Ok in the past I have always used Meguairs high endurance or Eagle One to black my tires. Well I got some 303 from Tacscar.
Let me tell you, this stuff rocks on tires! It gives the perfect finish not to glossy (the way I like my tires to look.)
It drys quickly and doesn't sling everywhere when you drive off. Meguairs gave me really bad browning problems 303 doesn't so far (2 weeks) only downfall I have found is it really stinks hehe.
Eventually, I will be adding that to my arsenal. For me, the matte finish is fine. But for some peeps, they want the "ghetto shine" and I will use Meguiar's #40 for that.
I actually think the Eagle One Satin might give a little more sheen than the Vinylex. It holds its sheen longer than Vinylex for sure. I like it, but if I had to choose between a free gallon of either for tires, I'd chose 303.
303 looks awesome on tires. I would have to concur that it gives you a perfect look on tires. Very dark and black but not too shiny. It's my favorite product for the interior as well. Laters.
This winter season started with a bang, as a long, 11 day, trip to The Great White North kicked off what is my busiest season. After returning to much warmer air, a two month sprint of long days (3 total days off) and sleepless nights in preparation for this year?s Cavallino Classic, as well as keeping up with the majority of my more normal paint correction work. The work below represents the majority of my work from returning from my trip (16 cars in 11 days) to Canada at the beginning of December until the end of January; minus four cars which are going to get larger, individual write ups (including a crazy concours detailing sprint with David Fermani) as well as some super expensive, ultra rare classic Ferrari?s.
1993 Acura NSX
This was a one day paint correction on the coldest day of the year. There was actually light snow flakes at one point, marking the first time in 10 years that it has snowed in Central Florida. Like most NSXs that I have had the pleasure of working on the paint was soft and easy to correct. It was in pretty bad shape but the defects came out easily making me look better than I am.
Process:
Wash- Clean with Meguiar?s Hyper Wash Wheels/Tires/Wheel Arches- Eimann Fabrik Hi Intensity Cleaner Clay- Meguiar?s Blue Detailer with M34 Final Inspection Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a PC-XP, 6.5 inch Hi-Gloss Orange Pad 1x2 passes
- Menzerna PO85rd on a PC-XP, 6.5 Inch Hi-Gloss Red Pad 1 pass Protection- Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paint Protection Interior- Vacuum, clean all interior surfaces with Meguiar?s APC 4:1 Trim- Blackfire Tire gel on tires, 1Z Gummi Phledge on weather stripping, Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on plastics.
The paint looked rough and dull. At first some of the scratches appeared very deep.
Using Kevin? Brown?s recommendations for polishing I was able to remove 99% or more of the general defects in one pass and finish to near LSP ready. All after pictures are before final polishing, but after a wipe down.
The sun was going down as I wiped off the last of the Blackfire. I was able to get a couple pictures in the frigid temperatures before it was too dark.
1995 BMW 850i
This BMW 850i had seen much better days! It had been stored outside for the better part of the last three years and was pretty far gone. The paint came back nicely for the time invested in polishing, although a new paint job would be required to make it perfect. I thought this was a perfect candidate for Meguiar?s D151 Paint Reconditioning Cream. I did an alcohol wipe down on two sections and was very surprised (pleasantly) to find that there was only slight amount of ?filling? and only of some of the deeper marks. The finish quality remained flawless (no micro marring returned).
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II Clay- Meguiar?s Red Detailer Clay using soap as lube. Polish- Meguiar?s D151 PRC on a rotary with Meguiar?s W5000 Wool Pad
- Meguiar?s D151 PRC on a G110V2 with Meguiar?s SB2.0 8007 pad Protection- Meguiar?s M26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax
To say the finish was abused would be an understatement.
The trunk was extremely oxidized and had zero shine!
The aggressive nature of Meguiar?s Red Clay actually restored some shine to the trunk.
