INFINITI FX45 DETAIL | Complete Detail + Paint Correction of Hammered 2007 FX45

#detailing #carwash #garage
I have always been a fan of the Infiniti FX, so I was happy to get my hands on a FX45 belonging to a friend. They are on vacation which meant I had the option of working on the car at my convenience. Over the course of three days, I put north of twenty hours into restoring the lustre of this aggressively-styled and powerful SUV. Our friends don't exactly baby this car, so a fair amount of work was required.
Day 1 - Interior
After a very thorough vacuum, I used my Tornador foam gun to coat the carpets in a think froth of Griot's Carpet Cleaner. I used a soft bristle rotary brush to dislodge the deep down debris and break up some hardened stains on the carpet. Some areas required extra attention so I fired up my Mytee Firebird Steamer. To get the carpets completely clean, it took me five hours. They came out brilliantly. Later that evening, I drove the car down to the coin-op car wash to thoroughly power wash the mats and engine compartment. I hung the mats on my mat wall to dry for a few days and continued working on the engine bay the following day.
Day 2 - Seats/Engine
The leather upholstery in this FX is perforated and many of the perforations were filled with debris. I used a very pointy punch to dislodge each of them, but some steaming was required to really clear them out. I used Sonax's Leather Foam on the seats. First, I used a detailing brush to distribute the cleaner and followed that up with a leather brush to really work the cleaner into the leather. The Sonax Leather Foam left the seats looking natural. The way I like them. With the seats complete, I turned my attention to the rest of the interior. Using my Firebird steamer, I took care of the vents. The steam does an amazing job of dislodging the dirt from the hard-to-reach surfaces. I have a brush that my wife used to use to clean my son's baby bottles, and I used that to get into each crevice of the vent. I also used my 1Z Einzett Cockpit Premium to get that dash looking its finest. I used compressed air to blow away the leftover product. The engine bay was looking much better after the power wash at the coin-op, but there was still a lot of grime that needed to go. My Firebird, once again, rose to the occasion. With the engine bay pristine, the only thing left to do was to dress the various components, but that had to wait until the final day when I concentrated on the finishing details.
Day 3 - Polish/Wax
The paint on the FX was pretty beat up. It is obvious this car has been subjected to numerous automated washes. The swirls were quite severe. I opted for Wolfgang's Swirl Remover. I began the day by going over the paint with Griot's Paint Prep which ensures that the paint is free of any wax or sealants. I was sure this car had no such coating, but I just wanted to ensure I was working with a clean slate. Using my Flex 3401 and my newly-acquired Flex PE-8 and a combination of pads, I spent three hours going over every panel of the FX, including the parts coated with 3M. The pad I found most successful was my Lake Country CCS 5.5" yellow "Heavy Cut" pad. Unfortunately, I only have one of them. I ended up having to transfer over to a Lake Country Orange "Light Cut" pad, which took a bit more time and patience to achieve what the yellow pad accomplished. For the trickier parts of the car, I used my 1", 2", and 3" Flex pads. They were a lot of fun. The body styling of the FX has all kinds of curves and bulges, so the smaller pads were perfect for working around them. I was particularly impressed with how well this setup worked on the headlights and emblems. After the polish, I washed the vehicle to rid it of all the leftover polish residue. The paint has a number of rock chips and deep scratches that still remain, but the vast majority of the surface looks incredible. My Metro Vac Master Blaster made sure the car was bone dry before I applied a thick coat of Collinite Insulator Wax.
In this video, I think you will enjoy seeing how I utilize the space to make the job more effective and efficient.
To learn more about my garage and what happens within it, visit my website at WWW.RADGARAGE.CA

[@xtredline9188]

Love the garage man! Im jealous! I would love to be able to detail in a garage like that.

[@RADGarage]

+XT RedLine Thanks. I do enjoy working in it. A few more tweaks to get it perfect, but it's been fun.

[@cleanasdirt6832]

It’s amazing to watch the older videos and witnessing how they morphed from good videos to professional. 👍🇨🇦

[@RADGarage]

Oh yeah, this video marks the real start of my video making journey.

[@22Jdws]

Just stumbled upon this video and being a fan of fx45 itself, I’m impressed by the amount of effort that you put into this car. Kudos to you!

[@RADGarage]

Thanks for watching and commenting. The owners are thinking of getting a new one. They love it.

[@RGV250FORSALE]

You definitely brought that one back from the dead - amazing job sir !

[@txdeedee7783]

Checking out you're older content. Love the steam in the air vents.

[@RADGarage]

Oh yeah, that was something else back in the day!

