I'm incredibly happy to see a vehicle I prepped featured by Audi USA as part of Camp Allroad. Just so happens I also prepped the red sedan next to it! Have a look in 1080. And congrats to Sean.
2014 Ford Fiesta Deep clean and Polish
The owner of this car is a driving enthusiast. It's very fuel efficient, but it's also a blast to drive. It's been to the track and in general, he has not been diligent about his cleaning regimen. Moreover, the dealership that it was purchased from did a serious disservice to the vehicle by detailing it. Polish or wax residue everywhere, vinyl pinstriping was burned off and holograms. This called for some serious deep cleaning before even considering picking up a polisher. This vehicle is a testament to why an owner should decline any pre-delivery service by the dealership and go straight to a professional.
Process
- Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Ardex Proper
- Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Autofoam
- Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
- Polish residue was removed vinyl edges with APC, IPA, soft brushes and towels
- Polish residue was removed from plastics with McKee's wax remover for plastic
- Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar
- Paint was polished with HD Polish+ on a 21mm DA with rupes yellow pads
- Tight areas were corrected with HD Polish+ on a flex 3401 with LC white hybrid pads
- Paint was protected with Blackfire Wet Diamond
- Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
- Trim and wheels protected with carpro hydro2
- Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener
2016 Audi A3 Paint Correction and coating
This car came to me with 5000 miles on it. It was a loaner for the dealership and was purchased with 2ooo miles on it. Despite the low mileage, it had been a mule for the dealer and was not in the best shape. The owner elected to go with a coating to provide easy maintenance and a great shine for years to come.
Process
- Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Ardex Proper
- Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Autofoam
- Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
- Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar.
- Paint was polished with Carpro Essence on a G21 with Carpro Gloss Pads
- Tight areas were corrected with Carpro Essence on a DAS Pro Plus with 4" Rupes Pads
- Paint was protected with Carpro CQuartz UK ceramic coating and topped with Reload
- Tires were dressed with TufShine Tire Coating
- Trim was protected with Ultima Tire & Trim Guard
- Wheels were coated with Pearl Nano HD ceramic coating
- Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener
Review - McKee's All-in-one Leather lotion
I received this product from AG at no cost, and in return, I agreed to write a review. I will try to keep this as objective as I can.
Copy from AG
Anti-aging cream for your vehicle’s leather, vinyl and plastic surfaces!
How often do you clean the leather upholstery in your vehicle? Frequent car care is easy car care, which is why McKee’s 37 developed a one-step solution to cleaning, conditioning and protecting expensive leather upholstery with All-In-One Leather Lotion. This anti-aging cream penetrates deep into the leather, lifting dirt and grime so it can be wiped away with a soft microfiber towel. The result? The leather upholstery in your vehicle will be soft, supple, and sanitary!
There are three reasons why your vehicle is equipped with leather upholstery:
1. You purchased an expensive luxury car or SUV that came standard with leather seating surfaces.
2. Your vehicle offered leather upholstery as an upgrade from cloth, and you opted for it.
3. Your vehicle did not offer leather as an upgrade from the factory, so you had it installed from an aftermarket upholstery shop.
The point is, regardless of how your vehicle ended up with leather upholstery, you paid for it! Clean and protect it using QUALITY products,or in this case, one product – McKee’s 37 All-In-One Leather Lotion.
Do you like the smell of new leather? We do! McKee’s 37 All In One Leather Lotion will make your interior smell like that of a $250,000 British Luxury Sedan that has acres of leather inside. This is made possible by quality chemistry that forgoes inexpensive, high-octane solvents and greasy petroleum distillates.
McKee’s 37 All-In-One Leather Lotion is not a magical cream that restores older, neglected leather to like new-condition – the truth is, such a product does not exist. What it is designed to do is PREVENT long-term leather deterioration from happening in the first place. We know your time is valuable, which is why we created a product that cleans, conditions, AND protects in one step. Here’s the kicker: you actually have to use All In One Leather Lotion in order to reap the benefits!
