[MacawMania]

 

[TurboGT]

Nice work. I love MM

 

[MacawMania]

Nice work. I love MM

Thanks! MM is a color that grew on me. When I was getting the car, I wanted red or blue. Now, when washed and waxed, there is a deep, lustrous metallic texture within the paint that looks really nice. Do wish the paint was better quality, though

 

[Dirtfiend602]

Dang that looks so good

 

[MacawMania]

Dang that looks so good

Thank you

 

[Skykri]

Nicceee!!!

 

[Chris247ST3]

DUUUUDE! you did a damn good job! i wish i could get my car looking that good! any product reccomendations?

 

[MacawMania]

Nicceee!!!

Thanks for the kind words.

 

[MacawMania]

DUUUUDE! you did a damn good job! i wish i could get my car looking that good! any product reccomendations?

Thank you for the compliment. I use mostly Meguiar's products:

• Meguiar's Gold Class car wash (hand-washed with wash mitts at a self-serve carwash, using the two-bucket method, low-pressure rinse throughout - both for soak and for rinse, no carwash brush or detergent). This really gets the car clean, the windshield goes almost invisible LOL!
• Chemical Guys microfiber cloths. These are incredible for soaking water during drying and for polishing after waxing.
• Meguiar's smooth surface clay kit. I use the included quick detail spray with the clay bar. The quick detail spray can also act as a waterless carwash between regular washes.
• Meguiar's ultimate liquid wax. This brings out the gloss and shine, particularly in metallic paints. Also renders the surface buttery-smooth.

Hope that helps, happy to share any information that you need. I can also post Amazon/Target links to the products I use if you like, just let me know.

 

[Mikey1336]

Heck yeah! This is what I want to start doing. Looks so nice bud!

 

[MacawMania]

Heck yeah! This is what I want to start doing. Looks so nice bud!

Thank you!

 

[MacawMania]

Took a few more pics this evening...

 

[Chris247ST3]

Thank you for the compliment. I use mostly Meguiar's products:

• Meguiar's Gold Class car wash (hand-washed with wash mitts at a self-serve carwash, using the two-bucket method, low-pressure rinse throughout - both for soak and for rinse, no carwash brush or detergent). This really gets the car clean, the windshield goes almost invisible LOL!
• Chemical Brothers microfiber cloths. These are incredible for soaking water during drying and for polishing after waxing.
• Meguiar's smooth surface clay kit. I use the included quick detail spray with the clay bar. The quick detail spray can also act as a waterless carwash between regular washes.
• Meguiar's ultimate liquid wax. This brings out the gloss and shine, particularly in metallic paints. Also renders the surface buttery-smooth.

Hope that helps, happy to share any information that you need. I can also post Amazon/Target links to the products I use if you like, just let me know.

ill definitely pick me up some of that gold class and ill try out that clay kit, ill have to look up some videos as ive never used a clay kit before. i cant imagine its too hard to use and meguiars price point is good, ive been using this local store that we have and wow theyre expensive lol i was looking for a change!

 

[Kyio]

That is DAMN nice work, gat dayum!

Nothing looks better than a black or dark grey color fully loved and cleaned and waxed!


Do you ever use a foam gun, or just completely hand washed with 2-bucket method?

I got into detailing my car just a little over a year ago, last year dropped about a few hundred with Chemical Guys on buckets, cloths, soaps, all that. It's such a great feeling to do it all yourself and spend a few hours getting to know every inch of your road-companion. I haven't done a clay bar yet, it is going to be a literal all day thing when I do. I have never clay bar'd, but have kept her clean as much as possible, will have to do this for the summer now, sorta dreading it, mostly looking forward to getting these kind of pics after though.

What kind of camera do you use too? Anything special, or is it software adjusted? Those are some REALLLLY good shots, like on the mirror caps. What a treat this morning to see!

 

[Sobro]

Beautiful job on a great color. We saw a MM ST when we were visiting Austin last March and my wife commented on how nice it looked.

