DETAIL WRITE-UP: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V

[harner]

Good evening!


I bought my car about a month ago. I found it on Autotrader before the dealer even put it on their lot. Inquired about it, went there the next day and traded in my 2010 Camaro SS, then drove the V home. It's nothing special, just another Black Raven, non-Recaro, A6 sedan. It currently has about 26k. I'm pretty sure the car never saw any sort of real detail aside from the local car wash and maybe the dealer, although when I picked up the car, it was FILTHY.


There were swirls and scratches covering every square inch of this thing. It was an eye sore to say the least. I was honestly embarrassed to take it to any shows or anything due to its condition. Having kept up with my last couple of black cars, I knew what I was in for, but was unsure of the outcome of this.


Excuse my ugly mug in some of these reflections. Also note that I am not a pro or claim to be. My detail equipment and compounds are just typical items I like to use, and I recognize I need to step up my game lol.


Here are some previously taken pics:



You can see reflection, but it lacks depth. The swirls are evident behind the rear seat window.



Luckily, the car still looked good when not in direct sunlight, so I knew it was a keeper lol.





Pre-Detail 06/24/2016
First order of business was to get rid of the SUPERCHARGED (on the doors) and CTS (trunk lid) badge. I used a heat gun and fishing line technique. For the adhesive, I used WD-40, "Goop Gone" and my finger nail.


Second, a simple 2 bucket wash. I use 2 Home Depot buckets, with grit guards, and Adam's Polishes wash pads. The Adam's car shampoo is what I use for soap, and the Chemical Guys fire hose nozzle. I've used dish soap in the past for a full detail. but what the hell. I really like how soapy/sudsy the car shampoo is. He (Adam) did a good job formulating that stuff.








Nice and clean, ready for the morning.


So it sat all night. I didn't dry it off since I knew it would rain and get dew on it, anyway. Woke up around 5:45AM, sun was just rising. It was very foggy, so I claybarred and cleaned up the wheels & tires.


For claybar, I used the last piece of the old Adam's clay. I have their Visco as well, but honestly prefer the Meguier's stuff usually, I just wanted to finish this piece up. I used the rest of my Adam's detail spray with it.










Wiped the car down with some drying towels, then went around to the wheels. I will soon be changing the color of these, likely to gunmetal or bronze. There are some nasty scratches on them, surprising for a "low" mile car. Just did a simple detail spray on the wheels and a rag. Normally I break out the Zaino All In one and Powerball/cone on the cordless, but since I will be painting soon, this will do. Tires are done with Adam's SuperVRT.








As you know, it isn't easy to take pictures of swirls, at least not in direct sunlight. This is what I'm up against on every painted panel on the car.





Time to break out the Porter Cable 7242xp. 2 passes of Adam's Severe Swirl Remover with a gen6 microfiber pad. Starting to see SOME results, but it's obvious I need to step up my game and invest in a better polisher/rotary. Next up is H&SR on an orange gen6 pad.




Shit picture, but I started seeing results.









1 pass of Adam's Swirl & Haze Remover on the orange gen6 pad. Looking better, far from perfect but an improvement overall. 6 hours into the detail, total thus far. Still about 3 more passes with the polisher and various other compounds/pads. Then on to residue cleanup and trim. I'll likely have 12 hours into it and not even touch the interior or engine bay today.







Stock 94 Z28 M6 in the background lol

[harner]

Adam's Fine Machine Polish with a red gen6 pad. Still a little humid outside so the pics are a bit foggy, yet. This stuff went on nice and smooth. As I progress through the stages, it gets easier and easier. Super sealant is next, followed by buttery wax.
















Adam's Machine Super Sealant has been applied on a white gen6 pad. Time to clean and wax, next.










After the sealer was applied, I wiped off the car in preparation for the wax. I was AMAZED at the results. I honestly did not think I could get those scratches out. To my surprise, I got most of them out and man did it look good. I should also mention, this is the area on the passenger side right behind the rear windows. The swirl makes that I took earlier were in the same location.













Picture of my "work station" haha. Nothing fancy, just quality product, plots of power, and metal.







Residue removed, wax time. I'd take GM orange peel over eyesore swirls any day. Applied the Adam's Buttery Wax with the white pad. It goes on smooth and off very easily, even in direct sunlight.










I went over the car after these pictures were taken and applied SuperVRT to all of the weatherstripping, rubber, and plastics. I was too lazy to tape off everything, and the SuperVRT covers most of the "overpolished" areas, but I will need to scrub some areas to clean them properly. Another day, of course as the "issues" are barely noticeable.

[harner]

Took the car to the back yard, where my future garage will one day live lol, and snapped some pictures in the sun. Boy, was it hot outside and still humid. Here is the final result:




























Final thoughts:
The results speak for themselves. I am extremely pleased with how it came out. I don't really like mixing the new generation pads with the old compounds, but whatever. I'll buy new compounds when I run out of what I have. Pads & applicators are wear items that do not last forever. I was hoping to see better results after the Several Swirl Remover and the microfiber pad, but it fell short in that delivery.


I think I may try a different wax in a couple weeks. I love applying with a polishing pad, but I know there are better options and after uncovering some deeper scratches, a better quality wax may hide some of that.


Hopefully, you enjoyed the flurry of pictures in the thread. I'm no expert, just an enthusiast who is always learning with every new detail. Thanks for viewing, your advice is appreciated!

[blackbirdws6]

I can appreciate all the work you put into the detail. Nice job.

I think you could have shaved a considerable amount of polishing time using some different products but no sense in not using items you have on hand.

For a black car, check out the Chemical Guy's Black Light. I really like the product and have been using it actively for the past year with excellent results. Jet Seal is another good product as well.

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[popo8]

Great writeup and excellent results man. Thanku for taking the time to do this up for all to follow.

LTXtech.com IS my drug...
OWNER/ADMIN

[spikester7878]

great work! Jet seal is a killer product as blackbirdws6 said. It use to be my go to before HD speed, Carpro essence and ceramics. HD speed is my go to now, if the paint is really rough I will hit it with a medium cut, then hd speed and it always looks great.

[harner]

Thanks for the pro-tips! I will definitely check that out.

[SSlowBoat]

Car looks awesome man

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