# 1966 Batmobile - Full Paint Correction and Extreme Detailing Makeover



## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

*1966 Batmobile - Full Paint Correction and Extreme Detailing Makeover*

*Nate Truman's 1966 Batmobile - detailed by 3D*










During my first visit to meet the team at 3DProducts.com in sunny Santa Clarita, California, I also detailed my friend Nate Truman's 1966 Batmobile with the help of Fransisco Mendoza, the Training Supervisor for 3DProducts.com.

Nate built his 1966 Batmobile keeping it true and authentic to the original 1966 Batmobile seen on the original TV series - Batman. Over the years, Nate's' Batmobile sees a lot of use and a lot of wear-n-tear, it was due for a complete interior and exterior detail.

More accurately - it was due for an EXTREME MAKEOVER! And there's no better place to perform all the different aspects of taking a diamond in the rough and turning it into a glistening gemstone than the 3D Training Academy at the 3D corporate headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.

*The 1966 Batmobile was trucked to our facilities and arrived in the late evening.*



















Here you can begin to see the level of dirt that has accumulated on the car...



















*Here's Yancy backing the car off the trailer. Yancy always gets the easy part...*










*Having too much fun!*










_Ahh.... safe and sound for the night...








_


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More...

*Initial Inspection*

Over the years I've often seen people make cynical comments about someone's car detailing project because they either didn't see any before pictures or don't believe the original condition of the car before the paint correction process is performed. So what I like to do is document the hell out of ANY car detailing project I'm a part of to simply take the wind out of all the cynics. And of course, to show the true and accurate before condition so as to showcase what 3D products can do for the Batmobile and thus what they can do for any car.

*This is pre-wash - it shows exactly what the Batmobile looked like when it arrived.*

_This is going to hurt your eyes a little..._













































































































*Stained Paint*

I wish I would have taken better pictures of the Puddle Stains, (new term for the car detailing world), but it's a hell of reach to lean over that far into the car. What you see in the below pictures is *NOT *a film that washed off but actual physical staining or etching of the paint around the Bat Rocket Launchers.



















*3D ACA 510 Premium Rubbing Compound*

In the picture below you can see the entire puddle stain surrounding the Bat Rocket Launchers. After washing I removed all this staining using the FLEX PXE 80 with 3D 510 Premium Rubbing Compound, which is the fastest cutting, premium powder and formula in the 3D line-up of compounds and polishes. We would also use 510 on the entire car body to remove all the swirls and scratches.










Besides all the dirt and swirls there's also hand prints all over the place.










Even dirty, Nate's Batmobile is impressive from any angle or viewpoint.























































The areas where it looks like a film in the shape of a drizzle stains also did NOT wash off. These are actual stains in the paint.



















See the drizzle stains or runs on the right hand side? These are etching in the paint, not a film of dirt on the paint. Each stain had to be meticulously polished off using the FLEX PXE 80










_*Holy Bat Swirls Robin!*_









































































*It doesn't get any worse than this...*














































*Love the hand print in the middle of the hood...*


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More...

*Initial Inspection*

Over the years I've often seen people make cynical comments about someone's car detailing project because they either didn't see any before pictures or don't believe the original condition of the car before the paint correction process is performed. So what I like to do is document the hell out of ANY car detailing project I'm a part of to simply take the wind out of all the cynics. And of course, to show the true and accurate before condition so as to showcase what 3D products can do for the Batmobile and thus what they can do for any car.

*This is pre-wash - it shows exactly what the Batmobile looked like when it arrived.*

_This is going to hurt your eyes a little..._













































































































*Stained Paint*

I wish I would have taken better pictures of the Puddle Stains, (new term for the car detailing world), but it's a hell of reach to lean over that far into the car. What you see in the below pictures is *NOT *a film that washed off but actual physical staining or etching of the paint around the Bat Rocket Launchers.



















*3D ACA 510 Premium Rubbing Compound*

In the picture below you can see the entire puddle stain surrounding the Bat Rocket Launchers. After washing I removed all this staining using the FLEX PXE 80 with 3D 510 Premium Rubbing Compound, which is the fastest cutting, premium powder and formula in the 3D line-up of compounds and polishes. We would also use 510 on the entire car body to remove all the swirls and scratches.










Besides all the dirt and swirls there's also hand prints all over the place.










Even dirty, Nate's Batmobile is impressive from any angle or viewpoint.























































The areas where it looks like a film in the shape of a drizzle stains also did NOT wash off. These are actual stains in the paint.



















See the drizzle stains or runs on the right hand side? These are etching in the paint, not a film of dirt on the paint. Each stain had to be meticulously polished off using the FLEX PXE 80










_*Holy Bat Swirls Robin!*_









































































*It doesn't get any worse than this...*














































*Love the hand print in the middle of the hood...*


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More....

Inspecting the Bat wheels and tires.