As for my Shadow Black ST, it was a Budget rental its first year of life and thus the paint came to me pre-swirled and pre-scratched.

 

[MacawMania]

ill definitely pick me up some of that gold class and ill try out that clay kit, ill have to look up some videos as ive never used a clay kit before. i cant imagine its too hard to use and meguiars price point is good, ive been using this local store that we have and wow theyre expensive lol i was looking for a change!

So this is only the second time I'm clay barring a car, and the first time I'm clay barring my car. Way easier than I thought it would be. The process from wash to the end of waxing took around 3-4 hours. The actual clay barring process is super easy, just takes some time:

• The clay bar itself is like play doh. Knead it into a flat mini-pancake shape.
• Spray a small area of your car with the quick detailing spray (apparently, you can use water, but I just use the spray that comes with the kit).
• Rub the clay bar over the wetted portion using straight-line strokes. I use very light pressure. It is crazy how this thing works. Even after a wash, when your car seems clean to the eye, this thing picks up stuff embedded in the paint. You have to keep folding the clay bar periodically to reveal a clean surface as the surface in use gets dirty.
• Wipe off the area with a clean microfiber cloth. I use 3-4 cloths for my car per clay bar session. The smoothness in the paint has to be felt to be believed. I did not realize it till my first clay bar use. Now I'm a believer.

Tons of videos and articles like WikiHow.

The initial investment costs around $200 or so, but it very quickly pays for itself with just a couple washes and a single clay bar session. Now my family members come to me for their car detailing, and they swear they are never, ever, going to a full-service car wash again LOL! A quick tip - the clay bar kit is cheaper at Target than it is at Amazon. Everything else, I got from Amazon.

 

[MacawMania]

That is DAMN nice work, gat dayum!

Nothing looks better than a black or dark grey color fully loved and cleaned and waxed!


Do you ever use a foam gun, or just completely hand washed with 2-bucket method?

I got into detailing my car just a little over a year ago, last year dropped about a few hundred with Chemical Guys on buckets, cloths, soaps, all that. It's such a great feeling to do it all yourself and spend a few hours getting to know every inch of your road-companion. I haven't done a clay bar yet, it is going to be a literal all day thing when I do. I have never clay bar'd, but have kept her clean as much as possible, will have to do this for the summer now, sorta dreading it, mostly looking forward to getting these kind of pics after though.

What kind of camera do you use too? Anything special, or is it software adjusted? Those are some REALLLLY good shots, like on the mirror caps. What a treat this morning to see!

Thank you for your kind words!

Yes, black and gray do look amazing when cleaned and waxed. We also have to deal with dirt showing up the easiest LOL!

I never use the foam gun at the car wash. Just completely hand-washed with the two-bucket method. I use wash mitts I got off of Amazon. They work great. These are the ones with the cleaning noodle structures. I call them the Muppet Show

I was intimidated the first time I did a clay bar, and it wasn't even my car. But it only took me an hour or to to clay bar the whole car. I use a step stool to work on the roof. The whole process from wash to finish (waxing) took around 3-4 hours. My 14-year old daughter is a car enthusiast, and likes to help me wash and wax. Makes the process quicker and easier LOL!

Thanks for the comments on the pics as well. For this shoot, I used a Nikon D700. The garage shots were taken with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D lens mounted to the camera; I used that lens and a Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D lens for the outdoor shots. Outdated tech by today's standards, but an incredible digital camera and lens set that is still capable of amazing results. I do post-process my pics. My camera is set to the blandest settings so as to capture the maximum range of tones and colors at the time of image capture, so out-of-camera pics usually look meh. I work on the pics (e.g., contrast and color adjustments) to bring the pop and color out. I've been a serious photography hobbyist for over 30 years now, happy to help anyone who'd like any info in this area, whether taking better pics or getting new/used photo equipment.

 

[MacawMania]

Beautiful job on a great color. We saw a MM ST when we were visiting Austin last March and my wife commented on how nice it looked.

