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Detailing Project Black Betty - Shine OnPros show us how to properly care for newly shot paint From the June, 2011 issue of Camaro Performers By Steven Rupp Photography by Steven Rupp
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We spend a lot of time in these pages jabbering on about function over form and how we like to drive our cars more than polish them, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to look good while haulin’ ass. After all, the only thing more impressive than a fast car is a fast car that looks smokin’ hot. We recently gave our ’01 Z28... We recently gave our ’01 Z28 a fresh coat of black paint and were given strict instructions by our painter, Seth Boldman over at Aggressive Designs in Santa Fe Springs, California, not to polish or wax it for at least a month. Well, after a month of driving and living with no wax protection, our paint was a maze of scratches and swirls. We also had some ghosting from running decals at the last track event. Our intrepid editor, Nick Licata, knew what he was getting into when he bought the black Z28 we later named Black Betty. Black cars are notoriously bad for not staying clean very long. The truth is that they get dirty and dusty at the same rate as any other color, but it is just more noticeable. This is especially true of the swirls and scratches that build up through the simple act of existing on this spinning ball of dirt we call home. Our ’01 was certainly no exception. Just over a month ago we treated our project car to some fresh paint applied by the guys over at Aggressive Designs in Santa Fe Springs, California, and after waiting the required time, we were ready to lay down some wax. But we noticed the finish had a few swirls left over from the cut and buff process plus a ton of fine scratches gathered from repeated dustings and washings. We figured that if we were having these problems, you might be to. So we headed over to Meguiar’s tech center to find out the best, and easiest, way to get our paint looking show car sweet. After all, it’s not like looking good slows you down.  To get our finish into pristine...  To get our finish into pristine condition, we headed over to Meguiar’s tech center in Irvine, California. For this, we used their Dual Action Polisher and foam pads. Now, you can do this same exercise by hand, but once you do it with a power buffer, you’ll never go back.  First up, Meguiars' Mike Stoops,...  First up, Meguiars' Mike Stoops, worked over the panel with their Ultimate Compound on the Soft Buff 2.0 yellow polishing pad. He set the polisher’s speed to 5 and used smooth, uniform motions with moderate pressure. According to Meguiar’s Mike Pennington, the key here is to let the machine do the work.  Using the “light of truth”...  Using the “light of truth” we could see that many of the deeper scratches and almost all of the fine swirls were nearly gone.  Next, we broke out a finishing...  Next, we broke out a finishing pad and a bottle of their Ultimate Polish. This product will help eliminate the fine swirls in preparation for wax.  For this, we turned the polisher...  For this, we turned the polisher down to 4 and applied the polish with even less pressure than we used with the previous compound. According to Pennington, it’s important not to let the product dry and to remove it right after application. Also, remember that a little bit goes a long way.  Now we’re talking! All the...  Now we’re talking! All the fine lines and scratches are gone and we’re left with a nearly flawless surface.  Polish doesn’t wax and wax...  Polish doesn’t wax and wax doesn’t polish. In other words, you don’t need to “work” the wax into the surface of the paint. You only have to lay down a thin coating with the word “thin” being key.  For the wax, we switched to...  For the wax, we switched to a fresh finishing pad and set the polisher to 3. The initial application of product you saw in the previous image was enough to do almost the entire side of the Camaro. The end result was a light haze of wax. Using more would have just caused more work and wasted product.  Like the polish, we only let...  Like the polish, we only let the wax dry for 3-5 minutes before wiping off using the supplied black microfiber towel. According to Pennington, the trick is to wipe off the bulk of the wax haze and then flip the towel to a clean side and finish the panel.  Showing before and after paint...  Showing before and after paint polish examples in print is harder than finding an honest politician. To the left is the “before” side of the fender and to the right is the “after.” In person the difference is even more striking. In an upcomming issue we'll give you some tips on keeping from putting the scratches back into your finish.
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