Here’s the good news: McKee’s 37 All In One Leather Lotion only takes minutes to apply, and it’s 100% safe for leather, vinyl, and plastic interior trim.As a matter of fact, the durable UV inhibitors found in this luxurious lotion are beneficial for plastic and vinyl surfaces. Synthetic lanolin oils penetrate deep into the pores of the leather, keeping it nourished so it remains soft and flexible. Regular application will also reduce the effects of dye-transfer on lighter colored leather.
Cleans, conditions and protects in one step, awesome. I'm not a firm believer in the ability to condition a tanned and painted leather. I'm in the clean and protect camp. But, as long as these conditioners don't have a negative affect on the leather, I'm OK with them being there.
I am a regular user of AIO leather products, so this product is right up my alley. From a business perspective, I offer a 1-step leather treatment or a 3-step leather treatment. Having an AIO allows me to offer an entry level service that's economical because I can get the work done quickly. I also like that I can use it on vinyl and rubber, though I have other options I prefer for those surfaces.
I had an Audi Allroad that spend a few years in california. Upon arrival the leather look tired. I was only commissioned for an exterior, but I had some extra time before the vehicle was going to be picked up and this was the perfect candidate to try McKee's on.
The product does have a nice leather scent. I do feel most of these products have an artificial leather scent, or perhaps it just doesn't match the cars I normally work on. Regardless, it's pleasant. I've had a couple customers ask what I used because after living with it for a week or two, they want their car to smell like that permanently, so that's a good thing.
Upon use I do find most of these lotions don't readily absorb into a MF applicator or towel, so I use the butterfly technique and squish the dollop of product into the applicator. In this case I used a towel for application and buffing. After doing the butterfly, I will work one part of a seat at a time, either seat or back. I will dab the product in a few spots and then wipe it in with light to medium pressure. The product does spread well, but I feel like I use quite a bit, which is typical of leather protectant in my experience. I haven't gotten through the whole bottle, but at my usage rate, it will probably last 10-12 cars.
50/50 shot of the leather seat
Towel after just half the seat, only the corner was used.
The McKee's AIO Leather Lotion picked up a lot of dirt and left a very nice finish. It darkened this tired leather as well, I feel like the appearance is a bit artificial, but not 'dressed', I was able to knock it down a bit more with a little bit of extra buffing. To me it leaves a squeeky leather with just a little bit of slip. I would not use this on a steering wheel or shift knob, just to be safe.
Overall I like this product, and I'll continue to use it. I'm torn a bit between the pinnacle leather cleaner and conditioner and this product. I feel they are very similar, McKee's gets the edge in cleaning and I like the finish of Pinnacle just a bit more.
Audi Q7 Interiors
The owners of these two Q7s have 3 kids. Kids are highly skilled at making interiors dirty. The detailing community even has a special term for their work, it's called kid grime. There are generally 3 things that will make your interior detail much more expensive; stains, pet hair and kid grime. The stains are easy for us, that's chemistry and a little know-how, it just takes time. They have special stones and brushes for pet hair, again it's just time consuming. But when it comes to kid grime, there is no magic trick. It's purely elbow grease and adaptive techniques. With these two Q7s, there was no shortage of kid grime. That's not to say the owner's are slobs, it's in the nature of these kids to get messy. From time to time, a deep cleaning is necessary to address these conditions.
