New Seat Covers / Security & Solar Motion lights / Clay Bar

[Vegas Teacher]

Howdy all!

I had a very busy Sunday. I started back on Saturday cutting out a wooden plate, out of 1 x 6 about 3/4 of an inch thick, to mount my Solar lights on and then painted them black let them dry over night.

On Sunday I loaded up the Tundra and the D.W. and went for a day at the in laws house. Front load washer burst last Monday at 6:00 p.m. and been dealing with a water abatement team and insurance but the washing of clothing at my house is on hold. So took a weeks worth of laundry to the in laws where I decided to make myself scarce and work on the semi, plus I grilled steaks I about for everybody including her sister and my niece.

I store the semi at the her parents in the RV parking space.

Anyway I got there and glued four neodymium magnets to each backing plate of each solar light set them all in the sun let them dry.

I ordered the Mother's Clay Bar System along with the 3 waxes you use after it. I did the hood, top of the hood only. I did it by hand, starting with the wash. On a side note I do have a long throw random orbital buffer ordered and coming. It should be here Wednesday from Amazon. Even just doing the process starting from the washing stage the system was highly impressive! I was skeptical about this clay thinking O.K. how gullible am I now. OMG if you have not done it you have no idea. The clay is the first thing you do to take out the impurities from the paint and smooth out the surface, it is amazing. Those of you who have done your semi's what do you climb on to get a better stance or leverage at the center of the hood? I had a 10 foot step ladder, not the best tool. I about fell twice because I was pushing as I was polishing. I was thinking about buying scaffold to do the job and how do you get up to the roof?????

After this was done I was told all were hungry for steak. I said it is 2:30 not quite supper time. I was informed the 80+ year section of the in laws wanted to eat at 3:00 WELLLLL O.K. Sirloin from Costco it is.

After the grill was started I went back and put on the new seat covers and arm covers, but before I went into eat I turned on the semi and let it idle to cool off the cab and get the fluids circulating. I was going to eat in there but thought that might look a little obvious.

So After dinner I went out, mounted the lights to the wood and put them on the side to see what it would look like. Remember these are only going to be used when "Boondocking" and will not be on the sides in transit. They went on and off without an issue. Glue held magnet in place and did not rip off when the light was removed from the side of the truck.

Next went into the cab of the semi and put on universal seat covers I got from Rayne's Truck parts and the matching arm rest cover. They went on with a small amount of pulling, tugging, renaming and sweating. By the way after the picture I smoothed them out a little better. I am extremely happy with them.

Pictures are attached please ask questions or give advice!

Later,

Cory O 

[Vegas Teacher]

If you want more pictures I can put them on but I have to transfer from my phone to the my google cloud to the desktop to the photobucket to the posting it is so much fun!!

Later,

Cory O

[Vegas Teacher]

I should probably posted a before and after of the seats. They looked pretty bad.

[Chad Heiser]

Nice job.

[Jaydrvr]

That all looks really great!

[rickeieio]

Cory, try plugging you phone to the computer and downloading the pics.  I charge my phone every night by plugging into a usb port.  Makes it simple.

[Vegas Teacher]

12 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Cory, try plugging you phone to the computer and downloading the pics.  I charge my phone every night by plugging into a usb port.  Makes it simple.

THANKS!!!!! would make it a lot easier, did not think of that.

[Jaydrvr]

I upload my pix to Google Drive that I want to use on other platforms, then they're really easy to access. Jay

[Vegas Teacher]

17 hours ago, Jaydrvr said:

That all looks really great!

I was very happy with all of the results. The clay bar and 3 polishes is a lot of work, however it took my paint from oxidized and terrible looking to awesome looking. Next will be to wash again and go over with buffer after it gets here. Working in the Vegas sun is no joke. It was 91 degrees over the weekend when I was outside working on it.

Later,

Cory O

[steiny93]

It is amazing what a clay bar will pull out of paint, I really like how buttery smooth the paint is afterwards.  Doing a bar procedure plus 3 pass correction on an HDT in the heat isn't a small amount of effort, nice work!

[jkoenig24]

Looks purdy. You do nice work!

[Vegas Teacher]

39 minutes ago, steiny93 said:

It is amazing what a clay bar will pull out of paint, I really like how buttery smooth the paint is afterwards.  Doing a bar procedure plus 3 pass correction on an HDT in the heat isn't a small amount of effort, nice work!

