chconline Veteran Posted September 3, 2012 Veteran Share Posted September 3, 2012 First time detailer, haha, I've owned my 2007 Honda Civic since new, and being a black car I have to say I've really neglected it :p So a few weeks ago, I decided to stock up on some detailing equipment, and do the job myself. My car had tons of swirls and scratches with a billion rock chips, which I've fixed. I then used a claybar to clean off the crap off the paint, and did a 3-stage power polish. After 10 hours of hard work, here's what I ended up with. I have to say I am very pleased with the results :yes: AJerman 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamslammer Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Looking good, very nice job I have to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linsook Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 you manage to correct all the swirls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xendrome Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 looks good, get the windows tinted :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morebaker Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I have black vehicle and i am sure they are the hardest to keep clean. I pretty much have given up and just pay the detailers the money as it is so much work. looks good and i congratulate you on the effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsupersonic Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Nice. Next step: interior :p I too have a black car, and it's a PITA to keep clean. Everything on it shows. :( Luckily, every time I bring my car to the dealer, they'll clean both exterior and interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firey Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 you missed a spot. Wyn6 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kondrath Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I have a brown/bronze 2010 version of this car... It needs to be cleaned so bad. One time, I had it parked in a field during a fireworks show. Turns out the fireworks launched a few hundred feet from my parking space, so there's a lot of remnant ashes / stains from the fireworks all over the roof, hood, and trunk. And mud from the field. Ugh. If I'm ever in Canda, you can do mine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myNando Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Great job! Is the interior 5pic and span too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chconline Veteran Posted September 4, 2012 Author Veteran Share Posted September 4, 2012 Haha thanks everyone :p Yeah I am super hardcore on the interior. It's always been really clean, but I've never shampooed the uphostery (It was never necessary, but I think the driver's seat is a bit darker than the rest). I usually use an electrostatic dust wipe and wipe down every corner, microfiber wet cloth all surfaces, vacuum everything, then spray some air freshener in there every few months. A few months ago I shampooed the driver's side carpet because there were some minor salt stains near the gas pedal where my OEM rubber floor mats did not cover. I never leave any crap in the car, and I rarely eat in it, so it's always 200% clean. The worst it ever gets is dust on the dashboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I have black vehicle and i am sure they are the hardest to keep clean. I pretty much have given up and just pay the detailers the money as it is so much work. looks good and i congratulate you on the effort. You want to use a 2nd level cut cleaner from Mequiar's then a good polymer wax with paint sealant in it. My 97 eldorado is black. I don't recommend clay the car, the older the paint job, the more damage it can do, a good car wash before should eliminate the need for claying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draconian Guppy Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Detailing For teh win! There's a nice forum that got me started as well, 'autogeek.net'. How did you cover up the scratches and chips? I bought touch up paint but it's a real pain to get it done right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckeratlarge Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 sarcasm alert... It's still only a Civic! only joking, nice job. Doing that to a car where I live is pointless as the first time you take that bad boy out, you'll get rain the like of which hasn't been seen since Noah. Then some ###### will key it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooky560 Veteran Posted September 11, 2012 Veteran Share Posted September 11, 2012 Nice work, really like properly maintained black cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Canuck Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Very nice :) What products did you use, if you don't mind me asking? I've recently built up a collection of auto detailing products, always interesting to see what others are getting good results with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charisma Veteran Posted September 11, 2012 Veteran Share Posted September 11, 2012 That is beautiful! I need to get mine done... my back problems make it impossible for me to spend that long working on it, just washing it makes me sore for a day or two--not that it ever stops me. But my car is black too, and it's about time I got some of the chips and etc taken care of :) I love my car, and you have inspired me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis W. Veteran Posted September 12, 2012 Veteran Share Posted September 12, 2012 Very nice! Have to say though, come winter time you'll be raging at the amount of salt making cars look (and feel!) like crap :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myxomatosis Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Good job, looking good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rev Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I have a black Honda Civic... Except it's an 08... Ex...with umm.... A ricochet dent in it......... What can I say? I was in the wrong part of town. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJerman Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 You want to use a 2nd level cut cleaner from Mequiar's then a good polymer wax with paint sealant in it. My 97 eldorado is black. I don't recommend clay the car, the older the paint job, the more damage it can do, a good car wash before should eliminate the need for claying. 1. Older paint won't be damaged by a clay bar if you do it right, but the amount of dirt picked up may be more, so you'll need to be sure to fold your clay frequently, and use a new piece if it gets too dirty. 2. Washing won't even close to get the deep dirt out of the paint that clay can. A clay bar is one of the most important steps in really detailing a car. That embedded dirt is what really kills the shine. OP: The car looks great after you were done. Nothing compares to how good a black car looks when it's detailed. Too bad for the factory installed orange peel :( Be prepared to spend a lot of money if you get the detailing bug, haha. I've got a whole collection of waxes for different paints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chconline Veteran Posted September 30, 2012 Author Veteran Share Posted September 30, 2012 Detailing For teh win! There's a nice forum that got me started as well, 'autogeek.net'. How did you cover up the scratches and chips? I bought touch up paint but it's a real pain to get it done right! For minor scratches, they just polish right out. For major ones, I paint over it with touch up paint, wet sand it down, the polish out the scratches. It's not a 100% perfect solution (Especially on a black car), but it's pretty close. Very nice :) What products did you use, if you don't mind me asking? I've recently built up a collection of auto detailing products, always interesting to see what others are getting good results with. I used Mother's California Stage 3-stage because I forgot to buy the polish when I ordered them online, lol. These are just off the shelf products, which are okay, but definitely not the best. There are a few scratches on my car that I really need something more abrasive, so I'll probably pick them all up in my next order with better rubbing/polishing compounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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