Defining Details: 2000 Lexus LS400 - Singe stage paint

DefiningDetails · 05-31-09, 01:59

Client recently purchased this V8 LS400, and it was in need of a gentleman's touch! Either a previous detailer or possibly the used car dealer went to town on this thing and just butchered it... Buffer trails, swirls, deep scratches, bird crap etching, you name it it was on there...

Here is the car when it was dropped off:

Notice the haziness and overall lack of depth and color to the door:

I did a couple of test spots, and was quite surprised with what I found - single stage paint:

After reviewing my test spots, I decided on M105/orange with medium pressure, followed up with M205 on a black pad. Here are a whole bunch of photos of the correction process. All pics are after compound only:

For anyone who has ever wanted to see the difference between compounding and finishing, M105 + orange pad on left, M205 + black pad on right:

Here are a few sweet reflections I caught in the garage, after finishing out with 205:

Here she is right before the client picked it up

Same door ad before photo:

Trunk:

This was a very fun car to work on and the results, while maybe only achieving 80-85% correction due to how deep many of the the etchings and RIDS were, were pretty sweet! The owner was pleased to say the least...

Thanks for reading!

Apollo_Auto · 05-31-09, 02:33

Very well done! I'd be happier than a pig in poo after getting the car back like that! Single stage... how old was this Lexus? Repaint?

dmw2692004 · 05-31-09, 03:25

great turn around!

DefiningDetails · 05-31-09, 03:46

Thanks guys.

Apollo - I dont believe it was a repaint; after some research, I learned that many late model Lexus vehicles come single-stage from the factory. This is a 2000 model LS400. No evidence of a respray anywhere on the car, so I am assuming it is factory paint.

bufferbarry · 05-31-09, 04:22

looks good man! lexus and toyota both had single stage till mid 2000 years very nice turnaround

Sludge · 05-31-09, 04:51

You certainly increased the value of that car. Great detail and nice documentation of your work. Looks terrific.

DefiningDetails · 05-31-09, 06:26

Thanks guys!

When I went out to inspect the car last week, I learned that the owner replaced his stage 2 STI with this car because he was a new father and needed the extra space. I was pretty happy to have had the chance to convert his new Lexus back to Baller status so that he can transport the kids in style

Schnitz · 06-01-09, 04:59

Thanks Chris!
Hey guys. I'm the owner of the Lexus. I gotta say I didn't think the paint could actually be brought back to this level. I was obviously wrong. It looks brand new again. I'm a member of alot of car clubs and they'll all be getting a link to this thread, so hopefully Chris will get some more work and this site will get some more exposure.
Thanks again Chris! Great job!

Oh ya, my son definitely enjoys the car too. Anyone that gives a thumbs up he says 'Hi' to.

KnuckleBuckett · 06-01-09, 07:06

Cool.

I always enjoy this kind of thing.

jmkiang · 06-01-09, 10:00

Very nice recovery! Curious about your M205/black combo. I have finished with M205/white and it looked amazing (on Honda CC). Never thought of going to black pad.

DefiningDetails · 06-01-09, 10:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmkiang

Very nice recovery! Curious about your M205/black combo. I have finished with M205/white and it looked amazing (on Honda CC). Never thought of going to black pad.

M205 + white was my first try. Left ALOT of marring on this soft single-stage paint. Even black + 205 had a very minute amount of micromarring left...

I also tried black + Optimum Finish Polish, but that stuff is just sooo damn oily that it took forever to work it in and wipe it off, and I was marring the paint with my softest MF towels trying to get it off. So I settled on M205 + Black because it finished out at about 98-99% perfect and was very easy to remove from the paint.

jmkiang · 06-01-09, 11:11

^ I see. Learn something new everyday