vehicles.  

I agree that misinformation is dangerous, hence the reason I was correcting you.  It appears we will not agree on this and that is ok.  I personally have no affiliation with either group just an outside observer.  If you ask the folks that used to go to H20 they would tell you it was the people that didn’t even go to the show that caused problems.  It is funny because both groups are way more similar than they realize.
 
From what you post on the forum I have respect for you and usually agree with you.   Have a great night.

I agree 100% that it wasn't the H20i participants that caused the trouble last year, because the show was cancelled and never even happened last year. Yet last year was the worst year, and most damage done to the town since the show began, and people just blamed the show. Not the show's fault because there wasn't one.   For me or anyone to assume that registered participants in ANY car show weren't involved would just be putting my head in the sand.  Just that my wife works for OC and has a little more inside info than what's out there on video, etc.
We've gone to 23 of the 26 years of Cruisin OC in May and we've seen it evolve from a great small show where the cars would cruise Coastal Highway after dark and people would sit in their beach chairs along the sidewalks and enjoy themselves, to the time when the diesel trucks started to outnumber the cars, would fill up their truck beds with water and throw it on people watching the cruisers and then blow their black smoke over everyone, and then evolve into the out of control nonsense that happened last year.  This year was pretty quiet because of the Special Event Zones.  But there were pockets.  The end of September is coming fast, and that's when the H20i show used to be. So if there's going to be trouble, that's when it will be this year. But the town is ready for them and hopefully they've moved on. 
Thanks for the kind words.  Nice to have a difference of opinion without having to argue.  So back at you with the respect.   

Two pads per panel may even be a little on the light side. Some you’ll get away with two. Others may be three or four (or more) depending on how bad the area is. If you’re working over time, you can always clean pads and freshen them up so they’re good to go. Some will end up in the trash. I can promise you that. Maybe even a fair amount of them. 

Lately it seems that there’s been a bunch of questions on the forums with regard to what products go with what.  It can be a confusing world of products especially as new “better” releases come about.
 
The first thing to consider is that just because something new comes along, it doesn’t mean the old product is obsolete. Change can come about for a million different reasons. It could be development, supply availability, changes in production...and the list goes on. 
 
New products also don’t mean they fit in your detailing supply cabinet. We all have different needs based on our tastes, what we used and continue to use and where we want our detailing to go. There’s always a temptation to try new products (and we try a bunch), but it doesn’t always mean it’s a good fit. The point I’m trying to make is to not force a product to fit because it’s the “latest and greatest.”
 
The “ceramic” line of products is a great example. The ceramic boost, wax, coatings are great products. They aren’t the ideal application for every user. Much in the same way that a regular wax isn’t ideal for a ceramic user. 
 
You can mix and match products as you go, but it may not be the best match. Think of it like mixing ingredients in the kitchen. Sure, it might go and not be bad. But it also won’t be the “wow” that makes you want to come back to it time and time again. 
 
When evaluating which products you want to use, consider what your goals are and define them. 
 
How long do you want the product to last?
 
How much maintenance do you want to do?
 
How much work do you want to put in for the project in the beginning?
 
Where is the vehicle kept?  How is it driven?  Is it a daily?  Or a garage queen?
 
What tools do you have or are willing to invest in?
 
What’s your budget look like?
 
Once you know some of those answers (and possibly more), you can put together your product list.
 
If you like the process of waxing your car often, ceramic based products may not be up your alley. You can still achieve a great finish without ceramics. Sealant, glaze and wax provides great durability and finish while allowing you to scratch the itch of needing to wax your ride. 
 
If you want more durability, maybe a coating is right for you. You need to be patient in its prep and application. I’ve mentioned before that great prep equals a great finish. The same is also true. If you cut corners, there’s a good chance it will show in the finish. Keep in mind though that coatings are NOT maintenance free, regardless of advertising hype. 
 