I could not believe how much it changed as I did consecutive passes over the hood at the beginning with only the clay bar. I don't think the truck had ever been waxed.  The oxidation was horrible.

[Sculptor]

Wow Cory, great job!

[Vegas Teacher]

38 minutes ago, Sculptor said:

Wow Cory, great job!

Thanks, worked my @$$ off.

[Vegas Teacher]

3 hours ago, jkoenig24 said:

Looks purdy. You do nice work!

Thanks a million! It got me see away from being inside and visiting with in laws about boring stuff. 

[jenandjon]

Looks really good. Nice job.

[Vegas Teacher]

8 hours ago, jenandjon said:

Looks really good. Nice job.

I should be getting my buffer today, I can't wait to see the job it does.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Looking good!

Let me know when your done... I have a 23 year old RED paint than could use some luvin....

Edited April 14, 2021 by Alie&Jim's Carrilite

[Vegas Teacher]

5 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

Looking good!

Let me know when your done... I have a 23 year old RED paint than could use some luvin....

Copy & update, after I sat through a crown on the lower left side of my face today, I got home to find my buffer on the front porch. I will let you know how it went.

Later Cory Ossana 

[trimster]

Looks really nice.

I did the same process. Yes... lots of square footage on our rigs. The orbital buffer was the trick to keeping it a tolerable project. I got the Bauer variable speed model. Holding up really well.

I topped my effort off with the new Turtle Wax Ceramic blend spray-on coating. I applied it differently than they recommend and it holds up really, really well. Did the truck, 2 cars, the motorcycle and the 36' toyhauler the same way. Yup, used up a few foam polishing pads.

[Vegas Teacher]

2 minutes ago, trimster said:

Looks really nice.

I did the same process. Yes... lots of square footage on our rigs. The orbital buffer was the trick to keeping it a tolerable project. I got the Bauer variable speed model. Holding up really well.

I topped my effort off with the new Turtle Wax Ceramic blend spray-on coating. I applied it differently than they recommend and it holds up really, really well. Did the truck, 2 cars, the motorcycle and the 36' toyhauler the same way. Yup, used up a few foam polishing pads.

I ordered the ceramic wax too. How much elbow grease went into the ceramic stuff? I made it up to St. George a couple of weeks back but did not make it any further north on 15, thought of you in Salt Lake.

Later,

Cory O

[trimster]

1 minute ago, Vegas Teacher said:

I ordered the ceramic wax too. How much elbow grease went into the ceramic stuff? I made it up to St. George a couple of weeks back but did not make it any further north on 15, thought of you in Salt Lake.

Later,

Cory O

They say too 'spray it on the rinsed surface, let it set, then wipe the surface dry with a micro fiber cloth'. I... dried the surface. Then I misted the wax on and then wiped it off with the microfiber towel. The surface will look 'modeled' or uneven for a day. The ceramic stuff needs to 'flow'. 

Now, if you use the pure ceramic stuff... little bottles with a price tag.... it's just about as easy. But the surface prep is a bit more demanding and it must be done in-doors, out of the direct sun.

A quick re-treatment every 6 or so months keeps it looking great. Water sheets off the surface. Do the windows as well. I think Rain-X uses the same basic compounds in their windshield washer fluid. Help with water shedding on the glass.

[Vegas Teacher]

On 4/15/2021 at 2:40 PM, trimster said:

Looks really nice.

I did the same process. Yes... lots of square footage on our rigs. The orbital buffer was the trick to keeping it a tolerable project. I got the Bauer variable speed model. Holding up really well.

I topped my effort off with the new Turtle Wax Ceramic blend spray-on coating. I applied it differently than they recommend and it holds up really, really well. Did the truck, 2 cars, the motorcycle and the 36' toyhauler the same way. Yup, used up a few foam polishing pads.

Hey Trimster You were so right, the buffer I got, see my new post, is awesome. I think my truck was rode hard and put away wet without any TLC along the way for the first 950,000 miles of its life. It took me 3 hours to do 1 small section from washing up to the spray on Nexgen, ceramic polish. However that back, lower, passenger side fairing looks awesome. I couldn't get a really deep scratch out completely but it looks a lot better. I will hit it each time I detail it from now on.

Later,

Cory O