The ?Porsche Design? is a great looking option on the Cayman and gives the Porsche a much more aggressive look, at least in my opinion. This Porsche had terrible holograms and buffer swirls, although they weren?t too deep and corrected with out too much trouble. Unfortunately the battery had died and I couldn?t move the Porsche to the end of the drive way to get some final after shots.
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II Wheels/Tires/Wheel Arches- Menzerna 7.5 Gel/Amazing Roll Off/Amazing Roll Off Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II with Blackfire Clay Lubricant Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a PC-XP using a Hi-Gloss 6.5 inch orange pad
- Menzerna PO85rd on a PC-XP using a Hi-Gloss 6.5 inch white pad Protection- Collonite #915 Marquee? De? Elegance Interior- Vacuum and wipe down Glass- Eimann Fabrik Clear Pearl II Trim/Misc- Autoglym Vinyl/Rubber trim on tires, seals, and plastics
Before pictures:
After pictures:
1971 Plymouth Barracuda 383
To many muscle car enthusiasts the ?71 Cuda represents the pinnacle in aggressive and proportional design. The color (Tor-Red I believe) has a light coral hue to the red and is quite stunning in person.
Process:
Wash- ONR Wheels/Tires/Arches- Meguiar?s 4:1 APC with ONR wipe-off. Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II with Blackfire Clay Lubricant Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on Makita using a Lake Country PFW pad x 2-3
- Meguiar?s M205 on Makita using a Hi-Gloss white pad
- Meguiar?s M205 on a PC-XP using a Meguiar?s SB2.0 9007 finishing pad Protectant- Blackfire Wet Ice over Fire combo kit. 2 coats of Wet Diamond topped with Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba Paste Interior/Top- clean with Meguiar?s APC 4:1, dress with Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant Misc/Trim- Blackfire Tire Gel-tires/ Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on everything else
This car took the better part of two days, I didn?t focus too much on the documentation. The only before pictures which doesn?t show how deep the marks penetrated the paint.
After Pics, two days of polishing later.
The paint looked very wet in the shade as well.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTE
This classic Ferrari was polished three weeks out from the Cavallino Classic show. The owner had been getting the car ready for the show and it honestly didn?t need much detailing, although it did need a lot of paint polishing. The defects where numerous and extremely deep. The first day of polishing was spent behind a wool pad and a rotary, taking paint measurements, and shaving off a micron at a time until 95% or more of the deep defects were gone. The second, shorter, day was enjoyed polishing out the remaining marks and jewelling the paint to a high gloss. Unfortunately winter in Florida often means overcast skies and a lack of direct sunlight, which becomes extremely frustrating.
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II Clay- Blackfire Poly Clay II with Meguiar?s M34 Final Inspection
Tires/Wheels/Arches- Meguiar?s APC 4:1 Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on Makita using Lake Country Twisted Wool x 3-4
- Meguiar?s M205 on Makita using Hi-Gloss Orange Foam
- Menzerna PO85rd on Makita using Hi-Gloss Black Finishing Foam Protectant- Blackfire Wet Ice over Fire combo kit. 2 coats of Wet Diamond topped with Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba Paste Wheels- Blackfire Fine Cut Aluminum Polish with a terry by hand, Blackfire All Aluminum Show Polish with a micro fiber by hand, Blackfire Wet Diamond All Metal Sealant Tires- Blackfire Tire Gel Interior- Polish all interior painted areas with Meguiar?s M105 on a G110V2 using a Hi-Gloss 4 inch Orange Pad, Menzerna PO203 on a Hi-Gloss 4 inch pad. Autoglym Super Resin Polish by hand. Leatherique on all leather. Trim/Misc- Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on all seals, trim, and plastics
Prior to washing the car the owner and I removed all of the trim, labels, badges, and door sills. 3M Blue Tape was used to prevent water from getting into the body.
Deep scratches as those visible below covered the entire surface of the Ferrari.
DEEP!
Starting to look a little better (but a long way to go!).
Here is a 50/50 in progress.
I finished late on day two and it was dark outside.
