The car fell victim to a hard life the past few months with an unfortunate dealership service incident and a subsequent body shop experience that proved to be the poorest I’ve ever experienced. This Spring clean-up came in preparation for a local car show. By the end of it, I had about 15 hours of labor. Now, the car is by no means perfect or even where I want it (many things need to be repaired), but it’s what I have to live with until I fully “restore” it at some point.
Process: Day 1
-clean wheels inside and out
-polish with ZPC and polishing pad via PC
-seal with Z5 x 2
Day 2
-clean exhaust with Simple Green 50/50 and #0000 steel wool
-clean engine bay and underhood with Simple Green 50/50 with various brushes and rinse
-degrease door jambs
-wash with
NXT soap and Eurow mitt
-clay with Zaino Z18 and Long Haul Truck Gloss as lube
-tape off trim, etc.
-polish deeper scratches with cutting pad and
Menzerna IP via PC; speed 6
Day 3
-polish with light cutting pad and Menzerna IP via PC; speed 6
-polish with polishing pad and Menzerna FP via PC; speed 5
-remove tape, remove polishing dust, and wipedown with Z6
-apply Zaino Z2 Pro w/ ZFX x 3 by hand; each coat removed with Z8
-polish painted areas in engine bay including underside of hood and hatch area with
AIO (by hand)
-wax the above areas with OCW
Day 4
-vacuum interior
-wipedown interior with
Meguiar’s Interior Quick Detailer Wipes
-wash to remove all traces of polishing dust, missed wax residue, etc.
-quick detail with Z8
-dress wheel wells, trim, and engine with Armor All Tire Foam or Meguiar’s Natural Shine
-dress tires with Zaino Z16
-polish fuel rails and exhaust tips with Mother’s
-clean glass with Eagle One 20/20
At the show:
Other pictures:
What was the bodyshop saga??
They did an exceptionally poor repair to boot...I hate dealerships 
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