Cadillac CTS-V - Dull no more

I don't know if this is the right place to post these, so forgive me in advance. Just thought I'd share. We've had some horrible rain over the last 6 weeks...on & off...and my paint took a severe beating. So I decided to break out the Porter Cable and some goo.

BEFORE
http://www.derrich.com/img/wax_before.jpg

AFTER
http://www.derrich.com/img/wax-after-2.jpg

very nice , im loving my new pc and did my dd and it came out just like yours , great job .

Wow looks great, how many hours did you put into it?

looks great man, threads like this go into apperance and detail thread

Helluva job buddy! I thought you was holding up a mirror.

Do you fly with your equipment. I got a Black Ice Escalade I need you to get ahold to.

Thanks, guys. And appreciate the clarification, BOBS99SS. I guess I need to look more closely before I post. I afraid that might be the case.

WD2009CTSV, I don't fly. But with the right tools, anyone can do this stuff. It's just whether or not you want to spend the time. LOL!

You guys might appreciate this thread too. It's a sand correction on a CTS-V coupe. Car looks absolutely phenomenal!
http://www.luxury4play.com/detailing/97667-140-hour-cts-v-color-sand-correction-lucci-elite.html

Wow thanks for the link, work that like just amazes me, wish I had 1/4 of that skill!

X's 2 on the thanks for the link.

What kind of Goo?

What kind of Goo?




:supergay:bigjimsho?:supergay:

Love these kinds of threads. Thanks for posting!

Can't wait for a nice spring Sunday to get out and wet sand and buff my entire car. Haven't done it yet since I bought it in July.

What kind of Goo?
Ultimate Goo.

Actually for this, I just used Meguiars Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Wax.

Looks really good...what are the basic pads required for doing this type of job. also what are some tips for not screwing up the paint with a powered tool?

Looks really good...what are the basic pads required for doing this type of job. also what are some tips for not screwing up the paint with a powered tool?

Thanks! For this I used the equivalent of the foam applicator pads that come with an off-the-shelf polish/wax kit. For correction, you'd use something more aggressive.

Lake Country Foam 6.5" Buffing Pad Chart (http://www.auto-geek.net/charts/buffing-pad-chart-lc.htm)

When I bought the car, it was heavily oxidized (apparently sat outside). For that, I used an orange, grey and red from the above chart.

As far as not screwing up the paint, a random orbital helps on the damage control. I use a Porter-Cable 7424XP (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002654I46/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=blkfritour-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002654I46) with this backing plate (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0020K0DJG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=blkfritour-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0020K0DJG).

I've learned a lot over time, and still learn a lot as I go. In my opinion, Autogeek is a great website to learn, especially with regard to "how to" (http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html).

That looks amazing! I definitely need to do this. I have a buddy with a pc he has had for 3 years or better & never used. Hmmm...

Did you clay first or just compound then wax ?

Did you clay first or just compound then wax ?

No. Not this time. I bought the car in May, and I did all that right after...clayed, compound, polish, Opti-Coat, wax...the whole thing. I'll probably repeat before it gets real hot again. But for now, all I did was wash, polish and wax. I didn't use a very aggressive pad to polish it either. I'm not sure what experience others have had with Opti-Coat, but it seems to be extra sensitive as far as getting fine surface scratches as seen in the first photo. One might argue that I don't use the right tools to wash, but I think I've got that part down...probably.

No matter what it is, the scratches came out pretty easily compared to a car that has been sitting outside, gets washed at a spaghetti car wash or a "full service" wash where those guys wait for you at the end of the line with red shop towels.

*longest answer ever* :eek2:

No. Not this time. I bought the car in May, and I did all that right after...clayed, compound, polish, Opti-Coat, wax...the whole thing. I'll probably repeat before it gets real hot again. But for now, all I did was wash, polish and wax. I didn't use a very aggressive pad to polish it either. I'm not sure what experience others have had with Opti-Coat, but it seems to be extra sensitive as far as getting fine surface scratches as seen in the first photo. One might argue that I don't use the right tools to wash, but I think I've got that part down...probably.

No matter what it is, the scratches came out pretty easily compared to a car that has been sitting outside, gets washed at a spaghetti car wash or a "full service" wash where those guys wait for you at the end of the line with red shop towels.

*longest answer ever* :eek2:

I'm not familiar with Opti-coat, i'll have to look into it. This is the first black car I have owned.
Do people still go to "full service" car washes ? :nono:

I'm not familiar with Opti-coat, i'll have to look into it.

Here you go: Opti-Coat (http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-coat.html)

Thanks...Thats some pricey stuff.

It is a little pricey. But it'll last you about 2-3 years. And seeing it in action is amazing.

Video 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr6QByfE2Jo)
Video 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB1_FdMUlDE)
Video 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPKuSrrnqFk)