Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 107
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I had my 2.5yo ute detailed yesterday, the best $180 i've ever spent. It now looks in better condition than the day I picked it up from Holden.

Seriously, with the amount of money people on this forum spend on mods, take a months break and get it detailed instead.

Damn right > make your Mum happy + time-out to solve that puzzle that just came out of your g/f's mouth.

Great attention to detail Chris :)

  • 1 month later...

Part 7 - Maintenance and keeping up the protective shine.

So its been over 4 months since I first posted this thread and in my eyes, time for another refreshment application of wax.

I like to add a refreshment application on my cars 3 times a year / every 4 months so we're right on schedule.

Checking over the condition of her paint, it was still very passable so this time I just used Meguiars Colour X as a pre wax cleaner / polish and then went forward with another application of Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax.

Application performed with my trusty DAS-6 Pro and Lake Country White Polishing pad / black Lake Country foam pad and microfibre towels for removal.

She's now 100% swirl free and smooth as glass so we're both happy and she says thank you in the form of reflections.

Spent some time today detailing her interior, and also installed new film on the MFD a few weeks ago so there are more updates to come shortly.

Enjoy.

wallpaperfinalc.jpg

Edited by iwanta34gtr

Well after the photo shoot and feeling the quality of your paint...it was definitely due for another polish NOT :)

The paint to me felt like silky smooth that I don't even think a bug could cling to the side of the car...it would just slide off HAHAHAAA

Well after the photo shoot and feeling the quality of your paint...it was definitely due for another polish NOT :)

The paint to me felt like silky smooth that I don't even think a bug could cling to the side of the car...it would just slide off HAHAHAAA

Thanks mate, was a good night.

And you have the cleanest R32 GTR I've seen by far.

Part 8 - New MFD screen polarizing film.

Although her MFD screen was still pretty good, the polarizing film had started to lift in the top and bottom corners, in turn causing a slight bit of distortion.

Thought it would be best to tackle this before the problem got any worse, so a few weeks ago I ordered and applied a new polarizing film by following the instructions in this thread - http://www.skylinesa...on-display-lcd/

The hardest bit for me was cutting the film and getting it to sit on the LCD flat with no air bubbles or dust. This was just trial and error, got it pretty much spot on 4th time around.

Definately recommend this as her MFD now looks brand new.

mfd800.jpg

mfd8002.jpg

So its a bit of a rainy day here in Sydney.

For those of you that go ahead with the detailing process, success of a wax application can be quantified via the beading of water and lack of adherence to the paints surface.

Thought I'd go outside and take a few pics to better convey this vague explanation, should make more sense.

img98112.jpg

img9804a.jpg

img9809a.jpg

img9811r.jpg

img98232.jpg

img9808s.jpg

Edited by iwanta34gtr
  • 1 month later...

Part 9 - Headlight restoration.

A frequent discussion point on the forum is 'headlight restoration' and the common yellowing which occurs with age / wear and tear.

Having performed the restoration process a number of times now, I was comfortable giving it a go on the GTR and couldnt be happier with the results.

Easier if you remove the lights from the car as you will then have a flat surface to work on - corner to corner.

In short -

1) Wet sand with 2000 grit sand paper until you see the aged yellow dust turn to standard white dust

2) Compound with Meguiars Ultimate compound (DA or rotary polisher / lake country yellow cutting pad)

3) Polish with Meguiars Plastx (DA or rotary polisher / white lake country polishing pad)

4) Seal with Meguiars headlight protectant (DA or rotary polisher / black lake country finishing pad)

If done correctly, as per the photos - you should end up with a 'like new' crystal clear finish with no sanding marks - etc.

3rd and 4th steps are essential to stop the yellow from reoccurring. Whenever I polish - I also run another protective layer of wax / protectant on the headlights as well.

xenon41024x682.jpg

xenon11024x682.jpg

xenon21024x682.jpg

xenon31024x682.jpg

how do you help prevent swirl marks from washing and shamying?

Hey mate,

A few simple tips off the top of my head -

- Use a microfibre wash pad (Such as the yellow meguiars one).

- Use a microfibre chamois (Such as the yellow meguiars supreme shine one).