*Passenger side front*



















*Passenger side rear*



















*Driver's side rear*



















*Driver's side front*


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

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*Next up is washing the Batmobile...*

I always teach and practice cleaning wheels, tires and wheel wells *FIRST*.
Machine scrubbing tires is the only way to go. There's simply no way the human hand with a brush will ever do a better job than a machine when it comes to getting tire sidewalls absolutely clean.










The *CORDLESS FLEX PE14 Rotary Polisher* with a scrub brush enables you to work safely around water without the risk of getting *shocked*.










*Why Wash Wheels and Tires First?*

The reason why you want to wash wheels and tires first is because, if you wash the wheels and tires last - you risk water spots forming on washed body panels after rinsing because at a minimum - it will take you an HOUR to properly and correctly wash and clean 4 wheels and tires. While you're sitting on your butt in front of the wheels and tires any standing water on the body panels will be drying potential leaving water spots. If you wash and dry the car body panels and then tackle the wheels and tires, when you end up getting the body panels next to the wheels and tires wet again, sometimes with your wheel and/or tires cleaners and now you have to re-wash or re-rinse these body panels. Now you're repeating steps. Because the ORDER in which you wash a car is RELATIVE - work smarter instead of harder and always wash wheels and tires first and then tackle the exterior body panels.

*Pro Technique Tip*

Always do the things that get a car mess first - then wash the car.

One of the things I practice and teach in all my car detailing classes includes not just washing wheels and tires first - but do ANY STEPS that will get the body panels dirty - first.

For example: If you're going to do Headlight Correction - Do this BEFORE you wash the car. This way, if you getting any sanding slurry (from sanding the headlights), onto nearby body panels - you can wash the slurry off when you wash the car. If you wash the car first and then sand or buff the headlights - now you're repeating step as now you have to re-clean these areas you already cleaned. You're wasting time.

Another example: If you're going to clean the engine compartment - do this BEFORE you wash the car. This way if you getting any APC or Degreaser on nearby body panels like the fenders, around the wiper cowl or the front windshield, you can wash this over spray off when you wash the car. If you wash the car first and then tackle the engine compartment - you're wasting time because now after you finish the engine compartment you'll have to re-wash the front clip of the car.

*Putting this idea into practice means you would in this ORDER*


Wash wheels and tires
Do headlight correction
Clean the engine and engine bay
Machine polish the glass
Machine scrub any plastic body cladding
Now wash the outside of the car

Works smarter - not harder - _*think*_ these things through. When you use technique that avoid repeating steps you save time an increase your profitability. You'll also be less tired.

*Mike Phillips Detailing Classes*

I teach the best car and boat detailing classes on planet Earth. I guarantee it. There are no chairs - there is no down-time. They are all HANDS-ON. You will learn more in any of my classes than any other option on the market and have fun doing it. I do a literal brain dump throughout the class. You simply won't find more information and learn more tried and true technique anywhere else. So when you see a car or boat detailing class coming up - clear your schedule and get signed-up.

And speaking of classes - check out the topics I'm teaching on Thursday, January 27th at the 2022 Mobile Tech Expo in Orlando, Florida.

*Kelly Harris* will be my Co-Instructor for the sanding classes and the glass polishing classes.

See list of classes here,

*Class Schedule for 2022 MTE - Mobile Tech Exp in Orlando, Florida*


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More...

*Foaming the Batmobile using 3D Pink Car Soap*




























*When it comes to washing cars...*










_*There's really no experience that comes close to washing the Batmobile!*_


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More....

*Rinsing the Batmobile.... got love your work!

Just another tough day at the office...*










*Indoor Wash Bay*

I love indoor wash bays! Not only are they great for washing a car or a Batmobile out of direct sunlight or out of the rain if it's raining outside - but they also are SO MUCH BETTER for shooting TV and Video because you don't have to deal with light issues like parts of the car in the sun while other parts are shaded - (looks bad in video), and you don't have to deal with all the sound interruptions like delivery trucks driving by or backing-up (beep beep beep), etc.

Plus - if your shop is air conditioned - _you don't have to break a sweat_. You guys at the 3D Santa Clarita Training Academy are so spoiled!










*Here's the final Prep Wash results - a Batmobile so clean you can now eat off of it!*










While all the surface dirt and traffic film has been removed, the below surface defects like swirls, scratches, water spots and stains still need to be removed.


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More...

I don't know about you, but whatever the project, I tackle the hardest parts first... in this case, doing all the paint correction around the Bat Rocket Launchers to remove the paint staining and etching.

*FLEX PXE 80 with 3D ONE*



















Besides the cool factor of the tool and the brushless motor - the other really great thing about all FLEX cordless tools is the proprietary batter technology.










*FLEX rechargeable batteries,*

Run longer.
Charge faster.
Last longer.

