Step 1: The basics
Make sure your work area is clean and organized. You cannot produce great results in a poor environment. Prepare the vehicle up front. Before the plastic work begins, cover all open apertures with tape, paper or plastic sheeting. Avoid opening and closing the doors on the vehicle during this part of the repair if possible.Use quality materials and tools. Follow the instructions of the product manufacturer. A great deal of research is involved in the products we use. Don't try and develop an easier or better way.
Step 2: Texture and finish
After the vehicle is painted, inspect it for color match before moving on to the next repair phase. If the color match is good, the vehicle can go to through the buffing and polishing process. Next, inspect the finish carefully for the correct texture. Matching the factory texture is extremely important. Obtaining the correct amount of orange peel may sometime be difficult to do, straight from the gun. Additionally, there may be minute, or sometimes larger, particles in the topcoat, that make their way into the finish no matter how much pre-paint care is taken.
Any buffing/de-nibbing operations should be done before the vehicle is re-assembled. Doing so allows the detailer to clean all buffing compound from around the edges of the repair panels before parts are replaced, making for a much nicer repair. This also keeps compound from getting lodged under moldings and rubber gaskets. Not only is it difficult to clean these areas after the compound has dried, it is a tell tale sign a repair was done to that area.
Step 3: Buffing/de-nibbing
Use a buffing system. This assures a much better final result in less time, with less effort, and also offers consistency. The finish on our example vehicle will require not only de-nibbing but a light sanding as well to produce the correct amount of peel to obtain the factory finish look. Begin sanding the panel using a dual-action sander and 1500 grit paper slightly dampened. A spray bottle with clean water works well to keep the surface damp but not soaking wet. Remove the surface imperfections and peel until a satisfactory texture has been achieved. Throughout the sanding process, keep the panel clean by wiping off the sanding sludge often.
Once you're satisfied with the texture, begin buffing the panel using a wool pad and the proper buffing compound recommended for your system. Apply the compound in lines across the panel to avoid excess slinging of the material. While moving very slowly, gather up a line of compound, approximately 1 and ½ inches from the pads outer edge, moving right to left across the panel.
With the buffer set at 1400 to 1800 RPM, begin buffing the panel in 18x18 inch areas making sure all sanding scratches have been removed. Most compounds will produce a high gloss quickly. Make sure that no lingering scratches remain after buffing by examining the panel from several different angles.
Clean the panel thoroughly. With a black foam pad and your buffer again set at the same speed as before, apply a line of swirl remover, and gather it up with the foam pad. Again working the buffed area with overlapping passes using medium pressure. After three or four passes, lighten your pressure, and work the area with roughly two or three more light passes until the panel is gleaming. Apply a coat of glaze by hand to finish the job.
Once the buffing is complete, thoroughly clean the compound from all jambs, light apertures and molding areas. The vehicle is now ready for re-assembly.
Step 4: Clean it up
All of us wash and vacuum the repaired vehicle when completed. Why not go the extra mile, and address areas inside and outside the car that might not be part of the loss? On the exterior, touch up nicks and scratches with touch-up paint in the correct vehicle color, a good touch-up brush, and some catalyzed clear coat paint.
Using the touch-up brush, dab a little bit of the touch-up paint into the void of the nick, being careful not to go outside of the lines of the chip. Fill the void only. Once the base coat color has dried, apply a drop of catalyzed clear coat in the same manner, filling only the void, not touching the surrounding area. Using a heat lamp, or a heat gun, force dry the clear. Once dry, apply a second drop of catalyzed clear to the repair area. Force dry the clear again. Lightly scuff the repaired area by hand, and using a small amount of compound, polish the repaired area.
On the inside of the car, the most important area is where the driver sits. Make sure the steering wheel, the dash gauges, the driver's door trim panel and the shifter are clean. Wash the floor mats. Then, using a dry stiff bristle brush, pull the brush down the length of the mat, leaving a long, cut grass like streak done the mat. Alternate the direction, and produce the same affect going the other way.
Step 5: Under the hood
All front-end repairs should involve a thorough cleaning of the engine compartment. This can be done in many cases, without washing the engine with solvents and water. Use a mild household cleaner spray and a soft rag to clean plastic splash shields and shrouds, engine covers and air cleaners. Apply a light coating of non-silicone plastic or rubber treatment to give the under hood area that "brand new" car look.
Final word: It's in the details
Using these tips, along with your shop's repair expertise, will help assure the quality detail job that a quality repair deserves. This in turn assures you have many happy customers today and in the future. Remember, quality is in the details.
