imported_Reflections
New member
I haven't posted to the click & brag in a long time. I have trouble finding time to sort through and post photos. Poor time management, as Scottwax would put it. The realization that I could just post a flickr set made me take the plunge.
I first saw this car late 2007 to repair a scratch on the roof.
Phil and I saw it again today to give it a good layer of protection for the Spring driving season.
I read the paint at around 6.5 to 7 mils for most of the car which I've found to be average for newer Ferraris. It had been reduced about a mil in the area around the scratch repair I previously did.
We washed the car with Ultima Paint Guard Wash, which is currently my go to shampoo. I love this stuff for it's lubricity and smell. A lot of people think product scents aren't important, but when I'm in a good mood, I do better work, and nothing puts me in a good mood like the smell of Papaya or whatever the heck the Paint Guard Wash and the Detail Spray Plus + smells like.
I tried using my Ultima Elasti-Foam to remove the light and isolated particles of contamination, but they wouldn't budge. I went to some ultra fine clay, which did the trick.
What I love about the Ultima Elasti-Foam system:
Really easy to use
Smells great
Doesn't leave deposits around rockguard, rough edges, etc.
Doesn't damage trim
Leaves the paint feeling amazing
Quick
What I don't like about the Ultima Elasti-Foam system:
It won't always remove the medium to large contaminant particles that can cause marring should they come loose during polishing.
For this reason I will probably not use it again until a more aggressive version is available. If it can't sufficiently clean the paint on a car with 2000 kms, it's simply not effective enough for me.
That being said, if a car is properly prepped from new with a good sealant, perhaps the contaminants would never bond well enough to resist the magical cleaning powers of the Ultima Elasti-Foam system. I do not know. Maybe I'll try the Ultima Cleaning Lubricant with with a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. Or maybe that's a terrible idea.
I followed with an application of Paint Prep Plus using my orbital and a blue pad. Paint Prep Plus smells like gingerbread. It even leaves the paint smelling like gingerbread after it's buffed off. I mentioned to Phil that I wish someone would hurry up and invent a smell-o-cam so I could capture it and share it.
We didn't do any polishing of the 3M rockguard today, as the client was mainly concerned with protection only. Headlights, tail lights, and engine cover were also in great shape.
We removed the PP+ and applied a layer of Ultima Paint Guard Plus. We waited ten minutes unil most of it had dried. I cannot apply a layer of this product with no visible areas of reduced coverage without using slightly more than what is recommended by the manufacturer. I feel I could apply it "properly" if I spent three times as long applying it, but haven't quite had the patience yet, and I don't think it can possibly negatively affect the final product if it is slightly overapplied, as anything that doesn't bond with the paint will wipes right off.
A second wipe removed any hazing left from the first wipe where the Paint Prep Plus+ wasn't 100% dry.
At this point I had yet to ever top a carnauba over the Paint Guard Plus. We weren't sure whether we were going to use the Pinnacle as our LSP, or a second coat of Ultima Paint Guard. We applied Pinnacle Souveran on one half of the hood, and left the other with the single coating of Paint Guard Plus.
We let it haze, then buffed with a towel, then buffed again, then quick detailed the whole hood. The side with the Pinnacle Souveran on it had less clarity. The paint was murkier. At sharp angles (under 30 degrees) there was a slight increase in percieved depth - but I've never been one for artificial depth on a clearcoated car.
We removed the wax with iso, and reapplied the Ultima Paint Guard Plus, then removed.
I applied another layer to the whole car, and again waited 10 minutes, then removed. If anyone's afraid to try this product because of the recommended two hour wait time (which I know freaked out a lot of professionals out there) then I'd honestly recommend trying it anyway, and see if you can't get it to work a little faster if time is an issue.
I followed with a second dry wipe, then a wipe down with Ultima Detail Spray Plus+. The gloss, reflectivity, and depth on this car was phenominal, and I know from experience that the durability is excellent. There is no sealant or wax I've used with the clarity of Ultima Paint Guard.
I sealed all the trim with Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus, which is another product I love, as long as the trim is already in good to excellent condition. It provides a very even and matte finish, and from what I can tell, protects very well.
The wheels & wheel wells were cleaned by hand with Griott's Quick Detailer (don't ask why) and microfiber towels - which reminds me of something Phil once said, "A good detailer never knows why he does anything." Just a joke, honestly.
We cleaned old dealership wax out of the seams and 3M lines with steam (very carefully to avoid burns to the rockguard.)
Questions & comments are appreciated.
