Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

[Let It Shine Detail]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

i hope you charged him a pretty penny he would have had to finance my detail with the shape that thing was in

[the_invisible]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

Not trying to be a wet blanket here, but I thought it was conventional wisdom not to wet sand a factory clear coat finish.

Not that I'm against doing it, but I've heard so much negative talk about how it can introduce paint failure.

I think Kevin B. talked about the truck no longer being a work vehicle. A daily driven vehicle not subject to abuse may survive the clear coat being sanded down somewhat. Sure, there's less clear coat to play with for future paint correction, but that's the price to pay for looking good for the moment. I am contemplating whether or not to wetsand my entire BMW 335i, which is a track car. I am crossing my fingers. This time I will use uni-grit sandpaper to minimize as much damage as possible.

i hope you charged him a pretty penny he would have had to finance my detail with the shape that thing was in

The owner of the truck gave Kevin's friend a lot of work. And work is scarce in this day and age. Obviously, the extra time spent is worth the effort to Kev. Sometimes building relationships with clients and networking is more than just money. Kevin Brown's success in the field speaks for him as a professional.

[PorscheGuy997]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

Not trying to be a wet blanket here, but I thought it was conventional wisdom not to wet sand a factory clear coat finish.

It's fine to sand the factory paint to remove defects. Wet sanding is often less aggressive and more precise than making a ton of passes with a wool pad and a heavy compound in an attempt to remove the defects.

Wet sanding factory paint to remove orange peel is really going to shorten the life of the paint. In this case, Kevin used 2500 grit papers to lessen the scratch. This is not very aggressive.

[Kevin Brown]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

You must go through M105 like no other, you use it for everything. Do you put it on your cereal and dab it beyond your ears too?

I don't put it on my cereal... It IS my cereal. Sometimes with blueberries (when they are in season).

I remember seeing this a while back, someone bumbed an old thread Kevin, what did you do to the radiator? Wish I knew the common sense of removing parts lol I would break something lol. Truly amazing job!

I used some Meguiar's D108 Super Degreaser mixed with a bit of D2101 Car Wash Soap (for the surfactant and bubbles!). I agitated it with a horsehair brush and a sponge, then pressure washed it. You have to be sure not to point the pressure washer angled across the radiator fins or else they will bend to the side. Once I was sure all the dirt was removed, I misted some D170 Hyper Dressing (4:1) and wiped it down. I may have also used a bit of D4610 Accent Dressing, too.

MAmamia........Awesome work ...dedicated & passionate detailer... two thumbs up

superb work !!

Thanks!

I've never seen such a complete detailing in all my life! This has to be one of the best jobs I've ever seen since I joined MOL back in 2004. Kevin, can you break down your carpet cleaning process a bit?

Thanks, and sure.
The carpet was done the way most guys do it- meaning, no carpet extractor. Nothing against extractors... I just don't have one!
But, as you can see, all of the dirt was completely removed, as was the soap residue.

First the carpet was thoroughly vacuumed. It was brushed vigorously, then vacuumed again. Any areas that water could seep around the edges of the carpet (where they tuck under the plastic doorsills, seat bolt holes, seatbelt carpet slits, etc) were addressed by placing towels into the void or under the void. This way, of some water enters the area, the towels will soak it up. The main reason to use caution in these areas is to keep water from soaking into the jute padding (carpet padding) because if it gets wet, it can hold water for a long time (this can lead to a musty smell). The other reason is to keep water way from any electrical wiring harnesses that are under the carpet (they often are placed in a shallow channel where the doorsill meets the carpet).

I used Meguiar's D103 All Purpose Cleaner Plus diluted about 6:1 with water. The heavily soiled areas were sprayed and scrubbed, then immediately vacuumed to pull the majority of the APC+ and the dirt. Then, I spray the area with the APC+, mist the area with water, scrub it, mist it with water again, and then vacuum it with my wet/dry vac. I continually check under the carpet to make sure that the jute padding is dry, and the woels are not saturated. Once the area looks clean, I use a good amount of water to "float" any dirt or APC+ and vacuum. I repeat this step until there is no visible dirt or APC+ remaining. After the carpet looks good, it gets a thorough vacuum to remove as much water as possible. Then the carpet is towel dried. If any dirt shows up on the towels, I redo the area until NO DIRT shows up with a towel wipe. After all the cleaning is done, the surrounding areas are wiped down to remove any splash marks or water.

