First car detailing

[imoloq]

Here's my first detail:
Car: Toyota Corolla SEG.
Age of paint: 1 1/2 years.
Time taken: 4 hours.
Products used: Meguiar's Quik Clay System, ColourX, NXT Tech Wax

I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to Mr Johan Wong of HyperCoat aka NXT for kindly giving me a few samples of NXT Tech Wax to try out!

It was a cloudy day so I had to use the camera's flash to pick out the swirls. The white specks are actually glitter in the paint. The car is sprayed diamond black

Click on the pics for the larger version. ZTH auto-resize makes the pic look blurry.

Before treatment:

Swirls, swirls and more swirls!


After washing the car at a snow wash service, I clayed the car. I can really feel the paint getting smoother after rubbing the clay over the surface and lubricating it with the Quik Detailer.

After claying, I went on with the ColourX.

Left side is untreated. As you can see, the colour on the right is richer and darker.


After treatment:

Swirls are less visible after polishing. But, some major scratches were still visible under a strong light.

However, the large scratch on the trunk was almost eliminated. Before this, it was really visible but now, if you don't purposely look for it, you can't find it. I was really impressed at this. Unfortunately I didn't have time to take some proper pictures.

Before

After


Final results:

"Stop looking at the other car and get back to work!"

Good reflection all round

The hood looks the best.

I'm really impressed with ColourX and NXT Tech Wax because they really do show a difference on the paint surface. The result is not stunning but it's certainly impressive. Maybe my technique is wrong.

What's next? Maybe a rotary buffer to polish out the remaining swirls.


So what do you guys think?

 

[Tohsan]

maybe u can try use the Scratch X to reduce all the minor scratch line, give it a few more round of polish and wax.

 

[turbonetics]

yea..meguiar's scratch x will help..

 

[imoloq]

maybe u can try use the Scratch X to reduce all the minor scratch line, give it a few more round of polish and wax.

Yeah. But this time, instead of hand polishing, the guys from Meguiar's forums recommended a rotary buffer. The defect remaining now is an "orange peel" defect, caused by shrinkage of paint.

 

[turbonetics]

u need to find a good ratary buffer or else it will creat swirl marks..

 

[imoloq]

Im getting a random orbit buffer to prevent swirls. Technique is also quite important.

 

[turbonetics]

make sure u know the technique really well 1st to prevent ur paint to burn...

 

[mengz]

for beginners......it'll be best to get a random orbital buffer because it would not burn through ur paint. and trust me, using a machine the results are much much more impressive than using lotsa lotsa elbow grease. maybe u can try the bosch random orbital buffer.....very easy to use. and it works well with meguiar's buffing pads.

but still, nothing beats the rotary buffer but that one requires technique if not u'll burn through ur paint.

 

[spykey]

hi imoloq,where can get this meguiars?
interested n my ride also black:)
tq

 

[Lord_darkslide]

nice thread...

i am also trying to detail my car... just.. i am thinking to get an mechanical polisher/orbital buffer .. the problem is.. what brand is a good 1.. i dunt want to further create more swril to my paint...

is bosch ok?? or the GIANT/TESCO/CARREFOUR Rm59.99 polisher is good enough???

heheh my car not fast... but i am trying to make it look fast.. .hehehe please help

 

[mengz]

plz get a good one. the Bosch random orbital is very popular in malaysia. alot of DIY-ers i know use the bosch GEX 270 AE.

 

[imoloq]

Thanks for the recommendation. How much is the GEX270AE?

 

[Lord_darkslide]

imoloq.. i got this from a guys from other msia forum... i also in search for the ROB.... just trying to help...

1. BOSCH GEX270A Random Orbit Polisher = RM 320

2. BOSCH GEX270AE Random Orbit Polisher (w/ speed control) = RM 350
3. BOSCH GPO 14e Polisher = RM 590

4. B&D KP600 Polisher = RM 220 (just now i see jusco sell RM189 with free B&D multipurpose pliers)


5. DeWalt DW849 = RM 670


imoloq.... i have a bussiness proposal for u... since u have connection with a shop carry meguiars product... y dont u try to sell them here in ZTH... (with a special/a bit lower price than jusco Mid valley, or other store.. )

as i am in ipoh... so damn hard to get a good detailing product... best i can see is AmourAll (not full range product).. then normal stuff like KIT,polyglaze... bla bla...

mebbe other member in ZTH also want to have a good care for their cars... after all we r car enthusiast... :)

 

[spykey]

thanks darkside,i ll check out later at jusco midvaley:)

 

[sebastian2hot]

jusco midvalley selling meguiars products? i tot it is sold on some of the parkson, ace hardware, and eneos.

 

[Lord_darkslide]

opss... my bad.... mebbe its metrojaya...

so how imoloq??? my idea?? no go??

 

[imoloq]

Sorry for the late reply Lord Darkslide. Parkson in Ipoh Parade sells Meguiar's products.

I saw the ROB, Bosch GEX270 the other day. Still contemplating whether I should get it or not.

 

[Lord_darkslide]

hehehehe ... actually...

i just went back from parkson ipoh... hehehehe because i was lurking at meguiar's forum.. (thank to u for info bout the forum).. and somebody say parkson carry meg product.....

so today i went there... they got 10%... hehehe i was like a kid in a candy store..... :)

lastly... check out with 2 bootles of GC car wash (1 for my bro in terengganu),GC wax, and quik detail n clay... hehehehe
cant w8 to work on my car this weekend...

oh...how much u see the bosch????... my ROB budget all gone to buy those meguiar's product.. hehhe mebbe next month i'll get the ROB... hopefully... :P

 

[g88]

here's my little comment..just my 2 cents.

ColorX work more like color restorer more then swirl remover..

ScratchX is swirl remove

But both of them are abbrasive....ScratchX more then ColorX

Looking at ur pic i do feel ur car paint, paint job is not so good quality...even u clay, colorx and wax but the deep dark shin is not there...can see it clearly from the reflection at the car doors

No offence

 

[imoloq]

here's my little comment..just my 2 cents.

ColorX work more like color restorer more then swirl remover..

ScratchX is swirl remove

But both of them are abbrasive....ScratchX more then ColorX

Looking at ur pic i do feel ur car paint, paint job is not so good quality...even u clay, colorx and wax but the deep dark shin is not there...can see it clearly from the reflection at the car doors

No offence

Haha I was thinking the same thing too. The paint job was done by the previous owner 3 months before he sold the car to my bro. So, I don't know the quality of the paintjob but overall, it looks better than a really botched up paintjob I've seen on my friend's car.

The reason I chose ColourX is because I wanted to polish the car, but I didn't want to get a polisher and a scratch remover as it will be out of my budget. So I opted for a compromise. Trust me, when I get my ROB, I'll be using ScratchX.