Saga: Cleaning a Max for NOPI

[audtatious]

This is going to be a chore and a half, so I thought I would chronicle the fun. The schedule of events will be:

*Note: Bold = done

- Sunday: --- Wash car with Dawn to remove wax--- Clean fender wells and calipers--- Clay-bar the car--- Properly dry with chamois--- Paint calipers with metallic-silver--- Paint wheel wells with satin black--- Clean/polish exhaust tips--- Use touch-up paint on rock chips--- Clean debris off bra and treat--- Clean headlights--- Start buffing with a compound bonnet

Monday thru Wednesday --- Buff, buff, buff, wax--- Detail door jams--- Detail engine--- Vac interior--- Shampoo carpets and clean seats--- Clean window glass--- Dress tires and rubber

First, the supply list:



1. Pack of microfiber towels2. Meguiars hair and lint extractor2a. Brush3. Meguiars wash mits4. 2-pack of microfiber polishing pads5. 1 pack of Turtle Wax Terry cloth bonnets (I have others as well)6. 1ea 3M compound buffing pad7. 1ea 3M polishing pad8. Lots and lots of Terry cloth towels9. Variable speed buffer10. AUTO GLEM bug and tar remover11. Sonus SFX-1 restorer (similar to Meguiars M84)12. Sonus SFX-2 Enhancer (similar to Meguiars M2)13. Sonus SFX-3 Final Finish (swirl removal step)14. Klasse All-in-one (cleaner/polish)15. Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze (similar to Meguiars #7)16. Meguiars Gold Class carnuba wax17. Mothers Back to Black rubber treatment18. Eagle One chrome cleaner19. Meguiars PlastX20. Dawn dishwashing liquid (origional)21. Armor All Cleaner Wipes22. Orbital Buffer23. Mag wheel cleaner23. Blue Coral carpet cleaner24. Simple Green25. Windex26. Satin black plastic paint27. Metallic Silver hi-temp engine paint28. Mothers clay bar kit29. Meguiars aerosol tire shine30. Meguiars spray tire shine31. Armor All spray cleaner

Not pictured: Chamois, regular Armor All, scrubbies, etc....

Fun...Fun...Fun...

I will update this thread with progress.....

[audtatious]

OK...Car is washed so there should be no wax. Wheels, wheel wells and calipers are cleaned. Car has been clay-bar'd. She be ready for touch-up paint, caliper paint and painting of wheel wells...

[audtatious]

Well, I have touched up a large number of chips. I will make one more pass before I go to the next step. I'll need to let it set up a bit before I can do anything else.

I have painted the wheel wells and the calipers. I chose a Aluminum paint (Greg thought blue would be rice... lol) for the calipers. To paint, I simply sprayed it into the cap, then used a paintbrush to paint the calipers. This went quite well and did not require taking off the rims.



After the next pass at filling rock chips and some cure time, it will be time for the first cut stage...

[audtatious]

Well damn.

Looks like I am done with the body today. I didn't find the hook-n-loop setup for the polisher so I'm screwed. Interior will be one of the last things done so I can't do that either. Guess I'll buff the headlights out and clean the bra. Really sux when auto-body supply stores are not open on weekends and nobody else has them. BS I say...

[Rex]

Looks like you're making progress ... did you get the bird repelent?

One thing I really like about the Q I bought from Rob (rsiwicki), is it's not a cosmtic beauty, so I don't worry about detailing, just washing the big stuff off .

[AZhitman]

THat color, when properly buffed and polished, is breathtaking.

Good-looking Max right thurrr.

[audtatious]

Yeah, I'm just pissed I could not start the buff job. Sux that it is about to storm here too. Been working on the stereo instead.

[audtatious]

Well, finally got the proper pad today. Cleaned out the garage for room since it stormed all day. I have so far performed the "restore" stage to the paint. At this point, I need something more coarse. Since I don't have anything, I am simply going to continue. Paint looks awesome except for micro-scratches in the clear coat that polishing won't get out at this point. I have also started the next stage.

I'm pooped. After the rain today, it is 76 degrees out with 83% humidity. Makes getting the wax off a biach and with the garage being hotter it feels like I'm working in butter. Hopefully tomorrow will go quicker.

[maxhopper]

For the small scratches, try Meguiar's #2 Fine Cut Cleaner. If the scratches are deeper, #4 Heavy Cut Cleaner should do the trick.

[audtatious]

The Sonus SFX-1 is _supposed_ to be an agressive cutter. Just not agressive enought I guess. I didn't have time to pick up anything different, so I will go with what I have.

Other than the fine scratches, the paint is looking good thus far. I have the Sonus SFX-1,2,3 stages done and the Klasse all-in-one done. I'm about to start the glaze coats. Here's a pic of the finish after the Sonus levels.

[Beancooker]

You car is more like a mirror. I would have an easier time shaving in your garage than in my bathroom! lol

Looks great!!! After NOPI wanna come to Wa. state and do mine?

[audtatious]

It doesn't look too bad. Would be better if I had taken better care of her these last two years. Talk about a dirty car.

Uhhh....No, I won't come do yours. Next time I'm gonna pay someone else to do mine....

[audtatious]

Well, it's another year and another NOPI coming up. Time to bump this thread for another cleaning session. I have the same supplies as posted above so this should be fun again

Anyway, pic of the Maxi thus far. Washed with Dawn to remove wax, wheel wells clean and engine has been cleaned as well. Waiting to fully finish drip drying before starting the wax jobs...

[maxhopper]

Detail thread from the dead! I thought it was current until I saw the painted brake pads...

Your baby sure looks purdy!

I'm probably going to put another coat of #26 Carnuba Wax on my Max Sunday. As well as polishing the headlight housings, cleaning all the jams, and detailing the engine.

I'm hell-bent that I will not be washing my car in it's parking space with bottled water this year.

[audtatious]

Well, the pads still have paint on them from last year If you need a place to work I have room. The Max will be parked in the garage until I leave Thursday.

Here's the post-wax stage. Calipers are touched up, wheel wells painted. Needs cleanup from wax, windows and rubber treated. Interior and glass work need to be done as well.

[euromaxima]

Car looks great, good luck man, wish I could go this year, but money is tight since my wife had the baby. I will be there next year though!

[audtatious]

That sux. At least your absense will give someone else a better opportunity to win an award

Catch ya next year!!!!

[danielekfuj]

one word: WOW. That thing must look cleaner than when it rolled off the assembly line.

[audtatious]

Just with a whole lot more rock chips

I wish it were in "new" condition, that's for sure.

[maxhopper]

Car looks great, good luck man, wish I could go this year, but money is tight since my wife had the baby. I will be there next year though!

We'll miss your beautiful Max, definitely one of a kind. Congrats on the baby though! I wish you and the family all the best.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Just with a whole lot more rock chips

Still, the car looks great.

[euromaxima]

[QUOTE=maxhopper97]

We'll miss your beautiful Max, definitely one of a kind. Congrats on the baby though! I wish you and the family all the best.[/QUOTE

Thanks, I will be there next year, hopefully with some new mods.