the weather hasn't been cooperating so i worked on the interior today. this is my "new" Z that i took delivery on yesterday. i requested that the dealer not touch it...no "detailing"...no wash...etc.

the interior was moderately dirty, but nothing out of the ordinary.

process used:

--vacuum floormats, spot treat with Folex, wetvac to dry. treated with 303 hi-tech fabric protectant
--vacuum interior and wipe down all surfaces with damp microfiber
--dealer window sticker residue removed with Goo-Gone, then Stoners Invisible Glass on windows
--leather conditioned with Zaino Z10
--303 on all rubber door/trunk seals

ran out of time, but dash and all trim needs 303 for protection...that'll be next time.

a few shots (dark outside...took in the garage with flash)











don't mind the darker areas on the carpeting...it's still drying. the leather looks shiny in the pics, but the Z10 does dry down to a nice matte finish after a day or so. love the smell of that stuff too.

can't wait for better weather so the exterior can be worked on!

 

Congrats on the new ride, very sharp looking interior!!! You're very smart to avoid the dealer prep in my opinion. I love the black leather and yellowish/orange trim, looks great. Sounds like you have some great products and a thorough routine. Thanks for sharing.

Greg @ Detailed Image

 

thanks! i'm a product of autopia...so it's a disease.

can't wait to get to work on the exterior...it feels like sandpaper (definitely NEVER seen clay in its lifetime) and has zero protection right now.

the previous owner did a decent job with it...or just never washed it...since i'd rate the marring at light to light-medium in spots. only a few straight scratches here and there from a dirty towel. shouldn't be too bad to fix it up.

oh, no doubt with the dealer-induced-trauma!!! it was funny when i requested that they don't touch it. the manager said "but...but...they HAND wash it!". i said "exactly my point". hahahaha

 

Love the way you've vacuumed your carpets. I'd be too scared to put feet on them to muck up the stripes. Looking good.

 

Looks fabulous. Damn, that's a lot of detailing products. Thanks for the motivation. My Z has been needing an interior detail for months already.

 

I got that same detailing bug! It certainly sounds like you know your detailing stuff. The vehicle looks like it's in excellent shape so congrats on finding a Z in such good condition. I'm sure you'll help take it to the next level when you get on the exterior. Hopefully we'll get to see some pics too!

I never understand why dealerships insist on doing their prep work. I always figure we're saving them time and money. However some places won't take no for an answer. I had one customer by a brand new loaded Tundra and the dealership refused to not prep it. Doesn't make sense to me, maybe they need time to hide any imperfections they find, idk.

Greg @ Detailed Image

 

finally got to the exterior yesterday.

process:

--wash exterior glass with ONR @ QD strength
--RainX all exterior glass
--Tarminator on rims...still working on tar build-up from previous owner
--wash car with Duragloss 901
--rinse...then clay (Zaino Z18) while vehicle is still wet
--dry vehicle
--pull into the garage and tape off vehicle for polishing
--2 step polish...
--step #1 w/ PC 7424 and 5.5" orange LC pad. 4" green pad used in tight spots. Four Star Body Shop MCC polish used.
--step #2...same as #1 but used Menzerna FPII and white LC pads
--QD with Zaino Z6 to prep for sealing
--2x Zaino Z5Pro (+ZFX)
--1x Zaino Z8 for final wipedown
--Four Star UPP Spray used on rims to protect
--Dressed tires with Eagle One Tire Shine (no sling...and cheap)

i prefer to use Optimum polishes for swirl removal, but i left all of my stock over at someone else's garage. Menz FPII is hands down my favorite finishing polish though.

still a few items remaining to do, but i'm taking my time. total time spent so far (interior and exterior) is close to 10 hours.

a few pics!

front shot...plate holder is off, but it'll have to go back on due to FOUR screw holes and the clearbra is chewed up under the holder.



sexy side shot...



gratuitous full sun shot on hood. i'm pretty happy with the condition of the finish for being the 2nd owner...



rear angle...




thanks for looking!


-----------------------------------------------------
AND...unrelated to my detailing...but giving me stress...is the infamous FEATHERING. dealer is looking at it tomorrow to see if they will prorate or replace tires, etc. i'm probably SOL since it's used though. i'm just hoping they are worn enough to not have passed inspection (the road roar is pretty bad now). too bad i didn't know about this prior to this forum!

front right tire:


front left tire:

 

looks fantastic bro very nice work. Im doing this this weekend with the exception of buffer etc. but zaino interior detail etc. Im kinda excited it feels like i got a brand new car everytime i do it lol.

 

Looks great! Nice thorough job, keep up the good work!

Greg @ Detailed Image

 

It is a used car I only have 10700 miles on my 03 and dont care that much for it!!!


Like I said it is just a car man!!!!

 

Paradigm, a couple of questions... I'm thinking of getting the PC as well...but learning before i do it and give it a shot on my black Z

1)Did you polish the whole car or just parts that were marred? If you polish the whole car do you need to tape the car still? I thought that was only if you were doing one panel so that you wouldn't touch the rest...

2)I thought the orange pad was a bit on the abrasive side...given the supposed soft clearcoat in the Z would a white pad be enough? ( i think white is the one that comes before orange...)

3)I have Menzerma final polish, is that only used to finish up or can that be used as a polish by itself to remove light swirls/marring?

Thanx!

 

to answer your questions:

1. i polished everything for a few reasons. #1 was because i wanted to "deep clean" the paint since it was never polished before. there was light marring on ~50%. i usually do not clay without polishing after that due to clay induced marring as well. i just tape off areas that can be damaged/scuffed/stained by the buffer and polish. so, any black trim, emblems, or edges of paint that may be very thin (to prevent burning through the clear).

2. orange LC pads are fairly flexible with agressiveness...depending on the polish you use with them. if there is only light marring, then white and a good polish is probably enough. the rule of thumb is "start with the least agressive and work your way up as needed".

(keep in mind that the color scheme is not an industry standard, so always check what level pad you're using...but with LC, you are correct...it goes Yellow-->Orange-->White-->Black (maybe blue and red at the end as well).

3. See #2 above...if you can get away with a white pad and a finishing polish that is great...less work! I am usually not that lucky...but once the finish is perfected, future details can definitely be easier with less steps. Menzerna FPII is my favorite...Optimum Polish is also excellent (and much cheaper).


hope this helps!

 

Hi.
People from autopia said it's difficult to have even dressing on door panel. Does it happen to you?
http://autopia.org/forum/car-detaili...highlight=350z

Slowpork

 

to each his own. it's a hobby that i greatly enjoy and is part of owning a vehicle. my 92 accord is "just a car" too...but it's pride of ownership.

 

it's funny you asked this...i was just thinking earlier today "man, i haven't tried to correct the blotchy door panels yet!". i saw that thread on autopia as well and haven't decided what to do yet.

i did a regular wipedown on them, but whatever the previous owner put on them (or dealer) is still blotchy. i'll probably just use a weak woolite or APC solution to clean better and then try 303. i rarely see the panels anyway (too dark in the car)...so we'll see.

 

Thanx Paradigm!
One more quick question regarding the PC. I have been reading the best one to get is the 7336 as opposed to the 7424 because of the counterweight. Is this the case? I seem to be able to find the 7424 for around 109 in ebay, but the 7336 is usually about 50 bucks more at least... I read that because of the smaller counterweight in the 7424 it can cause it to vibrate too much at higher speed settings.

 

The machines are virtually identical besides the counter weight and they have a different backing, with the 7336 designed to work with sanding equipment. The Porter Cable 7424 comes with a standard polishing pad that is very low quality and I recommend never using it. We sell the larger 6" counterweight which you can put on there just by unscrewing the current one and screwing the new one in. This counterweight will help slightly reduce the vibration in my experiences. I think it's worth the small investment but it's not a huge difference. We also have the velcro backing plate to make your buffer compatible with typical buffing pads if you're interested. Let me know if you need any other help selecting products or a routine that will help you achieve your detailing goals.

Greg @ Detailed Image