cwp2016nd

Thats a good one!! 
 
A friend of mine got into detailing for a few months and then put his arsenal up for sale. I messaged him asking for details. 
 
99% of his arsenal was chemical guys so I did a hard pass on that one LOL. It was $1,000 worth of stuff for $500 BUT what am I going to do with products I don't use, ya know? 

A ceramic coating would be my choice to protect a fresh, bare painted engine bay. 
 
Just be sure to follow your painter's guidelines for applying any products to the paint. There is period of time where the paint has to cure. 
 
You bring up an interesting point being the engine bay will see more heat. I would still use regular ceramic coating in there. I've seen plenty of people use normal ceramic coatings for their wheels before and it holds up just fine. 

Anyone notice how similar in color Tire Shine and Ceramic Boost 2.0 are?  I didn't either, but I can tell you it takes multiple rounds of Tire & Rubber cleaner to get CB 2.0 off the tire once applied.
 
Weren't we all taught to Read the Label before we use something - It seems that with age, I forgot that lesson.

Truck looks great Ian!

On Saturday I detailed a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500. 
 
He loaned his daily beater out and had to use this for work. He works on pretty dirty job sites so it was filthy. Dirt caked on in every orifice and significant road tar in the front right wheel well. 
 
It was a full interior/exterior job but I didn't get after pictures of the interior because I ran out of sunlight by the time I was done (I worked with LED's to finish the job up). 
 
This took me 9 hours start to finish. The exterior was done with an all in one polish to restore shine and gloss and then that was topped with a spray sealant for some extra longevity and added depth. The wheels were cleaned with an iron activated cleaner, tires done with TRC and tires dressed with a water based dressing. Exhaust tips polished with metal polish #1 to get some gloss back and the door jambs protected with a spray wax. Here are a few pictures of the exterior. 
 

On Saturday I detailed a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500. 
 
He loaned his daily beater out and had to use this for work. He works on pretty dirty job sites so it was filthy. Dirt caked on in every orifice and significant road tar in the front right wheel well. 
 
It was a full interior/exterior job but I didn't get after pictures of the interior because I ran out of sunlight by the time I was done (I worked with LED's to finish the job up). 
 
This took me 9 hours start to finish. The exterior was done with an all in one polish to restore shine and gloss and then that was topped with a spray sealant for some extra longevity and added depth. The wheels were cleaned with an iron activated cleaner, tires done with TRC and tires dressed with a water based dressing. Exhaust tips polished with metal polish #1 to get some gloss back and the door jambs protected with a spray wax. Here are a few pictures of the exterior. 
 

On Saturday I detailed a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500. 
 
He loaned his daily beater out and had to use this for work. He works on pretty dirty job sites so it was filthy. Dirt caked on in every orifice and significant road tar in the front right wheel well. 
 
It was a full interior/exterior job but I didn't get after pictures of the interior because I ran out of sunlight by the time I was done (I worked with LED's to finish the job up). 
 
This took me 9 hours start to finish. The exterior was done with an all in one polish to restore shine and gloss and then that was topped with a spray sealant for some extra longevity and added depth. The wheels were cleaned with an iron activated cleaner, tires done with TRC and tires dressed with a water based dressing. Exhaust tips polished with metal polish #1 to get some gloss back and the door jambs protected with a spray wax. Here are a few pictures of the exterior. 
 

Have you tried scrubbing it with tire and rubber cleaner? 

If you don't have tire and rubber cleaner there are alternatives that can be found locally. 
 
If you have a walmart or advanced auto near you get a gallon of superclean degreaser (A gallon is around $9-10) and dilute it 5:1 in a bottle. Spray that onto a microfiber towel and agitate the rubber trim to see if it removes the wax residue. 

You can apply it on the windshield, but there's better products out there for it. I've tested many products on windows and paint sealant holds up pretty well on side and rear windows. On the windshield because there is more abrasion (wind pushing water/dirt against it at high speeds) it doesn't last as long as I'd like. 
 
I use rain-x because I still have half a bottle left and get a couple months from one use, but many people use glass sealant and love it. It's claimed to be stronger and last longer than rain-x. It's a non issue for me as it takes all of 10 minutes to apply a fresh coat of rain-x and I still have some left.  

I would like to add onto the wool vs microfiber thoughts. 
 
Some companies now offer wool pads that are not SO aggressive and actually finish down quite nicely. 
 
A wool pad on a DA can be beneficial as well, although a wool pad on a rotary will kill many defects quickly. 
 