The owner of the car, who is a hobbyist photographer emailed me the final pictures in better lighting.
Ferrari F355 Spider- Cavallino Best in Class and Platinum Winner!
This is another Ferrari that I was lucky enough to spend some time on and make the paint perfect. This car belongs to a long time client and an avid car nut. The paint was cleaned, clayed, and ready to go upon my arrival!
Wash- Wipe down with Meguiar?s M34 Final Inspection Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on Makita using a Lake Country PFW pad x 1-2
- Meguiar?s M205 on Makita using Hi-Gloss 6.5 inch and 4 inch White pads
- Menzerna PO85rd on Makita using Hi-Gloss 6.5 inch and 4 inch Red pads Protectant- Protectant- Blackfire Wet Ice over Fire combo kit. 2 coats of Wet Diamond topped with Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba Paste
This detail was done on the first two days of a long ten day trip to South Florida, 9 days out from Cavallino.
Unloading my some of my equipment?
Some areas had deep scratching that I knew would require wet sanding. I placed one sheet of each of the Meguiar?s Unigrit paper from 1500-3000 grit in a bucket of water. A drop of Meguiar?s Hyper Wash was added to help soften the paper.
I use Kevin Brown?s recommendations when using M105 on any type of wool pad on a rotary. By focusing on priming the pad and keeping the surfaces free from any abraded paint contamination it is possible to get really top-notch correction while keeping the residual marring to an absolute minimum. To prime the pad I applied about two quarter sized drops of M105 and worked it into the pad with my hands.
The goal with pad priming isn?t to overly saturate the pad but rather create an even (and light) distribution of the product in all of the fibers. The primed pad is on the left.
Some deeper marks on the front of the trunk as well as the bumper required sanding. Here is the surface after 1500 and 2500 grits.
The trick to getting a lot of leveling power with M105 and a rotary is using a fair amount of pressure with lower speeds. It only required about 25 seconds of polishing at 1200 rpm to completely remove any residual traces and sanding marks, restore gloss, and create a near LSP ready surface.
Some of the more typical swirl marks and marring on the rest of the car.
After M105/PFW?
A recent track day had left some deep scaring towards the windshield as well. Again the trouble spots where polished with M105/PFW after being sanded with 1500 and 2500 Unigrit papers.
After polishing the Ferrari with M105/PFW and removing all of the defects, a follow up with M205 and white Hi-Gloss pad was used.
I also prepped the white foam by priming it with M205 and allowing the polish to permeate the pad for 5 minutes.
Final polishing was carried out with Menzerna 85rd and various sized Hi-Gloss red pads.
Finally some after pictures on another cloudy day in South Florida.
And finally onto the lawn at Cavallino where it won best in class and Platinum.
1969 Ferrari 365 GT/C- Cavallino Excellence in Class and Platinum Winner
This beautiful 365 drove all the from Up-State New York to Palm Beach Florida! I only had 8 hours to get it ready for Cavallino which added a unique twist to the detail. I started by pressure washing everything, and went through every brush, Q-tip, degreaser, etc in my catalogue removing any amount of dirt and road grime from every possible spot.
The interior was clean and dressed previously; I blew out every crevice with compressed air and vacuumed like a mad man, then gave the interior a quick wipe down of super diluted APC, to knock down any high spots from previous dressings. The tires had a large amount of gross dressing on them, so I used Amazing Roll Off, a wire brush, and a lot of patience.
I didn?t allocate a lot of time for the paint because of the share volume of cleaning that didn?t to be done in order to look great for the judges. I elected to ?hand? polish the paint with AutoGlym?s Super Resin Polish using their new Perfect Palm applicators. I really cannot recommend SRP enough, and while it might not have a spot in most pro?s inventories, it is a great product for people who just want their car?s to look great and shine.
