Bull Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Hi Folks, Someone on here who is also a member of garagejournal.com directed me to the site very enthusiastically a few weeks ago. I have been planning on getting my father's '96 Impala SS looking better for him, but between a baby and a bunch of house and yard projects, it hasn't happened yet. But, my summer vacation is winding down, so I need to get moving. My dad mentioned that he was going to wash and wax his car this weekend, so now I have to intervene and make sure that doesn't happen. He does a pretty poor job. I don't have pictures yet, but when I take the car from my dad I will snap some. He loves the car, which he bought new, but he is not so good (ok, he's terrible) about taking care of it. Therefore, despite having only 50k miles, it is looking pretty worn out. I need to watch money a little bit, but am looking at grabbing the orange and white pads from here for my Porter Cable, a bottle of the swirl and haze remover as well as the fine polish, and maybe a bottle of the salt-based carpet cleaner. I don't expect nor do I have the time or skill to work a miracle on the car, but I know I can get it looking pretty nice for my pops. One thing I'm not sure about are the wheels. They are sad. The clear is damaged in places, from neglect I assume. I want to get them as clean as possible and shine them up a bit so they are least don't look so bad. Enough rambling for now. I will be back with some pics as soon as I get the car in my possession. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVA182 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70'sChevyGirl Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 :hi: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris@Adams Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11chevz71 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Welcome and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug123 Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 I am sure it will make a big difference - snap a couple pix and let us see the before and afters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormChaser Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawson4450 Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 hey bull glad you made it over if you have any questions just ask im sure you will find the answer. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 hey bull glad you made it over if you have any questions just ask im sure you will find the answer. Dan Hey, there you are! I brought the Impala to my house tonight. I have my work cut out from me, and am trying to calculate how many hours this is going to take. The last time I clayed a car by hand, it seemed to take a LONG time! Here's a question: what should I use for a neglected interior? I am grabbing the salt-based carpet cleaner from here, and I have some leather cleaner for the seats. But what about the door panels and dash, where years of dirt and grime have been ground into all the crevices? And, for the engine, is it a simple matter of Simple Green soak, scrub, and rinse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 Welcome Dave for another Impala owner. Glad to have you here. For your interior, you can use the leather cleaner on just about everything inside. Be sure and use the conditioner after you clean everything. You may find that it looks streaky at first. That's just because it's soaking it up. You might need to reapply 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 times before you're real happy with it. Simple Green will work well to clean the engine, and once you get it nice and clean use some In and Out spray and some VRT to make it look like new. :welcomebanner: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawson4450 Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 yeah simple green is fine for the engine run it to let it start to warm up and then spray it down you dont want it hot just warm. then either cover the alternator or just dont spray it one of the two and let the sg sit on the motor for a few minutes and maybe agitate some heavy dirty areas with a brush and then rinse. use a fine spray and dont spray directly into the electrical connections and should be fine. if you do soak a connection just grab some wd 40 and spray the connection. as far as clay bar it does take alotof time because of the small area you cover but do one area at a time and it will be done quickly lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawson4450 Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 for the interior stay away from stuff with silicon in it if you dont have any interior cleaner from adams then you can use the simple green but cut it alot maybe 25 to 75 mix to start with and then just steadily increase strength until you find what works. if your looking for something good to try for 15 bucks the sample pack you cant go wrong with the different four ounce bottles in it. http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-355-adams-sampler-pack.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 This is all very helpful info which is helping me to plan this out. How long do you guys spend on a tired old car to get it back into shape? It seems kind of overwhelming in terms of the time commitment. I like that detail trial pack. How far does 4oz of product go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawson4450 Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 It takes as long as it takes like junkman says rome wasnt built in a day and you cant expect perfection after one try. so do the best you can it will be something that will take time and a few tries to get right. the biggest thing is there will be some things you just cant fix with a pc and polish if you have scratches thru the clearcoat or etching thru the clear coat or no clearcoat just work it and see what happens. also its hard to tell without seeing pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Dee Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 that is very nice of you to clean up your pop's car! LABOR OF LOVE-by yourself i would guess at least 10 hours...if it is really dirty. welcome to the forum-everyone here is so nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 Oh, wow. I never realized that I didn't post a single update pic for this project. Shameful. Here is what the car looked like before. And here is what it looked like after I went after it with all my amateur ability. And you know what, I haven't detailed a car since. A baby born, a baby on the way, and all kinds of projects to get my old house into shape left my family's cars neglected. But, this spring I want to detail this: I thought about this site and these products as I plan the prettification of that wagon. I also was reminded of Adam's because I am a moderator on a large garage and tool forum. We have put together a few different events on our forum to support family-owned companies that pride themselves on American products and labor. Someone recently mentioned Adam's. So, I want to spend some time reading the product reviews and corresponding with folks to see about the USA philosophy and offerings. I hope to be able to generate enthusiasm on our site for an April purchasing event because, heck, April seems like a good month to detail a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Looks great, but how come only 5 posts in nearly 3 years? Did you forget about us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gone & Forgotten Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Looks great, but how come only 5 posts in nearly 3 years? Did you forget about us? Wife/baby will do that to ya... Glad mine is almost 17. Welcome back! Can't wait to see the work on the wagon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacificNWBuckeye Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 OK, not fair! You have 2 of my favorite cars. I've been looking for a decent wagon for awhile. The Impala looks great after your detail. Can't wait to see the wagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYBEN Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Welcome Dave! where in MA are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 (edited) Looks great, but how come only 5 posts in nearly 3 years? Did you forget about us? I spend nearly 100% of my time on a garage and tool forum that also has sections for other things. I really enjoy the results of detailing cars, but the fact that it takes me SO LONG to do one and the fact that there seem to be detailing ninjas out there makes me feel sort of like I will never become really good at it. Otherwise, I'd spend more time here learning. I probably should, anyway. Wife/baby will do that to ya... Glad mine is almost 17. Welcome back! Can't wait to see the work on the wagon! Thank you. Yes, kids really take a heck of a lot of time. They are what life is about in my mind, but I do have to sacrifice the kinds of projects that I once could undertake when single or childless. It probbaly takes me more than a dozen hours to wash, clay bar, polish, wax, vacuum, condition, and dress a car. That kind of time does not exist for me anymore! lol OK, not fair! You have 2 of my favorite cars. I've been looking for a decent wagon for awhile. The Impala looks great after your detail. Can't wait to see the wagon. Thank you. The Impala is my dad's so I'm a bit jealous, too. I just picked up the wagon in the fall; I had wanted one for a very long time. I really like the combo of the wood, dark cherry metallic paint, and the burgundy leather interior. Welcome Dave! where in MA are you? Thank you. I'm about thirty-five minutes north of Springfield. Edited March 9, 2013 by Bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMDChase Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Welcome Dave. Let me say something about not having skills. I didn't either when I first started and I still am far from Being an expert and have a ton to learn. But, using the proper tools and products helps immensely. You will be surprised how well you do the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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