A weekend detailer can often produce the same results as a professional detailer. There’s plenty of access to some great products out there. We use many of the same products available to everyone in our work. Sure, there’s some that are “pro only,” but those tend to be more high end coatings then routine products to use. The biggest differences between the pro and the weekend guy/girl are that pros usually have a deeper arsenal of products, an understanding of products along with their nuances and pros often have a larger selection of tools to get the job done efficiently. 
 
The big thing is to evaluate each product, see how it fits in your scope of practice and to understand when and why to use something. More importantly, know when not to use something because it doesn’t fit in your vision. It can be difficult to resist temptation of the latest and greatest sometimes, but like they say “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” 
 
When in doubt ask questions, experiment and see what works for you. Just test in small doses so you don’t create a bunch of work for yourself fixing something you have done. 
    - No idea why the font carried over like that when I wrote it and copied it over. Oh well!

Same here.  Wife has been disappointed with my last two packages (no mints) so I bought the package of mints off Amazon and have them available for those times where they don't come from Adam's.  As long as she gets her mints, she's never made any comments on my orders (size or frequency) so I see this as cheap insurance ensuring that continues.

@shane@detailedreflections and @pirahnah3, I'll ask...how can I/he tell that's not damage (compromise of) to the clear? I've never encountered something like what's shown and would be really reluctant to polish, especially since I don't own a paint guage, at least not yet.

Folks have you covered and @shane@detailedreflections really gave a great set of directions for ya. Looking forward to seeing some progress pics and some final pics when you bring her back. 

Here are a few pics. They dont do justice on how bright they are, but its almost like the sun is in the ceiling. Disregard the messy garage. 

@falcaineer I’m glad to see that this post gets referenced so frequently on here. It means I did something very right in writing it. 
 
Being a young business in a VERY large industry, it’s easy to let doubts of your own knowledge creep in. This reinforces that I’ve at least picked up a few things along the way!
 
Thanks for the great references!

I have one daughter who has a degree as a Chef and the other daughter with a Chemistry degree. I'm willing to bet that between them they could "cook" up something and we won't know if we should eat, drink or put it on a car, especially if it smelled like Bacon, tasted like Pizza and had the consistency of a smoothie.
 
 

I have one daughter who has a degree as a Chef and the other daughter with a Chemistry degree. I'm willing to bet that between them they could "cook" up something and we won't know if we should eat, drink or put it on a car, especially if it smelled like Bacon, tasted like Pizza and had the consistency of a smoothie.
 
 

I have one daughter who has a degree as a Chef and the other daughter with a Chemistry degree. I'm willing to bet that between them they could "cook" up something and we won't know if we should eat, drink or put it on a car, especially if it smelled like Bacon, tasted like Pizza and had the consistency of a smoothie.
 
 

Did a paint enhancement on this car over the weekend. I don’t think it had ever been detailed. Wash, iron decon, clay and then polished with an AIO type product and then topped off with another layer of sealant. Then dressed the tires and waxed the face of the wheels for an added touch. It made a huge difference and I removed probably 30-40% of the swirls. 

Skip the strip wash entirely. It’s somewhat of a step that isn’t entirely necessary. The prep process will ensure any waxes and such are removed regardless. There’s a reason many manufacturers don’t make a strip wash like product. We don’t even use a strip wash. Couple that with the fact that this vehicle has been neglected and there’s no surface protection to strip off anyway. 
 
I would foam it. A lot. Let that foam really dwell before rinsing. I’d use a pressure washer. It’s going to need to be polished out anyway so if you induce a little damage with a high pressure rinse, you’ll be getting at it anyway. 
 
I would use a clay pad on a polisher with plenty of lube. You can rinse the pads when they get dirty. Regular clay will get dirty way too quick with this. And again, marring will be handled with polishing. 
 
Pads...you’re going to need a bunch of them. So stock up. 
 
Patience is something else you’ll need a ton of. 
 
Once you get the paint decontaminated, you’ll know more about how far you can take it. 
 
Good luck.