Process: Wash- pre soak car with Eimann Fabrik Hi Intensity cleaner 10:1. Clean all crevices, trim, etc with brushes, q-tips, etc. Pre-treat all tar, bugs, and road staining with 1Z Anti-Insekt. Pre-clean glass with Glass Science scrub on a PC using a Hi-Gloss White Pad. Polish/Wash metal with P21s Polishing Soap. Wash entire Ferrari with Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II. Clay- while wet, Blackfire Poly Clay II using Meguiar?s Last Touch Detail Spray Tire?s/Wheel?s/Arches-Amazing Roll-Off Polish- Autoglym Super Resin Polish by hand Protection- Autoglym Hi-Definition Wax Trim/Misc- Autoglym Vinyl and Tire Care
Applying the Super Resin Polish (and removing) with Perfect Palm Applicators. I was watching over my shoulder for Mr. Miyagi to appear. ?Wax on-wax off Daniel-son.?
I love the finish of this tire/rubber dressing.
After the rush was complete and everything was detailed (and all was right with the world?) I had a little extra time. I decided to stick with the AutoGlym theme and top the Super Resin Polish with Hi-Definition Wax.
Some quick after
After Cavallino?
The owner posing with his Excellence in Class award at the prestigious Mar-A-Lago cruise.
The owner (right) and another one of my client?s (car featured later) with their Cavallino trophy?s. A silver and a platinum.
The 365 back home!!!
2010 Maserati Quattroporte
This was a new car prep. The paint was in excellent condition and only had the slightest holograms and buffer swirls. Menzerna PO203 worked in with what I am calling ?The Porta? worked perfectly. Work PO203 in with a rotary and a semi-aggressive pad until it is approximately half-way through it?s buffing cycle. Do not remove the active polish from the paint. Then switch to a finer pad primed with PO203 on a Random Orbital and continue working until the polish is completely broken down. The time involved is only slightly greater then doing just a rotary if you have the Random Orbital plugged in and ready to go.
Also I liked working several sections with a rotary, then polishing those sections together with the PC.
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II Wheels/ Tires /Wheel Arches- Menzerna 7.5 Gel Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II with M34 Final Inspection Polish- ?The Porta? Menzerna PO203 with a Makita and a Hi-Gloss Classic Flat Orange pad, broken half way down finished with a Meguiar?s G110V2 and a Hi-Gloss Classic Flat White pad.
Protection- Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paint Protection Interior- Vacuum, clean all interior surfaces with Meguiar?s APC 4:1, Treat Leather with AutoGlym Leather Balm. Trim- Blackfire Tire gel on tires, 1Z Gummi Phledge on weather stripping, Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on plastics.
I had two automobiles that needed to be completed on this day so very little time was allotted for documentation.
After pictures:
While I was polishing the owner?s Ferrari in the garage the sun peaked out. I pulled the Maserati out, excited to get some sun shots.
This answers the question on how Blackfire Wet Diamond looks on a metal flake?
I did a new car prep and pretty thorough write-up on this particular Ferrari about a year ago. Since I last saw this car it was still near perfect. Only the slightest, slightest marring from the few washes it has seen very visible in the fleeting sunlight.
The process was identical, down to ?The Porta? process I used for polishing.
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II/Meguiar?s 4:1 APC on the soft top Wheels/ Tires /Wheel Arches- Menzerna 7.5 Gel Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II with M34 Final Inspection
Polish- ?The Porta? Menzerna PO203 with a Makita and a Hi-Gloss Classic Flat Orange pad, broken half way down finished with a Meguiar?s G110V2 and a Hi-Gloss Classic Flat White pad. Protection- Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paint Protection Interior- Vacuum, clean all interior surfaces with Meguiar?s APC 4:1, Treat Leather with AutoGlym Leather Balm. Trim- Blackfire Tire gel on tires, 1Z Gummi Phledge on weather stripping, Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on plastics, RaggTopp Aerosol on the soft top.
The closest the sun came to breaking through?
