Here are a couple before/during pics of the '04 SRT-10 truck... To begin, we washed with Tropi-Care TC-6 Car Wash Concentrate and TC-M2 microfiber wash mitt to remove the loose dirt. After rinsing, we followed with TC-1 Clay Bar using our own clay lube(mixture of 1/2 capful TC-6 car wash and 16 ounces water) and removed existing surface contaminants. With just over 4000 miles on the vehicle, the surface was surprisingly free of contamination. Next was a re-rinse and dried with TC-M3 Waffle weave drying towels. The Tropi-Care TC-B30 spoke brush used to clean the inside of the wheels and the TC-B40 20" wheel well brush was used on the wheel wells. Notice the series of cat scratches on the hood of the truck. Others were also found on the passenger side of the hood as well... To remove these, I lightly wet sanded with 2000 grit sand paper. Followed by Lake Country yellow foam"medium cutting" pad and 3M Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound on the PC at 5000 OPM until sanding lines were removed. Working time in this location about 15 minutes. After completion with the yellow pad, we switched to using a Lake Country orange "cutting/polishing" pad and TC-8 Swirl Cutter to remove any micro-marring left by the yellow pad/ RC combo. Some further refinement can also be accomplished by using a white polishing foam pad after the orange. After completion with the Swirl Cutter, we topped off the finish with an application of the TC-3 Polish/Sealant xP and Lake Country blue final finishing pad on the PC at speed 4. Residue removal was done with the TC-M4 blue Tropi-Care microfiber polishing towels. Comments welcomed.
excellent job...i wish i was confident in myself to wet sand and buff my own cars if necessary...im thinking of buying a hood or something form a junk yard and practicing... I will def be buying some products come springtime to clean up the SRT from sitting all winter
Oh my gosh. That's just amazing. FANTASTIC job! The mere thought of wetsanding makes me want to wet myself. Kudos to you. :tip:
Thanks. At this time, we do have our TCPC-10 kit for $169.99 shipped that includes 2 orange and 1 blue pad. However, not all may have the same pad needs. Starting now, we will allow customizing the buffer kit with choice of any 3 pads for the same price as above. You would be able to add any additional pads at $8.50 each(regular prices of $9.99- $10.99 each)
Daylight was at a premium at that time and I wanted to complete in one day. Wet sanding those saved me working time in general. It's definitely not a task to be taken lightly.
Using a Porter Cable buffer is very easy to learn for a beginner or novice. It can not burn the paint. You can learn its capabilities in a short time. Check out some of our detail videos at www.tropi-care.com. Pads such as the blue "final finishing" are excellent for applying last step products such as liquid wax, sealants or glazes. White "polishing" and orange "light cutting /heavy polishing" pads are great for removing ultra-fine scratches and swirl marks/holograms from the surface with micro-abrasive products like our TC-8 Swirl Cutter. Even the yellow "medium cutting pad" on the PC can be safely used with effective results to remove more stubborn blemishes to achieve a 85-90% success rate. Wet sanding is usually saved as a last resort. You would be surprised how much you can correct with this machine .
If I buy your products will you come to my house and make my truck look like that?....I'll supply all the water and beer you need...:thumb:
steve - well done with the scratches........ what would you recomment to rid your car of the fine spider webbing you see from all the constant rubbing of a towel on the car?????
First of all, if you have confirmed that the towels scratch, I would stop using them and replace them with versions that will not. To test your towels, lightly rub them over an old CD. If it is scratches the CD, it will also scratch the paint. We offer a complete selection of microfibers (drying, washing, polishing, detail, glass) that will not scratch. To address the scratches, I also start with the least aggressive approach for removal. By machine, I may be able to remove them with an white or orange foam buffing pad with a micro-abrasive polish such as our TC-8 Swirl Cutter. If they are more severe, it may be necessary to use a yellow cutting pad and abrasive such as 3M Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound for removal. Try to do this by hand can be very time consuming and difficult if not impossible depending on the severity.
