Dylan06SS Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 (edited) Been awhile since I've posted anything here, but before I do I have to explain why theres an Avalanche in my garage now. Back on December 11th I traded in the TBSS on a 2009 Avalanche... it wasn't that I didn't like the TBSS, but it just didn't have enough room for the family and I was ready to move on. Anyways... I had originally played with the idea of a Sierra Denali and a Tahoe, but I eventually settled on the Avalanche. I realize that this might not be a popular choice, but I have plans for this truck. More often than not if you see a modded Avy on the road (at least around here) its lifted. I'm gonna head the other direction with this and do an aggressive drop on 24's black this thing out and have something unique. Anyhoo, pick up my new truck Friday night (12/11/09), the next morning I am helping out at another Detail Instructional clinic at Stillen Performance in Costa Mesa so I hit the road around 7:30am... if anyone in SoCal remembers the 12th, it was DUMPING rain that morning. A guy in a POS 97 F150 spun across all 4 lanes of the 5 freeway and wiped me out, even better he had no drivers license, no proof of insurance, and didn't own the truck. He was in the fast lane doing 80mph in the rain, the police report later indicated that his tires were bald... perfect storm of sh*t. Good news is I walked away from the accident, spent a week off of work on Robaxin and Vicodin and still doing PT rehab for stiffness and range of motion in my neck and back. I was soooooo pissed... only had 30 miles on the odo when I got hit... that has to be some kind of record. Thursday this week (ALMOST A MONTH LATER) I finally got my truck back, $9000 in damages and my first payment later I have my "new" truck back. The shop I used was great and went above and beyond to make sure it was as close to factory new as they could make it, and IMO pulled it off. You'd never know this thing was hit. Trying to stay positive I got them to colormatch the front end while it was in there, something I was planning on doing all along anyways. So that brings us to today... and the start of a HUGE detail. After sitting on a dealer lot and then at the body shop for almost a month this thing was rough... I'll update this as I get the pics uploaded, enjoy! Day 1: Started by documenting the condition of the paint, wanted a good basis for before and after shots. With a little help from my neighbor/friend and my new Brinkman Dual Xenon light I was able to capture the horror that is the paint on this truck.... dealer installed swirls anyone? After documenting I spent the bulk of the day debadging and getting the dried coffee out of all the cracks of the center console. I had just picked up coffee a few minutes before the accident and knew that it would be everywhere. Also had to remove the silicone slime junk they dressed my interior with at the body shop. Gross. Sidenote - if you're looking for a cheap and effective alternative to a "professional" paint inspection light take a look at the brinkman, as you can tell this thing is killer at helping you see the real story of your paint... for better or for worse. Hood: Drivers Side: Tailgate: Passenger Side Fender: Front Bumper: (remember this is fresh paint, I laughed when the bodyshop told me their guy was a pro and the truck would be better than new when I picked it up) The Arsenal for Todays work: Test panel inspection after SHR & FMP: Debadge Done: Day 1 complete, packed it in for the night and gonna be up early to resume. Bulk of the panels are done, still have a few to finish. The repaired/repainted panels didn't need anything more than 2-3 passes with the white pad and FMP @ 5000opm. There were a ton of swirls, but all of them were fairly light. The original panels are another story... looks like the dealer was washing this thing with a push broom and playground sand. Some panels are taking yellow pad + SHR @ 6000opm to make headway, but they are coming up. I've also found a few deeper scratches that will be attacked with the 4" spot pads and the cordless tomorrow. Here it is, no wax yet. Gonna wait 30 days to seal the repainted panels, the rest of the truck will get MSW tomorrow after the correction is done. More pictures tomorrow. Edited January 10, 2010 by Dylan06SS (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04CHASE Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 dam dude i cant beleive that , 30 ****in miles. i would have killed that mofo. sucks we never got to work on the tbss but family is first. glad you are ok and glad you didnt get hurt . your looking pretty gangsta in those pics. the one almost looks like you have your gat pointing at the truck . lol look forward to stellar results in the next few posts as usual !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan06SS Posted January 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 dam dude i cant beleive that , 30 ****in miles. i would have killed that mofo. sucks we never got to work on the tbss but family is first. glad you are ok and glad you didnt get hurt . your looking pretty gangsta in those pics. the one almost looks like you have your gat pointing at the truck . lol look forward to stellar results in the next few posts as usual !! I've been meaning to call you dude... just bc the TBSS is gone doesn't mean you're off the hook LOL... we've got a 4/6 to install on this badboy before I get the 24's. You down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmahan Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 glad you wasnt hurt Dylan the avy looks (. Y .) bro cant wait to see her all done up. keep us posted on the detail great work as allways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zachm89 Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 i almost feel like putting my truck on a trailer with a cover and sending it to you to detail it...i wish there was someone around here that would take the time and effort to do a job half that good and not kill my wallet, haha. i dont have a garage to park in though so it would be nearly a waste :\ avalanche looks great man, sorry you had so much crap with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WODY'S GIRL Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 Glad to hear you are okay! Congrats on the new ride! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSplaytoy Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 I guess the Chevy Gods were a lil angry with you after sellin the SS and trading in the TBSS for the Avy Luckily you didn't get totally jacked up from the accident though. But congrats on the new bowtie to your fam. Can't wait to see what you get done to it, but I know it will always have stellar looking paint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04CHASE Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 let me know when your ready man . im game for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brobradh77 Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 Damn Dylan sorry about your luck...congrats on getting it all fixed up...I carry uninsured motorist insurance because if I ever get hit it would be someone like the person that hit you..glad you weren't hurt. Looks tits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman31 Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 Sorry about the new truck Dylan, at least it is fixed. Did the airbags pop? Man I wish you were closer, my Tahoe could use some TLC for sure, and the SS maybe a touch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 Glad to hear you came out of the wreck sunny side up; truck looks sweet! Mr. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1ss Posted January 10, 2010 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 Glad to hear your ok. Just keep up on drs to make sure you dont develop anything. When I was a passenger in a car accident in 1/7/02 I developed bone on bone in 3 discs in my neck (if you start getting migraines, or cracking in your neck that sounds like arthritis call your dr.) Also have a jaw issue called TMJD which was just discovered in 2008 which was caused by the accident (I cant eat subs, burgers, steaks, etc, jello is my best freind). My mom is looking at TBSS' and yours was mint, I wish she could have gotten to it. Just make sure your neck is good, I do not wish the pain/migraines/ days without sleep to anyone, except maybe the guy who hit and run me on xmas eve. Avy is looking mint, cant wait to see what your going to do with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmarv1117 Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 Sorry to hear about the accident!! But man you certainly do some good work with detailing! turned out awesome! I know my truck is need of some help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Silv Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 (edited) I like the Avalanches. I am excited to see yours when your done with modding it. BTW, how do you feel about aftermarket paint. I always find it scratches/marrs REALLY easy. Edited January 11, 2010 by SS Silv (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan06SS Posted January 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 (edited) BTW, how do you feel about aftermarket paint. I always find it scratches/marrs REALLY easy. Its hit or miss IMO. This paint just seems to respond funny to the PC and polishes, but thats mostly (IMO) due to the fact its still only about a week out of the booth and fairly soft. As it finishes curing over the next 30+ days I'm sure it'll be more in line with the rest of the truck. DAY 2 - Started off with some easier stuff... my back was stiff from the long day polishing on Saturday. Played with varying ratios of VRT/water to get exactly what I wanted. Ended up settling on a mixture thats roughly 60%VRT:40% Water... has a nice gloss to it, but not too shiny and its still spray-able at that ratio. With this truck I'll be using A LOT of VRT Once it warmed up a bit and I had my coffee I jumped back into the polishing. Started with a waterless wash wipe down to knock off any dust that had settled overnight and then continued to work one panel at a time and document the progress Started on the rear drivers door and did a side by side to monitor progress. Untouched section: Reworked section: Side by side: Continued around the truck in the same manner... lost a little time to passers by and people coming over to ask questions. When you spend 2 days at a time polishing a truck it gets attention, and everyone wants to learn, I'm always more than happy to oblige, but it does slow me down if I have to teach and work at the same time. Wrapped up around 4:30 after applying buttery wax to the back half of the truck, I had promised to take the wife and boy out to dinner. I opted not to bother sealing it yet as in 30 days I'm gonna need to strip and spot correct any problem areas when the paint is done curing, buttery will do a good enough job of protecting the unrepaired panels in the meantime. Final shots: I'm loving the blacked out front!! Hood reflection: Edited January 11, 2010 by Dylan06SS (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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