Truckin' photo shoot...
03-30-2008, 11:22 PM
#22
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For any detailing junkies, below is a summary of the detail just prior to the shoot. Back in February I did the paint correction work. Mark deserves kudos for keeping his truck in good shape. All along this has been my kind of detail. Those who enjoy this process know there are two types - one where you shake your head and think about how much work you have to do to fix things, and the other where you just lick your chops and think of what you can do to make the truck look HAPPY. Anyway, here's the write-up. I'll keep it intact since (a) I'm lazy, and (b) you guys all know Rick and Mark. I will just say that it will come as no surprise to any of you that Rick is one hell of a detailer too...he's a brave man with that rotary machine. 
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The great thing about this detail was that the heavy lifting - the vast majority of paint correction - was already done. Even better, the photo shoot was delayed by a day, giving us even more time to get things perfect. Also working in our favor was my stepson - some grunt labor
to make things go faster and easier. Finally...working in Rick's shop...life doesn't get any better as a detailer. Plenty of room, ample lighting, good music, and tons of laughs.
So, for those interested, here's the products & process to make Mark's truck look happy for Truckin'.
FRIDAY
We moved the truck outside...after Rick crawled under to put the tranny in neutral (and setting up my lame joke about Mark finally having a manual transmission)...with three guys pushing and one guy maneuvering without the luxury of Quadrasteer.
And then...the photo shoot was delayed due to rain. So, we put on a second coat of Souveran on the hood, roof, & tailgate, and called it an evening.
SATURDAY
Here are some of my shots from the shoot...
Finally, some impressions.
Pinnacle Souveran is totally as good as advertised. This stuff costs $80 per jar, and while I didn't write the check for this one, I will be buying a jar of my own soon. I've mentioned before that silver birch is difficult to make look great. The color isn't particularly brilliant, and there's not a lot of metallic content to make it pop. Don't get me wrong - I love it - but it's not easy to make it pop or look really reflective. Souveran, at least in my opinion, takes care of that. I've never seen silver birch look so wet and reflective. Obviously, no wax will compensate for a poorly prepped finish. Mark deserves kudos for this - he's always taken great care of the truck, so the polishing effort wasn't difficult. Plus, we had the luxury of extra time, which also helped. On chrome & stainless, I love the combination of IP & FMJ. I haven't used any metal polishes in months now.
Sorry for the long post - I wanted to be as thorough as possible. It was a blast working on Mark's truck. He mentioned this yesterday, and it's really true - I got to play with detailing, hang around fast vehicles, and learn a bit from a professional photographer. It was like a total greatest hits of all of my interests. Had I had an electric bass in my hands I would've been in heaven.
------
The great thing about this detail was that the heavy lifting - the vast majority of paint correction - was already done. Even better, the photo shoot was delayed by a day, giving us even more time to get things perfect. Also working in our favor was my stepson - some grunt labor
to make things go faster and easier. Finally...working in Rick's shop...life doesn't get any better as a detailer. Plenty of room, ample lighting, good music, and tons of laughs.So, for those interested, here's the products & process to make Mark's truck look happy for Truckin'.
FRIDAY
We moved the truck outside...after Rick crawled under to put the tranny in neutral (and setting up my lame joke about Mark finally having a manual transmission)...with three guys pushing and one guy maneuvering without the luxury of Quadrasteer.
- Poorboys Bio APC on wheels, tires, wells, & bars
- Wash w/ Duragloss 901
- More APC on side & rear windows (to ensure grease-free finish for decals)
- Flood rinse, dry w/ jelly blade & waffle weave MF towel
- Menzerna SIP + yellow - spot polishing on roof & one spot on the hood.
- Menzerna IP + orange on roof & hood
- Menzerna FPII + white on roof, hood, & tailgate
- Menzerna IP (hand w/ terry applicator) on wheels & nerf bars
- Menzerna FPII (hand w/ terry) on grille shell & insert
- Menzerna FMJ on roof, hood, tailgate, wheels, bars, & grille
- Poorboy's Natural Look (NL) + MF on tonneu cover
- Zaino Z16 on tires, bumper pad, nerf bar pads, & wheel wells - two light coats, followed by a buff w/ MF towel
- Poorboys S&W + MF on windows
- Einszett Cockpit Pro on interior finishes
- Pinnacle Souveran on entire finish
And then...the photo shoot was delayed due to rain. So, we put on a second coat of Souveran on the hood, roof, & tailgate, and called it an evening.
SATURDAY
- Poorboy's S&W + MF towel to remove dust & light grime from previous afternoon's tuning/testing runs
- Pinnacle Souveran on entire finish, nerf bars, & grille
- Zaino Z16 on tires, pads, & wells - one light coat + buff
- Poorboy's S&W + MF towel to remove road grime
- Pinnacle Souveran on entire finish - one last light coat for wetness
- Buff on tires, pads, & wells w/ Z16 residue towel
- OOPS! With the wheels cranked, we took S&W and Z16 to the insides of the splash guards...something we didn't catch at the shop
- Einszett Cockpit Pro + MF on interior surfaces
Here are some of my shots from the shoot...
Finally, some impressions.
Pinnacle Souveran is totally as good as advertised. This stuff costs $80 per jar, and while I didn't write the check for this one, I will be buying a jar of my own soon. I've mentioned before that silver birch is difficult to make look great. The color isn't particularly brilliant, and there's not a lot of metallic content to make it pop. Don't get me wrong - I love it - but it's not easy to make it pop or look really reflective. Souveran, at least in my opinion, takes care of that. I've never seen silver birch look so wet and reflective. Obviously, no wax will compensate for a poorly prepped finish. Mark deserves kudos for this - he's always taken great care of the truck, so the polishing effort wasn't difficult. Plus, we had the luxury of extra time, which also helped. On chrome & stainless, I love the combination of IP & FMJ. I haven't used any metal polishes in months now.
Sorry for the long post - I wanted to be as thorough as possible. It was a blast working on Mark's truck. He mentioned this yesterday, and it's really true - I got to play with detailing, hang around fast vehicles, and learn a bit from a professional photographer. It was like a total greatest hits of all of my interests. Had I had an electric bass in my hands I would've been in heaven.
03-31-2008, 12:02 AM
#24
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damn good lookin pics mark and bill you guys have some really good lookin trucks... i know ill see yours soon mark.... i hope some day i can see yours and meet you in real life bill...
03-31-2008, 09:25 AM
#26
Jerry, it is awesome the labor of love you have for the detail. I watched you with a tiny little brush get the dust specks from behind moldings, wow. That's the kind of detail only a true love of the machine can offer.
I should be so fortunate to have your hands caressing my truck someday. Great pictures, the front clip shot is my favorite!
I should be so fortunate to have your hands caressing my truck someday. Great pictures, the front clip shot is my favorite!
03-31-2008, 01:15 PM
#28
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Thanks, Bill...very kind words. I'm mulling over the rough idea of a detail day - maybe @ Synergy - something to publicize the shop. Very rough idea, but I mention it because I'd be happy to detail your rig. I love working on trucks that are loved & cared for, and yours certainly fits the bill.
Andrew, youbetcha. Assuming you're talking about oxidation and hazing - the stuff that usually plagues bare aluminum, I really like Clearkote metal polish. It's a chemical polish, as opposed to an abrasive, and works really well. If you do have scratches or marring, you can definitely use a paint polish like IP or, really, any other brand. Even something like Meguiar's Scratch-X can work some magic on light scratches. Once you've got the wheels looking great, something like Poorboy's Wheel Sealant will help protect them. You can use a paint sealant - a la Menzerna FMJ or Four Star UPP - but the durability won't be as good. I used FMJ on Mark's truck because I really wanted the chrome & stainless to pop. A good paint sealant will generally be much more optically clear than either Poorboy's WS or Wheel Wax. Good luck!
Andrew, youbetcha. Assuming you're talking about oxidation and hazing - the stuff that usually plagues bare aluminum, I really like Clearkote metal polish. It's a chemical polish, as opposed to an abrasive, and works really well. If you do have scratches or marring, you can definitely use a paint polish like IP or, really, any other brand. Even something like Meguiar's Scratch-X can work some magic on light scratches. Once you've got the wheels looking great, something like Poorboy's Wheel Sealant will help protect them. You can use a paint sealant - a la Menzerna FMJ or Four Star UPP - but the durability won't be as good. I used FMJ on Mark's truck because I really wanted the chrome & stainless to pop. A good paint sealant will generally be much more optically clear than either Poorboy's WS or Wheel Wax. Good luck!
06-04-2008, 12:27 PM
#29
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magazine is out,
teaser pics
http://www.c-hock.com/downloads/gmfs/mark1.JPG
http://www.c-hock.com/downloads/gmfs/mark2.JPG
teaser pics
http://www.c-hock.com/downloads/gmfs/mark1.JPG
http://www.c-hock.com/downloads/gmfs/mark2.JPG