A big advantage of wool is that they actually run cooler than microfiber pads. When correcting paint you don't want to get the working section too hot compared to the temperature of the rest of the panel. From various sources I have learned you don't want the difference to exceed 25 degrees or so (Now I have to go back and check because I can't remember the exact number, but it was either 25 or 40 degrees). 
 
I know Rupes has a wool pad that has decent cut but finishes beautifully and you can actually use it for one step corrections on a middle ground towards the harder side of clear coat. 
 
Don't be scared, play around with some. They work well

I would like to add onto the wool vs microfiber thoughts. 
 
Some companies now offer wool pads that are not SO aggressive and actually finish down quite nicely. 
 
A wool pad on a DA can be beneficial as well, although a wool pad on a rotary will kill many defects quickly. 
 
A big advantage of wool is that they actually run cooler than microfiber pads. When correcting paint you don't want to get the working section too hot compared to the temperature of the rest of the panel. From various sources I have learned you don't want the difference to exceed 25 degrees or so (Now I have to go back and check because I can't remember the exact number, but it was either 25 or 40 degrees). 
 
I know Rupes has a wool pad that has decent cut but finishes beautifully and you can actually use it for one step corrections on a middle ground towards the harder side of clear coat. 
 
Don't be scared, play around with some. They work well

I would like to add onto the wool vs microfiber thoughts. 
 
Some companies now offer wool pads that are not SO aggressive and actually finish down quite nicely. 
 
A wool pad on a DA can be beneficial as well, although a wool pad on a rotary will kill many defects quickly. 
 
A big advantage of wool is that they actually run cooler than microfiber pads. When correcting paint you don't want to get the working section too hot compared to the temperature of the rest of the panel. From various sources I have learned you don't want the difference to exceed 25 degrees or so (Now I have to go back and check because I can't remember the exact number, but it was either 25 or 40 degrees). 
 
I know Rupes has a wool pad that has decent cut but finishes beautifully and you can actually use it for one step corrections on a middle ground towards the harder side of clear coat. 
 
Don't be scared, play around with some. They work well

There are techniques and tricks to using a steel blade on your paint that make it totally safe. I've seen it done to decontaminate paint as well as take runs/sags/wrinkles off the surface. 
 
However, a plastic blade and adhesive remover in this case will be fine. 

Which swirl killer do you have? The 15 or 21? 
 
A 21 would be nice on flat panels due to the fact it uses a 6.5" pad and that will control paint residue much better than a 5.5" pad. If you're using a 5.5" pad work in smaller areas and blow the pad out after every pass. If you don't have access to an air compressor you can use a pad brush to loosen up the residue. 
 
What I did at a mobile job once (when I was working on single stage paint) since I didn't have an air compressor available, was turn the polisher on speed 2-2.5 and rub the face of the pad with a cheap microfiber towel. It transferred the residue to the towel and allowed me to use that pad more. 

Went grocery shopping the other night and it was lightly raining outside. The beads looked so cool on the hood of my little Miata. Very tight and uniform. 
 

I'm sure a new transmission in that Cadillac isn't cheap at all....Good luck with that. I was just really hoping it would happen before my warranty expired and it did which I am thankful for. Thank you. 
I spoke to my salesman last night. He called back after I left him a message and he said he will speak to the manager today about getting me a car to use. 
Of course it is! Lol. I will keep you guys posted. 
Yeah.......You're one of those people I see LOL. 

And the last big project was a Cadillac Escalade Platinum in for new car prep and a ceramic coating. Some light polishing and we were back at it. 
 
Not a big turnaround, but a great protected finish for years to come inside and out with ceramic coating and leather/fabric protection. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
And then here’s a hint about what’s in the work bay currently...
 

2016 Miata. 29,000 miles on the clock. 

Well, on the way to work yesterday, I made a right onto my street from the service road and waited at a traffic light behind somebody. When the light turned green I took off casually and shifted into second. As I started to accelerate in second gear, I put my right blinker on to pass him so I gave it about 1/2 throttle to go around. Out of nowhere it felt like I hit rumble strips going 80mph so I quickly depressed the clutch pedal and shifted into third, then fourth. The vibration went away but there was a horrific "marble like" noise coming from the middle of the car now. I made the left onto the street where my job is and coasted into the parking lot in third gear. 
 
As I slowed down I had to put it in first and MAN, it was really rough. I pull into my parking spot and shut the car off. There was an ominous sound that resonated once the idle came down that sounded like a metal ball being bounced around a container. 
 
These cars are notorious for transmission problems so I thought to myself GREAT! Now the original transmission is blown and I'll get a replacement with a new, updated version. I called a tow truck, got the car towed to the dealer and they have it now. They said it will be a couple days before they can look at it because they're "short handed". They continued on to tell me that they only have TWO loaner cars and they're both being used. After this I'm a little upset because I'm paying for a new car that I can't use and I have no way of transportation besides my DRZ-400SM. I rode it this morning but a bike ride in 34 degrees isn't my idea of ideal conditions. 
 
In conclusion, my transmission is properly blown up, the weather is cold and I'm stuck riding my bike and my dealer really sucks at customer service. I'm calling in a little bit to complain because its unacceptable that I am paying for a new vehicle and am stuck without transportation to my job. 
 
Just wanted to vent. /rant 

Well, on the way to work yesterday, I made a right onto my street from the service road and waited at a traffic light behind somebody. When the light turned green I took off casually and shifted into second. As I started to accelerate in second gear, I put my right blinker on to pass him so I gave it about 1/2 throttle to go around. Out of nowhere it felt like I hit rumble strips going 80mph so I quickly depressed the clutch pedal and shifted into third, then fourth. The vibration went away but there was a horrific "marble like" noise coming from the middle of the car now. I made the left onto the street where my job is and coasted into the parking lot in third gear. 
 
As I slowed down I had to put it in first and MAN, it was really rough. I pull into my parking spot and shut the car off. There was an ominous sound that resonated once the idle came down that sounded like a metal ball being bounced around a container. 
 
These cars are notorious for transmission problems so I thought to myself GREAT! Now the original transmission is blown and I'll get a replacement with a new, updated version. I called a tow truck, got the car towed to the dealer and they have it now. They said it will be a couple days before they can look at it because they're "short handed". They continued on to tell me that they only have TWO loaner cars and they're both being used. After this I'm a little upset because I'm paying for a new car that I can't use and I have no way of transportation besides my DRZ-400SM. I rode it this morning but a bike ride in 34 degrees isn't my idea of ideal conditions. 
 
In conclusion, my transmission is properly blown up, the weather is cold and I'm stuck riding my bike and my dealer really sucks at customer service. I'm calling in a little bit to complain because its unacceptable that I am paying for a new vehicle and am stuck without transportation to my job. 
 
Just wanted to vent. /rant 

Well, on the way to work yesterday, I made a right onto my street from the service road and waited at a traffic light behind somebody. When the light turned green I took off casually and shifted into second. As I started to accelerate in second gear, I put my right blinker on to pass him so I gave it about 1/2 throttle to go around. Out of nowhere it felt like I hit rumble strips going 80mph so I quickly depressed the clutch pedal and shifted into third, then fourth. The vibration went away but there was a horrific "marble like" noise coming from the middle of the car now. I made the left onto the street where my job is and coasted into the parking lot in third gear. 
 
As I slowed down I had to put it in first and MAN, it was really rough. I pull into my parking spot and shut the car off. There was an ominous sound that resonated once the idle came down that sounded like a metal ball being bounced around a container. 
 
These cars are notorious for transmission problems so I thought to myself GREAT! Now the original transmission is blown and I'll get a replacement with a new, updated version. I called a tow truck, got the car towed to the dealer and they have it now. They said it will be a couple days before they can look at it because they're "short handed". They continued on to tell me that they only have TWO loaner cars and they're both being used. After this I'm a little upset because I'm paying for a new car that I can't use and I have no way of transportation besides my DRZ-400SM. I rode it this morning but a bike ride in 34 degrees isn't my idea of ideal conditions. 
 
In conclusion, my transmission is properly blown up, the weather is cold and I'm stuck riding my bike and my dealer really sucks at customer service. I'm calling in a little bit to complain because its unacceptable that I am paying for a new vehicle and am stuck without transportation to my job. 
 
Just wanted to vent. /rant 

The first time I ever laid a sealant down I did it by hand using a microfiber sponge and experienced the same thing you are. I then tried a hex grip applicator (Different company, same thing) and while it worked better, it still doesn't lay down as thin as I wanted it to. 
 
Then comes along the application pad for a machine. These are hands down the best way to do it. Normally I will just use a 4" pad and do the whole vehicle like that instead of stopping to switch pads when I get to a small area. Since you're doing it with a machine you move much faster and it goes down thinner anyway. I keep the speed on 2-2.5 and buzz around the car in 10 minutes or so. 

Same here.  The majority of the towels I have are from TRC and I've never had an issue with them.  Customer service has been excellent also.