_No other brand of cordless tools can compete against FLEX's battery technology. And the tools? Pro Grade all the way. Once you use the lightweight, compact size FLEX PXE 80 one time - you'll never want to detail another car without it._ -Mike Phillips 




























3D One did a great job of removing much of the stain affected paint. For the deeper areas where the paint was physically etched I switched over to a microfiber pad on the FLEX PXE 80 and 3D ACA 510 Premium Rubbing Compound. Sorry no pictures, Yancy was a tick busy setting up for the LIVE announcement where Tunch Goren, the founder and owner of 3D Products plus the head chemist, would be announcing that Yancy and I were joining the 3D Team.










*Detailing the Wheels and Tires*

After removing all the etching and staining in the paint, the next hard parts were polishing the wheels followed by dressing the tires. The polished aluminum wheels had oxidized over time and were due for a good polishing. In the future I hope to see the Batmobile back to the Santa Clarita 3D Detailing Academy where with more time we'll remove the wheels and tires and this will enable us to make the wheels look like jewelry. Until then, I did all the work by hand and had to work around the Bat Center Cap as a part of the process.

For what it's worth, I knocked out the other 3 wheels and tires before getting to this passenger side, rear wheel and tire and then I took some before and after pictures. By now, I had hand-rubbed 3 other wheels. In my opinion, the results you're going to see are dramatic and the 3D Metal Polish works freaking amazing. Next time, if we can remove the wheels from the car and get the Bat Center Cap out of the way, using the 3D Metal Polish by machine, we can make this aluminum look like chrome.

*Here's what I had to start with. The tires have been machine scrubbed with 3D Yellow Degreaser and the wheels simply cleaned using the 3D Pink Soap.*



















*I'll add a couple of strips of 3D Masking Tape to show the before and after.*



















*Next add old school elbow grease...*



















*Wipey wipey...*



















*Remove the tape...*


















































































*I've used a TON of metal polishes in my life and nothing comes close to the finish you can get with 3D Metal Polish.*










*Now the finishing touch, dress the tires. For this I'm using 3D Ultra Protect.*




























_*Perfect!*_


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More....

After knocking out the stained and etched paint surrounding the Bat Rocket Launchers it was time to tackle the entire car.

*Paint Correction Process*

*First step* - Mechanically decontaminate using the 3D Nano Clay Towel

*Second step* - Compounding the entire car using 3D ACA 510 Premium Rubbing Compound.

*Third step* - Polishing and sealing the paint using 3D SPEED.

Here's Fransisco working his way from front to back on the driver's side. Franks style is a little different than mine but we both get to the same end-results and that's _*swirl-free Bat Paint*_. Franks style was to compound a panel followed by re-polishing with the 3D Speed and wiping as me went along.

*Fransisco buffing the Batmobile with 3D ACA 510 Premium Rubbing Compound.*










*One of my favorite tools - The FLEX CBEAST*

I tackled the passenger side. My style was to compound the entire side of the car wiping off the compound as I moved down the car. I followed this with machine polishing the paint using the 3D SPEED and for this product I left it to dry until I was completely done and then I wiped off the residue. One of the nicest things about all 3D paint correction products are their long open time, zero dusting and super easy wipe-off.










This is an cordless, 8mm gear-driven orbital polisher and because it's gear-driven - there's never any pad stalling to waste your time. Or as my friend coined the saying,

*The FLEX CBEAST - All brawl - ZERO stall!*

Stay tuned for more info on this tool and how to use it with 3D Products flawless, swirl-free show car results on all your car detailing projects.


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More...

A quick application of 3D POXY as a topper over the 3D SPEED plus it also darkened and took the results from SPEED to a higher level. And like SPEED, if you let POXY completely dry - it wipes off super easy.




























_*Here's the final results...*_



























































































*Now this is an EXTREME MAKEOVER!*



















_*Ready to fight crime!*_


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

More....

*The Batmobile Interior*

I always give credit where credit is due and I'd like to thank Fransisco for knocking out the bulk of the interior. I was pulled away for some pre-event meetings and to discuss upcoming U.S and International events for 2022 and while I was away Fransisco worked miracles with the Batmobile Interior.

The inside was fairly dusty so I did the initial wipe-down using 3D Waterless Wash. Francisco used 3D LVP to restore and revitalize all the leather, vinyl and plastic.























































It took us all day on Thursday to get the Batmobile show ready but on Friday - she was looking good and we were ready for the big event!










*Thanks for looking!*

Comments or questions? Post them below.


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## neil b (Aug 30, 2006)

POW !!! What a amazing turn around Mike fantastic job 😁


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## President Swirl (Oct 23, 2011)

All the years of crime fighting was Robin the paint of clarity. Looks like you Gotham out. Nobody makes a Joker out of Mike Phillips.


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

President Swirl said:


> All the years of crime fighting was Robin the paint of clarity. Looks like you Gotham out.
> 
> Nobody makes a Joker out of Mike Phillips.


I'm slow - but after reading what you wrote a few times and thinking... I figured it out.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nicely done.

:thumb:


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

KABOOM! And it was mint once again! Great job Mike.


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