Ferrari Testarossa - old school cool :)

[TTBear]

Hi everyone - it has been a while for me - hope everyone is doing great, and looking forward to July 4th

I just had the opportunity to do a friend`s Ferrari Testarossa, and thought it would interest some of you. I was thrilled to be able to do this car - this car, along with the Countach and others of the era, was the car that started my adolescent love for cars - especially exotics. I know this dates me, haha, but Miami Vice`s Testarossa.... Magnum P.I.`s 308 GTS..... Cannonball Run`s Countach.... I watched all these shows just to catch a glimpse of the cars B)

I have done my friend`s 458 Spider, F430 coupe, and did a quick new car delivery detail on his F8 Tributo, but this car was the one I was really Jonesing to get stuck into!

The paint was.... OK. It looked like a good ten-foot car after initial washing:




On closer inspection, though, this was more indicative of the general condition of the paint:



Thankfully, there weren`t any deep scratches requiring wet sanding. I took a bunch of depth readings with my Defelsko, and they were pretty much all reassuring. It`s been a while since I have done single stage paint, and I had to get over my initial panic, seeing colour on my polishing pad, haha:



Stuff I used:

Initial wash - CarPro Lyft, then Iron-X
CarPro decontamination towel, with my trusty ONR as lube.
FLEX 3401, RUPES iBrid Nano
After a little experimentation, I thought that Menzerna 2500 on an orange Lake Country CCS pad worked great for most of the paint, with the occasional Menzerna 400 in some spots, followed by Jescar Microfinishing Polish on a blue Lake Country finishing pad, worked really well. Finally, a car that didn`t need any wet sanding, at all
California Duster (KIDDING - just threw that in there, to see who was paying attention )
CarPro Eraser x 2
CQuartz SiC, followed by a layer of CQuartz UK 3.0, then Reload.

Some obligatory before and afters:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Some afters:

Thanks for viewing - as I have always maintained, I am thankful for all the help you guys have provided, so freely. I still have a ton to learn, but this forum is THE BEST place to do so.
I must apologize for the garage setting. My wife and I moved into a really old warehouse condo - thankfully, we do have a double garage, as most of these condos don`t, but I sure miss my massive garage at our house! You are seeing it before I address the insulation, floor, and cabinetry, so it`s a MESS

Have a great 4th of July, everyone!!!

 

[DeuceRooster]

Nice work. I like the multiple before/after photos. Thank you for sharing this beautiful redhead.

 

[imported_Blake]

Gorgeous Car and you sure did it proud. Excellent job.

 

[TTBear]

Thanks so much, you guys! This car took me a really long time, but I loved every minute of it. Spending time with cars like this is amazing - you get that feeling back again, when you were ten years old, and caught a glimpse of one of them. This is such an iconic car - the side strakes, the buttresses, the WIDTH!!
Those cheese grater side strakes were a bear - in the end, I did them by hand! And getting to drive one of your childhood dream cars....priceless!!! The clutch is like a switch, the gas is notchy, the steering wheel rake and distance is....odd..... But oh man. That sound, that dogleg first gear and gated shifter!!!:wub::wub::wub:

And (this will date me more, haha) - I miss pop-up headlights, hahaha.

Thanks again - I thought you guys (and girls) might be interested in this car. I sure loved doing it!

Happy July 4th!!! :usflag

 

[Stokdgs]

Thanks so much, you guys! This car took me a really long time, but I loved every minute of it. Spending time with cars like this is amazing - you get that feeling back again, when you were ten years old, and caught a glimpse of one of them. This is such an iconic car - the side strakes, the buttresses, the WIDTH!!
Those cheese grater side strakes were a bear - in the end, I did them by hand! And getting to drive one of your childhood dream cars....priceless!!! The clutch is like a switch, the gas is notchy, the steering wheel rake and distance is....odd..... But oh man. That sound, that dogleg first gear and gated shifter!!!:wub::wub::wub:

And (this will date me more, haha) - I miss pop-up headlights, hahaha.

Thanks again - I thought you guys (and girls) might be interested in this car. I sure loved doing it!

Happy July 4th!!! :usflag

My Great Friend !!!
Oh Wow !!! Such amazing, beautiful, flat, clear, work you turned this beauty into !!!! I am so proud of you ! She looks flawless !!!

Those Strakes ! Yes ! Can only do them by hand...You did such a great job.

A precursor to those was the 1993 Ferrari 348 TS I detailed once, for the man that wrote Microsoft Excel.. Beautiful Ferrari Rosso paint, on the hard side, full of scratches...Turned out stunning like your work above... Those were the super cars of the day.

Thank you so much, for the beautiful, detailed, photos of your work - it was like I was there watching you do it.. Yes, these get hours and hours of love, and they so deserve it !
I hope your new residence is working out nicely and all is good with you and yours !

Dan F

 

[TTBear]

Hi Dan!!!! Gracie, my friend, gracie mille (that`s about the only Italian I know, but I thought it appropriate for the car detail, haha). I so appreciate your input, and encouragement! Like I said, I have much to learn, but on Autopia, I am learning at the feet of the masters
I remember the 348 so well! I was on a bus in England when I was in university over in Ireland - a 348 went screaming by us - that sound will live with me forever!
Cheers!!! Hope you and all yours are doing the very best.

 

[Stokdgs]

Allan,
We are all good, thank you !

I`m thinking; you did that perfect work to this Ferrari, you are pretty much there... They are not easy to do, and I have only done 3... So many curvy, rounded, etc., places... And yes, wide, wider, places... Genius Italian Design...

I am so glad you remember a 348 Top Speed ! The owner took me for a little ride, and yes, it is incredible how absolutely Loud and Fast, it gets from 0 to anything!

And Yes- that sound !!! I cannot even comprehend how much faster and louder that Testarossa sounded like! Their sound goes through your body, and not just assaults your ears off...

Thank you so much for the Independence Day wishes, Allan!!! Means a lot to me...

As you know, there were a lot of military guys in our family. Me and a few cousins are the only ones left now...The ones who served before us, our Dads and Uncles, all saw the most extreme combat with so many of their brothers, that did not return home.. We always say our prayers for all of them and their families..

Dan F

 

[Desertnate]

Great job. No way that is old-school! I had a poster of a red Testerrosa just like that one hanging on my bedroom wall as a kid! It couldn`t have been that long ago...!

How hard was it polishing out the side strakes? Those must have taken for ever; even with that small polisher (a Nano ?).

 

[Sizzle Chest]

Nicely done on such a cool car!!! Looks great! I know those strakes are a real PIA to take care of...

 

[Lonnie]

TTBear:
Thanks for posting your detail on this icon exotic sports car of the `80`s. Gotta say that your post format mirrors Sizzle Chest`s, which is a good thing. Taking the time to create and post the pics and text in this format means a lot, and we Autopians are the benefactors of that effort.

SO, in true Captain Obvious fashion, here are my questions (Sizzle Chest is just rolling with laughter, thinking, "FINALLY, it`s someone else`s turn! Now you will know what I go through.")
1) Do you clean your pads stained with dead single-stage paint after using them, or just throw them away?
2) What are you using for spot lighting that we see reflected in the pics?
3) How much time in terms of hours did you spend on the exterior for washing/decontamination, correcting and polishing, and final LSP application?
4a) What Defesko Paint Thickness Gauge (AKA; PTG) measurements values (IE; numbers) in microns or mils did you get?
4b) Any areas that were a concern with those measurements that affected how you corrected or polished?
5) What brand of yellow painter`s tape were you using?
6a) Although you did not need to wet sand with this detail, what do you use for abrasive papers for wet sanding?
I assume that in your new garage, running a water hose dribble for extensive wet sanding might be "cumbersome" or impossible at this point.
6b) Do you use a special solution mix to soak your abrasive papers in before wet sanding and if so, what is it?
I assume the interior or motor compartment was NOT part of this detail, since there is no mention of this nor any pics.