Process
- Carpets dry brushed and vacuumed
- Hard surfaces cleaned with steam
- Leather cleaned with steam, leather cleaner and various leather brushes
- Leather was protected with Pinnacle Leather protectant
- Leather protected with Leather Masters Protection Cream
- Hard Surfaces Protected with Blackfire Interior Protectant
- Carpets pretreated, agitated and spot extracted
- glass was cleaned
- door jambs were steamed
2016 Ford Focus RS Paint Correction and Coating
This was a built to order car and the owner took delivery straight off the truck. The owner watched as transit films were removed. No detailing was done at the dealership. One would think that this car should be in pristine condition having never been touched. Wrong. It's easy to overlook the process that occur at the assembly plant. Vehicles undergo several tests and inspections prior to leaving the assembly plant. I had the pleasure of seeing some of these activities first hand at the old Ford Ranger Plant in Saint Paul. I was responsible for preparing the site demolition plans and utility termination plans. Along with having access to the dam, steam plant and old tunnels, I also walked the production floor. Vehicles are inspected for paint defects and any defects found are hastily corrected. Vehicles are also leak tested. Not for mechanical fluids, but for rain. This is accomplished by placing it in a flood bay where the vehicles are drenched in high pressure water. In the care of the Ranger plant. Using potable city water would be expensive, so Ford pumped the water directly form the Mississippi River, which is listed as an impaired water for mercury and...fecal coliform. Just what I want sprayed onto my paint.
The owner plans to keep this vehicle for a very long time so he was looking for the best protection he could get. That came in the form of XPEL Ultimate self healing film (installed by Midwest Clearbra) and Nanohide Self Healing Coating. I want the paint to be as close to perfect as possible for the new owner. When a PPF is going to be installed on part of the car, I will perform the correction on those panels and approximately 1-foot beyond the extents of the film. Then after the film has been installed, I will finish the work. It means an extra trip for the owner. However, if the coating goes on before the film, I'm guessing where the film will end, the the paint may not have complete coverage. If I do the paint correction after the film, there is a risk of swirls being visible under the film. In this way, the risk of either is mitigated.
Process
- Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Ardex Proper
- Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Autofoam
- Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
- Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar
- Paint was compounded with Meguiars D300 on a Boss 21 with Meguairs MF pads
- Paint was polished with HD Polish+ on a Boss 21 with rupes yellow pads
- Bumpers were corrected with a DAS pro plus 15mm and 4-inch pads
- Tight areas were corrected with Flex Kompact rotary and various pads
- Paint was protected with Nanohide NH-A7 seal healing coating
- Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
- Wheels were protected with Pearl Nano HD wheel coating
- Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener
2013 Audi Allroad Two Step and Interior
The owner of this car recently sold his black 2013 Allroad and after having seller remorse, got himself a newer Allroad with a much more unique color combo. The owner is also an organizer for Camp Allroad, a gathering of Audi Avant enthusiast. As an organizer, this car had to look it's best for the gathering. The car wash purchased unseen from out of state. Upon arrival there were certainly some aspects that needed a lot of attention to make the car show worthy. The interior had been gone over hastily by the dealership and they mad missed some serious salt stains. The exterior had been poorly prepped and there was evidence that a rotary polisher had been used. This is a garage queen for the owner and so bringing it back to as high a standard as we reasonable could was the order.
Interior Process
- Carpets dry brushed and vacuumed
- Hard surfaces cleaned with an enzyme based cleaner via tornador
- Leather cleaned with Leather Masters Stong cleaner
- Leather was rejuvinated with Leather Masters Vital
- Leather protected with Leather Masters Protection Cream
- Hard Surfaces Protected with Blackfire Interior Protectant
- Carpets pretreated, agitated and hot water extracted with special attention to salt stains
Exterior Process
- Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Megs D108
- Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Surfex HD
- Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
- Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar
- Paint was compounded with Meguiars D300 on a Boss 21 with Meguairs MF pads
- Paint was polished with HD Polish+ on a Boss 21 with rupes yellow pads
- Tight areas were corrected with HD Polish+ on a flex 3401 with LC white hybrid pads
- Paint was protected with Carpro Reload
- Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
- Trim and wheels protected with carpro hydro2
- Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener
2013 Audi S4 Two Step Correction
The owner of this S4 had previous visited to have some etchings removed. We scheduled a second visit just prior to Camp Allroad to prep the car for showing. This particular car has undergone a substantial amount of body work and paint due to several accidents. As a result paint thickness, condition and reaction varied significantly across the vehicle. This is a situation where the process and results had to be evaluated panel by panel to ensure a consistent finish.
