1966 Batmobile - 3D Products - Extreme Makeover!

[Mike Phillips]

1966 Batmobile - 3D Products - Extreme Makeover!

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...

And he knows it....

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued....

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...

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


The plastic rear and front capsule windows are completely swirled-out...

Every component and Bat Gadget needs to be clean and polished.

The Interior

The interior is a work of art and remember - Nate hand-fabricated most of what you see. When Nate built this Batmobile, there were no off-the-shelf parts or components for a 1966 Batmobile at your local auto parts store.

The infamous Bat Phone - which is function via your cell phone!

I don't know about you - but when I inspected the Batmobile I got excited! I love a challenge! I'm actually glad she was in dire need of attention - it gave Francisco and I the opportunity to test our skills and showcase 3D products.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


Inspecting the Bat wheels and tires.



Passenger side front

Passenger side rear

Driver's side rear

Driver's side front

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued....


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

1. Wash wheels and tires
2. Do headlight correction
3. Clean the engine and engine bay
4. Machine polish the glass
5. Machine scrub any plastic body cladding
6. 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

See list of classes here,

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

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


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!

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued....


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.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


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,

1. Run longer.
2. Charge faster.
3. 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.

Now with all the most difficult parts finished - it's time for paint correction.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...

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.

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.

One of my favorite tools - The FLEX CBEAST

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.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued....

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.

Now this is an EXTREME MAKEOVER!

Ready to go back to the Bat Cave!

 

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


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.

 

[RTexasF]

That had to be the most tedious time consuming detail you've ever done. Extreme detail doesn't really cover it.
Did The Joker take care of it before you got it? It looked like it. Extreme kudos to you and others involved in the rebirth of an icon.

This deserves a bow

 

[Strive]

First... WOW

Second... you used the PXE here? It looks like a decent sized panel so why not the CBEAST?

Continued....

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

Third... When using combinations like a microfiber pad with ACA 510 you were not concerned about having enough paint to remove? I'm guessing this is custom paint job so plenty of clear?

Fourth:Based on this writeup it looks like Cordless with 2-3 batteries is enough to complete big projects?

Fifth: the BANG BOOM in the writeup are an awesome touch

 

[Rob Harley Detailer]

Holy Squirrel Swirls Batman!!

 

[Frank S]

Great write-up and pictures Mike! Amazing makeover!

 

[MikeH]

Thanks Mike for the time and effort you put in the both the write up and detail!

 

[Mike Phillips]

That had to be the most tedious time consuming detail you've ever done. Extreme detail doesn't really cover it.

Gosh I kind of hate to say this but knocking out this Batmobile detail in one day - we we're moving pretty quick.

Hours - Description of work done

2 - I think we started the washing around 10:00am. This took almost 2 hours including machine scrubbing the tires and cleaning the wheels.
2 - Hand polishing the wheels took at least 2 hours.
1 - Mechanical decontamination with the Nano Towel was a solid hour.
1 - I had at least an hour into removing the staining and etching around the rocket launchers.
1/2 - I had at least 30 minutes into cleaning all the stuff out of the inside of the Batmobile, things like tire jack, paperwork and just stuff.
1/2 - Another 30 minutes into wiping the entire interior down with the waterless wash.
1/2 - I know Francisco had at least 30 minutes into applying the dressing to all the various vinyl and plastic surfaces.
2 - The paint correction - compounding with 3D ACA 510 and polishing and sealing with the 3D SPEED was at least 2 hours and that's with Francisco doing one side and me doing the other side.


Total = 9.5 hours. Let's call it 10 hours for good measure and then the next day I buzzed over the paint with POXY but for this I took my time and enjoyed the process but let's call that an hour.

Time was compressed as there was a lot going on during this first visit to the corporate office. Plus, Tunch gave us a tour of the entire facility including both laboratories, both manufacturing plants, the bottle filling and labeling plant and then two separate warehouses to hold all the manufactured goods including small bottles, 32 ounce bottles, 64 ounce pails, gallon jugs, 5-gallon jugs and 55-gallon barrels. (that's a lot of warehousing), plus the corporate office and the training academy, which are two separate locations. We arrived on a Sunday, Monday was official Labor Day, so everyone was off work and all offices closed. We started working on Tuesday with meetings. Started filming videos on Wednesday. Detailed the Batmobile on Thursday plus two others cars, (detailed by in-house staff), and then Friday the big announcement day and fly home on Saturday.


So yeah - would have loved to slowed down and spent more time on the Batmobile extreme makeover but reality is what it is and everyone did what they had to do.

Did The Joker take care of it before you got it? It looked like it. Extreme kudos to you and others involved in the rebirth of an icon.

Oh... I'll just say that each of us has our own unique talents and my good friend Nate's unique talents include the ability to take his vision and turn it into reality.

Speaking of the Joker - besides the Batmobile, one of the other really cool vehicle's I've sanded and buffed is the Joker Truck painted by Cory St. Clair.

This was a sureal experience - folding a sanding disc in half and using it to sand the teeth of the Joker where the panel curved inward and I couldn't safely machine sand.

One of the last full cut and buff jobs I did with my trusty, dusty Makita rotary polisher I purchased new in 1987 and still have in my tool collection to this day.

Final results...

Corey St. Clair is so very talented...

Looking forward to working with Cory in the future.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Holy Squirrel Swirls Batman!!

Ha ha...

Great write-up and pictures Mike! Amazing makeover!

Thanks Frank - could have used your help....

Thanks Mike for the time and effort you put in the both the write up and detail!

Thanks Mike, that means a lot to me. It takes hours to process the pictures and then create the content.

 

[Stittville Ed]

Bat Man would give you 2 Thumbs Up for sure

So much small detail work inside and outside.
And if you hit the wrong button you might do a Bat Turn and get Ejected at the same time...........

Everyone did such a GREAT job !!!!!!!!!!!!1111

 

[Frank S]

Thanks Frank - could have used your help....

That would’ve been great! Maybe next time!