detailing my camaro LOTS OF PICS :D

**mammoth713** · 07-31-2009, 09:16 AM

my camaro has a bunch of ruff spots that i was wondering if you guys could give me advice on how to fix them..... clay bars/touchup paint/wet sanding... etc.... these pics were after i washed the car...

some of the problems include like....
*little chips in the paint on the hood all over
*scratches under the handles (from rings on your hand i guess?)
*gas cap dangling against the body cuz theres nothing to hold it while fillling up..
*random scratches
*foggy headlights
*behind the front tires looks worse in the photo than it is... it just seems to not have a sheen basically..

i waxed the whole car a couple weeks ago with normal turtle wax...

thanks

**mammoth713** · 07-31-2009, 09:16 AM

**Goat-E** · 07-31-2009, 09:18 AM

Before . . . . .

**mammoth713** · 07-31-2009, 09:26 AM

no i am asking for help in how to detail the problems on the car....

here are some pics of right after i waxed it

**mr_r0bert0** · 07-31-2009, 09:29 AM

Well I work at a car wash... I know for the headlights we use some rubbing compound and a buffer and go to town.. And also for the scratches and the shit on your wheel wells... I know we sit there with a clay bar... clay bar, compound, buffer and nice cutter wax.. And then a nice sealer wax and it will look good... I clay bar'd my car and then used a buffer to wax my car... helps clear up the scratches..

**mammoth713** · 07-31-2009, 09:35 AM

whats the difference between cutter wax and sealer wax?

i was contemplating buying that turtle wax clay bar kit and then NU-Finish polish or whatever... so my steps would be

*wash
*liquid clay (in kit)
*clay bar lubricant (in kit)
*clay bar (in kit)
*NU-Finish polish
*normal turtle wax (should i buy canuba wax or whatever????)

eh or neh?

**SSwt00SS** · 07-31-2009, 09:45 AM

cutter wax is similar to a fine scratch and swirl mark remover polish.

sealer wax is what you apply after (using cutter wax) to help protect the clearcoat/paint/finish of the car from the effects of the environment and road, etc.

**mammoth713** · 07-31-2009, 09:50 AM

so should i buy this clay kit or should i buy this "scratch doctor" stuff from NU-Finish.... i have heard their products are good anyone use the stuff or know about it...?

and also so this would be my order of what to do....??

*wash
*liquid clay (in turtlewax kit)
*clay lube/clay bar (in turtlewax kit)
*Nu-Finish polish
*Normal turtle wax

?????

**02convertibleT/A** · 07-31-2009, 09:52 AM

here is what you use on headlights, its my thread i posted a few days ago.

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118718

**Pony_Eater** · 07-31-2009, 09:55 AM

first off...do you have a buffer? if not you are wasting your time trying to correct these issues. get yourself a porter cable or equivelant.

Then I would clay bar, medium compound, light scratch remover, polish/glaze, sealant, and then a carnuba wax

**mammoth713** · 07-31-2009, 10:04 AM

so you're saying i have to use a buffer to do it...? theres no way i can just hand buff it with a microfiber towel or something?

and also... could i fix those little chips on the hood with touchup paint or no

**Goat-E** · 07-31-2009, 10:11 AM

Some of the issues that you have are more of an art than a process. The deep scratches and chips aren't going to disappear with a compound or polish. They are going to require surface prep, touch up or spraying, clear coat if applicable, wet sanding and fade in with a polisher and some compound then a light polish or some glaze. This is tough to explain in text. Before you begin on those more severe problems you are going to have to get the wax off of the areas that need to be corrected. Possibly with a light acetone. You also have to determine if the car is clear coated. The best thing you have going for you is that the car is black and will hide easily. You may want to do a how to search and watch some vids.
PS Start on the least recognizable/obvious areas first so that if you mess up it won't be that noticeable.

**Z06-Goose** · 07-31-2009, 07:24 PM

I see if I can find somebody in New York that can help you
I could tell you what to do, but by looking at those pics, I doubt you'll be able to fix that
The small chips around the wheel wells are just sandblasting from driving. The whitr specs are actually an indication how far they've gone thru the paint
Some buffing may make it look better, but where there's no paint, there's really no much you can do
The scratches around the gas cap lid and around the door handle are fixable
Where in New york are you located?