Tiger Shark Custom C5 Corvette
I originally polished the beautiful C5 Corvette about a year ago. An unfortunate accident and some more modifications lead to some significant body shop damage, presumably at no extra cost. I was VERY FORTUNATE to have the help of David Fermani on this one. There was no need to wash the vehicle at the beginning although there was occasional heavy over spray that required aggressive clay to remove. The defects where systematically polished away. All paint correction was done with DA?s.
Don?t you love body shops? BIDs? Body shop Installed Damage
Who says that DA?s cannot cut?
After of the same picture. Never mind the blue square?.
Sorry for the extreme lack of documentation. As you can see, we finished late at night, with the only light being our halogens. Here it is right after wiping off the LSP: Blackfire Wet Diamond.
Ferrari F430 Scuderia
I originally did a new car prep on this F430 earlier in 2009. A day at the track had given it some very light marring that the owner wanted to have cleaned up prior to the Mar-A-Lago cruise after Cavallino. I was originally scheduled to detail this client?s 1962 Ferrari 250 GT but a hold up at the upholstery shop meant it did not make the show.
Here is a link to the original write up: Bella Detailing: 16m and Scuderia
Process:
Wash- 1Z Perls Shampoo Polish- Menzerna PO203 on a Makita, 6.5 inch and 4 inch Hi-Gloss classic flat white pads
- Menzerna PO85rd on a Makita and Meguiar?s G100v2, 6.5 Inch Hi-Gloss black finishing pad Protection- Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paint Protection Interior- Vacuum, and blow out. Wax all carbon fiber with Menzerna Acrylic Jacket. Leatherique Prestine Clean on all leather. Trim- Blackfire Tire gel on tires, 1Z Gummi Phledge on weather stripping, Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on plastics.
Work in progress?
Finished up?
Ferrari 365 GT/C- Cavallino Silver Award Winner
Here is another beautiful 365 that I had the pleasure of working on. Brian and I actually did this car 2 years ago for Cavallino. This is another one of the Ferraris that I was driven from the very North East coast of the US down to Florida for the show.
Process:
Pre-Treat- 1Z Anti-Insekt on all bug remains, tar residue
Tires/Wheels/Arches- Amazing Roll-Off and wire brush/Menzerna 7.5 Wheel Gel/Amazing Roll-Off Wash- Meguiar?s Hyper Wash/ P21s Polishing Soap on Chrome and Trim
Polishing- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, Lake Country PF Wool Pad
- Meguiar?s M205 on a Makita, 6.5 inch and 4 inch classic flat white pads
- Meguiar?s M205 on a G100V2, Meguiar?s SB2.0 7007 Finishing Pad Protection- Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paint Protection paint/ Blackfire Wet Diamond All Metal Sealant wheels and trim
Interior- Vacuum and wipe down with Meguiar?s 4:1 APC, polish all metal with P21s Polishing Soap Tires- AutoGlym Vinyl and Rubber Care Misc/Trim- AutoGlym Vinyl and Rubber Care
This detail was over a year in the making. I was originally supposed to prepare this car for last year's Cavallino Concours but the owner had an unfortunate family emergency. This year, just prior to the show, the owner tore his Achilles tendon and could not operate the clutch. Destiny strikes again. Luckily for me, I still had the honor of working on this, as the owner wanted it to look it?s best.
Process:
Wash- ONR wash Wheels/Tires/Arches-Menzerna 7.5 Wheel Gel. Clay- Meguiar?s Blue Professional, Meguiar?s M34 Final Inspection Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, Lake Country PF wool pad
- Meguiar?s M205 on a Makita, Hi-Gloss classic flat black pad
- Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish on a Meguiar?s G110v2, Hi-Gloss CCS red pad Protectant- Blackfire Midnight Sun, batch 24, Carnauba Paste x 2 Interior- Vacuum, Trim- Blackfire Tire gel on tires, Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on plastics and stripping
50/50
Front fender before:
After M105.
The roof of the F355 before polishing?
The roof and the engine cover of the F355 before polishing?
