DEVILDOG's Viper...

[Nick Chapman]

DEVILDOG started a thread last week about me working on his car. Just thought I’d follow up on that thread with some pictures of the process and finished results. He didn’t want me to spent a lot of time on it, and wasn’t going for show car perfect. He just wanted it looking good.

Some befores...

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0686.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0687.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0688.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0689.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0692.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0693.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0694.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0695.JPG

[Nick Chapman]

Getting her all set up and ready to go…

Covering the engine with a sheet helps keep the dusting out of the engine bay…

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0685.JPG

Taping all of the lines, and anywhere product could get into crevices…

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0690.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0691.JPG

[Nick Chapman]

The afters…

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0696.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0697.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0698.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0699.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0700.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0701.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0702.JPG

[tucker]

Damn.:clap:

No longer a red turd.:nope:

[Nick Chapman]

Damn.:clap:

No longer a red turd.:nope:


Now a shiny red turd? :D j/k

[sonofadragracer]

[quote=Nick Chapman;45064]The afters…

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0698.JPG


What the hell is that walking behind you? The Yeti?:scared:
Just kidding.

Looks good.
I like that mower thats back and to the right too.
:yep:

[HIGHPSI]

Looks great, good job Nick!!!

[MiSdIrEcTeD_1]

You do good work, dude. Looks great.

[Rocman]

As usual, great job. :thumbs:

[Nick Chapman]

Thanks guys!
Roc, I'll get to your other one this week I think. Need to knock out the interior on the ACR also. Just been busy as hell! Left the house yesterday at 7am, and didn't get home until after 10pm. Been like that all week for the most part. Trying to get things semi caught up.

Nick

[Rocman]

Thanks guys!
Roc, I'll get to your other one this week I think. Need to knock out the interior on the ACR also. Just been busy as hell! Left the house yesterday at 7am, and didn't get home until after 10pm. Been like that all week for the most part. Trying to get things semi caught up.

Nick

No worries. Whenever you have time is fine. I'm in no hurry.

[twinturbo3150]

to bad they dont make a polish to make the wing dissapear

[Nick Chapman]

You do good work, dude. Looks great.


This was a mild polish basically that I did on DEVILDOG's Viper. I didn't get too crazy with it, or spend an ungodly amount of time with it.

For those interested in more serious work, here is a before/after of a hood I did on a Mustang. This was a "do everything I want" type of project. Spent the better part of 30 hours on this car.

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/tn_DPP_0272.JPG

And the "after" shot of the same location on the hood...

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/tn_DPP_0266.JPG

And here are some before and after shots of a Porsche, this was another car I had free reign on(about 30 hours total)...


http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0392.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0393.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0394.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0395.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0396.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0397.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0398.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0399.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0400.JPG


And the afters...

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0415.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0425.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0426.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0427.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0428.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0429.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0430.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0431.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0432.JPG


http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0508.JPG


Anything is possible :D


Nick


PS, please don't quote this message :thumbs:

[Nick Chapman]

Sorry for all the pictures. Red is very difficult for me to photograph, and I wanted you guys to have a good idea of what I can really do with paint. Black shows everything, so I wanted to show you some black vehicles.

Hope I didn't put too many pics up

Nick

[twinturbo3150]

looks damn good

[tucker]

That Porsche was in bad shape. Incredible work.

[DEVILDOG]

Nick, Thanks for the outstanding job you did on my car. The paint is better now than when I got the car new. Very impressed with your extensive technical knowledge and expertise concerning the appropriate product and application process to get optimal results. We'll do the black IS F soon.:D

[Nick Chapman]

Nick, Thanks for the outstanding job you did on my car. The paint is better now than when I got the car new. Very impressed with your extensive technical knowledge and expertise concerning the appropriate product and application process to get optimal results. We'll do the black IS F soon.:D


Thank you sir! Glad I could take care of your baby, and make her all pretty again :D

[bushido]

Nick are you currently using Swissvax wax? If so, which one..

[Nick Chapman]

Nick are you currently using Swissvax wax? If so, which one..


No sir, I am not. I have used their products in the past, but find myself using it on lesser priced jobs that I do. Ends up costing me money :D I've found a few waxes and sealants that give grade A results at a fraction of the cost. Collinite #915 is a good brand, Lusso Oro, DoDo Juice, and a new one to hit the market is BlackFire. These are all excellent waxes that give outstanding results, and durability. And I carry them with me at all times.

I can get the Swissvax if my customers just have to have it. But to date, everyone has been estatic with the results I leave them with, so there hasn't been a need yet. Besides, most of the depth and gloss come from the prep work anyways :D

Now I am not downplaying Swissvax at all! Their waxes are the absolute best on the market. But at $1k and higher(up to $2500) for a small tub of wax(the good stuff), I would have to raise my prices in order to justify the expense. Their inexpensive waxes are around $500, and that is a little more justifiable, but their cheaper waxes are in line with the products that I use on a regular basis.