Exterior Process
- Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Megs D108
- Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Surfex HD
- Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
- Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar
- Paint was compounded with Meguiars D300 on a Boss 21 with Meguairs MF pads
- Paint was polished with Meguiars M205 on a Boss 21 with rupes yellow pads
- Tight areas were corrected with HD Polish+ on a flex 3401 with LC white hybrid pads
- Paint was protected with Carpro Reload
- Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
- Trim and wheels protected with carpro hydro2
- Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener
2014 BMW M5 Interior
It's always unfortunate to find poor quality detailers that give the profession a bad name. Going to a job to clean up after someone else's mess is not an easy task. I've had plenty of previous posts showing polish residue left by that last guy to work on a car. In this case, it was the interior that was left in less than satisfactory condition. The biggest foul being incomplete application of the interior dressing. This particular dressing was also solvent based. This left a very shine finish and due to the incompleteness of the work, there was a sharp contrast in araes that were not covered. The solvent dressing are also very difficult to remove with gentle cleaners and using strong solvents on a interior is our of the question. I personally choose to use a water based protectants that can be removed with relatively mild cleaners, but are durable enough to stand up to daily use. The trick in this case was to remove as much of the solvent dressing as possible using steam and then use a protectant that matched the remaining gloss of the solvent dressing already applied.
Process
- Carpets dry brushed and vacuumed
- Hard surfaces cleaned with an enzyme based cleaner via tornador
- Leather cleaned with L:eather Masters Stong cleaner
- Leather protected with Leather Masters Protection Cream
- Hard Surfaces Protected with Pinnacle Vinyl and Rubber Protectant
- Carpets Steam Cleaned
1967 Shelby GT500 Concours Detail
I've written a little bit about concours detailing in the past. Concours is all about points. Those points are given or taken away (depending on the judging structure) based on a set of specific criteria. Those criteria can be very vague or very specific and even so, they are up to the interpretation of the judges. For instance, how much overspray should there be on the undercarriage? Scoring is often split into two categories, authenticity and workmanship. What I deal with is primarily workmanship; cleanliness and finishes, though there are situations where authenticity takes precedent. For instance, on this GT500, I would normally thoroughly clean bolts, but the judging criteria requires that they be oiled, so if I clean them, I must also put oil back on them. The upper air ducts have a sealant around them where they attach to the body, that sealant needs to look a little sloppy or the car will lose points, so I can only clean it up so much. This is the world of concours. My primary goal is to make the car perfect, but there are areas that I cannot correct without sacrificing points, and points are the ultimate goal here.
This particular vehicle had been restored over the last few years. It was originally intended as a driver's car, but in the middle of the process, the owner decided he wanted to show it at the concours level. This takes a normally difficult task of immaculate cleaning and turns it into a case of immaculate reconditioning. While I may spend 8 hours doing 2 steps of paint correction to a daily driver, I spent 20 hours doing 1 step and some surgical buffing. I spent another 10 working on the engine, door jambs and undercarriage, on a chassis with probably 100 miles on it since being restored. While there is room to make it better, I took it to a condition that will earn the most points.
I am please to say that this car took home a gold award in division 2, and the owner was asked to return for a premier award in division 1. The car will also be featured in an upcoming historical text written by the SAAC historian.
Process
- Wheels cleaned with meguiars D114
- Tires cleaned with steam
- Body recieved a hybrid rinseless wash with ultima waterless wash and optimum no rinse
- Polish residue & splatter was removed with steam and meguiars D114
- Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar
- Paint was polished with HD Polish+ on a Flex 3401 with a LC white hybrid pads
- Tight areas were corrected with HD Cut+ and Polish+ on a Flex kompakt with various pads
- Paint was protected with Son1c wax Breast in Show
- Chrome trim was polished with Werkstat Prime Strong
- Exhaust cleaned with Werkstat Prime Strong
- Engine was cleaned with Meguairs D114 and various brushes
- Jambs were cleaned with Meguiars D114, steam and polished same as the paint
- Undercarriage was cleaned with Meguiars D114 and steam
