PS Detailed: 2006 Monterey Red Corvette water spots no more

[RedVR6]

Anyone ever seen this car? WOW! One of a kind...saw it on Speedvision yesterday.

http://www.automuseum.org/1938corsair.html

 

[gmblack3]

Since 1953 the corvette has been known as "America's Sports Car."

This Monterey Red convertible is no exception. Equipped with Z51 suspension and the M6 6 speed manual, this 400hp vert will move you.

Not only was the clients main concern the water spot etching on the hood and rear deck, he was equally concerned with how much clear coat would be sacrificed while the water spot etching was dispatched with.

I explained to him how its always my goal to remove the minimum amount of clear coat, while ensuring that the defects (water spot etching in this case) are totally removed or to a point where the client is not cursing everytime he looks at his car.

I informed him that I'm one of the few detailers in the country that has a Defelsko PosiTector 200 Series (Advanced) PTG. So I am able to 100% know exactly how much clear coat I am removing from a composite, plastic or fiberglass based panel. I also know how thick the clear coat is. The advanced model can read up to three individual layers.

Some before shots of the water spot etching.

Hood:

Rear deck:

Process:

Wheels cleaned with MWB and various brushes.
Tires and wells cleaned with ARO.
Foamed paint and glass with Zaino Z7 carwash via foam lance.
Sprayed cloth top with 303 fabric top cleaner and allow to dwell.
Washed paint and glass via 2BM sheepskin mitt.
Scrubbed cloth top with fabric brush.
Thoroughly rinsed fabric top.
Clayed paint and glass while still wet with zaino clay and QEW mix as lube.
Electric leaf blower used to remove excess water from all surfaces, wheels and tires.
Final drying done with big blue WWs from CMA. I love these towels.
3x wipedown with straight 91% IPA to ensure all waxes, glazes or sealants are removed from painted surfaces.

The interior was my next area of concern. I wanted to let the fabric top to fully dry overnight. I would start on the paint the next day.

Interior process:

Thorough vacuum using our Dyson DC28.
Mats and carpets spot treated where needed with Folex.
Hard surfaces steamed with my VX5000 steamer.
Hard surfaces then cleaned with 1Z einszett Plastic Vinyl Deep Cleaner "Plastik-Reiniger."
Hard Surfaces treated with 1Z einszett Vinyl-Rubber Care & Protectant "Tiefenpfleger."
Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil applied to leather and allowed to dwell.

The interior was very dusty as the windows where left down in the clients garage for an extended period of time while he was out of country:

Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil applied:

The next day I started on the paint.

I first checked the thickness of the clear using my Defelsko PosiTector 200 Series (Advanced) PTG.

I have found the clear coat on each C5/6 vette that I have worked on to have a total thickness of 60-65% of the total coating thickness. As you can see we have 3.3 mil of clear coat and 2.0 mil of basecoat/other.

The maximum amount of clear coat removed was .10 mil

My process for the water spot etched hood and rear deck where as follows:

Surbuf pad/M105/Festool FEQ 150 speed 5
Orange classic flat LC pad/M205/Festool FEQ 150 speed 5
Black classic flat LC pad/M205/Festool FEQ 150 speed 4

Some progress shots after the surbuf pad step:

The remainder of the paint also had the above steps, but the surbuf pad step was worked at a decreased time due to the medium level of defects.

That ended a long day of paint polishing.

The next day I applied leatherique pristine clean to the leather to remove the Rejuvenator Oil.

Rewashed the car via the 2BM/sheepskin mitt with a mix of Dawn and Zaino Z7 to remove polishing dust and oils.
Aided by my electric leaf blower to remove as much water as possible from the freshly polished paint, I finished drying the paint with clean big blue WW towels. I ensured that I did not get the fabric top excessively wet.

I left the car out in the sun for another hour to ensure the fabric top was dry.
I raised the electric top up and placed 100% cotton towels under the top prior to lowering the top.

I applied 3x of Raggtopp fabric top treatment in alternating light coats. Allowing 30 mins of drying time between coats.

Any painted areas and glass that had Raggtopp overspray on them where cleaned with QEW.

A final Z6 wipedown was done.

I then applied 3x of the following zaino products mixed in a small zaino mixing bottle:

80% Z5pro
20% Z2pro
1 squirt of Z8
5 drops of ZFX.

Tires got Z-16 and wheels got ZAIO.

Rear tips polished with Blue Magic polish and #0000 steel wool.

The client was kind enough to leave a comment over on the CF:

Bryan: Many thanks again!! You did an amazing job. I'm glad that we were finally able to get that scheduled. If you are ever asked for references, don't hesitate to give me call.

I can't say how pleased I was with the job and the fact that I asked for a paint polish and Bryan went the extra mile to clean and coat the ragtop, did a wonderful job with the interior and polished up the wheels and exhaust tips. You can really tell that Bryan is definitely one of the best!

Bryan I will see you again next spring after another wonderful summer of long weekend runs!

 

[imported_broker99]

Nice turn around. That vette looks unreal. Nice deep rich shine.

 

[Puckman]

Nice work Bryan. Beautiful color too (reminds me of a nice 7 series i saw one time...) :thumbup:

 

[imported_BretFraz]

Looks incredible, Bryan. That is a fantastic color for a Corvette, and you took it to its maximum potential!!. Excellent job, my friend.

 

[imported_Luster]

I explained to him how its always my goal to remove the minimum amount of clear coat, while ensuring that the defects (water spot etching in this case) are totally removed or to a point where the client is not cursing everytime he looks at his car.

I always tell my customers that also. That I would rather "Err on the side of caution" than remove too much clear from the vehicle.:biggrin:

I informed him that I'm one of the few detailers in the country that has a Defelsko PosiTector 200 Series (Advanced) PTG. So I am able to 100% know exactly how much clear coat I am removing from a composite, plastic or fiberglass based panel. I also know how thick the clear coat is. The advanced model can read up to three individual layers.
]

I'd love to have one of those!!! (Not in the budget...) I know that's a high dollar device, but worth it!:biggrin:

Excellent write-up Bryan. Nice work removing those water spots. It looked like there was some "etching". The car turned out great! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:Beautiful car and color also.

 

[bmw5541]

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL job Bryan. The Vette looks incredible:drool5:

Thanks for sharing this with us and doing such a thourough write-up.:clap:

 

[Husker Z]

When using the Leatherique, did you heat the car up any like it says you need to or set it in the sun to bake it in? I've wanted to do this in my car, but with it being so cold out here in KC this winter, I didn't get around to it and I didn't want to let my car sit out and run with the heater on for an hour.

Just curious if that stuff works okay without actually baking it in. Thanks.

The 'Vette looks fantastic, the exhaust tips look brand new!

 

[gmblack3]

Nice turn around. That vette looks unreal. Nice deep rich shine.

Thank you broker!

Nice work Bryan. Beautiful color too (reminds me of a nice 7 series i saw one time...) :thumbup:

Thanks Paul! Looking at how nice this vette came out reminds me of how dirty that other car is.

Looks incredible, Bryan. That is a fantastic color for a Corvette, and you took it to its maximum potential!!. Excellent job, my friend.

Bret, Thank you very much for your kind words my friend! I hope to get the writeup done on the Lexus we did this week.

I always tell my customers that also. That I would rather "Err on the side of caution" than remove too much clear from the vehicle.:biggrin:



I'd love to have one of those!!! (Not in the budget...) I know that's a high dollar device, but worth it!:biggrin:

Excellent write-up Bryan. Nice work removing those water spots. It looked like there was some "etching". The car turned out great! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:Beautiful car and color also.

Thank you Bill! The advanced 200 comes in handy on a job like this. Just a "little bit" of etching, :scared: but nothing that the surbuf pads could not take care of.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL job Bryan. The Vette looks incredible:drool5:

Thanks for sharing this with us and doing such a thourough write-up.:clap:

Thank you bmw! I try to do my writeup so that hopefully it will help others in the future.

When using the Leatherique, did you heat the car up any like it says you need to or set it in the sun to bake it in? I've wanted to do this in my car, but with it being so cold out here in KC this winter, I didn't get around to it and I didn't want to let my car sit out and run with the heater on for an hour.

Just curious if that stuff works okay without actually baking it in. Thanks.

The 'Vette looks fantastic, the exhaust tips look brand new!

Thank you Husker! IMO you do get the maximum results from Leatherique when the RO has heat applied. I have never tried leaving the heater on for an hour with any application, but leaving the car out in the hot sun with the windows up is my preferred method. At a mimimum I will leave the RO on the leather for the duration of the detail. I had this car for a few days, so I applied it right away. I put some bin liners over the seats to facilitate moving the vehicle around. Then removed the RO with PC (pristine clean) on the final day.

So if your leather has become hard or has alot of dirt in it, I do recommend letting the car sit out in the sun for at least a full day. You can also reapply the RO as it get absorbed in during the heat process.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions and I will be happy to help.

 

[Husker Z]

Thanks Bryan, my leather is VERY soft, just the nature of the leather in the R's, almost to a fault. But, they do show some dirt on the stitching and I also have a little stain where my belt rubs on the seat that I've been unsuccessful at removing.

So, you don't remove the rejuvenator with the Leatherique cleaner? Or do you remove it with that first, then your other stuff?

Sorry to hijack the thread and if you want to PM instead, that's fine.

Thanks again.