[@txdeedee7783]

@@RADGarage bring it back please.

[@pitbullkngz7236]

This is how all cars should be detailed regularly

[@RADGarage]

James Smith If only we all had the time, the energy and the will...

[@cpenrose64]

That was awesome Rick. Very entertaining. You are an artist!

[@RADGarage]

+Craig Penrose Thanks for the compliment. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@MikeFigueira]

I must have missed this video before. What a challenge that must have been but I would have enjoyed it myself. My cars don't often get dirty enough to even see much of a difference so that would be fun. Great job man, they must have been stunned when they saw it once you were finished.

[@MVF2024]

I actually enjoyed the music mix too...

[@RADGarage]

Oh man, that was back in the day when I wasn't really thinking too much about the music. I did like that particular mash up, though. Thanks for watching one of my oldies!

[@williamgallagher5655]

New subber so bingeing on your videos, funny how you were watching Ghost,and you brought the car back to life, fantastic work learning so much from you,

[@RADGarage]

That's awesome. I see you started with some oldies but goodies. That FX belonged to a friend as was written off a few years ago. It was my biggest and most ambitious project at that time.

[@akborealisdevstringerdesig3845]

Loved watching this video. I've had both the fx35 and 45. Heavy, sexy curvy, thick, ultra-realiable and has the opposite of a cadilac type suspension. No other car I've ever had quite let's me know the road condition like the fx. I'll never drive anything else. Your video will enable me to do just that by keeping its resell value as readily available as watching your channel. No salt on roads here in alaska but gravel for days. Thank you

[@RADGarage]

AK BorealisDev Stringer Designs No salt on the winter roads sounds like paradise. I agree, the FX (or whatever it's called now) is a very cool and aggressive vehicle. Always liked it masculine lines and hunkered down appearance. Thanks for viewing and commenting. Subscribed?

[@akborealisdevstringerdesig3845]

RAD Garage of course. No salt is due to run off into streams of which most hold salmon.

[@plainpawesome]

Agree with what you're saying about the FX35 and FX45. I did a fair amount of research before buying the FX35 and loved it, then researched more to replace it with an FX45. Sporty, comfortable, advanced technology for its time, quality materials, reliable... And I love the way it looks. People always say Porsche BMW or Audi are better... Perhaps, but I ain't got time for breakdowns that cost a fortune. Then there are people who say Toyota and Honda are more reliable... Can't argue that and they can drive those cars if they want... I prefer to feel more connected to the driving experience.

[@lcsighteken2248]

I agree. You fail to mention the stock exhaust note...Heaven!.. I own an fx45 and I am not sure if I will ever sell it. All black, I blacked out all chromes including the wheels (original Infiniti wheels) door handles and roof rails. Every time I see the new cars Infiniti made to replace the fx, I can't help but feel like they ruined that first-generation design.

[@bryancolebrook2379]

Wow! The garage is off the chain!

[@RADGarage]

Bryan Colebrook Everybody needs a thing, right? I guess we know what mine is.

[@dustybaker890]

Great job my man.Keep up the great work.Love your videos.Thanks for sharing.Take care!

[@RADGarage]

Oh, it's great to see an old video of mine still getting some love! That was the most epic project I had ever tackled back in those days.

[@86cap]

Very Nice Garage, Love how you are able to wash the car in your garage. Great detail work.

[@RADGarage]

Mr Kaba Yes, it's quite convenient. Thanks for the feedback.

[@chipdiamond2628]

Hi Rick , do you also teach people how to polish/Detailing cars ?

[@RADGarage]

Enzo Fxx Not formally. I have had a few buddies help me out on projects and I’ll pass on my knowledge but I’m still a student myself. I look forward to learning from the pros at some point in the future.

[@midnightmystery544]

I used to detail **attempt** like this when I was younger. Thanks for making these videos! I really want to start detailing again, and have my own business doing it one day! What you are doing here took me days, literally, days... Tyson told me about your channel so I subscribed!

[@RADGarage]

Midnight Mystery Thanks for dropping by. I enjoy the science of detailing and demonstrating my process in artistic ways. I wish you well in your detailing!

[@midnightmystery544]

@@RADGarage Thank you! I learned how to detail when I resurrected our 2001 Camry that had been abused, and mainly sitting for 5 years, when I was 15. I watched SK04 detail videos, then, later discovered the "less traveled" parts of detailing, like clay bar, steam cleaning, and other things... I used to wax my wood grain, windows and chome on the interior... LOL! But seriously, thanks for making these videos! I have been mostly inactive in the true detailing world for 5 years now and it's a shame. I have no work area. I'm currently working in the industry as the guy who runs hundreds of cars a day through a swirl machine... It's not pretty. But I know what you mean about the science of detailing...

[@madcow-1990]

Awesome garage dude

[@RADGarage]

Kyle G Thanks big guy. It's working well for me.

[@CBlasek]

Awesome garage, videos, and music!

[@RADGarage]

+Charles Blaszczyk Thanks for the kind words, Charles. Keeps me motivated to continue posting them.

[@Clint_L]

Great work Rick. The carpet cleaning I found most impressive. Love the Tornador being used. I must get one. I get lots of Audi’s and VW’s their carpet it’s pain to keep clean.

[@RADGarage]

Clint L Thanks. This project was years ago. While the products and techniques have changed over time, I'm still proud of how it turned out back then.

[@MTobin1000]

That steamer does a wonderful job loosening grime and cutting through gunk. What a great tool to have in the garage. (Mike in Ohio)

[@RADGarage]

Yes, it is a versatile tool that I get a lot of use out of.

[@lead-dog]

Wow RAD G....glad I took up the challenge. This is a great video...that car was so dirty...I hope to have project like that next week...2007 Highlander. Noticed you were using a Torque RO polisher. Chemical guys I think. What is that device you used to steam some of the interior around vents? What kind of wax did you finish that car off with? Honestly that was/is a great video for me to see especially if I get that 2007 Highlander. The headlights on it are worse than on this Infinity. What level of polish did you use on the headlights? I did read through the comments and your answers. Didn’t see the answers I think I need. Impressive Rick! Thanks.

[@RADGarage]

Hi Phil, I used a combination Flex Polishers back before I switched completely over to Rupes. I have a steamer by Mytee called the Firebird I will use time to time on certain projects. I would have to watch the video through to remember what wax I used, but it was probably Collinite or PowerLock. I did a mild polish of the headlights and they came out great. Some people turn headlight restoration into a 6-stage process but I have had nothing but good results with a single stage polish.

[@ufordcontrerassanchez5351]

love infiniti

[@RADGarage]

Me too.

[@alexstill3263]

Great video and garage! What was the brush attachment you used on your flex to scrub the carpet?

[@RADGarage]

It's a hook and loop rotating brush with soft bristles. A great way to dislodge embedded debris deep in the carpet fibres. It is similar to this one, but mine has black bristles. autoobsessed.com/shop/carpet-upholstery-brush-hook-loop-p-558.html

[@PeterWolf1974]

You can also polish a protectiv film on the bonett:-). Great job dude.

[@RADGarage]

Car Detailing yeah I did polish the PPF. I put the tape across the transition to avoid compound getting lodged in the joint.

[@dennisadjei7358]

Wow

[@RADGarage]

Dennis Adjei It was a lot of work! My later stuff is way better imo.

[@dennisadjei7358]

You brought the dead to life man kudos

[@detailgirl7342]

What did you use in the tornador for the carpets? Awesome garage and video!

[@detailgirl7342]

My bad it's in the description! 😅

[@syr72]

Hey man very nice video. I'm an owner of a fx35 and my exhausts get very dirty and turn matt black, which is normal I assume. But I would like to know what you cleaned the exhaust tips with. Thanks

[@RADGarage]

asq 97 Legit question. Have you, by chance, viewed my exhaust tip detail video? It demonstrates my process. The worse the tips, the longer each step of the process it takes, but the approach is always the same.

[@frankrizzo9161]

Nice job, I am looking to buy a fx35 at a dealer now. The front of the hood has what your hood looks like to have . I assume it is the clear coat pealing. There is a line. How did you handle this? Wet sand with 2000 , compound and wax and try to blend it in?

[@RADGarage]

frank rizzo The line you see on this hood is the transition between the faded PPF protecting the front portion of the hood.

[@frankrizzo9161]

@@RADGarage I see, thanks

[@frankrizzo9161]

@@RADGarage Have you ever delt with pealing clear coat?

[@RADGarage]

frank rizzo Nope. There’s nothing you can do at that point as far as I know.

[@syr72]

Hey man what did you use for it to foam up like that? 2:27

[@RADGarage]

asq 97 That's the Sonax Leather Cleaner that comes out foamy. Haven't used it in ages but I liked it.

[@syr72]

R A D G a r a g e ok what do you recommend for leather cleaner? I have the same seats but in Orange if that matters

[@syr72]

Hey man I have another question. I just clayed and handwaxed my car (fx35) and was wondering how often I should spraywax it to keep it shiny and smooth. Thanks

[@RADGarage]

That's a tough one to answer. I don't really use spray waxes, but that's not because I don't believe in their effectiveness. What kind of weather conditions is your car subjected to? Here in Canada, I would apply a spray wax after every wash just to keep the wax coat thick enough to protect against the brutal winter elements such as salt and road grime.

[@syr72]

RAD Garage I live in Florida, it's very hot outside. But my car sometimes sits in the garage 5 days a week

[@RADGarage]

asq 97 I think your good to use a spray wax as much as you want. I don't see an issue. You could also go with a coating, but that's a whole other discussion.

[@syr72]

RAD Garage ok sweet, thanks. I've watched some of your other videos as well. That sq5 is beautiful, man. Enjoy it

[@iqraqkamalrudin8135]

Really love your garage floor. Btw is it custom floor mat?

[@RADGarage]

Iqraq Kamalrudin That floor is by RaceDeck. They make modular plastic floors. I now have a similar style floor by a company called Swisstrax. I have more info on my floor at radgarage.ca.

[@iqraqkamalrudin8135]

@@RADGarage that's a great job you done for your garage. It's really awesome blogs too

[@brooksautry2266]

What spray did u use on the engine bay and wheels?

[@RADGarage]

Brooks Autry Einszett Deep Plastic Clean to finish engine bay and a final wipe down of wheels with Speed Shine by Griot's Garage.

[@choc-litcake6568]

Im here for the music

[@RADGarage]

Choc-lit Cake Haha. This was made during my mash-up phase.

[@HutchDesigns]

How was the paint? Was it a soft or hard clear? I only ask because I have one planned in a few days

[@RADGarage]

Oh boy, this was quite a few years ago. I believe the paint on that FX was pretty hard, but manageable. I wish you success with your project. Wish I could give you more insight on the paint.

[@HutchDesigns]

@@RADGarage no worries I wasn't sure because its a Japanese car and they're usually pretty soft but I was told infiniti was different. But the cars black and I feel black is normally soft anyway. Thanks for your help tho

[@RADGarage]

I do not recall it being soft, but I hear what you are saying. I will be doing a correction job on a black Acura NSX and I anticipate that paint will be on the softer side of things.

[@jred1127]

Just bought an fx35 and was able to get it for a good price because cosmetically it wasn’t the best. How much would a job like this cost?

[@RADGarage]

If you are actually in Calgary, I invite you to contact me via this link to discuss any potential project: www.radgarage.ca/contact.html

[@saanaijaiel]

NICE ! I own a FX35. I like the rims , where’d you get them from?

[@RADGarage]

Saanai Jaiel Thanks. Not my vehicle so no info on the wheels. Sorry.

[@1beastnstl]

What is the cost of a detail clean like that?

[@RADGarage]

D Atchison This particular detail, like the majority of my work, fell under the "friends and family" discount since I'm not an actual business. As a hobbyist, my pricing is based on various factors that make it hard to throw out a number. I think it is safe to say that the prices I charge are way less than industry prices, but I'm not really doing any of this for the money. Teaching has already made me extremely wealthy. 😉

[@ikisntel]

Where’s the list of friends that I can get on so I can get the discount as well! 🤔😁

[@RADGarage]

ikisntel What ride would you like me to work on if I could? I’m sooo much better than I was when this project was completed. This video is fun to watch to see how far I have come in my processes.

[@kellywhebb5808]

Where are you located?

[@RADGarage]

Kelly Whebb Calgary.

[@peeschamp]

all that and Giant pigeon take poop on it . lol

[@RADGarage]

SamSam Yup, very possible. 🐦

[@wizumer1]

Jesus lord

[@RADGarage]

Is that a good thing?

[@jabbarshoro]

Those poeple at the shop would never do this quality no mater how much u pay them

[@RADGarage]

Abdul Jabbar Thanks. I enjoy going all the way.

[@victorisrael9941]

this is a nice job well done.....how can i get in touch with you? probably an E-mail address from you would make me glad, nice workshop. my love goes to your son who gave you a gift for your good work.

[@RADGarage]

victor israel Thanks. Feel free to contact me here: www.ricksaudidouble.com/contact.html I love chatting with fellow car and detailing enthusiasts.

[@L337gypsy]

Great vid, awful music

[@RADGarage]

L337gypsy Glad you liked the vid. What type of soundtrack would you have preferred? I'm always experimenting with different music.

[@Nuninapr]

What? The music was Amazing! I need that mix!!!