Kudos on the humor about the California duster. Yes, I am paying attention.
Also kudos on the use of CarPro products. They are some of the best-of-the-best in car-care detailing products and your experience with them tells me they give you the results you and your clients desire for the vehicles that you detail.

AND, thank you for wishing us American`s a Happy Fourth of July. It`s just "another day" for Canadians on the summer calendar.
With all that`s going on in America in terms of social, political, the economy, and recent Supreme Court rulings, the 4th of July has lost its meaning to many of its inhabitants and citizens. It`s still the greatest country in the world in my opinion, but that may not be the real-world experience or judgement for some. But that`s another issue I do not wish to get into, nor the focus of this forum or this particular post.

Great detailing workmanship on this red Ferrari icon!! Again, thanks for posting the pics.

 

[TTBear]

Allan,
We are all good, thank you !

I`m thinking; you did that perfect work to this Ferrari, you are pretty much there... They are not easy to do, and I have only done 3... So many curvy, rounded, etc., places... And yes, wide, wider, places... Genius Italian Design...

I am so glad you remember a 348 Top Speed ! The owner took me for a little ride, and yes, it is incredible how absolutely Loud and Fast, it gets from 0 to anything!

And Yes- that sound !!! I cannot even comprehend how much faster and louder that Testarossa sounded like! Their sound goes through your body, and not just assaults your ears off...

Thank you so much for the Independence Day wishes, Allan!!! Means a lot to me...

As you know, there were a lot of military guys in our family. Me and a few cousins are the only ones left now...The ones who served before us, our Dads and Uncles, all saw the most extreme combat with so many of their brothers, that did not return home.. We always say our prayers for all of them and their families..

Dan F

Dan,

Thanks so much for always taking the time to recognize, and respond - it is so greatly appreciated - and yes, you should be so very proud of the serving members of your family, especially - their sacrifices should never, ever go unrecognized!

Stay well!!!

Great job. No way that is old-school! I had a poster of a red Testerrosa just like that one hanging on my bedroom wall as a kid! It couldn`t have been that long ago...!

How hard was it polishing out the side strakes? Those must have taken for ever; even with that small polisher (a Nano ?).

I STILL have my Countach and Testarossa posters!! They would be on full display, but the wife factor is strong....hahaha.

The side strakes were a BEAR. I had done a white Testarossa a few years ago, so kinda knew what I was getting into. The Nano wouldn`t fit in there - I tried using a 7.5" pad, and kind of just slid it in between the strakes, but that was a no go, either....in the end, I hand-bombed ALL of those strakes - it took a couple hours each side, before I was really happy with the result!!!

Nicely done on such a cool car!!! Looks great! I know those strakes are a real PIA to take care of...

Thanks so much! I so appreciate the comments, both positive, and critical, if any.

TTBear:
Thanks for posting your detail on this icon exotic sports car of the `80`s. Gotta say that your post format mirrors Sizzle Chest`s, which is a good thing. Taking the time to create and post the pics and text in this format means a lot, and we Autopians are the benefactors of that effort.

THANKS!!!! Wow - to be even mentioned in the same sentence as Sizzle Chest is huge, for me! If I can contribute on this amazing forum, I am thrilled to do so!

SO, in true Captain Obvious fashion, here are my questions (Sizzle Chest is just rolling with laughter, thinking, "FINALLY, it`s someone else`s turn! Now you will know what I go through.")
1) Do you clean your pads stained with dead single-stage paint after using them, or just throw them away?
Great question - I thought long and hard about cleaning vs chucking....in the end, I took my time with soaking (Poorboy`s Pad Cleaner and Conditioner), and judiciously working each pad by hand - it took forever, but I did manage to get them clean!
2) What are you using for spot lighting that we see reflected in the pics?
Believe it or not, it`s a Costco work light! A buddy bought it for me, when I refused to take payment for helping him detail his Viper, haha. It is crazy bright - there are two brightness settings on each light, and I only ever use the lower setting.
3) How much time in terms of hours did you spend on the exterior for washing/decontamination, correcting and polishing, and final LSP application?
Hmmmmm - I am kind of loathe to admit this, hahaha - I know I am FAR less efficient than you guys, but that`s part of the beauty of not doing this as a profession. I can take my time, and enjoy spending time with awesome machinery! In all, I would estimate that I put in 44-ish hours in total. That was with Canadian Football, Wimbledon tennis, and Formula One going on in the background, mind you...haha. Those side strakes..... oh boy..... hahaha.
4a) What Defesko Paint Thickness Gauge (AKA; PTG) measurements values (IE; numbers) in microns or mils did you get?
I read in microns - the thickest was 182, on parts of the roof. The thinnest was an 82, on a front fender, I believe. There were a few panels that I couldn`t get a reading on, which I found strange - I know there are no composite panels on a Testarossa???
4b) Any areas that were a concern with those measurements that affected how you corrected or polished?
Yes, absolutely - I was super careful on the front fender - 82 microns of single stage seems likely OK, but just the difference between 82 and 182 was daunting, for me!
5) What brand of yellow painter`s tape were you using?
3M Automotive Refinish Masking Tape - I did a friend`s Gallardo Superleggera, he paints industrial equipment, and gives me cases of the stuff, in various sizes! I haven`t paid for masking tape in years! (And I do believe that the abundance of the stuff absolutely fuels my penchant for taping up everything in sight...hahaha)
6a) Although you did not need to wet sand with this detail, what do you use for abrasive papers for wet sanding?
This is an area where I really need to do some better research - I just use 3M wet/dry sanding paper, and really like 3M Trizact foam-backed sanding sheets.
I assume that in your new garage, running a water hose dribble for extensive wet sanding might be "cumbersome" or impossible at this point.
Yep, 100%!!! No running water in the garage, and likely not possible - the garage is detached from the condo building, and I`m not sure how I will be able to get water out to it. For now, the garden hose is just outside the garage, so it`s not too bad.
6b) Do you use a special solution mix to soak your abrasive papers in before wet sanding and if so, what is it?
Again, I am no expert, here, at all. I use a little ONR in distilled water, and soak overnight - please - anyone correct me, if this is a dumb idea!
I assume the interior or motor compartment was NOT part of this detail, since there is no mention of this nor any pics.
Yes, absolutely, hahaha - I really don`t enjoy doing engine bays, and interiors. I usually make it clear that my friends can do the engine bay and the interior of their own cars!

Kudos on the humor about the California duster. Yes, I am paying attention.
:lmfaoHahahaha - good of you to pick it up!!!! Awesome work - gold star for you :lol:

Also kudos on the use of CarPro products. They are some of the best-of-the-best in car-care detailing products and your experience with them tells me they give you the results you and your clients desire for the vehicles that you detail.

I really do enjoy using CarPro products - they seem to be a company that really excels in R&D, and not just marketing over substance. My detailing jobs aren`t really for "clients" - I do this purely because I love it, mainly for friends in the car group that I belong to - that`s why the vast majority of cars I get to do are exotics I can`t justify charging them, so I just ask them to make a contribution to the local animal shelter. That way, everyone wins.

AND, thank you for wishing us American`s a Happy Fourth of July. It`s just "another day" for Canadians on the summer calendar.
With all that`s going on in America in terms of social, political, the economy, and recent Supreme Court rulings, the 4th of July has lost its meaning to many of its inhabitants and citizens. It`s still the greatest country in the world in my opinion, but that may not be the real-world experience or judgement for some. But that`s another issue I do not wish to get into, nor the focus of this forum or this particular post.

I agree with you - July 4th is such a fantastic tradition - it`s part of what makes the USA, the USA, and it is all the better for it!

Great detailing workmanship on this red Ferrari icon!! Again, thanks for posting the pics
You are SO welcome! As I have always maintained, I`m nowhere near the level you guys are putting out - I`m a family doc by trade, which I love, but as far as passion goes - give me a few days with an exotic car, and I couldn`t be happier!! I am just glad to contribute in some small way.


Thanks!!!!!

 

[JustJesus]

LOL
California Duster!