By the way (and I got some flack over some "pro" over this the last time I mentioned it)... I use my pressure washer for the water delivery. I turn the pressure way down, and since I use a very small unit, it does not put out nearly as much water as one might think. The wand tip is a fairly narrow one, so it does not spray water all over the surrounding parts of the interior (sure there is a bit, but it is very fine, and ALL dashboard electronics are covered.) I do not recommend doing this if you are a beginner, but rest assured, I am not the only guy that does this. There are many areas that an extractor cannot reach, (such as between the front seats and a center console), so a squirt bottle filled with cleaning solution is often used. With limited pressure and about the same amount of liquid delivery, the squirt bottle is less effective and uses more solution than a strategic bust delivered by a pressure washer. Let the insults and warnings of absolute danger begin.

You're not just removing a scratch. You are obviously and noticeably removing some nasty orange peel:

Yes, just a bit. In the picture, you'll notice that the scratch is shiny. This is because I tried to polish the scratch with M105 and a wool pad. After a few passes, it was obvious that sanding was the better option. As for the orange peel, some was removed but it was done to better blend the target scratch with the rest of the panel. Otherwise, the scratched area would look "leveled" compared to the surrounding paint.

Did you have a factory service manual to work with? It must have taken you quite a while to remove so many interior pieces, even with a FSM.

No manual, but I did call one of my stereo shop friends to learn how to properly remove the panels, and to double check the proper procedure for removing the airbag wiring harness from the seats.

This very thread motivated me with my own car as well as a detail on a work pickup as well. Tim Lingor helped with some Rotary questions and I got to talk to Michael Stoops, our fearless leader when I called Meguiar's with a question about the trim on the Dodge pickup.

Kevin's quest to make a car perfect is my motivation when I work on my own cars or others for a quick buck...

Thanks, Aaron!

Are you kidding me?!?!?! Holy ****! Great job Kevin- that's a truly inspiring revival!

Great job and very thorough

Thanks! I was happy with the results.

Not trying to be a wet blanket here, but I thought it was conventional wisdom not to wet sand a factory clear coat finish. Not that I'm against doing it, but I've heard so much negative talk about how it can introduce paint failure.

It was done in a conservative and necessary manner. I definitely do not recommending sanding OEM paint to "level" orange peel in order to make the paint "look better". On a facotry paint job, it is imperative to leave as much paint on the car as possible because when accidental damage occurs, the extra paint will allow for thorough defect removal.

I think Kevin B. talked about the truck no longer being a work vehicle. A daily driven vehicle not subject to abuse may survive the clear coat being sanded down somewhat... ...The owner of the truck gave Kevin's friend a lot of work. And work is scarce in this day and age. Obviously, the extra time spent is worth the effort to Kev. Sometimes building relationships with clients and networking is more than just money. Kevin Brown's success in the field speaks for him as a professional.

Good points.

It's fine to sand the factory paint to remove defects. Wet sanding is often less aggressive and more precise than making a ton of passes with a wool pad and a heavy compound in an attempt to remove the defects. Wet sanding factory paint to remove orange peel is really going to shorten the life of the paint. In this case, Kevin used 2500 grit papers to lessen the scratch. This is not very aggressive.

EXACTLY!!

[Zeta Detail]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

The best thing about this job is that I keep on coming back to it again and again over the years. Maybe the best overall detail that I've seen.

Kevin we miss you!

[Kevin Brown]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

The best thing about this job is that I keep on coming back to it again and again over the years. Maybe the best overall detail that I've seen. Kevin we miss you!

Say, thanks for the compliments!

I am only a phone call or e-mail away.

I haven't been checking MOL as of late... will have to make an effort to do so.
Still not used to the left column on the home page, though... yuk!

[Nick Winn]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

**Bump for 10 Years since this write up!

[Nappers]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

\/\/o\/\/ 10 years! I just showed a buddy at work this particular thread as he is self taught on the intricates of detailing paint. What a great thread and proof that if paint is salvageable what you can do to it. Short of clearcoat failure that is. And using the proper techniques.

[rusty bumper]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

Incredible thread!

I clean forgot about it.

Thanks for sharing.

[Kevin Brown]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

Eleven years ago..!

[Nick Winn]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

Eleven years ago..!

[rusty bumper]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

Great thread!

[ThomasAbney]

Re: Work Truck Detail 65+ pics...!

Side shot.

Simple amazing