**mammoth713** · 08-01-2009, 08:06 AM

i'm in the southern tier, binghamton area... i'm pretty interested in trying to do it myself because i think detailing is a cool hobby...

so how do you know when the wax is off the car... cuz im using that cheap plane jane turtle wax... and if i use a clay bar wouldnt that rip it off as well or no?

**Goat-E** · 08-01-2009, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by mammoth713

i'm in the southern tier, binghamton area... i'm pretty interested in trying to do it myself because i think detailing is a cool hobby...

so how do you know when the wax is off the car... cuz im using that cheap plane jane turtle wax... and if i use a clay bar wouldnt that rip it off as well or no?

Since it's invisible it's almost impossible to tell especially on the sides. The paint on my car is so polished and smooth that it will bead without wax. I suggest doing those things to prep and remove the wax like acetone, heavy detergent, degreaser ect. (one oughta do it not all 3 or you won't have any paint) Whether you believe it's there or not. Having wax in the surrounding areas can protect against overspray. That should remove it, or let it sit out in the weather for about a year J/K.
Ps if you are going to paint I would give the area a quick wipe with acetone to get all oils off of the area. Like I mentioned before test on an obscure area and if you see paint on the rag you know that you have no clear coat and should apply as frugally as possible. Make sure your rags are clean and oil/lint free. I would wash them in degreaser first.

**Pony_Eater** · 08-01-2009, 09:54 PM

black paint does not hide. black paint shows any and all imperfections. that is why they look so good when detailed and they look so bad when not.

**Goat-E** · 08-01-2009, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by Pony_Eater

black paint does not hide. black paint shows any and all imperfections. that is why they look so good when detailed and they look so bad when not.

I'm referring to it should be easier to match the paint. It should also be a little easier to fade in than say a metallic of a lighter color. I would think that swirls and scratches would show up a lot more though.

**Smittro** · 08-01-2009, 10:31 PM

No offence but it looks like total neglect really. To bring that back to even half of it's original luster you're probably going to need some serious work done. I'm not sure just a detail will help much though. Looks like some of the panels will need a total repaint. This car has original 17 year old paint without any neglect..

And this is my 01 with ZERO damage to the paint. It's not even a Z or an SS either.

**mammoth713** · 08-02-2009, 09:05 AM

well the guy i bought it from did neglect it...... i'm not denying that it looks like shit right now..

what i want is some help that is tangible to do like clay bars etc... i'm not spending the money to have any panels painted or anything...

i'm just looking for some products that will bring out the shine more and get rid of some basic scratches...

as far as the touchup paint i am thinking of doing that project right before i put it in storage that way the paint can cure all it wants over thru winter into spring.....

lastly, so to get the wax off my car fully i need to use acetone or degreaser on the whole car?

**Smittro** · 08-02-2009, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by mammoth713

well the guy i bought it from did neglect it...... i'm not denying that it looks like shit right now..

what i want is some help that is tangible to do like clay bars etc... i'm not spending the money to have any panels painted or anything...

i'm just looking for some products that will bring out the shine more and get rid of some basic scratches...

as far as the touchup paint i am thinking of doing that project right before i put it in storage that way the paint can cure all it wants over thru winter into spring.....

lastly, so to get the wax off my car fully i need to use acetone or degreaser on the whole car?

Well for me and my cars I dont really use anything like clay bar or buffers.
Mine are all done by hand, lots amd lots of "elbow grease" so to speak.

My finishes all have days into them.

1) I washed the cars with heavy amount of dishsoap, (none antibacterial) and very hot water ( Hot as I could stand).
2) A heavy rubbing compound on areas with scrathes only into the clear coat. I did'nt have any paint missing or cracks and so fourth.
3) Then I used 3m scratch doctor over the entire car.
4) I then used a 2600 glazeing compound over the entire car.
5) Washed the car again to get any grit that I may have left behind off the car.
6) More Glazeing compound, and a good final wax.
Made the finish so smooth that even the dry towel would'nt stay on it if left there.
7) final steps, NO LEANING, TOUCHING, OR BREATHING ALLOWED ON MY CAR!! LOL Good luck man..

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