1996 Ford Truck Detailed

[juan ruiz]

Allow me to share my latest detailing job, for those of you that apprecciate this type of work

Process:
Car Shampoo
Oxidation Block
Wheel Cleaner
Carpet Cleaner
Glass Cleaner
Leather Cleaner
LV.R. with
Wheel Stick
Spray N Wax
Tire & Exterior Trim
Swirl Remover via Porter Cable 7424XP with Orange Foam Pads
Medium Compound via Porter Cable 7424XP with Yellow Foam Pads
Wax Car Wax via Porter Cable 7424XP with Black Foam Pads

As Found

















Start with the wash

[juan ruiz]

Oxidation Block



Prep Work



Testing the combination of pads and products





Work in Progress



Hood







Making Progress



On the Home Stretch

[juan ruiz]

All Done
















Thanks for looking

[schamp]

That's amazing. You sir are very good at what you do.

[enzo1]

wow!!!

[matt f]

Juan, I always look forward to your posts.
The before and after pics show incredible differences.
Great work AGAIN!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Nice! I find that far more impressive than the detail of a newer nicer car. Bringing a neglected car back to life takes talent, well done.

[pete3799]

Your a magician.

[Nostril Cheese]

So it's basically cleaning and sanding down the finish until it's perfectly smooth?

[porsche4life]

Excellent work as always!

I'm about to start a thread you may be able to help with. Whats your experience with gelcoat?

[speeder]

Really excellent work! As Matt said, it's a lot more impressive to restore the finish on an older vehicle than to remove the invisible swirl marks from a new Ferrari. I was doing a mild detail on a newer Bentley today that I'm trying to sell for a friend, it was rewarding because it's a beautiful car but it was also kind of easy because it's a low miles, pampered ride.

Making an older black Ford truck look that good is a real accomplishment.

[slow&rusty]

Amazing work Juan

[911SauCy]

[juan ruiz]

Thank you Guys! As mentioned before and not to take anything away from anyone, this types of jobs are much more challenging that newer cars, most of my customers are daily drivers and the challenge is always good.

Nostril Cheese

A simple way to explain it, I stay away from sanding, there's many processes but this is what works form me;

After washing the vehicle and once we have dried the vehicle our next step is to evaluate the condition of the surface we are going to work with. If the vehicle is outside with direct sun light you should be able to see that some areas are worse than others and if the vehicle is inside the garage you may need the aid of additional lights to pinpoint the more severe areas.

The Swirl Remover works like a fine polish when used with a fine foam pad and works like a light rubbing compound when used with a more aggressive foam pad.
( Other pads/ tools/products can yield the needed results)

How does it work?

The abrasives gradually shrink in size under the friction of the pad until they completely disappear. Selecting the correct polishing pad helps determine how quickly the abrasive break down into fine polish. This diminishing abrasive action allows the paint to "buff out" to full gloss without hazing. This product contains millions of tiny white abrasives that gradually disappear under the friction of the pad. The abrasives gently wear down the sharp edges of the scratch or swirl until light no longer catches on them, and they become level with the surrounding paint. Because swirls are very shallow scratches, it only takes a little blending to level the swirl with the surrounding paint. As this occurs, the abrasives gradually vanish. Within seconds, the abrasives melt into the lubricants, and your paint is left swirl-free.

Swirl Remover works best when applied with a polisher. Polish with a light cutting pad on your Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. Start at a speed of 5 and use moderate pressure to go over a 2 x 2 sq. ft. area. Work up and down, then side to side to ensure optimum coverage. ( other tools are available)

As the book says, ”There’s many ways to skin a cat” so I’m taking the liberty to provide some of the most common ways to induce swirl marks onto your surface:

1- Automatic Car washes ( not all of them)
2- Wrong type of Microfiber towel
3- Wrong type of wax product.
4- Wrong type of pads
5- Wrong type of machine
6- Harsh polishing compounds
7- Not keeping your wash mitt or sponge properly rinsed.
8- Wiping down a dusty or dirty car with a dry towel.
9- Towels and applicators containing polyester threads.
10- A dirty chamois or a chamois that has not been properly maintained
11- Using a car cover when the car or the cover is not clean.
12- Wrong type of shampoo
13- Using the same washing solution from the wheels

I hope this helps

[DonDavis]

Beautiful!

[911SauCy]

Originally Posted by juan ruiz

Thank you Guys! As mentioned before and not to take anything away from anyone, this types of jobs are much more challenging that newer cars, most of my customers are daily drivers and the challenge is always good.

Nostril Cheese

A simple way to explain it, I stay away from sanding, there's many processes but this is what works form me;

After washing the vehicle and once we have dried the vehicle our next step is to evaluate the condition of the surface we are going to work with. If the vehicle is outside with direct sun light you should be able to see that some areas are worse than others and if the vehicle is inside the garage you may need the aid of additional lights to pinpoint the more severe areas.

The Swirl Remover works like a fine polish when used with a fine foam pad and works like a light rubbing compound when used with a more aggressive foam pad.
( Other pads/ tools/products can yield the needed results)

How does it work?

The abrasives gradually shrink in size under the friction of the pad until they completely disappear. Selecting the correct polishing pad helps determine how quickly the abrasive break down into fine polish. This diminishing abrasive action allows the paint to "buff out" to full gloss without hazing. This product contains millions of tiny white abrasives that gradually disappear under the friction of the pad. The abrasives gently wear down the sharp edges of the scratch or swirl until light no longer catches on them, and they become level with the surrounding paint. Because swirls are very shallow scratches, it only takes a little blending to level the swirl with the surrounding paint. As this occurs, the abrasives gradually vanish. Within seconds, the abrasives melt into the lubricants, and your paint is left swirl-free.

Swirl Remover works best when applied with a polisher. Polish with a light cutting pad on your Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. Start at a speed of 5 and use moderate pressure to go over a 2 x 2 sq. ft. area. Work up and down, then side to side to ensure optimum coverage. ( other tools are available)

As the book says, ”There’s many ways to skin a cat” so I’m taking the liberty to provide some of the most common ways to induce swirl marks onto your surface:

1- Automatic Car washes ( not all of them)
2- Wrong type of Microfiber towel
3- Wrong type of wax product.
4- Wrong type of pads
5- Wrong type of machine
6- Harsh polishing compounds
7- Not keeping your wash mitt or sponge properly rinsed.
8- Wiping down a dusty or dirty car with a dry towel.
9- Towels and applicators containing polyester threads.
10- A dirty chamois or a chamois that has not been properly maintained
11- Using a car cover when the car or the cover is not clean.
12- Wrong type of shampoo
13- Using the same washing solution from the wheels

I hope this helps

My Mother in Law is incredibly GUilTY of #11



She has a 2012 BMW 535xi, that's driven down a muddy driveway (new house), and covered, with a muddy/dirty cover every day.

After emphatically telling her NOT to do this, she is beginning to wonder where all the scratches are coming from.

[juan ruiz]

^^^^^

Educating people about car detailing is 1,000 times harder than doing the actual job

[gacook]

That truck looked like ****e. Beautiful job. I do a bit of detailing on the side (maybe a vehicle a month...when I remember to post an ad in CL...). I always seem to get poorly maintained, BIG vehicles (trucks, SUVs); never the half-way decent cars that the owner is just too lazy to do this weekend, lol.

[911SauCy]

Originally Posted by juan ruiz

^^^^^

Educating people about car detailing is 1,000 times harder than doing the actual job

That's exactly why every spring, no matter what she is driving...her Mother's Day "gift" is a detail like the one you laid down on the truck.

It's therapeutic work to me and the family is always awed at the result.

Win:Win

[tevake]

Great and inspiring work as usual Juan! I get more car cleaning done just after your posts. Not nearly to the standard you produce, but more and more so with all the tips you share with us. Thanks Bro.

Cheers Richard