Bought It. Now Time to Detail It.
#61
Just to update... dropped the car off yesterday at the Lexus certified body shop in town for 2500.00 of paint work to redo the entire front end, and the drivers rear quarter panel where there were a bunch of door dings and a little missing paint right on that raised edge around the wheel arch. Should have the car back, hopefully looking new, in a week.
#62
Auto Detailing Master
iTrader: (2)
Just to update... dropped the car off yesterday at the Lexus certified body shop in town for 2500.00 of paint work to redo the entire front end, and the drivers rear quarter panel where there were a bunch of door dings and a little missing paint right on that raised edge around the wheel arch. Should have the car back, hopefully looking new, in a week.
If I ever have any paint work done, I will ask them spray a couple extra coats of clear so that I can personally wet sand and buff away the orange peel that is left behind. It is rare that a body shop takes the proper time to finish down paint because to be honest, most people can't tell the difference.
#64
Driver School Candidate
You really need to have them use a high solids high quality clear. Most shops use a very fast drying thin clear because its quick and cheap. All you really need to do is tell them you are picky and want it factory perfect. If they have quality painters it wont be a problem. I paint cars for a living.
Last edited by rw95gt; 05-10-13 at 08:27 PM.
#67
Day 24 or so...
Well got the car back and nearly 3k poorer... overall the panel gaps and headlight placement is bang on, the door dings are gone and it's shiny for the first time. But when I picked it up I noticed the hood gap was slightly off and there was a LOT of orange peel on the repainted surfaces. The body shop agreed with me and i'm taking it back on Thursday to be wet sanded and have the hood realigned. So just a temporary update for now to show the orange peel. The hood has the typical polisher circles they put into the paint when buffing it so it will all still need a paint correction.
*I should note I had just gotten back from a drive so there are bugs on the front of the car*
Hood
Rear Quarter
Did another application of leather conditioner today... i've been putting this on pretty steadily every other day at first, then once a week, etc. I've been suprised to see how much the leather still soaks it up, but the leather is getting more and more supple and starting to retain more of it's malleable-ness (if that's such a thing)... here is the passenger seat, the leather has finally started to retention properly and looks almost new.
Before the first application when I bought the car and no condition applied (notice the bottom seat panel how it's not tight)
After multiple coats and conditioning's over the past 30 days (nice tight retention of the leather how it would be from the factory)
That all for now until I get the car back from the final tweaks at the body shop. Ordered new floormats from Sewell today to bring the interior back to a newer look and feel!
Well got the car back and nearly 3k poorer... overall the panel gaps and headlight placement is bang on, the door dings are gone and it's shiny for the first time. But when I picked it up I noticed the hood gap was slightly off and there was a LOT of orange peel on the repainted surfaces. The body shop agreed with me and i'm taking it back on Thursday to be wet sanded and have the hood realigned. So just a temporary update for now to show the orange peel. The hood has the typical polisher circles they put into the paint when buffing it so it will all still need a paint correction.
*I should note I had just gotten back from a drive so there are bugs on the front of the car*
Hood
Rear Quarter
Did another application of leather conditioner today... i've been putting this on pretty steadily every other day at first, then once a week, etc. I've been suprised to see how much the leather still soaks it up, but the leather is getting more and more supple and starting to retain more of it's malleable-ness (if that's such a thing)... here is the passenger seat, the leather has finally started to retention properly and looks almost new.
Before the first application when I bought the car and no condition applied (notice the bottom seat panel how it's not tight)
After multiple coats and conditioning's over the past 30 days (nice tight retention of the leather how it would be from the factory)
That all for now until I get the car back from the final tweaks at the body shop. Ordered new floormats from Sewell today to bring the interior back to a newer look and feel!
#68
Its starting to come together and looking good.
Looking forward to seeing them get rid of that orange peel and the paint correction being done.
I'm impressed how the seats have come out, Ammo conditioner from memory?
My seats are a bit loose like your first pic. I assumed you couldn't do anything.
I might as well say thanks, more work for me, so you recommend every second day conditioning?
Thanks
Looking forward to seeing them get rid of that orange peel and the paint correction being done.
I'm impressed how the seats have come out, Ammo conditioner from memory?
My seats are a bit loose like your first pic. I assumed you couldn't do anything.
I might as well say thanks, more work for me, so you recommend every second day conditioning?
Thanks
#70
I used the AMMO Lather to clean the leather (http://www.ammonyc.com/shop/ammo-lat...rior-cleanser/) and then the AMMO Mousse (http://www.ammonyc.com/shop/ammo-mou...r-conditioner/) to condition it. And i'm sure you guys would have similar results with any high quality cleaner and conditioner. I personally really still want to do a big application of leatherique and leave it outside in the sun on a 100 degree day and see how that compares.
This is a really good video on the product usage (or just general cleaning of a leather interior): http://www.ammonyc.com/detailing/rid...ps-and-tricks/
And as far as applications go - as soon as the leather got dull again, I just put another coat on. In the first few days it was pretty much every 48 hours, then maybe every 4-5 days, then every 7, etc. Basically it's the pores starting to be refilled with moisture and starting to relax back into their original position.
This is a really good video on the product usage (or just general cleaning of a leather interior): http://www.ammonyc.com/detailing/rid...ps-and-tricks/
And as far as applications go - as soon as the leather got dull again, I just put another coat on. In the first few days it was pretty much every 48 hours, then maybe every 4-5 days, then every 7, etc. Basically it's the pores starting to be refilled with moisture and starting to relax back into their original position.
#74
Driver School Candidate
They should get all the swirl marks out at the shop. You shouldn't have to go back over their work to fix the swirls from them. Hood looks decent from what I can see in the pics.
I'm about to do a full detail on my F also. It takes work but its definitely worth the time.
I'm about to do a full detail on my F also. It takes work but its definitely worth the time.
#75
Day 6 - New Goodies
Car is back over at the body shop getting the hood realigned (one side had a 2mm gap more than the other and I would've gone crazy looking at it) and the rear quarter wet sanded. Hope to have it back later today. But in the mean time, Fedex just arrived with some stuff from Sewell.
No new '11+ LED lights yet as my repaint ate into that fund but in the mean time a new sunshade, new floor mats, and new key fob covers. I'm a firm believer in investing in the things you touch, feel, and see as I think these little 150.00 worth of new items will really make a big impact on having the car feel new again. And as you can see the floormats and key fob covers were in desperate need of changing.
Hopefully some paint pics post wetsand later today.
Car is back over at the body shop getting the hood realigned (one side had a 2mm gap more than the other and I would've gone crazy looking at it) and the rear quarter wet sanded. Hope to have it back later today. But in the mean time, Fedex just arrived with some stuff from Sewell.
No new '11+ LED lights yet as my repaint ate into that fund but in the mean time a new sunshade, new floor mats, and new key fob covers. I'm a firm believer in investing in the things you touch, feel, and see as I think these little 150.00 worth of new items will really make a big impact on having the car feel new again. And as you can see the floormats and key fob covers were in desperate need of changing.
Hopefully some paint pics post wetsand later today.