dsms detail - 09' Black STi hacked by dealer

dsms · 04-03-09, 12:34

Im really getting bored doing STi's but heres another one anyways...

Brand new 09' obsidian black STi. The car was dealer prepped and it seems they did a horrendous job, but of course I would expect nothing less

Overall the car was pretty well hacked, aside from the standard wash induced fine swirls were deep RIDS, holograms and even sand scratches, which could have came from the factory. Its bad when dealers prep cars that dont already have softee clears but when you mix dealer prep work with a soft clear coat , well thats just a recipe for trouble

No wash process pics so straight to the correction work and as I like to say :

On with the detail...

After the wash and clay

RIDS and sand scratches under the infratech

I took a quick video of the defects under the fenix LED to give you a better idea of the damage as it was difficult to capture everything on camera

I started with the hood as usual. The car was booked as a single step 80% paint correction detail but upon further inspection a 1 step would not have been sufficent to correct and finish the paint.

I landed on a combo which worked very well for this soft and in some areas sticky black paint

- Gloss It extreme cut compound w/ GI green pre-polymer polishing pad or yellow pp pad
- Menzerna PO85rd w/ GI pre-polymer blue finishing pad

GI "EVP" was used to prime the pads and extend the work time of both of the above products. I found that using the GI extreme cut w/a polishing or heavy polishing pad rather than a dedicated cutting pad helped to reduce the amount of swirls and holograms in step 1 alone, which of course made for easier cleanup later on when using the PO85rd. To make up for the softer foams used I worked the extreme cut for an extra minute or so to ensure i got as much defect removed as possible before the finishing stage.

This car did not receive a 100% paint correction process but in 2 steps I was able to achieve about 95% pc which I was very pleased with.

Some sun shots and 50/50s after 2 IPA wipedowns

Before

After

Notice there are about 3 fine RIDS which were not removed (to me those are the difference between a 95% and a true 100% paint correction job)

While the sun was out I took some shots of the rest of the car which was, well ,less than stellar...

Some more 50/50 shots and video of the car back in the garage under the Fenix LED (awesome on metallics) and Infratech

Before

After

Another video this time a "real time" 50/50 under the fenix

(yes my house phone was ringing, sorry about that... definately had my nerd ear protection on so I probably did not hear it :giggle

The hood after finishing and an IPA wipedown

Hello :afro:

The front fenders of this car were a little curvy for a larger pad and I wouldnt have gotten a smooth breakdown so in spite of working against the clock I opted to use a 4" GI pre polymer pad w/ the GI 3" BP to polish the area completely without skipping on the contours

dsms · 04-03-09, 12:35

I dont really know how this happened but the owner informed me it came from the dealership. I switched out the polishing pads for a 4" GI white fast cut foam pad and compounded the mirror using the extreme cut and again finished with 85rd on a GI blue finishing pad

Before

After.. far from perfect but a little more presentable, I did not feel comfortable wetsanding the paint on the mirror so using my better judgement I left it be

This panel required 2 passed w/ Extreme cut to correct at a 90-95% level

before

Under the fenix and camera flash again

Passenger door panel under 3 spectrums of light to help show the defects (Fenix LED, Infratech and camera flash)

after under same spectrums of light

85rd working on the rear bumper, I had a little fun when jeweling

Under the fenix

I usually turn the lights down in my garage to spot defects a little easier, so heres a minimal lighted photo of the rear bumber

And now with all the lights on and no flash after finishing

Working my way around the bumper I came to a little problem area the owner informed me of. Some very deep scratches were filled in with a tocuh up stick at the dealer, since paint was clearly removed from the area and underneather the touch up paint was bare metal I decided to simply tape off the area and only polish around it to prevent further damage.

the chips which were poorly filled in are highlighted

After the car was fully finished I applied the LSP and finishing touches.

LSP of choice:

Gloss It Signature gloss sealant x2 applied w/ Flex 3401 and a 100ppi pad
Gloss It Concourso gloss topped over the signature by hand
GI gloss enhancer wipedown

Trim was treated with GI TRV dressing

after application w/ foam sponge

Meet my new best friend btw, rubbermaid utility cart! I just load up all the products I need for the task at hand and simply wheel this bad boy around the vehicle with me... now no more products or towels ending up on the floor:headbang:

dsms · 04-03-09, 12:37

Outside to do the final wipedown and trim dressing

TRV

Some last before and afters...

Before

After w/LSP

And finally some final shots (excuse the blur in the upper righthand corner, my lens had some QD mist on it and it blurred some of the shots)

While waiting for the owner to arrive I pulled it back inside

and the only after pic where the blue on my lens had no effect on the car itself

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed

EisenHulk · 04-03-09, 12:56

Very nice work.

I just test drove a silver STI earlier in the week....talk about a blast to drive!

white gecko 99 · 04-03-09, 01:42

EXCELLENT work!!! That last indoor shot is epic.

Looks like you had a smear on the right side of your lens?

Again, great work in saving that car!

maxepr1 · 04-03-09, 02:08

Nice work as usual!! Where did you get the 4" BP for the Flex?

Hemin8r · 04-03-09, 02:19

Great job, that paint really pops!

bufferbarry · 04-03-09, 02:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by white gecko 99

Looks like you had a smear on the right side of your lens?

!

I think that was the exhaust from the car running! nice work again! your a top notch detailer no doubt there! the second video was a awesome way of showing the before and after. car looks great.

Frito Bandito · 04-03-09, 02:37

Nice work but sweet jesus that is a picture overload.

byers ford · 04-03-09, 03:04

Great job on the black, looks awesome.

In defense of the dealers, as I work at one, we do not get to spend alot of time on a vehicle like private detailers do. At some dealers, maybe, but for the most part you may have only a few hours at the most to get the car done. This is the unfortunate reality of the business, as it is difficult to sell a car that is not actually on the lot. I personally like to take my time, but usually I get rushed thru my work.

white gecko 99 · 04-03-09, 03:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frito Bandito

Nice work but sweet jesus that is a picture overload.

nah, its just right

Lumadar · 04-03-09, 03:25

Very nice turn around... I can't believe how hammered that paint was already!

I noticed you and a few others using the Gloss It backing plate and smaller pads. They look really nice for tight spots.

Anyone know the best place to purchase GI pads and backing plates? And tips on which pads are "must haves" or not?