Nick

[Rocman]

Bushido drinks a cup of DoDo juice every night before bed.

[Nick Chapman]

Who or what is Bushido that I keep hearing you guys talk about? I'm still a noob here and don't have everything figured out yet

[InjOnly]

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0432.JPG


Nick quit takeing pictures of yourself in the mirror and show us the car. :rofl:
Really though that was an excellent job and I'm sure the owner was very pleased. :thumbs:
Are the swirl marks from washing, drying or just daily wear and he can we avoid some of them?

[Rocman]

Who or what is Bushido that I keep hearing you guys talk about? I'm still a noob here and don't have everything figured out yet

She's the girl that asked you about Swissvax wax. She's famous for her poontang eyes.

[Nick Chapman]

Nick quit takeing pictures of yourself in the mirror and show us the car. :rofl:
Really though that was an excellent job and I'm sure the owner was very pleased. :thumbs:
Are the swirl marks from washing, drying or just daily wear and he can we avoid some of them?


Swirls and scratches are from multiple things. Mostly from washing though. There isn't anything you can do to totally eliminate them completely, but you can take steps to minimize them, and slow their progress down quite a bit. The more you keep your wash mitt free of dirt and debris, the better chance you have at stopping them(or slowing their progress down). Whenever I complete a job, I take the extra time to educate my customers on the swirls/scratches. I guess I can post that info here.

First thing you need to do is buy a product called a Grit Guard. These are fairly inexpensive, at about $9 each. You'll want to buy 2 of these(more on that in a minute). Here's a picture of what they look like...

http://www.gritguard.com/images/grit_guard/insert_far_small.jpg

You can even buy them in multiple colors to better match your ride :D

2nd thing you'll need to do is buy 2-5 gallon buckets. The Grit Guard will sit at the bottom of the bucket. It helps strain the dirt into the bottom of the bucket. There are also 4 fins on the bottom of the Grit Guard that will help keep the dirt from swirling back up into the rest of the wash water.

You should have 2 buckets and 2 Grit Guards at this point. Place a Grit Guard at the bottom of each bucket. Then fill the first bucket up with clean rinse water, and the other with your soapy water.

When washing a panel(only wash one panel at a time), take the mitt off the panel and place it into the clean rinse water. Pull it out, and wring it out. Then place it into the soapy water, then wash another panel. What you're doing here is forcing all the dirt to go into the clean rinse water, and keeping your soapy water clean. When you're finished washing your ride, the rinse water will have absorbed all of the dirt, and the soapy water will be fresh and clean. This is called the "2 bucket" method, and what most high end detailers will do when maintaining a finish. As I said earlier, there is no fail safe method of completely eliminating swirls and scratches. Anyone that tells you different doesn't know what they're talking about. Only way to completely eliminate them is to park your car for good.

Now, to maintain the swirls and scratches, you will need to polish on a regular basis. Obviously a daily driver will require more work than a weekend toy. So thats something to keep in mind when reading all of this.
Buying a tool like Porter Cable 7424, the Flex machine, or the Meguiar's G110 dual action polisher, and a small assortment of pads and polishes, will help you maintain the finish. All in all, I think with a total investment of about $300-$400, you can have everything you'll need to maintain a very nice paint finish. Products are going to vary with the car that you're working on, and I can give you as much advice on products as you can stand to hear, but that's an entirely different topic, and one best saved for a personal level(over the phone or through PM's). What I've found is not every product works the same on every vehicle. So what may work absolutely awesome on your car, will work like crap on your buddies car.

Now maintaining your finish is not hard at all. I am free to give anyone lessons on these machines if you guys feel you need them. I have a small arsenal of about 6 different types of polishing machines, and can educate you on the use of each of them(but again, an entirely different topic and thread and probably best saved for a personal level).

After I finish my work, and leave the finish in a pristine state it is up to you to keep it that way(unless I am hired to keep things looking good). How long between maintenance will be dependent on how often you use your vehicle, and how often you wash it. On a daily driver, I would suggest every 6 months to a year. On a weekend toy, you could easily get by with every year or even two to 3 years. Keep in mind that we are only talking about polishing, not waxing. With my long time customers, I repolish their vehicles on a yearly basis. This helps to keep them from getting out of control, like they were when I started on them.

Wow! my hands hurt now. Probably WAAAY more info than you were looking for. But I have a tendency to ramble on and on about topics like this. There is so much to this, it can become an endless topic for me. It's not just washing cars :thumbs:

Please let me know if I need to elaborate on things a bit more, or if you're wanting info on anything else. If I have the free time, I don't mind helping.


Nick

[InjOnly]

Your detailed answers are much appreciated by me and I'm sure other members of VF.net. :thumbs: :thumbs:

[Nick Chapman]

Your detailed answers are much appreciated by me and I'm sure other members of VF.net. :thumbs: :thumbs:


Good to know someone is reading it :D

Seriously, if you guys have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I will do my best at answering any and all questions thrown my way. I know everyone can't afford a personal detailer such as myself, or they just like doing things themselves. My goal is to make sure your paints finish looks as good as possible. Whether you pay for my services or not. This isn't a job for me, it's a passion. I have many years of info stored in what my G/F calls a useless brain :D

Nick

[tucker]

Bushido drinks a cup of DoDo juice every night before bed.

:rofl::rofl: You beat me to it.

[MiSdIrEcTeD_1]

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0428.JPG





http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5559/dpp0428.jpg

[No Man]

DoDo juice seeps from bushido's skin pores, he is the source, and Nick chews his fingernails.

[MiSdIrEcTeD_1]

DoDo juice seeps from bushido's skin pores, he is the source, and Nick chews his fingernails.


When I eat lots of fruit, DooDoo juice is one sneeze away from seeping through my boxers. It's a real nail-biting experience if I'm very far at all from my carbon fiber toilet.

[No Man]

The skid plate on my Jeep differential looks better than the paint on these cars Nick starts with. WTF?

[Rocman]

When I eat lots of fruit, DooDoo juice is one sneeze away from seeping through my boxers. It's a real nail-biting experience if I'm very far at all from my carbon fiber toilet.

I had you pegged as a tighty whitey guy.

[Rocman]

The skid plate on my Jeep differential looks better than the paint on these cars Nick starts with. WTF?

Is it carbon fiber?

[No Man]

Is it carbon fiber?


I own no carbon fiber, looks like automotive tweed to me.

[bushido]

The skid plate on my Jeep differential looks better than the paint on these cars Nick starts with. WTF?

Show us a pic of your chrome plated step ladder on your jeep..

[MiSdIrEcTeD_1]

I had you pegged as a tighty whitey guy.

Not a fan. My sack likes the freedom to sway. I may end up with the ability to sit on my balls when I'm older, but for now the comfort is all that matters. :lol:

[Rocman]

I own no carbon fiber, looks like automotive tweed to me.

Someone 5'4" tall and with such a big head should not be so hung up on appearance.

[No Man]

Show us a pic of your chrome plated step ladder on your jeep..

Show me evidence of you having a functional temporal lobe first.

[Rocman]

Show me evidence of you having a functional temporal lobe first.

You misspelled. tempura!

signed,
Bushido

[bushido]

Show me evidence of you having a functional temporal lobe first.

I asked first, stumpy..

[The Former PFR]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5559/dpp0428.jpg

I lulzed.

[TexRob]

Looks Great Nick!

[Viper Spray]

I can see Fast Freddy showing up next in DDs footsteps...............

[Nick Chapman]

LMAO! You guys are just too freaking funny. That pic is hilarious! Good job :thumbs:

[InjOnly]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5559/dpp0428.jpg

Nick, you may be good with paint swirls but I think that puppy needs to be re-blued.
For future cleanups use Break-Free and solvent with clean rags, not sandpaper. :rofl::rofl:

[QUICKV10]

Great work Nick.

[Sgt. Snatch]

blah

[Red Devil]

Wow Nick you really know your Stuff!!!

[AUSTIN]

Nick, you do some amazing work.:thumbs: Thanks for posting the info regarding the "two bucket" system.

[boosted96]

damn you need to open something in corpus christi!

We have absolute detailing and they suck! $400 bucks and i have waxed over swirl marks

[Nick Chapman]

damn you need to open something in corpus christi!

We have absolute detailing and they suck! $400 bucks and i have waxed over swirl marks


Thats the beauty of my business. For just a little more, you could have me down there taking care of your car, and there would be no swirls left :D

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0501.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0505.JPG

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0504.JPG

[No Man]

Have truck, will travel.

[jasonmiddletn]

I hope that's a 1 ton Express Van or DOT will love you the next you get pulled over!! :scared:

[Nick Chapman]

I hope that's a 1 ton Express Van or DOT will love you the next you get pulled over!! :scared:


2004 Chevy Express 3500 ;)

[silverhaired daddy]

What ever the menial cost of the product you used,the results are worth a million dollars!:nope: silverhaired daddy

[Red Snake]

What ever the menial cost of the product you used,the results are worth a million dollars!:nope: silverhaired daddy

Are you signing your post or talking to yourself? :eatpop: