this post is not about cars
Posted by AdministratorMay 16
i used to have an unhealthy obsession with cars — i couldn’t drive anywhere without noticing every other car on the road, especially the more exotic ones. and living in newport — there is no shortage of such cars. just yesterday, i spent the better part of an hour discussing carbon brakes with the owner of an LP640 — that’s the new Lamborghini Murcielago (LP for longitudinal placement of the engine and 640 for the horsepower) — maybe that’s why i enjoy my starbucks so much — i see enzo’s , lambos, 430’s, and slr’s on a dailly basis … now it’s just a healthy obsession that i indulge from time to time.
anyway, this obsession led to a keen understanding of the automotive market, automotive engineering, maintenance, and performance enhancement. which leads us to the reason for this post:
detailing
i’ve been involved in a few discussions regarding auto detailing; and i’d like to share my thoughts regarding the subject. actually, i’d like to share a couple of links. the first link is to chris’ work:
my car has very unique paint (something that the dealership ‘detailers’ did not understand) — consequently, their effort to wash my car put tiny microscratches all over it. you may have these on your car as well. for most drivers, they are no big deal. but for a self-proclaimed car guy with a black car — it pains me to see the scratches. it pains me so much that i cannot bear to post them here (if you would like to see them, just look at the before pics posted in the link). chris understood this — chris felt my pain — and and chris fixed my car. if you are in los angeles and need work like this — please do not hesitate to contact him. he’s amazing. the link also outlines the process and products used.
"I used a rotary polisher (Hitachi SP18VA) with a Lake Country light cutting wool pad with Menzerna Intensive Polish to cut the paint and remove the defects. The same rotary polisher with a Lake Country CCS green foam (Autogeek) pad and Menzerna 106ff to perfect the finish. The paint and all exterior plastic and trim were sealed With Ultima PGP."
chris used a rotary buffer, some of you may only need a porter-cable — but the thing to note is that claybars and standard wax are probably not enough for you to get the shine that you really want.
if this interests you at all — your best bet is to spend some time on autopia and learn about the process. that’s how i found chris — his skills are amazing, he loves what he does, and i am a much happier person for it. unfortunately, the dealership ‘detailers’ got ahold of my car again — and now i have to find chris (luckily, this time it’s not so bad — i stopped them midway after having told them not to wash).