- Use a gentle motion with the chamois, not much pressure is required and also just 'pat' it around the dryer areas - dont smear.

- 2 bucket method of washing with PH neutral car wash (Provides good lube and wont strip your wax - etc).

- Use a seperate sponge for the top areas of the car to the bottom of the car (Around wheel arches, side skirts - etc).

Hope this helps.

I can help but recommend you open up your own detailing business... you will certinatly have everyone in this thread as customers lol

amazing work, probably the cleanest GTR ive seen

Amazing work and dedication making your car look extremely nice. How do you drive/park it anywhere without having nervous break down!?

Thanks mate, she never gets parked anywhere except my home / work garages.

I can help but recommend you open up your own detailing business... you will certinatly have everyone in this thread as customers lol

amazing work, probably the cleanest GTR ive seen

Thanks mate, appreciate the kind words.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • I got back to Japan in January and was keen to get back on track as quickly as possible. Europe is god-awful for track accessibility (by comparison), so I picked up a first-gen GT86 in December just to have something I could jump into right away. The Skyline came over in a container this time and landed in early January. It was a bit battered after Europe, though—I refused to do anything beyond essential upkeep while it was over there. The clutch master cylinder gave out, and so did the power steering. I didn’t even bother changing the oil; it was the same stuff that went in just before I left Japan the first time. Naughty. Power steering parts would’ve cost double with shipping and taxes, so knowing I’d be heading back to Japan, I just postponed it and powered through the arm workout. It took a solid three months to get the car back on the road. Registration was a nightmare this time around. There were a bunch of BS fees to navigate, and sourcing parts was a headache. I needed stock seats for shaken, mistakenly blew 34k JPY on some ENR34 seats—which, of course, didn’t fit—then ended up having the car’s technical sheet amended to register it as a two-seater with the Brides. Then there’s the GT86. Amazing car. Does everything I want it to do. Parts are cheap, easy to find, and I don’t care what anyone says—it’s super rewarding to drive. I’ve done a few basic mods: diff ratio, coilovers, discs, pads, seat, etc. It already had a new exhaust manifold and the 180kph limiter removed, so I assume it’s running some kind of map. I’ve just been thrashing it at the track non-stop—mostly Fuji Speedway now, since I need something with higher speed after all that autobahn time. The wheels on the R34 always pissed me off—too big, and it was a nightmare getting tires to fit properly under the arches. So I threw in the towel and bought something that fits better. Looks way cleaner too (at least to me)—less hotboy, less attention-seeking. Still an R34, though. Now for future plans. There are a few things still outstanding with the car. First up, the rear subframe needs an overhaul—that’s priority one. Next, I need to figure out an engine rebuild plan. No timeline yet, but I want to keep it economical—not cutting corners, just not throwing tens of thousands at a mechanic I can barely communicate with. And finally, paint. Plus a bit of tidying up here and there.  
    • Nope, needed to clearance under the bar a little with a heat gun, a 1/2" extension as the "clearancer", and big hammer, I was aware of this from the onset, they fit a 2.0 with this intake no problems, but, the 2.5 is around 15mm taller than a 2.0, so "clearancing" was required  It "just" touched when test fitting, now, I have about 10mm of clearance  You cannot see where it was done, and so far, there's no contact when giving it the beans Happy days
    • It's been a while since I've updated this thread. The last year (and some) has been very hectic. In the second-half of 2024 I took the R34 on a trip through Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland - it was f*cking great. I got a little annoyed with the attention the car was getting around Europe and really didn't drive it that much. I could barely work on the car since I was living in an inner-city apartment (with underground parking). During the trip, the car lost power steering in France - split hose - and I ended up driving around 4,000kms with no power steering.  There were a few Nurburgring trips here and there, but in total the R34 amassed just shy of 7,000kms on European roads. Long story short, I broke up with the reason I was transferred to Europe for and requested to be moved back to Japan. The E90, loved it. It was a sunk cost of around EUR 10,000 and I sold it to a friend for EUR 1,500 just to get rid of it quickly. Trust me, moving countries f*cking sucks and I could not be bothered to be as methodical as I was the first time around.
    • I assume clearances were all a-okay?
×
×
  • Create New...