 

[imported_Sal329]

Great work, the car looks fantastic

 

[gmblack3]

Thanks Bryan, my leather is VERY soft, just the nature of the leather in the R's, almost to a fault. But, they do show some dirt on the stitching and I also have a little stain where my belt rubs on the seat that I've been unsuccessful at removing.

So, you don't remove the rejuvenator with the Leatherique cleaner? Or do you remove it with that first, then your other stuff?

Sorry to hijack the thread and if you want to PM instead, that's fine.

Thanks again.

It is hard to say if the process will remove the dye transfer from your leather belt. Actually the drivers seat in this car has the same issue and I was only able to get a slight reduction after trying many products. I talked to George at Leatherique and he stated that if the leatherique process will not remove the transfer, then a redye is your only other option. The client elected not to have this done at the present time. I believe an 8oz bottle of dye is approx $55 from leatherique. George claims the process is very simple.

Here is the basic process from the leatherique site:

Step 1. Vacuum the surface of the upholstered piece or interior well or use a soft brush to remove large particles of dirt, paying particular attention to seams, folds, and cracks.


Step 2. Apply the Rejuvenator Oil liberally (about 4 oz. per seat) with your hands; massaging the oil well into all the surfaces and natural folds of the leather, this puts natural ingredients, not harsh cleaner, back into the leather and forces out dirt. You may also use a soft sea sponge, or a soft paint type brush. One of our Rolls Royce friends, Chuck Hull of Simi Valley, California suggests a spray bottle, which can be purchased at the local home center. Also apply the Rejuvenator Oil liberally nearer the stitched areas as the conditioner will be able to migrate laterally well into the hide. Park the car in the sun with the windows rolled up to create a ?steam room? for as long as practical, several hours or a day. In cooler weather, or for long-term storage in a garage, cover the seats with plastic wrap, and ?warm? with a hair dryer. Or one of our Ferrari friends, Paul Hammer, suggests covering seats with large plastic garbage bags to be able to sit in the car and move it if necessary. (Allow the oil to be absorbed into the fibrous side of the leather before putting the top down in a convertible.) Direct sun is the worst enemy of any automobile interior or home upholstery. Do not place home or office leather upholstery in direct sun. For ?cardboard hard? leather, several applications will be necessary. Patience will be rewarded with good results.


Step 3. After the ph correct proteins and collagens from the Rejuvenator Oil have permeated back into the pours and fibers of the leather, strengthening and nourishing them, the surface may be tacky, sticky, gritty, or have a white haze. This is simply the dirt, grime, air pollution, perspiration, salts and other toxins that have floated out of the leather to the surface. Apply Prestine Clean by putting it in a Spray Bottle then wipe off with a SOFT lint free cloth. For tough dirt or vinyl or vinyl tops, brush the cleaner into the grain of the leather or vinyl with a soft bath brush or toothbrush. Let stand for a few minutes, usually by the time you are done with the next piece, and wipe the surface with a soft, damp cloth Rinse the soft cloth in warm clean water, ring dry, wipe again. Then, after all the dirt has been removed, gently buff to a luxurious finish with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Your car or upholstered leather piece will appreciate the ?face lift? and will have the new leather smell restored. Prestine Clean will not remove the conditioner permeated into the leather. This process may be used on MB Tex vinyl areas to soften and condition. Even flexibility on rubber window trim can be maintained with Prestine Clean.

Great work, the car looks fantastic

Thank you Sal!

 

[Old Pirate]

Always a pleasure to see your workmanship Bryan, I bet the folks at Corvette forum are freaking :drool5:

 

[gmblack3]

Always a pleasure to see your workmanship Bryan, I bet the folks at Corvette forum are freaking :drool5:

Thank you Angelo!

 

[Street Dreams]

Innovative and informative as always, with the results to back it up!

The festool rocks doesnt it Bryan? Quality machine right there ancing Dot:

 

[imported_Roadrunner]

You get all the "wine" red cars Bryan, what's up with that?! I'm just jealous.:toetap05: I've always liked ruby colored cars.

Excellent work, as always, and great write up, thanks!

 

[imported_Erik Mejia]

Nice! That color really looks great after you worked your magic on it. Good job.

 

[gmblack3]

Innovative and informative as always, with the results to back it up!

The festool rocks doesnt it Bryan? Quality machine right there ancing Dot:

Thanks David! I like it alot.

You get all the "wine" red cars Bryan, what's up with that?! I'm just jealous.:toetap05: I've always liked ruby colored cars.

Excellent work, as always, and great write up, thanks!

Thanks RR! Not sure whats up with that. Got a guy from Bham who called today, Darker red Tundra....

Nice! That color really looks great after you worked your magic on it. Good job.

Thanks Erik! :notworthy: