Who says you can't make a Silver Streak shine...?

I suggest not quoting this post, because you will be replicating boatloads of pictures.


First off, I want to give props to TW member onepremiere, for this inspiring thread

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/detailing/125756-my-55-000-mile-2009-tacoma.html

Although I have regularly detailed my truck since I bough it in Jan. '06, I had never detailed the undercarriage or engine bay, but after seeing his thread, I bought some products from www.chemicalguys.com to supplement my current supplies. Their Bare Bones did an amazing job on the engine bay and undercarriage.

I spent two full days on the exterior detailing, and I still haven't done the interior detailing yet. I'll post up some pix when I do. It was the most exhaustive detailing I have done yet.

Process:

-Power washed undercarriage and engine bay at a self serve car wash bay
-bought a creeper and got under the truck and scrubbed coils, shocks, frame, etc. (I lived in the Northeast until this year and I wanted to inspect for rust and eliminate any possible residual road salt, as well as restore it to its best condition possible)
-cleaned the engine bay, undercarriage, and wheels with Simple green and the ferret brush (more about that in a minute), then sprayed the undercarriage and engine bay with Bare Bones.
-washed the exterior with Mother's California Gold (two-bucket system and a microfiber mitt)
-full clay bar treatment
-polished any scuffs with my Porter Cable random orbit polisher and Sonus SFX-1 cutting polish
-full polishing with the PC and Sonux SFX-2, then another full polishing with SFX-3 fine polish.
-full acrylic sealant treatment with Klasse SG
-one coat of P21S Carnuba wax.

I must say the most awesome tool I have now for the undercarriage, wheels and engine bay is the ferret. Women have the rabbit: we have the ferret. It is absolutely indispensable. Just bend a curve in it and you can clean coils, hoses, inside the rims, etc. It has changed my life.



http://www.chemicalguys.com/THE_AMAZING_FERRET_WHEEL_RIM_ENGINE_BRUSH_BI_p/acc_s31.htm

Unfortunately, it rained all day on day two, so I worked under a carport, but by the time I was finished it was dark and raining, so I couldn't even crack one open and sit back and admire it....I just drove of into the rain and got it dirty again.

I did a quick hose down this morning before I left for work and shot these pics. There's a few drops of water on the engine cover but I didn't have time to clean it up. The water actually helps show off the pristine condition of the paint. In the close up of the water drops, that is a refection of the power lines, not scratches. My '06 has 62,000 miles on it but I must say it looks brand new...

 

very nice and clean...good job

 

wow, looks great! props for some great, deep cleaning and preventative maintenance!

 

Looks Shiney to me

 

this that scratch i see

 

power line reflections. I thought it was a scratch at first when I looked closely at the photo..

 

You can probably sell those pics to Toyota.

Looks nicer than the ones on the lot! Good job!

 

looks brand new!!! amazing job i don't have that kinda patience lol

 

That's the way it done my friend. Excellent work. Dont't forget to pick some Adam,s Super VRT 2 for all the trim.

 

You missed a spot...

 

Thanks, its a good feeling when you are done. It stays nice for a long time with just some routine cleaning: well worth the effort. I did have to wash it since, because we had 5 days of rain, but it was an easy quick wash, because the paint was already protected and in clean, other than the new dirt on it. But since then I have just sprayed and wiped with with a quick detailer, once a week (takes about 5-10 minutes to do the whole truck), and it still looks like it has just been detailed.

I don't know the product but I will check it out.

Actually, I keep finding spots that I missed...its never perfect.

 

I also used the bare bones, Undercarriage -chemical guys product and was amazed. I'm glad that I bought the gallon and have to try some of their other products.


Azbackcountry

 

I was just going to say that it looks better than mine and it is brand new. In particular under the hood. I have water spots on the plastic under the hood, came from the dealer like that.

 

Thanks for that. If yours is new, it doesn't need a polish, but its a good time to wash, do a clay bar treatment, then an acrylic sealant like Klasse SG. You can also lay a coat of carnuba wax on top of that (takes only 20 minutes to wax). You have no protection on the paint to speak of, coming off the lot, and its best to do that in the beginning. That gives you a good 6 months of protection.

You can probably use some Back to Black, or Simple Green to clean the plastic under the hood.

 

Here is a pic of mine, couldn't remember how to post one.

 

You'd be amazed at what a clay bar and sealant does to the feel of your paint...

 

I've never used clay bar. I dont know how to use it. (I know I will get ragged for that line. ) I should look into this, as my wife just bought a new Accord a month before I got my Yota. Is there a thread or anything I need to know before trying it?

 

No, its easy, just don't drop it on the ground. If you do, pull the contaminated part off and throw it away, lest you scratch your paint. Its just a bar of clay, and a bottle of quick detail spray as a lubricant. You spray and rub, and it pulls up surface contaminants imbeded in the clear coat. When you run your fingers over a treated area, you will see how smooth as glass it becomes. You keep folding the bar of clay to move the contaminants it picked up into the middle of the clay, away from the paint.

 

Thanks!

 

You don't have to kill yourself rubbing hard...you will notice medium to light pressure, rapidly, does a good job, and work any problem areas a little harder and longer.

And this is an excellent sealant...

$20 Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze 16.9 oz.

http://www.amazon.com/Klasse-High-Gloss-Sealant-Glaze/dp/B0002LBKFQ