50/50 of the roof (polished) and the engine cover (not polished)?
A couple of after shots in the sun?
A picture the owner took as I enjoyed my day in the sun?
Some final pictures at the end of the detail. The lighting and carnauba wax definitely gave this Ferrari a wet look.
Porsche 997 Carrera S Cabriolet
Finally a car that didn?t require any polishing! I polished this Porsche about 4 months ago and topped it with Blackfire. It was still looking great but it did get a little touch up.
Process:
Wash- ONR Wheels/Tires/Arches- ONR Top- Clean with Meguiar?s APC 4:1/ Top with Ragg Topp Aerosol Protectant- Blackfire Ivory Carnauba Spray Interior- Vacuum, clean leather with Meguiar?s APC 10:1, dress with AutoGlym Leather Balm Tires- AutoGlym Vinyl and Rubber Care Wheels- Wheel Wax Trim/Misc- 1Z Gummi Pfledge
Blackfire Ivory Spray going on?
? and being buffed to a high luster.
Afters?
1988 Ferrari 328 GTS
This is the first Ferrari I ever detailed and it has a special place in my heart. This 328 is fairly rare, I believe it is one of less then 20 to feature the two-tone ?Boxer? paint scheme. The flat black was recently repainted and the shop that did the work thought it would be a great idea to polish the previously perfect paint. It looks like a dirty wool pad was used as the buffer swirl marks were very deep.I needed two full days to polish this beautiful Ferrari back to perfection.
Process:
Wash- Meguiar?s Hyper Wash Wheels/Tires/Arches- Menzerna 7.5 Wheel Gel/ Eimann Fabrik Tire Cleaner/Eimann Fabrik Intensity
Cleaner Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, 6.5 and 4 inch Hi-Gloss Orange Pads x 2-4?s
- Menzerna PO106fa on a Meguiar?s G110v2, 6.5 inch Hi-Gloss Black Pad Protectant- Blackfire ?Wet Ice over Fire? combination kit. Two kits of Blackfire Wet Diamond topped with
Blackfire Midnight Sun, batch 24, Carnauba paste Tires/Misc- Autoglym Vinyl and Rubber Care
The hologram effect was a result of very deep buffer swirls.
Front bumper area after?
A 50/50 split shot of the front trunk lid.
Here is a before after with just M105. There is some slight micro haze in the after picture which Menzerna PO106fa cleaned up immediately.
The owner of this Porsche loves speed, hence an upgraded turbo engine pushing close to 650 horsepower. This Porsche was actually detailed previous to my trip to Canada although I do not believe I have done a write up.
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II Tires/Wheels/Arches- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II Clay- Meguiar?s Blue Detailer Clay, Meguiar?s M34 Final Inspection Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, Meguiar?s SB2.0 Cutting Pad
-Meguiar?s M205 on a Makita, 6.5 inch Hi-Gloss classic flat orange pad
-Menzerna PO85rd on a Makita, 6.5inch Hi-Gloss classic flat black pad Protectant- Klasse AIO on paint, glass, wheels, trim/ Blackfire Midnight Sun, Batch 23 on paint. Interior- Vacuum. Blackfire Total Interior Cleaner and Blackfire Leather Care. Tires- Blackfire Tire Gel
Before picture in the early morning sun.
After polishing?
After pictures. It was actually starting to rain, but the owner sacrificed a slightly wet interior for the final pics!
The following two Lamborghinis were actually done over the summer. I was looking at this write up and realized that I needed to add some color, and other then posting a couple of pictures, I never gave these car?s the write up they deserved. I am behind on at least 35 write-ups from the summer so this is as good as a place as any to catch up.
Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster
Process:
Wash- Meguiar?s NXT Car Wash Tires/Wheels/Arches- Eimann Fabrik Tire Cleaner/PS21s Wheel Gel/Eimann Fabrik Hi Intensity Cleaner Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II, Blackfire Clay Lubricant Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, Lake Country Twisted Wool Pad x 1-2
- Menzerna PO83q SIP on a Makita, Hi-Gloss classic flat white pads
- Menzerna PO85rd on a Makita, Hi-Gloss classic flat black pads Protection- Meguiar?s M21 2.0 Synthetic Sealant/ Wheel Wax on wheels Tires- Blackfire Tire Gel Interior- Vacuum and blow out. Leatherique twins on leather. Menzerna Acrylic Jacket on Carbon Fiber. Trim/Misc- 1Z Gummi Pfledge on weather stripping, 303 Aerospace Protectant on all trim.
Leatherique did a great job on the soiled leather.
After pictures?
I am convinced that the Italian who designed the rear engine cover on the Murci? Roadsters was designed by was a person who absolutely hated detailers. Not only is the paint rock hard, but the crazy angles make it so difficult to polish every square inch adequately.
Monterey Blue: It might be the best color ever, and it certainly shows off the aggressive lines of Lamborghini?s flagship. I cannot explain how amazing this color is in person, but I hope the photographs give a fairly nice representation. The total detail of this example took 2 1./2 days.
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II
Tires/Wheels/Arches- Eimann Fabrik Tire Cleaner/PS21s Wheel Gel/Eimann Fabrik Hi Intensity Cleaner Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II, Blackfire Clay Lubricant Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, Lake Country Twisted Wool Pad x 1-2
- Menzerna PO83q SIP on a Makita, Hi-Gloss classic flat white pads
- Menzerna PO85rd on a Makita, Hi-Gloss classic flat black pads Protection- Blackfire ?Wet Ice over Fire? combo/ Wheel Wax on wheels Tires- Blackfire Tire Gel
Interior- Vacuum and blow out. Leatherique twins on leather. Menzerna Acrylic Jacket on Carbon Fiber. Trim/Misc- 1Z Gummi Pfledge on weather stripping, 303 Aerospace Protectant on all trim.
The wheels were coated in heavy brake dust, although it cleaned up with little trouble.
Before of the swirls on the single stage black body?
Some of the deeper rids on the hard Monterey Blue Paint.
The interior was fairly trashed. Leatherique Rejuvinator Oil was allowed to dwell for two days and did an amazing job cleaning and conditioning hides.
The best after shots I managed to capture during the relatively over cast days?
Getting washed after a day and a half of polishing.
After pictures?
Even though I haven?t documented all of the work, all areas of all car?s that I detail are meticulously cleaned, treated, and waxed?
I had the pleasure of detailing this car outside on a cool day on Florida?s Gulf Coast. It is so rare to be able to work outside; it makes the day very enjoyable. This Ferrari had a lot of pitting on the front and rear leading me to believe that it has seen a track more then once. The pitting is unfortunately common on 328-348-355 and 360?s.
Process:
Wash- Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II/Meguiar?s APC 4:1 on top Wheels/Tires/Arches- Menzerna 7.5 Wheel Gel Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II, Meguiar?s M34 Final Inspection Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Meguiar?s G110v2, SB2.0 foam cutting pad
- Menzerna PO106fa on a Meguiar?s G110v2, SB 2.0 8007 polishing pad Protectant- Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paint Protection/ Wheel Wax on wheels Interior- Meguiar?s APC 10:1 on all leather, AutoGlym Leather Balm on leather Tires- AutoGlym Vinyl and Rubber Care Trim/Misc- 1Z Gummi Pfledge on weather stripping/303 Aerospace Protectant
50/50,
50/50
Getting ready to put the top up and wash away the polishing dust and residual polishing oils.
After pictures
1991 Ferrari F40
The Ferrari F40 is one of my all-time favorite cars. I have had the pleasure of feeling full power runs, wheel spin approaching triple digit speeds, donuts in the snow (!), and the once in a life time pleasure of driving these beasts. The last Ferrari commissioned by Enzo, the F40 was designed to be the finest road car in the world. 20 years later it lays down numbers that are still competitive against today?s super cars. The 2.8L V8 produces almost 500 horsepower! The bigger story is fact that this car is only a handful of pounds heavier then a Lotus Elise!
