Carpet Cleaning

Just managed to snap some pictures of my carpet after it has fully dried.

More greasy footprints. Before:

BMW E34 Quick Detail

Had to send my E34 back to the workshop for the inspection and to attend to some minor issues. As usual, this is how the car came back.

Honda Accord - Detailer Installed Swirls and Holograms Correction

I was supposed to detail this Honda Accord for a friends wedding but unfortunately I was out of the country at that time so he sent his car to a 'detailer' to get it polished for his wedding. I met up with him a few weeks later and this was the result... If I knew it was going to be this bad I would have cancelled my trip...

Honda Accord - Detailer Installed Swirls and Holograms

I was supposed to detail this Honda Accord for the owners wedding but unfortunately I was out of the country at that time. So he ended up sending his car to a 'detailer' and this was the result........

Have arranged another day to demonstrate to the owner what a 'proper' detail should be.

Stay tuned.....

BMW E34 Post Heart Transplant Detail with D151

Just got my BMW back from the workshop last week after a long and extensive heart transplant (for the car, I mean). As expected, the mechanics 'left their mark' on it, literally. Will cover the details of the detail here and will post the details of the heart transplant on my other blog.

http://theseech.blogspot.com/2009/11/bmw-e34-toyota-1jzgte-twin-turbo-heart.html

Didn't have time to do a full blown detail so I just wanted to remove as much of the 'evidence' as possible. Dirt, oxidization and signs of greasy fingers all throughout the car.

Washed with NXT Car Wash and clayed. Plenty of surface contaminants removed.

Honda Accord- Soft Honda paint vs. M205

Managed to detail the Honda Accord again. The previous detail on the Honda can be found here:

http://prodetailing.blogspot.com/2009/09/accord-revisited-m80-vs-d151-on-soft.html

Had another go at the very soft Honda paint. This time I was armed with the latest and greatest finishing polish from Meguiar's, M205.

Before:

Porsche 993 Plastic Trim Correction

The owner of the Ferrari F355 had seen the correction I did on the earlier Porsche 930 Turbo which I did earlier and wondered if I could do the same with a similar problem on his Porsche 993 Carrera 2.

For the 993 I decided to wetsand with 2000 grit sandpaper followed by a few passes of M105/W8006 and PlastX/W8006. Finished with NXT Tech Wax 2.0 + UQD.

I especially like the reflection of the Carerra badge on the RS ducktail spoiler.

Great job with the Porsche KC!!! More pictures of the Porsche can be found at KC's blog:

Ferrari F355

After my Porsche 930 Turbo detail, I met up with another Porsche owner at a hillclimb event who also happened to have a Ferrari F355.

Some pictures of the Ferrari paint taken during the hillclimb. Noticeable swirls around the car.

More swirl and RID pics.

After some discussion, a date was set for a full detail for the Ferrari.

Supercar Paint

Attended a hillclimb on 10th October 2009. Details on my other blog:
http://theseech.blogspot.com/2009/10/jpm-motorsport-berjaya-hills-hillclimb.html

Couldn't help but notice the condition of the paints on some of the cars taking part. I think its some detailing disease. Anyway...

The paints on both the Lamborghini LP-640's were in pretty good condition. However, as the panels were carbon fiber, if you looked hard enough you could see the carbon fiber weave below the paint. Very cool.

The Porsche GT3 RS had some oxidization and issues with the protective film installed on the nose.

Some visible swirls on a Ferrari Dino and F355.

I spoke to one of the Ferrari owners and was told that the car was regularly used on track and was more for driving than for show. I did appreciate that cars like this should be used as intended but I also discussed some detailing options and how the swirls could be kept to a minimum with proper care. Will see how it goes...

Porsche 930 Detail Featured in the Meguiar's Online Newsletter

OCTOBER 2009

Extreme Makeovers - Beauty in Black & White This month we’re going to highlight a pair of “Extreme Makeovers” from opposite sides of the globe. Both involve rare and unique vehicles but the paint could not have been more different on these two vehicles, and not just because one is white and the other black! One of our MOL members in Malaysia, who goes by the name seech, had the opportunity to correct some very severe defects on a rare Porsche 930 Turbo Martini Special Edition. Beyond the typical dirt and swirls, seech had to deal with some extreme and rather bizarre orange peel. This was original paint on a rare and valuable vehicle, and seech has documented his entire process in great detail. It takes a long time to accomplish the level of correction he did on this vehicle, and it takes a long time to document the process too! He did an outstanding job on both counts. Throughout the process he documents his procedures and products for the various aspects of the project. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and seech’s images do just that. His pictures provide plenty of tips along the way, and each step brings the Porsche closer and closer to its original glory. Reading through the entire post you see the great lengths seech took to ensure he did not cause any problems along the way. He documents the use of test spots even when wet sanding, how he discussed the process with the owner of the vehicle, and his final decision on what he could do, and what he should not do. This is the mark of a true professional – caution, a clear thought process, and the common sense of knowing when to stop. The final outcome is a glistening white beauty of pure power. Nicely done, seech! For the full write up on this Porsche 930 Turbo makeover, click here. Our second “Extreme Makeover” is part of a restoration of a 1975 Cosworth Vega performed by Frank – AKA SHYNEMAN123. Frank is a long time body and paint man but the owner of this car was on a shoestring budget. Frank prepped the car for paint but the actual spraying of the paint was done at a well known discount autobody shop, and the word “inexpensive” is not an exaggeration! The resulting paint job is, as one might expect for such a small investment, less than perfect. But Frank puts his many years of experience to work on the paint, sanding it smooth and rotary buffing it to a mirror finish. His before and after shots show a dramatic increase in gloss, clarity and depth of color. Nobody would ever believe this was a budget paintjob after Frank gets done with it, and we doubt the factory paint job was anywhere near as beautiful as this respray is. Obviously the processes used are very advanced and should not be entered into lightly by a novice. In fact, some steps probably shouldn’t even be considered on a new, factory direct paint job. Frank has spent years perfecting his craft, and he truly is a craftsman. The Cosworth Vega has had new life breathed into it, and it could only be done by someone with a true passion for this sort of work. Frank obviously has that passion! For the full write up on this Cosworth Vega makeover, click here. • MOL Featured Threads • New format for MOL Newsletter • Tip of the Month • October Events Calendar • Meguiar's In the News • Additional Resources Stop by and visit Meguiar's at these upcoming events. Oct 7th – 11th  Hershey, PA  AACA Hershey Swapmeet   Oct 7th – 10th  Las Vegas, NV  Barrett Jackson   Oct 16th – 18th  Bowling Green, KY  Goodguys - 2nd Nostalgia Nationals   Oct 30th – Nov 1st  Charlotte, NC  Goodguys - 16th Southeastern Nationals   Nov 3rd - 6th  Las Vegas, NV  SEMA Show   October 15th, 2009  Thursday Night Open Garage   October 17th, 2009  Saturday Open Class - Car Care 101   November 5th, 2009  Thursday Night Open Garage   Meguiars.com   Meguiar's Marine/RV   Meguiar's YouTube   Meguiar's E-Store   Car Crazy Central   Customer Care Center 800.347.5700 M - F 7am - 5pm PST Sat 7am - 3pm PST

One of the most commonly asked questions posed to our Surface Care Specialists in our Customer Care Center is "how do I get and keep the best possible shine on my car?". The answer, as you can imagine, involves a few steps. In fact, it involves 5 Steps. Let’s look at what these steps are and briefly define each of them: Step 1: Wash – Washing is the removal of loose contaminants from the surface. This is your soap and water step that removes mud, dirt, road film, etc Step 2: Clean – Cleaning involves the removal of defects from the paint and is a two fold process. Once the loose contaminants have been washed off the surface you must evaluate the finish both visually and by touch. Literally touching your paint will let you feel how smooth the surface is or isn’t and determine if you have what are known as bonded surface contaminants that need to be removed with a clay bar treatment. A visual inspection of the surface, under bright and intense light, will tell you if your paint has swirls, towel marks, etching from bird droppings or other below surface defects. These are very, very fine defects that you can not feel, but you can remove them with a liquid paint cleaner. These two steps, claying and using a liquid paint cleaner, are what levels the surface to reveal the true color and clarity of the finish. These steps also prepare the surface to properly accept your wax, meaning wax will be easier to apply and remove, and it will also last longer due to proper bonding. Step 3: Polish – Simply put, polishing is the process of adding gloss to a well prepared surface. Meguiar’s always considers this to be an optional step, especially on a modern clear coat finish. A simple process that can really deepen darker colors, the application of a pure polish will not correct any defects, nor will it provide any protection. Rather, it is a beauty treatment for your paint. Step 4: Protecting – The preservation of brilliant, high gloss is what protection is all about. This protection comes from the wax you apply once you’ve achieve a near defect free finish. Waxes are available in a variety of configurations, from cleaner waxes to pure synthetic sealants. Each is intended to do essentially the same thing, but in slightly different ways. Which you choose is dependent on a lot of personal preferences, what kind of exposure the vehicle is subjected to, and other considerations. Step 5: Maintaining – Between washings you can maintain your finish by using a mist and wipe product to safely remove fresh contaminants before they have a chance to bond or etch into the surface. Another simple process that, when done correctly, can keep your finish looking great for a very long time. While each of these steps seems straightforward enough on the surface, they all involve choosing the right tools and products to give optimum results as well as using proper technique. The best products in the world won’t do the job on their own. You can learn more about Meguiar’s 5 Step Paint Care Cycle, complete with images, product recommendations, and videos, by clicking here. New format for the MOL Newsletter If you have received the meguiarsonline.com newsletter in the past it should be immediately obvious that something has changed! We have redesigned the MOL Newsletter not only to add continuity to the design of the meguiarsonline.com website, but also to bring you expanded content. Many of you have asked about upcoming car shows where you might be able to stop by a Meguiar’s truck or booth and either purchase some product or just say “hi”. We’re adding some of these events to our new calendar section, as well as upcoming Saturday Car Care Classes and Thursday Night Open Garage sessions in Meguiar’s Garage at our Irvine, CA offices. We will also provide content from the many magazines and websites Meguiar’s works with each month, bringing you in depth car care articles with helpful tips and product recommendations. We know you can’t subscribe to every publication out there, so we’re bringing some of this content to you. Each month we’ll showcase a new product in the Meguiar’s line too, and with our 2010 New Products scheduled for introduction at SEMA during the first week of November, we’ll have a lot of new information for you in the coming months. Of course we’ll continue to highlight some of the more interesting discussions taking place on Meguiar’sOnline, just in case one of them got passed you! We hope you enjoy the new layout and content.

Meguiar's products and processes in the news We are regularly asked by various magazines and online entities to help them with write ups on various aspects of car care. Sometimes these are simple news releases of a specific product, but sometimes we collaborate on a complete article. These articles can provide a wealth of knowledge but we know not everyone can subscribe to every publication. These links will open PDF documents of several recent articles. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to read these articles. Muscle Car Power: Coming Clean - Meguiar's Schools Us in Paint Care Basics Popular Hot Rodding: Shine On Through! Chevy High Performance: Meguiar's Top 10 Car Detailing Tips Mobile Tech News: Pads Remove Surface Defects & Create Stunning Shine