As for my Shadow Black ST, it was a Budget rental its first year of life and thus the paint came to me pre-swirled and pre-scratched.

Thank you! Sorry to hear about the paint on your car The sad part is that dark colors like black and gray show dirt and defects so easily. But, as @Kyio said, these colors also look amazing when shown some TLC.

I wonder if a nice coat of wax would help somewhat seal the scratches and reduce their appearance? Have you by any chance experienced that?

 

[MacawMania]

For everyone's reference, here's a list of the materials I use:

Amazon.com: Relentless Drive Premium Car Wash Mitt (2-pack, Extra Large) - Car Wash Sponge - Chenille Microfiber Car Wash Mitt Scratch Free - Ultra Absorbent Microfiber Mitt for Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Boats & Motorcycles : Automotive

Buy Relentless Drive Premium Car Wash Mitt (2-pack, Extra Large) - Car Wash Sponge - Chenille Microfiber Car Wash Mitt Scratch Free - Ultra Absorbent Microfiber Mitt for Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Boats & Motorcycles: Sponges & Mitts - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Meguiar's G55012 Classic Wash & Wax Kit : Everything Else

Amazon.com: Meguiar's G55012 Classic Wash & Wax Kit : Everything Else

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Meguiar's G210516 Ultimate Liquid Wax, 16 oz, Black : Everything Else

Amazon.com: Meguiar's G210516 Ultimate Liquid Wax, 16 oz, Black : Everything Else

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Chemical Guys MIC_506_24 Professional Grade Premium Microfiber Towels, Gold (16 Inch x 16 Inch) (Pack of 24) : Automotive

Buy Chemical Guys MIC_506_24 Professional Grade Premium Microfiber Towels, Gold (16 Inch x 16 Inch) (Pack of 24): Microfiber - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Meguiars 16oz Smooth Surface Clay Kit

Read reviews and buy Meguiars 16oz Smooth Surface Clay Kit at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more.

www.target.com

I don't use the wax included in the kit.

 

[Kyio]

Thank you for your kind words!

Yes, black and gray do look amazing when cleaned and waxed. We also have to deal with dirt showing up the easiest LOL!

I never use the foam gun at the car wash. Just completely hand-washed with the two-bucket method. I use wash mitts I got off of Amazon. They work great. These are the ones with the cleaning noodle structures. I call them the Muppet Show

I was intimidated the first time I did a clay bar, and it wasn't even my car. But it only took me an hour or to to clay bar the whole car. I use a step stool to work on the roof. The whole process from wash to finish (waxing) took around 3-4 hours. My 14-year old daughter is a car enthusiast, and likes to help me wash and wax. Makes the process quicker and easier LOL!

Thanks for the comments on the pics as well. For this shoot, I used a Nikon D700. The garage shots were taken with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D lens mounted to the camera; I used that lens and a Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D lens for the outdoor shots. Outdated tech by today's standards, but an incredible digital camera and lens set that is still capable of amazing results. I do post-process my pics. My camera is set to the blandest settings so as to capture the maximum range of tones and colors at the time of image capture, so out-of-camera pics usually look meh. I work on the pics (e.g., contrast and color adjustments) to bring the pop and color out. I've been a serious photography hobbyist for over 30 years now, happy to help anyone who'd like any info in this area, whether taking better pics or getting new/used photo equipment.

100% feel that we wear the damage and dirt the most. It's a good trade-off for the feeling of driving it fully clean though!

Love that you have a daughter who can share in the love for cars. No kids here yet, but I would love to have that one day. Love them for anything of course, but that's just special to have the same loves. Good life!

Thank you a ton for the camera info, I'm starting to realize that with mods and my love for keeping her clean, I find myself making notes of places I drive past that I would want to photograph my car at. But I only have my camera phone, and that isn't going to cut it all the way. I'll be sure to reach out when I start trying to do something

And Happy Father's Day!!