14 Hour Complete Exterior Detail!

[gnotti211]

I'm going to start off by saying that I have been waiting forever for the right time to do this. And, I figured that I would post it here because it seems like the detailing section of this forum gets very few new threads. Ever since I first received my Murano from the dealership, it was heavy swirls and buffer trails all over its black paint from the new car prep they do. I have always kept my car clean, but it has only been recently that I became completely confident using my Griots Garage random orbital. I decided to detail cars for the summer before I head back to school, and have learned so much already.

Now back to my car...I chose to perform a complete exterior detail (wash, clay, polish, sealant) to get my car where I wanted it to be. I wish I took before pictures to show the complete transformation, but I wanted to get started. Here was the process:

WASH:

- Tires with Ardex New Wave (All Purpose Cleaner/Degreaser) & stiff brush
- Wheels with Ardex Proper & Car soap cause they weren't dirty at all w/ soft brush
- EZ Detail Wheel Brush (A must have in my opinion for getting the wheel barrels)
- Wheel wells received same All Purpose Cleaner as the tires
- Then washed the car using the two bucket method using Meguiars Hyper Wash w/ Griots Microfiber Mitt

- I then dried the car with some towels and cleaned the door jambs

- Then I used Meguiars Mild Clay with Optimum No Rinse (diluted to clay lube specs) as my lubricant

POLISH

- Taped off ALL rubber & plastic so polish would not stain it
- Removed all old wax by wiping the car down with a 50/50 mixture of IPA
- I started off using Meguiars Ultimate Compound on a 6" Lake Country Orange pad w/ Griots orbital to remove the heavy swirls
- IPA wipe down to remove any leftover polish/oils
- Followed up using Meguaris #205 on a 6" LC white pad w/ Griots orbital to clean up and holograms/marring
-IPA wipe down again

I was not aiming for 100% perfection in getting all the swirls out, but I would say that I got about 85-90% out, which I am very satisfied with.

SEALANT:

Since I was basically preparing the car to withstand all the elements of being parked outside at my school from August - May, I chose to use Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze to protect the paint. KSG is known for its durability and depth in the paint that it provides when you put multiple coats on. The only bad part is, you have to apply the sealant, let it sit and dry for 30 minutes to an hour (longer if you want to) and then wait 16-24 hours for it to cure after you remove it before you apply another coat. I chose to apply 4 coats, waiting about 20 hours in between each coat. I plan to apply at least 2 or 3 more coats after I wash it again before I head off to school. I know you're probably thinking that 6-7 coats sounds ridiculous, but it will, without any doubt, provide me with enough protection on my MO's paint beyond the school year.

DRESSING:

Tires were dressed with Ardex Dull Away (rubber brightener usually for the interior & engine hoses but I use it for the tires with good results. However, I just bought a gallon of Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel)

Wheel Wells and mud flaps were dressed with Chemical Guys “Bare Bones”

Here is the time breakdown:

Wash & Dry: 1.5 hours
Prep for Polish: 1/2 hour
Polish: 9 hours
Sealant: 3 hours

I did not include the "waiting" time for the sealant in the total time, if i did it would add an additional 60 hours on the clock totaling around 74 hours!

I am going to have to give credit to the detailing forum "Autopia" for persuading me to do this...the amount of information about detailing on that website it unbelievable.

Also, I purchased silver vinyl overlays and put them on right before the pictures. I really am pleased with the way they look – in my opinion, it completely changes the front and looks great.

Please feel free to ask any questions, give criticism, or inquire about any products. Also, if you have any questions regarding detailing, please let me know. If anyone is located around Bucks County, PA (specifically Newtown area) and wants their MO or other car detailed, please let me know! I’ll take care of you and give you a good price.

Here are some pictures:

The condition of the paint before I begain:



Nice paint transfer from my trip to the jersey shore where someone scraped my bumper somehow...



And now the afters:

















In the garage now at night...









and the tools...







Thanks for looking!!

[njjoe]

You are a nut!

Your car looks fantastic. I especially love the third photo. It looks like a mirror was molded into your MO.

There is no question that your MO looks absolutely spectacular! However, you are still a certifiable nut, as evidenced by your so-clean-you-can-eat-off-it garage floor and the pristine and way-too-damn-neat work cart.

Nice job!

-njjoe

[Gonzo]

OMG!!!! That is one clean looking MO.... nice job!!!! Let me know when you in my area and I'll have you detail mine.

[gnotti211]

njjoe,

Thank you for the comments. I cannot argue with you are the certifiable nut comment, I get that a lot. I like everything to be clean and in its place!

Gonzo,

Thanks also! I am not sure I will be up that way any time soon, but if you are ever down here, let me know!

[zebelkhan]

Wow! So shinny I almost had to wear my sunglasses. Great job.

[Mr3Putt]

Wow! Nice job.

Where are you in PA?

I'm guessing either Philadelphia area or Allegheny county based on the emissions sticker.

[gnotti211]

Z,

Thanks for the comments...sorry if she blinded you!

-------------------------

Mr3Putt,

I am in the Philadelphia area, Bucks County to be more specific. Are you from around here? Thanks for the comments..

[Warhammer]

All I got to say is WOW!!!

Looking good there. I'm looking to do the same thing to mine because mine came with a ton of swirling. Hopefully mine will look as good as yours. 14 hours...lots of time!!!

[Corin]

Geez, that's impressive! I would never spend 14 hours detailing my car, it's just not worth it to me (I'm too lazy). HOWEVER, if you ever find yourself in the Seattle area with nothing to do, come on over and I'd be happy to pay you for your time!

I agree with NJJoe, you're a certifiable nut, but in a good way!

[Corin]

FYI, your pictures didn't load for me initially because I'm using Firefox and Adblock, and the links to your photos were filtered out.

So if other people don't see his pics, disable adblock and they should pop up.

[Phatty McPatty]

Wow. Once again you've given me black envy! PA isnt' THAT far from DC for a detailing job....


Patrick

[Eric L.]

Wonderful detail job! Thanks for posting pictures.

[gnotti211]

thanks everyone! I appreciate the comments.

[DaveC.]

Absolutely remarkable! Thanks for the photos.

[red kiosk]

gnotti211,

Beautiful, beautiful detail job. You know what they say… Nissan Super Black is the new black. Seriously, before I purchased my new MO, looking at photos of your car on this forum, cemented my desire to finally purchase a black car. I too lurk around the Autopia forum and have picked up some helpful info for detailing. Lately, I've been using Aerospace 303 Protectant inside my wheel wells. It keeps them looking great and they clean-up even better.
What do you use on your wheels? They look great! I'm kind of a Zymol guy and like using their Estate Glazes. Something about applying wax with your bare hands is so satisfying. I've got five coats of their Titanium Estate Glaze on my LE wheels , a very deep gloss and it seems to hold up quite well, even through a Chicago winter.
But then again, I'm a 09' LE owner and we get new wheels every year (that is, until the warranty runs out).

Once again, a great detail job and thanks for posting the photos. Next weekend, I'll be looking for your upcoming thread…

14 Hour Complete INTERIOR Detail!

Take care!

Jim