2011 Supercharged Suburban Write Up - Adam's 2 Step Polishes

[JBlack151]

2011 Supercharged Suburban - Adam's 2 Step Polishes

 

 

Over the past several weeks I have been working with the owner of this vehicle to schedule a full exterior detail on his Suburban. The vehicle belongs to the owner of Innovative Truck Design here in Stratford, Connecticut. This is also the shop that completed the work on my 2011 Silverado a few months back.

 

 

The day would consist of ITD taking my truck to adjust my front end up to 8 inches for some more clearance on the tires and JB's Auto Detailing taking the Suburban back to the "Detailing Stables" to begin what would be a very long day.

 

 

PRODUCTS USED (with links)

 

 

• _{Kranzle K 1122TST Cold Water Electric Pressure Washer​}
•  
• _{Uber Foamer Canon Pressure Washer Attachment}
•  
• _{Adam’s All Purpose Cleaner}
•  
• _{Adam’s Fender Brush}
•  
• _{Adam's Deep Clean Tire Scrub Brush}
•  
• _{Adam’s Deep Wheel Cleaner}
•  
• _{Adam's Wheel Woolies Cleaning Tool}
•  
• _{Adam’s Boulder Blond Boars Hair Wheel Brush}
•  
• _{Adam’s Car Wash Shampoo (With All Purpose Cleaner Strip Wash)}
•  
• _{Adam’s Double Car Wash Grit Guard Bucket Kit & Caddy}
•  
• _{Adam’s Ultimate Merino Wool Car Wash Mitt}
•  
• _{Adam's Professional Car Wash Pad}
•  
• _{Adam's Lugnut Brush} 
•  
• _{Adam’s Great White Microfiber Drying Towels}
•  
• _{Adam's Air Force Master Blaster Car Dryer by MetroVac}
•  
• _{Adam’s Waterless Wash Waffle Towels}
•  
• _{Adam’s Super VRT Tire & Trim Dressing "Milk"}
•  
• _{Adam’s Hex-Grip Pro Tire Dressing Applicator}
•  
• _{Adam’s Edgeless Microfiber Utility Towels}
•  
• _{Adam’s VRT Super Block Dressing Applicators}
•  
• _{Adam’s In & Out Spray}
•  
• _{Adam’s Detail Spray}
•  
• _{Adam’s Glass Cleaner}
•  
• _{Adam’s Glass Cleaning Towels}
•  
• _{Adam’s American Pride Heavy Duty Detailers 50’ Extension Cord}
•  
• _{Rupes Bigfoot LHR21ES Random Orbital Polishes}
•  
• _{Flex XC 3401 VRG Polisher}
•  
• _{Adam's Paint Correcting Polish}
•  
• _{Adam's 6.5" Orange Microfiber Cutting Pad}
•  
• _{Adam's Paint Finishing Polish}
•  
• _{Adam's 6.5" White Microfiber Finishing Pad}
•  
• _{Porter Cable 7424XP}
•  
• _{Adam's 4" Focus pad backing plate for Porter Cable}
•  
• _{Adam's 4" Focus Pads}
•  
• _{Isopropyl Alcohol} 
•  
• _{Adam's Machine Super Sealant}
•  
• _{Adam's Machine Super Sealant & Waxing Pad}
•  
• _{Adam's Single Soft Towels}
•  
• _{Adam's Double Soft Towels}
•  
• _{Adam’s Pro Detailers Cart}
•  
• _{Adam’s Rolling Detail Seat}
•  

 

 

 

 

After arriving back to the shop and allowing for the wheels and engine bay to cool down before I begin I was able to give the truck a good inspection. Overall the paint was in much better condition than I expected. It was really tough to get the black granite paint to show it's imperfections under the camera however they were there with a little back and forth motions with your eyes. The truck was mainly covered in light dirt from the recent rain showers we've received over the past weeks.

 

 

 

 

BEFORE SHOTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEELS & TIRES

 

 

 

Up first would be cleaning the wheels and tire areas of the Suburban. After several inspections of making sure the brakes and wheels have cooled off I began applying Deep Wheel Cleaner on to the dry wheels made by Fuel Offroad. After only letting the DWC dwell for a short time I began cleaning the barrels with the Wheel Woolies and Blonde Boars Hair Brush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then came the rinse with the Kranzle pressure washer and inspection of the wheels to make sure no dirt or grime remained on the surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up next was the task of removing all the prior tire dressing and dirt caked onto the tires and also scrub the fender wells with APC using the foaming sprayer for the tires and the standard sprayer for the plastics. The Deep Clean Tire Scrub Brush went to work on the treads and the Fender Brush to get deep inside the fender wells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENGINE BAY

 

 

 

Next up was the engine bay. Originally I was only providing work on the exterior, however with this little booster under the hood I couldn't resist to give belly of the beast some much needed attention. For this area I used some APC with the Boars Hair Brush along with the medium Wheel Woolies and Lugnut Brush for the intricate areas with a light rinse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll skip right into the finish results on the engine bay. Everything was dressed with SVRT and In & Out Spray after the washing was completed and the Suburban was completely dry. Edgeless Utility Towels were use to wipe away any excess products on the plastics and hoses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHAMPOO & WASH

 

 

 

Now came the wash process. Nothing out of the ordinary on this end. Just your standard 2 bucket wash with the Car Shampoo, wash pads, foam canon, etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PAINT DECONTAMINATION

 

 

 

Once the initial wash process was completed and the Suburban remained wet, it was time to move on to spraying down the paint with Deep Wheel Cleaner to help remove any contaminants on the surface. With this color it was too hard to try and find some shots of DWC in action on the paint. After about a 5 minute dwelling time I began rinsing off all the remnants of the DWC and would go ahead and perform another washing cycle to makes sure there was no signs of DWC remaining that could dry onto the paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the first wash was completed I had noticed some of the original dirt and grime was really imbedded into the badges. So when it came time to perform the second wash I made sure to focus on these areas with the Lugnut Brush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PAINT INSPECTION

 

 

After all the decontamination processes were completed I pulled the Suburban out into the street to use the sun to bring out all the defects in the paint that I would be up against. I know it's really hard to find them in these shots due to the color of this vehicle, however there was some swirls along with some minor hazing within panels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUBBER - PLASTICS - TRIM DRESSING

 

 

 

Before the Suburban would be pulled into the stable to start the machine polishing process I began dressing all the plastics, rubber and trim. Invisible Undercarriage Spray was used on the fender plastics. In & Out Spray was applied to the trim, exterior plastics and also on the running boards. From there the tires were sprayed down with SVRT "Milk" then leveled out with the Tire Dressing Applicator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MACHINE POLISHING 

 

 

 

After the Suburban was pulled into the stable I went ahead and taped off all the areas that would possibly get polish transferred and become a PITA to clean. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The arsenal of machines for the process would consist of the Rupes Bigfoot LHR21ES for the correction/polishing steps and the Flex XC 3401 for the sealant application. The Porter Cable 7424 XP was used on the smaller areas of the paint with the 4" Focus Pads (backing plate installed after picture was taken).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first product up to bat would be the new Adam's Correcting Polish with the Microfiber Orange Cutting Pad. Off the initial use I was extremely pleased with the results I was able to achieve in comparison to the "other" hot product in this category that swept the industry last fall. I really was excited to be back to using Adam's for my polishing processes. When they came to the plate on this one, they hit a home run for sure. Many thanks to the team for developing such an easy to use product with my always favorite microfiber pads. 

 

 

 

 

Here are some shots of the Paint Correcting Polish being laid down and worked followed by some results under the lights. The first photo will show how much product I like to lay down on the initial application of the MF pads. The second will show how much gets applied moving forward with 4 pea size drops (sometimes 3 drops depending on the panel).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now after seeing how well the Paint Correcting Polish managed, I probably could have got away with not applying the Paint Finishing Polish. However I wasn't going to cut corners and wanted to make sure this Suburban was completed to my full standards. Plus I really wanted to try out the new Paint Finishing Polish anyways. So I went ahead and got the new Microfiber White Finishing Pad onto the Rupes and began the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now when I began to work the PFP I really got to experience what others were saying with the working time. You could go for days with this stuff which I really like knowing so you aren't trying to beat the product from flashing on you. In the first picture I laid down the polish with the Rupes on speed 2. I moved it up to speed 5 and worked my little polishing heart out to the point where I knew I was good based off my initial test area. However in the second picture you can really see how much I could have stayed with it if I wanted to. I also found that using less product (compared to PCP) works well and keeps your supply lasting longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once all the polishing was completed and wiped away I went back around the Suburban to make sure there were no blemishes remaining in the paint. Overall I was pleased with where I stood and snapped some shots before moving on to the next steps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2013 by JBlack151

[JBlack151]

 

 

 

IPA & LSP

 

 

 

I began wiping down all of the panels with Isopropyl Alcohol and a Waterless Wash Microfiber Towel to remove any of the polish residues that remained. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to bring out the Flex and get the Machine Super Sealant laid down. Now I initially wanted to go further with this detail and was planning on using Quick Sealant followed by Brilliant Glaze and my first use of Patriot Wax. However due to the delays with the shipping processes because of the fires in the Colorado areas my delivery of Quick Sealant and Patriot would not be arriving until the following day. Knowing this Suburban was a daily driver I knew Machine Super Sealant would be my next best choice to keep these results lasting and provide a good solid protection from the elements.

 

 

 

 

 

First came the initial "X" of the MSS onto the pad. Followed by 3 pea size drops moving forward with the Flex set at a speed 2. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the MSS was applied I allowed the sealant to bond onto the paint for 25-30 minutes before wiping  away and residue. From there the owner was instructed to wait at least 12-24 hours before using any other products onto the paint. 

 

 

 

 

THE RESULTS

 

 

 

So after nearly 14 hours on the exterior alone I was able to get the Suburban outside for a final inspection and take some shots with the sun going down on one side of the driveway and the moon in the sky on the other. With the black granite paint having so much depth and shine I couldn't wait to get this thing on the road for a little cruise back to the owners house and to see the completed work on my truck in return. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for taking the time and having the patience to go thru this entire write up. As always, I have to thank the amazing staff and products of Adam's Polishes for allowing me to achieve these results. The new Adam's 2 step polishing products and microfiber pads did an excellent job on this beast. For anyone considering adding these to their lineup, you will NOT be disappointed. 

 

 

JBlack151  

[LowNslo]

stunning man! Absolutely beautiful.

[redneck08sierra]

wow...that is bada$$...killer job on the detail!  

 

Now hopefully you got to drive it!?!

[JHL88]

sweetness.  i know that was some work with all that paint

[camaro2ssblack]

Your a beast.  Nice job!

[egott_91]

Nice!

 

Wheels definitely aren't my cup of tea, but that S/C is a nice touch!

[dsmith2013]

Awesome write-up as usual. How are you liking the Rupes now that you've had some more time to use it? I ordered the 21 from Phil that will be here before the weekend for a Bentley im doing.

[The Ryan]

WOW! Great work!

[Fierce5]

Wheels are not my favorite but the detail and the car are outstanding

[JBlack151]

Awesome write-up as usual. How are you liking the Rupes now that you've had some more time to use it? I ordered the 21 from Phil that will be here before the weekend for a Bentley im doing.

 

I already burned thru one Rupes after using it on about 18-20 cars from December to May. I was in the middle of a detail and it went completely dead. No power at all. Sent it back to Phil and had a replacement within 48 hours. This is the 4th time I used the new one. But I've heard from some they do have issues with longevity. But overall I love the machine with the microfiber pads. 

 

Thanks for all the compliments guys. And yes I got to enjoy driving this beast when I returned it back to the owner. But nothing crazy though. The supercharger produces an awesome amount of power for sure. 

[mc2hill]

Shineeeee!!!  Excellent work as usual John.

 

i see you were working in the shed again...

 

 

[Natch02]

I love that color. Nice write-up as well. I enjoy reading this kind of write-up!!!

[Schwag one]

Wow, I love your work. Did you use buttery or Americana?

[egott_91]

Wow, I love your work. Did you use buttery or Americana?

Pretty sure that he only used MSS, no wax.

[JBlack151]

Wow, I love your work. Did you use buttery or Americana?

 

 

Pretty sure that he only used MSS, no wax.

 

That's correct. I was not able to get anything else on top of the MSS due to the time needed to cure properly. 

 

Thanks guys 

[ArmyAcadia09]

Damn. Great looking Burban now

[THE Mook]

I am going to need a minute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holy crap that is one EPIC write up!  Brother JB you just did a mic drop at the rap battle, and B rabbit passed out!   One hell of a detail, and I am amazed by those pictures!  I have a flipping grin from ear to ear looking over them again and again and again!

 

THANK YOU!  

[THE Mook]

Pure Awesome.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/jblack151/2011%20Suburban%20Supercharged/DSC_0814_zps540b0ae8.jpg

[07RS4]

Awesome job John...thank you for taking the time for such an extensive write-up.  Amazing results.  What speed did you use the Rupes with the Adam's MF pads on? 

[IrishCurse]

Incredible reflections... Jaw dropping. Great, thorough write up, thanks for taking the time! You guys are going to make me spend $$ on that Rupes! I have the Flex and love it, but some of the work I've seen with the Bigfoot is stunning, these results most of all! Great work.

[Holder]

Mother of God! What an amazing job on that beast and one heck of a write up. Those pictures came out great.

[JBlack151]

What speed did you use the Rupes with the Adam's MF pads on?

This is a good question. I honestly don't feel there is a solid answer with this. Like any product or pad I will use 2-3 test areas to play with different speeds.

 

I had the PCP and PFP on speed 5 for most the time however I feel speed 6 or 4 may be useful depending on the conditions you're working with. Speed 5 was where I found my best results with this vehicle.

 

Thanks for the kind words my fellow "Shine Freaks!"

[07RS4]

Thanks, just curious.  I generated so much heat on speed 6 with my Rupes and MF pad, it was nuts.

[BrianT]

Great job!! Love that color!!  Please tell him to change out that stock exhaust!!!!