Process:
Wash- ONR Wheels/Tires- Meguiar?s APC 4:1 Arches/Trunk/Engine- Meguiar?s APC 4:1 Clay- Blackfire Polyclay II, Meguiar?s M34 Final Inspection Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, Lake Country PF Wool Pad x 2-3
-Meguiar?s M105 on a Meguiar?s G110v2, Hi-Gloss classic flat White Pads
- Menzerna PO106fa on a Meguiar?s G110v2, Hi-Gloss classic flat Black Pads Protectant- Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paint Protection/ Wheel Wax on wheels Lexan Windows- Meguiar?s D151 PCR on a Meguiar?s G100, 4 inch Hi-Gloss classic flat Orange pad Engine/Trunk- Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant on plastics, AutoGlym Vinyl and Rubber Care on rubber
The paint was clean and only got an ONR wash to start. The engine and trunk open up completely making detailing very easy. Meguiar?s APC 4:1 and careful pressure cleaning made quick work of removing the accumulated grime, grit, and dirt.
The swirls in the paint where evident, even through the early morning cloud haze?
Despite what seems like a fairly aggressive paint correction, only about 80% of the defects where removed. There where plenty of deeper scratches that I felt was not safe to chase. The F40?s have famously thin paint.
The Lexan windows had a fair amount of haze. I was able to clean up 80 percent of the haze using my old Meguiar?s G110 (Porter Cable) and a 4 inch spot pad with Meguiar?s D151. Polishing the underside of the window proved to be quite a challenge.
The F40 was washed with Eimann Fabrik Auto Spa II after polishing to remove any dust.
Some after pictures before the car was completely done but before the light went completely dark.
2009 Porsche Carrera S
This particular Porsche was custom ordered to replicate my client?s original Porsche, a 1986 Turbo. Thus original colored paint code and interior code was applied to this car. It is the only 2009 Porsche with this color and interior code. This detail was quite unique because the owner is a fan of Swissvax products which I had the pleasure to use. Two days where spent making this white Porsche gleam?
Process:
Wash- Meguiar?s Hyperwash
Tires/Wheels/Arches- Menzerna 7.5 Wheel Gel/Amazing Roll-Off Clay- Swissvax Paint Rubber, Meguiar?s M34 Final Inspection Polish- Meguiar?s M105 on a Makita, Lake Country PF Wool
- Menzerna PO203 ?The Porta? using Hi-Gloss classic flat white pads on the Makita and
Hi-Gloss classic flat red pads on a Meguiar?s G110v2 Protectant- Swissvax Cleaner Fluid, Swissvax Paul Dalton?s Crystal Rock Wax by hand Wheels- Swissvax Autobahn Wheel Wax Tires- Swissvax Pneu Misc/Trim- Swissvax Rubber Feed on weatherstripping/ 303 Aerospace Protectant on trim Interior- Blow out and vacuum, Meguiar?s APC 4:1 on all leather, AutoGlym Leather Balm. Carpets- Shampooed with Meguiar?s APC 4:1, 303 Fabric Guard.
Only after pictures for this one.
The custom ordered interior was stunning in bright red, with fully optioned leather, and aluminum trim.
Geeze. I don't know if any response can really justify this massive post full of amazing work. Great photography work and documentation in addition to great turn-arounds goes a long way in showing the knowledge a detailer possesses, and this is an excellent case of that.
Thanks for sharing and I look forward to the next
WOW!!!!
Todd, you've been a busy boy. The work you do is nothing short of AMAZING! There is no doubt in my mind as to why you get to work on some of the most spectacular cars in the world...because you are the right person for the job.
It is great to se all the different products that you use on each job. Interesting, how each job gets a different treatment.
Great work, and great write up as usual.
Thanks for sharing with us.:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:
